Wembley Stadium - Why the FA should NOT sell the home of football.

No matter how many millions Shahid Zhan offers the FA for Wembley the answer should be a resounding NO. England is the home of football. From a purely football fan's point of view. Wembley is the home of English football. The home of English football should not be owned by a businessman who's primary motive is that of an American Football team. Now from the view point of a businessman. It cost £800 million to build Wembley. Shahid Khan's offer is £600 million. Minus a whole quarter from the original investment - it makes zero sense.

Now of course I am going to go into more detail then this by simply put, two concrete reasons why selling Wembley stadium is ludicrous.

I see myself as a bit of a purist when it comes to football. I feel the history of our game is being pushed further and further into the background and that simply should never happen. Now, Wembley Stadium only came into ownership of the FA in 1999, so for the vast majority of time, Wembley has been owned by an outside party. The ownership is not the problem here, the problem is the bidder. I personally have nothing again Shahid Khan or any of his business ventures, I feel however that selling to the billionaire could damage English football substantially. Simply put, the future of the home of football would be in the hands of a man who wants to use it as an American football stadium. Khan's offer would currently see the FA still able to host major cup finals at Wembley and a selection of England internationals; with the money from those events going to the governing body.

However Khan is a businessman. Say once the original contract signed with the FA runs out, Khan doesn't feel like doing business anymore and he wants total control of Wembley so he receives 100% of it's revenue. The FA will be powerless to stop him. THEN say his beloved Jacksonville Jaguars have a huge game which falls on the same day as a major international for England, which game do you think he will host at Wembley? All very hypothetical yes, but the possibility should never be there. England should not be playing their football away from their home, while American football is taking place under Wembley's arch.

Plenty of pundits and fellow Journalists have used the argument that not many of the world's elite have their own national stadium. Germany? No. Spain? No. Italy? No. The list does go on. Now, a national stadium is not essential to a country's success, a success that England have gone without since 1966. Wembley Stadium is a venue players and fans alike from all around the world dream of visiting. Right now, English football is looked down upon in a way unlike we have ever seen. Our football is shocking, our fans are embarrassing and our attitude is stuck in the past. What do we, as a country, have going for us? We have an iconic stadium which is envied the world over. Obviously Khan isn't going to airlift the ground to Jacksonville, but that isn't the point. A landmark of the game would have been struck from the map the second the new landlord decides that football is not longer the primary sport of Wembley stadium.

Staying on the topic of a Khan owned Wembley. I personally have never gotten into American Football, and a huge reason for that is the over riding sponsorship influence. An influence that has slowly leaked it's way into football. Sponsors are everywhere in the American sport, and as previously mentioned, that sport will be Khan's priority for Wembley. What happens when a multi national corporation with bottomless pockets comes along and hands Shahid a blank cheque for the naming rights of Wembley stadium? After all, Metlife, AT&T, Fedex, all major companies sponsoring stadiums the size of Wembley over in American within the NFL. Where do the Jaguar's play? The recently renamed TIAA Bank Field, you guessed it, the ground is named after the bank that sponsors them. This is the second time during Khan's ownership that he has sold the name of the ground, he isn't above it. That simply CAN NOT happen to Wembley.

Moving from pointing the finger at Khan and moving it to the FA. Without a doubt, the story pushed to the press will be that the windfall will be used to benefit grass roots football and all that comes with that. However, over the years the FA have not filled us with confidence that they will stick to their words in any way shape or form. Erratic behaviour over the past decades have lead the public to see the people making the decisions in a very negative light, and has cost the FA the trust of the people. It is 100% right to want to improve facilities for young players all around the country, building all weather pitches, providing coaches and equipment for local sides. It's what has been cried for by players across the land for years. But with the amount of money in the game right now, do you not get the idea it would have happened by now if it was going to, at all?

Solid reasoning that speaks to the football fans out there, now for the business people.

"The FA will take £600 million, clear the debt that Wembley played a part in causing, and then redistribute it within the game." Well this just isn't true at all. The money deposited to the FA's bank account will be substantially smaller then that. £112 million of public money was provided in order to finish construction of the new Wembley. That public money was donated to the FA, but not for a definite purpose so that total would be available to redistribute into grass roots football should the FA take the offer.

However, £78 millions from Sport England; £18.5 million from the department of culture, sport and media; and £16.2 million from the London Development agency were all donated for a specific cause. To build a beacon for English football upon historically significant ground. A beacon which would be under the ownership of the English Football Association who will have the opportunity to use it to move the game in this country forward.

