Martin Kane's Recent Posts

Will Fulham pull off the Premier League's great escape?

Martin Kane — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:27:32 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Martin Kane wonders if Fulham are going to pull off the great escape.

In most people's eyes, Fulham have been down for months now. Dire on the road, combined with ill-fortune and questionable refereeing had left Fulham staring squarely at Doncaster away next season. Even a mini resurgence under Roy Hodgson has not seen Fulham escape 19th place, yet the performances are improving and Fulham's remaining games are, on paper, considerably more favourable than their rivals. Just when the gap looks to be getting insurmountable they spring a surprise win. Great escapes are not uncommon in the Premiership; are Fulham to be the recipients of this season's miracle?

Make no mistake; Fulham's Premier League place is in considerable jeopardy. Already they are relying on favours from their exalted colleagues at the top end of the division, if they are to survive. However, consider their next opponents, Newcastle United, who in theory, don't have a particularly bad run-in. After Fulham, they host Reading and Sunderland, and trips to Portsmouth and West Ham are not the most terrifying the Premiership has to offer. However, there seems no end in sight to Newcastle's terrible form, and anything other than victory over Fulham really will have everyone from PJ and Duncan to Mike Ashley reaching for the panic button. On the other hand Fulham buoyed by a deserved win over Everton, will enter this game with considerably less fear than their hosts.

St James's Park was the last opposition ground they won on, and who would be surprised if Fulham can end this away-win-drought with the symmetry of it starting and finishing at Newcastle. In all probability it will be an awful game decided by a mistake or a piece of bad luck, and who seems unluckier at the moment? Newcastle United I think.

Even if Fulham lose at Newcastle, they still have winnable games remaining; Sunderland and Birmingham at home, Derby and Reading away. I'm not suggesting for a minute that these matches will be easy, but at least Fulham have the opportunity to take points from their direct opposition in the survival race, and have only one ‘big four'-type club to play - Liverpool at home. This certainly isn't the case at Bolton who visit Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Chelsea (on the last day of the season). They also have to host Arsenal, and play only one direct relegation rival between now and the end of the season - Sunderland at home. Also, like Newcastle, they seem to be on something of a downer at the moment; failing to get at least a point against 10-man Wigan was a disaster.

The likes of Birmingham, Reading and Sunderland have mixed run-ins - enough games to ensure their survival if things go well, enough banana skins and near-certain defeats to anchor them at the foot until the very end of the season. Assuming these teams don't all enjoy unforeseen surges in form, there are enough tricky games in store for these sides to keep Fulham interested right until the end, if they can hold their end up.

It is interesting also to look at the last two games of the season each team face. Fulham play Birmingham at home and Portsmouth away, the latter likely to be against an opponent with little to play for, and maybe with half an eye on the FA Cup Final. By contrast Bolton are home to Sunderland and away to Chelsea., while Newcastle's final two matches are Chelsea at home and Everton away. Newcastle could certainly do with wrapping safety up prior to those matches, though this seems unlikely, and Sunderland would prefer to be home and hosed by game 37, given that 38 is Arsenal at home. Fulham and Bolton's penultimate games are the dictionary definition of a ‘six-pointer' - who will hold their nerve?

Victory over Everton has given Fulham a fighting chance. They couldn't be going to Newcastle at a better time, and an away win (it has to happen eventually!) would really edge Newcastle closer to the trapdoor, while moving them closer to safety. Of the bottom seven, they are the most improved over the past two months, and their record over the past eight games is superior to each of the main relegation candidates, all of whom they are still to play. Difficult it will be, but certainly not impossible.

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Breaking News! Breaking News! Is there too much of it in Premier League football?

Martin Kane — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:13:31 +0000

FFC columnist Martin Kane discusses the sensationalism of the national media when it comes to football stories and wonders whether the hyperbole that surrounds even the most mediocre headline is becoming all a little too much.

A headline amused me this week; "Derby rocked by Barnes injury". I've never seen Giles Barnes in action, but he must be some player given the implication that Derby's hitherto successful season now lies in tatters following his injury.
I hadn't been so impressed since reading the ‘breaking news' in July that Steve Finnan had signed a new contract with Liverpool (though in defence of that story, it broke during possibly the worst football news drought on record). Hyperbole in football has truly reached record proportions, even the most mundane of stories treated like a major world event. Is it all too much?

Nowhere is this penchant for over-statement more in evidence than on Sky Sports News. I love and loathe this channel in equal measure. It truly is a superb concept; take the best bit of the news, the sport, and just turn that into a channel in its own right - brilliant. Yet you cannot help but feel slightly brainless should you watch it for more than half an hour, hear about Leroy Lita's loan move to Charlton (and reaction to it) for the third time.

