FDA Blog
Alan Pardew - Manager of the Year?
Posted 11 May 2012 12:00AM Staff
Roberto Mancini may have nine fingers on the Premier League trophy, - but with the blank chequeshe has at his disposal - so he should. Sir Alex Ferguson is without a doubt the best manager the Premier League - if not world football - has seen, but the way Manchester United ‘threw away’ the league by losing to Wigan and conceding four goals at Old Trafford to Everton in that epic draw, even Fergie himself cannot claim the title. So then surely,the title of ‘Manager of the Year’ must fall to a man whose team may not even make the top four?!
When Chris Hughton was sacked in controversial circumstances not long before Christmas in 2010, it was assumed that Newcastle’s owner, Mike Ashley, had a manager of great stature lined up to replace him.Hughton had led the Toon to promotion with his first attempt, winning the Championship by a massive 11-points, and his popularity among supporters increased further as the Geordie’s flirted with the mid-table positions on their return to the top-flight.
So when the announcement that AlanPardew, who had been sacked by League One Southampton hardly four months earlier, would succeed Hughton at St James' Park, fans were arguably right to once again voice their concerns at the capabilities of the club's hierarchy.Prior to joining Newcastle, Pardew's most prominent position had been as manager of West Ham, while the former Crystal Palace midfielder had not managed in the Premier League since being relegated with Charlton in 2008.
Yet, little over a year on from his appointment, Pardew was being heralded as the man to restore Newcastle's place among the Premier League's elite, with the Magpies losingjust once from August until mid-November, 2011.Only five wins in 14 games from then on threatened to derail hopes of Champions League qualification but, with one game of the season remaining, Newcastle still have an opportunity to finish in the top four, possibly even third.
Regardless of where Newcastle do finish come May 13, Pardew is, without question, the candidate most deserving of the top managerial honour.Such have the consistent highs been for Newcastle over the course of the campaign, it is often forgotten that they were gutted during the summer months, losing their captain Kevin Nolan and, arguably, their best player in Joey Barton.
Nolan was allowed to join West Ham, who offered him the security of a long-term deal, while the arrival of YohanCabaye at St James' Park led Barton to believe that his days too were numbered.Barton turned out to be correct, joining Queens Park Rangers when Newcastle agreed to terminate his contract after a number of vintage Joey Barton twitter rants.
Newcastle had, of course, also lost top scorer Andy Carroll only a few months earlier, and Pardew was forced to beg the board to invest a sizeable chunk of the £35 million made from his sale into the recruitment of new players.But the investment never came, instead Pardew had to settle for signing DembaBa, who had been relegated with West Ham, on a free transfer to compensate for the loss of Carroll.
So then it seemed Mike Ashely’s tight purse strings, by either luck or judgement, transpired to be a masterstroke, and Pardewgalvanized a side missing their two biggest personalities into one cohesive unit.
The acquisition of Ba proved to be inspired, while Cabaye instantly oozed class in the centre of midfield, and the decision to appoint FabricioColoccini club captain instantly paid dividends.The return of Hatem Ben Arfa helped too, and Pardew must be praised for the way in which he has dealt with the wizardry Frenchman, who has thrived under thePardew’sguidance.
How much influence Pardew has in player recruitment is open to debate, but he can also boast to have completed the capture of the season in PapissCisse.The goalscoring exploits of the Senegalese international have been so impressive since his January arrival that, according to reports, he is now a summer target for Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid.
Pardew hasn’t had the luxury of spending to the extent of his closest ladder rivals. Although with the inspired signings he has brought in coupled with a now cohesive dressing room, Pardew has led a team to overtake the likes of giants Liverpool and Chelsea, whilst breathing down the necks of the North London neighbours, Arsenal and Tottenham, in search of a Champions League place. With third place still not out of the question, Alan Pardew has definitely stuck his hand up for the Manager of the Year award – and then some.
Blog post written by Jon Contos, FDA
Medical screening, who is responsible?
Posted 24 Apr 2012 12:00AM Staff
The recent loss of Piermario Morosini in the football world was hard to take for many including myself. I thought it would only be right to look into how football as a game has reacted to the screeing debate due to the tragic loss of Piermario Morosini and also the near miss of Fabrice Muamba.
In the past there has been no real consensus about how often screening should be done. FIFA say once every two years, UEFA say every year, in Italy it is every six months. Maybe it is now time to implement a structure that enforces specified medical research and also more regular screening of players.
However when commenting on Fabrice Muamba, Arsene Wenger argues that "It is too early to ask whether it is a lack of control, does football need to go in deeper with research or deeper in control with heart problems to stop these kind of situations. Our medical team at Arsenal tell me that there is constant ongoing research in this area and that it must continue."