That ideology would die the second the deed was signed over to Khan. Meaning the money invested by the previously listened organisations would be returned. That just leaves the debt still within Wembley. At one point that debt totalled over £400 million, but has now been whittled down to around £140 million. The sale of Wembley would not change this fact, and the influx of funds would have to go towards paying off the debt. Once you do the maths the only sizeable amount left of the £600 million offer is the public money, which as mentioned, would be left to redistribute into grassroots as stated. However once again, the FA have done themselves no favours and any statement made by them must be taken with a pinch of salt at this point. Would we see any of that money in grassroots? It's up in the air.

A statue of the late great Bobby Moore stands outside a ground which symbolises the home of not just English football, but the sport as a whole. Where this great game was invented. Although this new instalment of Wembley may not carry the same history as the old. The arch after all, is no twin towers. But Wembley will forever be Wembley. At this point the relationship between the English Football Association and the English fan is dwindling. The sale of Wembley might just be the nail in the coffin. Sahid Khan said that people opposed to his deal need to 'see past their emotion.' He clearly doesn't know English football. We have little all else to go on!

So... simply put.

To Whom It May Concern,

Don't you dare sell Wembley.

Yours faithfully,

The future of English football.

Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal - WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

The first major piece of silverware in the English game was up for grabs at Wembley as Arsenal and Manchester City battled it out for the Carabao Cup. Pep looking for his first piece of silverware of his managerial career in England. And Wenger looking to secure his first League Cup winners medal after twenty two years in charge of Arsenal.

Both sets of fans were in full voice on a sunny yet cold day in London, and it was the Londoners with the first chance of the game. Jack Wilshere latching onto a long ball, the ball eventually found Mesut Ozil who played it across to an unmarked Aubameyang. Somehow Arsenal's record signing failed to beat Claudio Bravo from point blank range, not once but twice. Well saved but he must score. Aubameyang struggled throughout the game to get away from Vincent Kompany. City's captain proving able to deal with the Gabonese striker along the ground, shoulder to shoulder and in the air. This being the only real chance the £60 million man had all game.

The first big chance fell to the Gunners, but all of the game was with City. David Silva in particular, who was untouchable all night, pulling the strings. And the Spaniard slipped a ball down Arsenal's right channel for Aguero to latch onto, the Argentine hitting the side netting. Speaking of City's number 10. Following a Claudio Bravo goal kick, Mustafi went up with Aguero to win the first header, but the German was easily out muscled. Poor from the big centre back as Aguero closed in on goal. Ospina's positioning was all wrong, in no mans land as the ball bounced towards him. Making Sergio's decision that much easier for him, taking it on the bounce and lifting it over the keeper and into an empty net. His 199th goal in his Manchester City career. Since day one Sergio Aguero has been loved by fans of the Citizens, and his stock is only growing higher. 1-0.

Jack Wilshere, Arsenal born and bred, the Englishman was the best player on the park for Arsenal. Winning a number of free-kicks in dangerous positions in City's half. But far to often wasted by Ozil. Who again will come under criticism for being invincible in a big game. Fernandinho was tasked with dealing with the German during the first 45 minutes and he made it look easy. Gundogan, another member of City's midfield who was sublime on the night. He makes the game look so easy at times and Arsenal didn't have an answer, even with Pep's side not even out of second gear. The German international has been growing more and more into his role since returning from injury. A brilliantly whipped ball onto the head of Kompany showed exactly how. The header going over the bar.

During the first 45 minutes Arsenal couldn't even get close to City. Chasing sky blue shadows. With the Premier League leaders nowhere near their best. Arsenal has cause for concern.

As the second half started it was like the first half had never ended. Manchester City still dominating the ball. On commentary it was mentioned how it hasn't been since 1999 that a final has finished 1-0. And just like that, City had one hand on the cup. Kevin De Bruyne fired a corner hard and low, into Gundogan on the edge of the box. Something off the training ground as the German took the shot of first time. He didn't catch it quite right however but on hand was club captain Vincent Kompany to poke home. Doubling City's lead. The man who has lifted this cup twice in the last five years was well on his way to lifting it again. A fan favourite, a club icon. The Belgian has been through hard times as of late. Injury after injury seemingly see his place in the City side become less of a certainty. But he steps up in the big game once again.