The appointment of Kevin Keegan earlier in the year saw Sky Sports News scale new heights. It's a sign of how extraordinary this story was that the first channel I tuned in to on my return home that day was Sky Sports News. Usually, finding yourself watching SSN is as good a barometer one can find in that you should be doing something better with your time than watching TV. Presumably this is why it is almost the very last channel you land upon on a standard Freeview set-up (when even the likes of BBC Parliament and Ceebies have come up short). Keegan's return to Newcastle was dynamite for SSN, and the leading purveyor of hyperbole did not disappoint.

On the hour, it assailed the viewer with happy memories of yesteryear to Kirsty McColl's Days in the background. All manner of old friends you'd forgotten (Cole, Beardsley, Scott Sellars) banging the goals in, Keegan and McDermott celebrating on the touchline. It was hard not to get a lump in your throat. Then followed Keegan's darker days at Newcastle, characterised by Asprilla, Cantona's volley that let Man Utd back in to the title race, and, of course, "I would love it!". Just when you thought it couldn't get any more over the top, the anchorman appeared:

"It's one of those stories where you'll remember where you were when you heard it"

Thus suggesting this was an event of such seismic proportions, that it rivals Diana's death and the destruction of the World Trade Centre. For the record, I was sat at my desk and my mate Carl told me via e-mail, should anyone bring this up in 20 years time.

Of course, it all makes for great; if unintentionally amusing viewing, but why on earth do they bother? Keegan's return was pretty extraordinary stuff, but did it merit a montage more at home in an A1 music video? Do they think that without a continued barrage of ‘huge stories' that supporters might lose interest in football? When Steve Finnan signs a new contract it might be of moderate interest to Liverpool supporters, but it is not the fall of the Berlin wall. That said, rightly or wrongly, Sky Sports News was the channel I tuned into when Keegan arrived, and it will presumably be where I go when he departs (a montage of glum Geordie faces and sloppy goals to Adagio For Strings from Platoon will be his curtain call on current evidence).

It is certainly more interesting to watch than the insipid round-table debate that the BBC generally serves up, and what is not to like about Jeff Stelling and the team on Soccer Saturday? His enthusiasm when East Stirling score their first goal in five matches actually borders on sincerity - I actually believe he does care, and is pleased for them. Over the top it may be, but I think I'd miss it if it wasn't there.

For the likes of Fulham and Derby's - would relegation to the Championship be such a bad thing?

Martin Kane — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:23:41 +0000

As the fight for Premiership survival hots up, Martin Kane discusses whether relegation to the Championship can be looked at through rose-tinted glasses.

It's a wonder that anyone turns up at Fulham these days. Since defeating Arsenal in late 2006, the home support at Craven Cottage has seen just six league victories. Those poor lunatics who travel with the team have seen precisely no wins in the same period, and Fulham's last on-the-road triumph at Newcastle in September 2006, owed much to the benevolence of Toon's defending than it did to any great attacking endeavour.

Then there is Derby, a team that have achieved one win all season, frequently been on the receiving end of routs, and look set to undercut Sunderland's tally in the exceptionally tough ‘lowest Premiership points limbo competition'. Both sides are strong candidates to drop out of the Premiership and into the perceived obscurity of the Championship, where outings to Arsenal and Manchester United are replaced by trips to Scunthorpe, Colchester and quite possibly next season, Doncaster. How much should this bother them?

The ramifications of relegation are different to every team. As Leeds and Bradford found to their cost, gambling on Champions League qualification or Premiership survival is a risky business. Bradford's spending in the Premiership saddled the club with debts that have contributed to them plunging all the way to the very bottom division. You get the distinct impression that if a club such as Newcastle were relegated, it would be both a financial disaster, as well as a footballing one, with some hefty salaries to pay on parachute payments and Championship TV money.

However, for the well-managed smaller club, the Fulham's, Reading's and Derby's of this world without superstar salaries, would a season or two back down in the Championship be so horrific? Already message boards are beginning to spot the silver lining to the drop; the increased likelihood of winning matches again.

First up, let's be clear on one thing - that getting out of the Championship is not easy. This season alone we have seen Sheffield United struggle, despite keeping the majority of their Premiership squad and significantly enhancing their strike force. Southampton have yet to mount a serious assault at the Championship title, while Charlton and Watford have are both hunting for a return without dominating the division, both currently occupying play-off berths. However, I am fairly certain that Derby will win more than one game should they go down, and that Fulham's horrifying record away from Craven Cottage would improve. You would certainly expect both sides to win more games than they lose, and what a refreshing change that would make. Fans, players and officials would also rediscover the wonderful habit of winning, and enjoying the glowing feeling that a victory adds to your Saturday evening.