It appears then that Wenger believes clubs do what they can to make sure any underlying health problems are brought to light. He adds that "He (Muamba) had regular screens everywhere; here, at Birmingham and at Bolton as well."
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini does not believe what is currently in place is good enough, demanding twice-yearly medical screenings. Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation agrees with Mancini, he told The Associated Press. "In England, we don't have complete foolproof screening tests. I think if there were foolproof tests that identified everyone at risk, it would be better. It seems then that in England at least there is a lot of disagreement on what the standard screening procedure could be. At the moment it appears to me that it is the club who takes the initiative rather than because of the FA’s enforcement.
Looking to the future England's team doctor Ian Beasley believes the new St George's Park complex will be the trigger for even more detailed health screening of players in England. He claims that “The FA will be able to monitor players from a much younger age and in far more detail. We will have the capacity to view their skeletons, monitor their heart rates, give them cardiac tests, from the youngest teams right up to the national side.” This is positive news and bodes well for the future of the game. It would allow health conditions to be spotted at an early age and this can only be a good thing for the game and the individual in question.
Italy are pretty fastidious about health screenings. They make a pretty big noise about it. I would be amazed if Piermario Morosini hadn't have been screened regularly so it just shows that these things unfortunately happen from time to time. Eugenio Martuscelli, a cardiologist at the Tor Vergata hospital in Rome claims that it would have also been difficult to identify some potential heart problems beforehand to prevent it. He does however believe that the structures of sporting medicine have to be improved. Investing in the structures of sporting medicine would mean focusing on prevention. “Many lives would be saved."
This debate is truly food for thought and it will be interesting to see what is done by the individual football governing bodies but also by FIFA and UEFA in the near future. Either way one thing for sure is that with health, prevention is always better than cure.
post by Luke Thorp, FDA
An intelligent footballer? You've got to be joking!
Posted 11 Apr 2012 12:00AM Staff
A recent Swedish study has dispelled the worn out stereotype that professional footballers are unintelligent. This perception generally stems from the assumption that most footballers do not complete their academic studies, leaving school early to pursue their career in football. The media also play their part in supporting this perception by regularly publishing stories about Mario Balotelli’s latest escapades or Joey Barton’s latest rant on Twitter.
The study, conducted by scientists at Karolinska Institutet using players from Sweden’s first and second divisions tested the player’s executive functions such as creativity, response inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. The results show that footballers from both divisions recorded better results than the general population. Furthermore the results showed that players from the first division performed better than those in the second division. The results also showed that those players who performed best in the test tended to score more goals and provide more assists. The results of the study could be quite significant, as cognitive testing may be able to predict whether young players will go on to become top class footballers. You can be sure that some clubs will already be looking at implementing similar testing in order to unearth the next Messi or Ronaldo.
Hopefully this study will go some way towards changing this perception of footballers being dim-witted, and will allow more players to show their intelligence in the public eye. Footballers like Burnley’s Clarke Carlisle have gone a long way to dispelling this stereotype as well. Carlisle is the current chairman of the Professional Footballer’s Association and has appeared several times on the BBC’s ‘Question Time’, and also appeared on ‘Countdown’.
To see the full study, go to: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034731#s3
To see Clarke Carlisle in action off the pitch, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh7macVIxeM
Now it’s finally proven that footballers are highly intelligent people. Well, most of them anyway!
written and posted by Ruairi Kelly
The Art of 7-a-side World Cup tournament football
Posted 3 Apr 2012 02:00PM Staff
We look forward to seeing the corporate teams (including Macquarie Bank, Cisco, VMware, Westfield, Salesforce.com, Konica Minolta, Egencia, Schenker Australia and many others) in action at the upcoming 2012 International chambers of commerce world cup in Sydney and Melbourne.
This annual event is a very enjoyable business networking day out for everyone. However when the first round of games kick off, teams will be very competitive and determined to progress as a far as possible towards lifting the FIFA World Cup replica trophy. To help teams get the most out of each game and the tournament here are some notes on setting up your team tactically for success:
#1 - The Keeper - A designated keeper is all important. The 5 X 2 metre goals encourage plenty of shooting from the opposition. Offside is also in for all games so sweeping behind your central defenders will reduce the risk of conceding from the dreaded long ball to a speedy centre forward.
#4 + #5 - Central Defenders- These central defenders are the keys to your clean sheets. It's important that they hold their position and don't wander away from their central zone. The discipline of their positioning will slow down opposition attacks and make your team difficult to break down.
#2 + #3 - The Wing Backs - These players will need to be the fittest members on your team as they will combine support play in wide attacking areas while also providing defensive cover when your team is under pressure.