Now City were cooking on gas. They'd gone from second gear in the first half, to top gear and showed no signs of slowing down. For me the star man on the night, David Silva, managed to wiggle away from Callum Chambers with a brilliant first touch. Letting it run with his right before striking across goal with his left with complete accuracy. Ospina could only hope as he fell to his left hand side, for the ball to nestle in the bottom corner. The three eldest statesmen of this great City side. Three of the men there from the start of this great journey, and they all struck in the final. Aguero, Kompany and now David Silva. In this case six players around Silva couldn't stop him getting his shot off, Arsenal were being outclassed. Silva scoring in his third successive league cup final.

City played out the final 20 minutes in complete control. The game was won and they could afford to rest star men, Aguero making way for the returning Jesus. Once the final whistle was blown the majority of the Arsenal half of the stadium had already emptied. A walk in the park for the winners.

What we saw today was an example of two sides on completely different planets in every department. Had Arsenal been just outplayed by a superior Manchester City side, they would not be alone in that. Pep's men have blown away team after team this season. But that wasn't the case. Arsenal allowed themselves to be outplayed by showing a total lack of desire and character after going a goal down. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was supposed to be the answer to Arsenal's prayers following the departure of Alexis. (Check out my piece of why this isn't a great move for the Gunners.) And today he looked up for it for all of 35 minutes. He can be seen walking as the first half drew to a close, and he didn't come out for the second half. Aubameyang wasn't alone in this department. Mesut Ozil again went missing. On the back of signing a club record contract in January, he hasn't looked half the player we know he can be. Aaron Ramsey maybe let off as he was rushed back to play in this game, potentially not 100%. But the Welshman was part of the Arsenal side walking around the Wembley pitch while City played them off the park.

Desire, or lack of, was a huge factor in Arsenal folding to their opponents tonight, but a shambled of a defensive display didn't help their cause. For the first goal Mustafi 100% has to be stronger. Standing at over 6ft tall, with Aguero not even close to that, being nudged off of the ball as easily as he was is embarrassing. When you're the central defender in this position, you have to take authority. Aguero was gifted a goal. And from then on it was more of the same. Pass after pass from Silva, De Bruyne and Gundogan found it's way onto runners in blue. Arsenal's channels exposed countless times. Wenger lined his side up in the same way he did during last seasons FA Cup Semi-Final against Pep and Manchester City. However, this is not the same side. City found it far to easy to find space around the penalty area. Arsenal's defence found themselves running in circles.

One moment that must hurt for Arsenal fans, and all football fans was when a picture was snapped of an almost empty pitch at Wembley stadium. Only two feet planted on the turf, and those are the feet of Santi Cazola. Arsene Wenger really could have used to magic of Santi today. And with his career dwindling away, not playing in way over a year due to injury. Walking on the pitch, almost as if he wants the feeling of playing again. A truly horrible sight to see, one of Europe's greatest play makers.

Despite all of Arsenal's short comings today, the final belonged to Manchester City. Reasoning why Pep's side won't be talked about too much following their win is they were at no where near their best. 15 dazzling minutes around the hour mark, leading to Kompany's and Silva's goal but besides that, the didn't have to be at even 50%. This is a City side, without the injured Raheem Sterling. Gabriel Jesus only returning from injury in the dying minutes from the bench. Star shot stopper Ederson, who has been integral so far in his debut season didn't even feature on the night. Fabian Delph, who's had his career reborn by Pep in his new position at left back missed the final through suspension. So a Manchester City side, missing a number of key players, brushed aside Arsenal and made light work of it.

Following the game Kevin De Bruyne stated how this side aren't even close to the finished article yet, and that should send shivers down the spine of any side around Europe. With the Premier League title all but won, a maximum of five more wins will secure it, the League Cup locked up in the trophy cabinet again. Pep can put his focus on the Champions League. A 4-0 win away at Basel in the first leg of their round of 16 tie means they're all but into the next round. No one will want to draw Manchester City. A domestic double virtually sealed at this point, you wouldn't bet against a historic treble. The first treble by any English side since the red half of Manchester did it in 1999. (Only Barcelona and Inter Milan have done it across Europe since '99.) Should Manchester City join that elusive club, Pep is well within his rights to be called, potentially the greatest manager of his era.