In spite of all this, can you willingly crave relegation? There is almost something terribly deceitful about it - akin to taking a ‘sickie', or cheating on a partner, and what does aspiring to relegation say about your ambition?

It is hard to see why you would trade the likes of Ronaldo, Fabregas, Berbatov and Gerrard at your ground each game, for the less star studded Championship fare. However, after a while, does the constant run of LDDLLDLW, not get a bit tiresome? Admittedly you certainly enjoy the win in that sequence, but my, don't you earn it.

Sitting through vintage passing football from Arsenal or Manchester United is one thing - you can appreciate that. Watching 87 minutes of poor quality football, culminating in your keeper getting near-decapitated by an opposing player, and then having the ball end up in the net via his arm, is quite another. Fulham's last match was an allegory of their season to date; very little adventure, some outright poor quality, a few tantalising glimpses of brilliance; snatched away by a late goal, and more than a little bad lack accentuated by poor officiating.

Do Fulham supporters really think that if they stay up this season it will get substantially better next year; or if they go down that it can be a great deal worse? The modern day Championship is nowhere near as bad as the Endsleigh League that Baddiel and Skinner so maligned in the 90's. The presence of Stoke, Bristol City and Plymouth in the promotion places demonstrate that there is an air of unpredictability, while the reassuring sight of Watford and Charlton in the top four shows that (as long as you don't appoint Bryan Robson) you can make a decent fist of things in the Championship following relegation. Is it so wrong to pine for a season where you win a few matches? I don't think so.

However, one team to keep in mind are Everton. Seemingly throughout the 1990's they were embroiled in one relegation battle after another, and twice survived on the final day of the season. Looking at them now, apparently on the cusp of something special, you have to wonder whether they'd have managed it had they gone down. Maybe wanting relegation is too much, but if it does happen, try and see the bright side.

To get a feel for life in the Championship, tune in to the latest Championship Podcast by clicking here.

Is relegation a possibility for Newcastle?

Martin Kane — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:42:49 +0000

After Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United heaped more misery on Newcastle this evening, FFC columnist Martin Kane asks whether Kevin Keegan should now be taking a worrying look over his shoulder.

Whilst Middlesbrough and Sunderland continue to improve, up the road at Newcastle things couldn't be more different. They have picked up 2 points in their past nine matches, and haven't won a league match since a last minute penalty gave them three points at Fulham on December 15th.

Even Derby have taken four points from them this season. After last week's defeat at Villa, Damien Duff and Kevin Keegan acknowledged for the first time that relegation was a possibility. What will be going through their minds this evening after Manchester United cruised to a 5-1 demolition, I dread to think.

Toon supporters will be aghast to find their team in this position. With only 28 points posted so far, and no sign of a win under Keegan, Newcastle are worryingly close to entering freefall. Tonight's footballing lesson from the current champions was on the cards. It's an inconceivable thought that a team boasting Barton, Duff, Butt, Owen, Milner, Taylor and Viduka can be in such a predicament, but confidence seems to have hit rock bottom.

The arrival of Keegan has, so far, done little to reverse Newcastle's fortunes, and if anything results have been worse; disappointing single goal defeats and draws replaced by three goal defeat margins, and United put five in the net tonight with relative ease. In their past six league games, Newcastle have scored three and conceded 19 and those occupying the positions below are catching up. Even Fulham, who many regarded as dead and buried a fortnight ago, have shown improvement under Roy Hodgson. If things do not improve soon, the likes of Sunderland, Bolton and Wigan could pass Newcastle in the table. By then people really might start reaching for the panic button.

At present it is hard to see where a change in fortune will come from. The players are down; the second half capitulation at Aston Villa demonstrating how easily the heads are dropping at the moment - tonight they were never in the game. Villa Park was particularly disappointing since Newcastle had led at half time, and deservedly so. Newcastle's opposition isn't getting any easier either; Blackburn at home is followed by a trip to Anfield, a ground synonymous with defeat, albeit exciting, for Kevin Keegan. Indeed, it is not until March 22nd, when Newcastle host Fulham, that you'd be tempted to mark a Newcastle win on your coupon. By then it really could be squeaky bottom time.