#10 - The Playmaker - To control the game you'll need your Playmaker to receive the ball in tight situations and pass well. They will also need to track back and get behind the ball with the rest of the team when the opposition is in possession.
#9 - The Striker - Your striker will win you games through good finishing and also by holding up the ball effectively. The striker operates in a lone role in 7-a-side football so they must be strong with their back to goal and look for well timed layoffs to your play maker and wing backs.
#12,#13 - The Subs - Effective use of the rolling substitutions rule will help your team last the pace for the duration of the tournament. Make sure to rotate all of your players regularly to keep the squad fresh for the crunch games in the knock out rounds.
Now it's over to you to assess who plays where at the World Cup!
A tale of two cultures
Posted 14 Mar 2010 07:59AM Staff
Sir Alex Ferguson grew up in a working class suburb of Glasgow in Scotland where values were instilled in him from an early age. Honesty, hard work, respect and loyalty were engrained in his psyche and for the past 25 years his football teams have been a mirror of his own unique character. His players, young and old, are balanced, down to earth individuals who grow on and off the pitch under his expert guidance.While Valencia and Nani tirelessly tracked the runs of the AC Milan full backs and Rooney made life hell for their defence on Wednesday evening, Real Madrid were falling to pieces at the Santiago de Bernabeu.
Having conceded a fatal away goal to an excellent Lyon on 75 minutes, Real Madrid’s team and manager were overcome by an overwhelming sense of panic.” Los Blancos” passing game disappeared and instead of the team working together to find a solution to the impending exit from the Champions League, individuals tried in vain to turn things around all on their own. Kaka was replaced by Raul.(!?) A holding midfielder was then introduced for a full back!
How many times have Sir Alex’s Manchester United teams been in a similar predicament over the years and come back from the dead to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?
It’s no coincidence. He has created a truly unique winning and football playing culture throughout the club from the Academy teams through to the first team and the foundation of his success is based on consistency and hard work.
When you walk through the museum at the Santiago de Bernabeu you come across a shrine to the amazing Real Madrid team of the late 50s when the they won 4 European Cups back to back. While the game has moved on since the 1950s surely the club could benefit from reflecting on the wonderful values and camaraderie of its past heroes instead of working on the finances to support the signing of the next ‘Galactico’.
In Football,as Lyon proved on Wednesday night, the team will always prevail against individuals no matter how talented they are.
(written & posted by Cormac Begley)
Values and respect make a true champion
Posted 8 Feb 2010 09:08AM Staff
In the world of professional sport more and more attention is been drawn to the instability of the top athletes through their off field misdemeanours.
Thankfully there are still many amazing role models in sport who everyone young and old can look to for inspiration: Roger Federer, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are some key names that spring to mind.
So how come after so long at the top of their games these individuals haven’t come off the rails?
Besides the fact that these guys are incredibly gifted and driven to succeed, an aura of humility surrounds them. They do their talking on the field of play and in their down time they train hard, rest and spend time with their families.
Underlying all of this is an upbringing where they learned respect for others. Parents and families nurtured their passion for their sport and stay close to them to this day.
And so look out for the young player who looks his coach and fellow players in the eye and shakes hands after every training session and helps put away all of the equipment rain or shine because he or she is the true champion. It’s likely they will carry these values throughout their lives and inspire many others around them to also behave with similar maturity and respect. If the player does eventually scale the heights at the top of the professional game these same values and good people around them will give them best opportunity to stay there. (written & posted by Cormac Begley)
Warm up before playing football - a blog entry from our resident Strength & Conditioning Specialist Robbie McCullagh
Posted 28 Jan 2010 01:05PM Staff
Warming up
The concept of “a good warm up” before undertaking in vigorous activity such as a football game as been around for decades. Over time, methods have changed but nearly always come back to striving for the same goals:
Elevating the core body temperature
Simple low intensity aerobic tasks for 2-3mintues will usually achieve this. Use of extra clothing can be useful if the ambient temperature is low. As football is a 3 dimensional game, jog with varied movements forward, backward and lateral.
Establishing fluid Range of Motion (ROM)
Types of stretching:
• Passive = Supported limb stretch
• Static = passive but must actively hold the limb in place
• Dynamic = Moving the limb gradually through the ROM
• Ballistic = Uses speed and momentum to push the limb through the ROM
• PNF = Static stretching, relaxing and opposing muscle contraction
• Neural = Dynamic “tethering” stretch to free up nerve compression
Traditionally, static stretching was done before exercise and it was believed to decrease the risk of injury during the game. Current research is now showing that static stretching will decrease the risk of injury as it helps promote better overall flexibility in the player but doing it before stepping out on the pitch won’t better your chances of staying injury free. Keep static stretching for after training and increase your overall ROM.