Cup final day. The one day you'd think you can guarantee all 22 men on the pitch would give their all until the final whistle. Whether it was the quality of Manchester City driving the motivation from them. Or simply a poor attitude on the part of the men in red. Arsenal crumbled when City thrived. Congratulations Manchester City. Carabao Cup winners 2018.

Spurs to Wembley - Is this a good move for anyone?

Tottenham today confirmed that they will play their home games during the 2017/2018 season at the home of English football while White Hart Lane is being worked on. Wembley stadium is one of the biggest and most iconic football grounds on the planet and is viewed as a coliseum for the biggest teams to compete for the biggest prizes. The English national side are the only team who have ever called Wembley home, until today. The opportunity for Spurs to play their home games at Wembley is huge for both the club and their fans however, for the newest tenants of Wembley stadium and English football as a whole, is this a wise move?

The North London club are no strangers to Wembley stadium, after playing their European home games their during the current campaign as well as reaching a number of finals and semi finals over the past several years. What is interesting about this is how poor of a record Spurs have had at their adopted home. Since the new Wembley stadium opened in 2007 Spurs have won just two out of a possible ten games played at the national stadium, with just one win there this season during their European run. When you compare that to Tottenham's home record this season, you can see why this may be a huge issue which has been overlooked by the men making the decision. Spurs are currently battling for the title, and they have done this by turning White Hart Lane into a fortress, not losing a single game there in all competitions this season, their only home defeats coming when playing at Wembley. This home record has been paramount in Spurs putting up a serious challenge for the title this season, and it goes back even further then that. After losing at home on the opening game of the 2015/2016 season Mauricio Pochettino's side went undefeated at home throughout the remainder of the campaign, and much like this season their home form helped build towards a very impressive run. With the majority of points won by Spurs over the last two seasons coming from home games, and with next season shaping up to be potentially massive for the club, is it smart to move into a stadium which has seen such poor performances from Spurs during the last decade?

Now this point has less to do with Spurs and more to do with the sides that will have to visit Wembley throughout the season to face them. With Wembley still set to be used to host the EFL Cup final, as well as the FA Cup final and Semi-Finals, is it fair for Tottenham to be playing these massive games at home, should they reach them? Wembley is supposed to be a massive day out for both the club and the fans, and playing in front of 90,000 people instead of the smaller grounds around the country is a test in itself. Which poses the question, is it entirely fair for Spurs to have an entire season's experience playing in front of that crowd in potential preparation for a huge cup tie towards the end of the season? As well is it being unfair to opposing sides, you have to ask yourself, is it right for any side other then England to call Wembley home? As previously mentioned playing at the national stadium is effectively a reward for a very successful cup run, and playing on neutral ground ensures no advantages going to either side during the 90 minutes. For players, the chance to play in the iconic ground is a career highlight, either with their club or after being called up to the national team. With Spurs however becoming an official tenant of the stadium for the next year, will it lose a bit of that sense of occasion a trip to the home of English football has, as every Premier League side is guaranteed to visit Wembley in the next twelve months, regardless of performance of success on the field.

West Ham United. Coming out of the 2015/2016 Premier League season the Hammers were incredibly optimistic about the upcoming campaign, after a very impressive 2014/2015 season and an upcoming move to the Olympic Stadium, renamed simply the London Stadium. On paper this seemed like a brilliant move for all parties, the board and owners got a great deal for the stadium, there are more seats and therefore more fans can see their side play week after week, and the players get the chance to play in a truly incredible stadium, one which, if the previous season was any indication, could be home to some big moments in the coming years. However this couldn't be further from reality. This season West ham have won just 6 games at home in the league, and the performances at home as a whole have been incredibly poor when compared to when they played their home games at Upton Park. Not only have the players struggled to perform at the new ground, the fans have also found the move tough. With a huge running track separating the fans from the action, the drop in atmosphere from last season has been huge, and you wouldn't be surprised if that was a major factor in the poor performances of the players. Despite the incredible facilities and opportunities West Ham now have at their disposal, the majority of true fans and I'm sure even a number of players would have, in hindsight, preferred to have remained at Upton park. The could be a problem Spurs will have to face next season, Wembley might be incredible, but it isn't Tottenham's home. Will the fans be able to provide the same atmosphere in a vastly bigger venue? Will the players settle in and feel at home? Or will they, like West Ham have this season, struggle to turn their new home into the fortress their previous ground had become.