Last season Wigan finished 17th with 38 points, and it is likely that a similar tally will be required to survive this year. Keegan himself is targeting 40. Newcastle play Fulham, Sunderland and Reading at home and have a trip to Birmingham before the end of the season. Wins in three of those games and assorted points here and there should be sufficient to keep Newcastle up. Newcastle are also fortunate that so many teams are in a similar boat. The situation is no better at Reading, Birmingham or Fulham, and Newcastle benefit from the head-start Allardyce gave them.

While he may not have been the right man for the job, relegation certainly wasn't on the horizon at the time of his dismissal. However, Newcastle will want to get points in the bank sooner rather than later. Their final two matches are Chelsea at home and Everton away; hardly the sort of games you want if you have to win to stay up.

Will Capello's new boys blossom where previous England manager's ones have failed?

Martin Kane — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:06:51 +0000

After Fabio Capello's first game as national boss, FFC columnist Martin Kane takes a look at eight England managers and the surprise inclusions that were included in their first respective squads. A fascinating insight into the thinking behind England manager's squad selections, some players have never pulled on a Three Lions shirt again.

Fabio Capello's first squad wasn't one to set pulses racing. Tragically, the most exciting selection in the squad, Gabriel Agbonlahor, picked up an injury and had to pull out, while the other potential new cap, Curtis Davies was cut before he'd had the chance to raise the ‘congratulations' bunting in his living room. The only other interest was a return for the likes of Matthew Upson, Jon Woodgate and the B&Q Scarlet pimpernel himself, Glen Johnson.

Most managers new to the job pick one or two uncapped or forgotten players, either because of their familiarity with them at club level, or simply because the squad needs refreshing. Some of these newcomers and returnees will go on and enjoy fabulous England careers, others will almost immediately be returned whence they came, the previous incumbents reclaiming their spots.

Here are a few of them...

1990, Graham Taylor: Gordon Cowans

Of all the managers to ascend to the England throne in recent years, none came at an apparently better time than Taylor. He inherited a squad unlucky not to win the World Cup, the bulk of which still had many good years left in them, and England's qualifying group for Euro 92 was relatively speaking, quite easy. Taylor retained the majority of Italia 90s returning heroes, however he did add one player from the Aston Villa team he had recently managed, Gordon Cowans. Cowans was not a debutant, already having won 9 caps during the 1980s, however he was only a few months short of his 32nd birthday and had not represented England for four years. That he had significantly less hair than the last time he played for England only emphasised the regressive nature of the selection. Nevertheless, Taylor pitched him in for England's match with Ireland in Dublin, arguably the most difficult game of the group. It finished in a one-all draw, a great result, with Cowans putting in a robust if unspectacular performance in midfield. Cowans never played for England again, this selection a case of horses for courses, Taylor choosing a man he knew he could rely on for a difficult qualifying opener.

1994, Terry Venables: Graeme Le Saux, Matt Le Tissier, Darren Anderton and Peter Beardsley.

After the tragic debacle of Taylor's reign came Terry Venables. Where Taylor took control of an England squad in the ascendancy, Venables inherited a squad low on confidence and about to sit out USA '94. His opening game against Denmark, saw 3 new caps; Le Saux, Anderton and Le Tissier. The latter of these a baffling omission to many observers over the past couple of years, what with his penchant for spectacular goals and ability to score so many in a struggling Southampton team. Le Saux was Venables first choice at left back; in addition to his defensive ability he was a buccaneering type who got forward at every opportunity.

Anderton was an exciting young winger; a key member of the Portsmouth side that very nearly dumped Liverpool out of the 1992 FA Cup. A move to Tottenham had followed and a bright start at Spurs now culminated in England honours. The final new face in the squad, was a selection that pleased many; Peter Beardsley. Ignored by Graham Taylor, Beardsley had fallen down the Liverpool pecking order, eventually being sold to Everton. After a couple of years, he moved on to Newcastle where he established an outstanding partnership with a young Andy Cole. His return to England was initially a success, he scored the second of England's five against Greece in Venables' second game in charge. However, the emergence of young strikers such as Fowler and Barmby, the excellent form of Les Ferdinand, and crucially perhaps the development of the Shearer/Sheringham partnership, saw Beardsley finding himself out of contention.

He retired from international football shortly before the Euro 96 squad was announced. By this time, Le Tissier was long gone from Venables' thinking, resurfacing briefly under Glenn Hoddle before disappearing for good. Of the four called up for Venables opener, only Anderton played in Euro 96 (though Le Saux doubtlessly would have but for injury).

1996, Glen Hoddle: David Beckham and Andy Hinchcliffe

Hoddle, like Taylor six years earlier arrived at a time when English football was in rude health. Euro 96 had been a footballing carnival, the sport healing many of the wounds that hooliganism had inflicted in the 1980s. The team had played well, destroying Holland 4-1 in a match that, to this day, is the best England game I have ever watched. Indeed, Hoddle only had the job due to alleged off the field shenanigans that forced Venables to resign.