Dynamic stretching before a game has now been shown to be the best practice. Dynamic stretching helps promote fluid ROM, increase ROM and maintain the elastic properties of the muscle which footballs want to utilize during the game. The bonus is that it can also be done in movements very specific to those of a football game such as lunges, leg swings, hip rotations etc. The other types of stretching all have their purposes and should be used as techniques of overall wellbeing of a footballer. There’s plenty of information out there on them but remember, before a game, stick with your dynamic movement specific stretches and you will increase your chances of staying injury free.
Preparing the mind and energy systems
The last part of the warm up should prepare your body for the intense game ahead by firing up with mind and energy systems. Small, sharp games that have simile psychological and physical demands are the best and easiest way.
by Robbie McCullagh, FDA Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Lionel Messi: A brilliant role model for young players
Posted 29 Dec 2009 02:38PM Staff
In Australia the small skilful players are too often overlooked at all levels when junior selection takes place for teams. If you’ve played football you know that small, fast players with a good touch on the ball are a nightmare to mark and play against and a prized asset for any team.This is why Lionel Messi is such a wonderful role model for young players all over the world. He is 22 years old, 1.69 m tall and has scored 96 goals in 184 appearances for Barcelona since making his debut in the 2004-05 season.
However the phenomenon is not just in his amazing goal scoring statistics and the trophies he has won it’s also in the truly unique way in which he plays football. When in full flight the speed at which he accelerates and changes direction with ball stuck to his feet leaving defenders for dead is inspirational.
Despite this brilliance which he has shown since his first senior appearances with Barcelona and Argentina, size and strength in the form of Julio Cruz was preferred to Messi in the Quarter Final of the FIFA 2006 World Cup Quarter Final. He could only watch with immense disappointment from the bench as his side went on to lose on penalties and were eliminated from the tournament.
The moral for all young players is to keep practicing, enjoying and believing in your football despite any selection setbacks and you’ll always come back a stronger, better player.
The Legend of Lionel Messi :
Let the kids play for the love of the game
Posted 8 Dec 2009 12:03PM Staff
It was refreshing to find a very simple line in the mission statement on a football (soccer) academy website this week that read: “All we ask is that they (the young players) love soccer and want to be part of the game”.In today’s world of junior football, academies, coaches and parents are driven to find the next Messi and this agenda is destroying the game for many young players and in many cases turning them off the game for life.
Playing football at a young age is all about enjoying the game and having the confidence to play. Yes some players will certainly be stronger than others and it is important that players of similar abilities train together and receive intelligent input from their coaches however it is equally important that the children are happy to practice and play with each other regardless of their abilities.
This was the essence of park and street football which in today’s world of junior football is extinct in the majority of cultures. These “ancient” football environments were where friendships were formed for life and a true love of the game was nurtured without a parent, coach or dubious scout in sight. Instead today everything is focussed on elite selection, overseas contracts and winning games and championships at all costs to the detriment of the most important people involved in this circle: the young players.
There are however some clear rays of light. Last night I took part in an U12-13 training session game where a group of outstanding young players played with a group of players who are newer to playing the game in a structured environment. The atmosphere was fantastic throughout the game and it was the parents who pointed out afterwards how good it was to see the two groups who normally train separately play together.
These are the players and parents who will keep our football dreams alive.
(written and posted by Cormac Begley)
FIFA's Hand of God the worst World Cup incident of all
Posted 21 Nov 2009 12:32PM Staff
While the debate rages around the world following Titi Henry’s double hand ball that has given France and undeserved berth at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa one has to question the increasing influence the World governing body is having on the most anticipated sporting event on the planet.
A last minute seeding system for the second place teams in Europe to give the stars, money and FIFA voting powers of France, Portugal and Russia the best possible chance of qualification.
A Concacaf versus South America play off to give an additional Asian nation a much easier pathway into the competition against weaker Oceanic opposition. This switch may even be an even be a bigger tragedy than the UEFA play offs as Uruguay and Costa Rica live and play a wonderful style of football and both sets of players would certainly bring great flair and invention to any tournament.The outcome of the New Zealand and Bahrain play off was always going to produce the weakest team to appear at next year’s finals.
Things were set up beautifully by FIFA but didn’t quite go according to plan.
The question is moving forward with so much money involved in the world of football today can a nation qualify for the World Cup on merit or is there a Hand of God at work in the background exerting an increasing amount of influence on who will make the cut.
Moments that shamed the World Cup:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6922630.ece (written and posted by Cormac Begley)
