Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Turkey’s new manager, Wayne Rooney, Sol Campbell, Chester City and another crazy idea from the Premier League all feature in this week’s good, the bad and the ugly section of the podcast. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.
The Good
Good news for Turkish football as they announced this week that Dutchman Guus Hiddink is to take over as head coach of the national side. Turkish football is in the doldrums after their dismal performance in the World Cup qualifiers which saw them finish in third place behind Spain and Bosnia. Turkey face a daunting task to qualify for the next major tournament – the European Championships of 2012 – as they will have to play against Germany and Austria but with the experienced Hiddink at the helm they will be feeling a little more confident.
Good for Wayne Rooney and maybe for England at the World Cup if he keeps fits and stays in form. The scouse striker scored twice at the San Siro in Manchester United’s 3-2 win over European aristocrats, AC Milan. Rooney is proving to be a real handful for defenders this season and it looks as though he has come into his own with the departure or Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Currently he is top scorer in the Premier League with 21 goals, comfortably clear of Drogba in second with 17. While Milan looked on top for most of the match and Manchester United were generally second best, Rooney proved the difference with his two clinical goals. The Red Devils, thanks to their stocky striker, look set to progress with this victory and three away goals.
The Bad
It was a bad night for the Arsenal defenders in their Champions League second round match against FC Porto last night as howlers from goalkeeper Fabianski and veteran defender Sol Campbell handed two soft goals to their Portuguese hosts. Manager Arsene Wenger was not happy with the decision – a surprise there then – but the Gunners had only themselves to blame. Bad defending indeed.
A lot of clubs are in financial trouble at the moment, but one could be finally about to exit the Football League structure for good. Chester City, founded in 1885, have slid into the non-league Blue Square Conference last year and because of debts of 7 million pounds were docked a whacking 25 points at the start of the season. Things have only got worse and last week Chester City players refused to board the bus to a game against Forest Green – they haven’t been paid for three months – and the club has been unable to pay police bills. They have been suspended from the Conference for a week, meaning they miss the derby match against Welsh neighbours Wrexham andA a game against Kidderminster Harriers. They are really hanging on by their fingernails, and It is make or break time for the Seals whose only hope is for a buyer to come in and pay off their unpaid tax bills and debt.
The Ugly
First it was a 39th game abroad and now the Premier League has come up with another daft idea. This time the fourth to seventh placed teams would have play-offs to decide who getsA the Champions League fourth spot. This is very similar to what happens in the lower divisions with promotions and has obvious appeal to TV broadcasters, advertisers and sponsors – who would be set to earn millions. But it would be another nail in the coffin for the national game, first in England and then who knows, if the idea spreads to other countries too. The Premier League would become a glorified qualification campaign for the real ‘super’ league, which the Champions League is already threatening to become. Not to mention the fact there is no time to play these extra games in the all-year-round football schedule the modern game has become. Daft, but scarily it just might happen because too many people may make a lot of money. Daft and ugly.
Vocabulary
is in the doldrums: To be down, to be not doing very well
dismal performance: A poor display by a team, performed badly
face a daunting task: To have a difficult time, to play against tough teams
at the helm: To be in charge, to be the leader
scouse: coming from Liverpool, scouser, someone from Liverpool (also a kind of stew originating in Merseyside)
to come into (your) own: to mature, to develop well
stocky: short, solid, muscular
howlers : Big mistakes
soft goals: Bad goals to concede because of poor defending
to board (a bus): to get on
to hang on by (your) fingernails: to be in a desperate situation, to be on the edge of disaster. to not give up in a bad situation
daft: stupid, crazy
nail in the coffin: something that brings death/failure/loss closer