You have to wonder if, when making the decision on their immediate home, the board of the North London club took any of the factors I have just mentioned into consideration. If recent history has anything to tell, it's that moving into a shiny new stadium may be great on paper, but when the whistle blows it is a very different animal. As well as this, was the FA's decision to even make this a possibility ever second guessed, and if not why? Surely I can not be the only one who feels the home of English football, of the oldest federation in WORLD football should be treated as something special and not just the home ground for a local club. We'll see over the next twelve months if Spurs handle the move well, and it might even be a great thing for English football, giving many more people the chance to visit Wembley! And then they can do it the year after as well... and the next two after that... When Chelsea move in for three years starting at the end of Tottenham's tenure. Great.

The Magic of the Cup - FA Cup 2017 so far.

The FA Cup, the oldest cup competition in Professional football, the competition where the phrase 'giant killing' was really put into practice and this year, after a few years in the wilderness, it's back with a bang! With the biggest sides in the country using this competition to field weaker sides and for youngsters to gain experience the importance of this competition has dwindled, with the prize money for winning the competition being nothing compared to a respectable finish in the top flight of English football. With last season's FA Cup winners Manchester United pocketing south of £2million, and Aston Villa who placed last in the Premier League receiving over £62million, the long, drawn out cup run was treated as a non priority by a lot of sides, this year however you would have to think otherwise. 

With Chelsea beating the holders Man United 1-0 at Stanford Bridge tonight the semi finals were set, Chelsea vs Spurs, and Manchester City vs Arsenal. Four of the big teams in the country and four of the bookies favourites before a ball was kicked but it has not been as clean cut as it seems. 

This Year's FA Cup has seen history made, in the form of Sutton United and Lincoln Town. For the first time in over a century two non-league sides made their way to the FA Cup fifth round, beating championship sides Leeds and Brighton. It would take 12 time FA Cup winners Arsenal to knock out Sutton in a much more even match then many would expect, the heart of the non-league side shown throughout. For Lincoln however, the incredible run continued! A late, late goal secured a 1-0 win away from home against Burnley, a side with the third best home record in the premier league. Lincoln became the first non-league side in English football since 1914 to reach the quarter finals of the FA Cup and one game away from a Wembley Semi Final! However, much like Sutton the round before, Lincoln fell to Arsenal but the Lincoln players have written their names into the history books. 

It wasn't just teams from outside the football league causing upsets throughout this years FA Cup, there have been more than anyone would expect. During the fourth round we saw Wolves outplay Liverpool at Anfield and pick up a 2-1 against the reds. Oxford shocked high flying championship side Newcastle with a comfortable 3-0 at home. We also saw Premier League sides Hull and Watford fall to Championship outfit Fulham, and League one's representative in this stage of the cup Millwall. The Fifth round was a lot more run of the mill with the majority of the bigger sides advancing, however Millwall once again gained the scalp of high profile opposition, in the form of Premier League Champions Leicester City! The 1-0 home win saw them progress to the quarter finals for a date with cross city rivals Spurs, where sadly the the League one side. the home team proved far too good on the day and strolled to a 6-0 win! 

Between the final four sides in the competition they scored 14 goals in their quarter final ties and conceded none, showing their class to progress to the semi-finals at the home of football, Wembley stadium. Chelsea have local rivals Spurs on route to the final and a chance to complete a potential domestic double with the London club flying high at the top of the league and with Kante in their midfield it will feel like having an extra man on the pitch for the blues. Where as Spurs will have to handle a second consecutive derby in the FA Cup, and with Harry Kane currently nursing a potentially re-injured ankle it could be a tough ask Pochettino's men. Arsenal seemingly have nothing left to play for this campaign, and in what could be Wenger's last they'll want to end the season with some silverware. Their opponents however are still chasing European glory, leading 5-3 from the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Monaco making the FA Cup play second priority. However, City, along side Chelsea, are perhaps the only side in the Premier League with a squad strong enough to make wholesale changes without losing out in terms of ability. Also, you know Pep will be desperate to remember his first season in charge of the Citizans as a trophy winning one. 

This is what the FA Cup is all about, giant killing throughout from surprise outfits, but the trophy comes down to some of the best the country has to offer. There's a reason the tournament has lasted well over 140 years ago, nothing can replace the magic of the cup. 

Semi Final predictions: 

Chelsea 2-1 Spurs 

Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City. 

Final Prediction:

 

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester City (Manchester City to win on penalties)