Hoddle was a proponent of the 3-5-2 formation, and his first squad included an ideal left wing-back in Hinchcliffe. A notable benefit was Hinchcliffe's corners, which in tandem with Duncan Ferguson's head almost single-handedly kept Everton in the Premiership a couple of years earlier. The other newcomer was Man Utd's young midfielder David Beckham. Beckham had enjoyed a very good 1995-96 season, and began this season with his half-way line lob over Neil Sullivan. The goal created a groundswell of opinion for Beckham's inclusion and Hoddle duly obliged, starting both him and Hinchcliffe in Moldova. Both players performed well in a 3-0 win, an excellent start to Hoddle's reign.

With Beckham, the rest as they say is history. Hinchcliffe played in Hoddle's first three matches before injury ruled him out for 6 months. However, he did return, surviving until the final squad cull at France '98 and finishing up with 7 caps.

1999, Kevin Keegan; Chris Armstrong

Like Venables before him, non-footballing reasons spelt the end for Hoddle, his comments on disability getting him the boot. Kevin Keegan, the Fulham manager, took over on a temporary basis, amid a wave of public euphoria at his appointment. The sudden departure meant no nice friendly for Keegan to warm up, or even much time to ponder his first squad, and as such there were no debutants in his opening game. The closest we can get is Chris Armstrong, a late call-up to this squad after the originally selected strikers pulled out. Without wishing to be unkind, Armstrong's selection reminded me of the type you used to get in cricket where England would be playing in New Zealand, get a couple of injuries, but remember that Tony Pigott was wintering at his brother-in-laws house in Wellington, and thus could be selected for the Test Match. Armstrong had the seat behind Keegan on the bench, which meant that whenever KK was in shot, there was Armstrong in his England warm up kit. In any case, no injuries were recorded up front, and a Paul Scholes hat-trick saw England home. Armstrong fell out of the England reckoning almost immediately and was last seen at Wrexham.

2000, Peter Taylor; Seth Johnson

Taylor only got one game as England's caretaker, yet he still found time to give Seth Johnson his only cap. Johnson, soon to join Peter Risdale's circus at Leeds, is one of those players for whom things could have been so different, his first touch in international football, a shot which could, and maybe should have gone in. After the match, David Beckham's first as England captain, Sven Goran Erikkson was appointed, and Johnson never got a sniff of another cap. Still only 28, Johnson is currently without a club having been released from his contract by Derby last June.

2001, Sven; Michael Ball, Ugo Ehiogu, Gavin McCann, Chris Powell

To this day I can remember reading the ‘probable' squads the day Sven announced his first line-up. To my immense delight as a Southend fan, Chris Powell, a former Shrimper, featured in all of them, and was duly named later that afternoon. Precisely no-one in my office shared my buoyant outlook. Yet Powell was worthy of his chance, and how he seized it, nutmegging Spain's right winger in the first minute, yet looking composed and tidy at the back. His first 45 minutes as an international won him considerable acclaim before a slight injury saw him withdrawn in favour of Michael Ball. This was Ball's debut, and he was joined at half time by Gavin McCann and Ugo Ehiogu. Strictly speaking this was not Ehiogu's debut, but he'd not even come under consideration since the Venables era, and given his only appearance had been as a sub away in China, it certainly must have felt like one. He marked it in style too, a thundering header putting England 3-0 up. Alas, there were to be no long international careers for these four. Between them they ended up with ten caps, and Chris Powell got half of those. After his impressive debut, Powell had a disappointing match against Finland, and Ashley Cole replaced him for the Albania game. He was retained in the squad for a while, making a further three appearances, the last in Holland in 2002, but was never really in contention for a place in Japan. Despite his goal, Ehiogu made just one more appearance, while the second half against Spain was Ball and McCann's international careers in their entirety, and Ball wouldn't even have got that had Powell not been injured.

2006, Steve McClaren; Chris Kirkland

Well what else would you expect from the dullest, and most uninspiring appointment of all time? In fairness, McClaren's appointment was based around the watchword ‘continuity', and he certainly stuck to it, handing out only one debut; to injury-addicted goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. England were comfortable winners, and Kirkland had little to do. Shortly afterwards he was injured and has not represented England again, though he was included in Capello's first squad.

The biggest talking point about McClaren's first squad was the absence of David Beckham. The early signs of life without golden balls were good, with comfortable wins at home to Greece and Andorra, and a decent victory in Macedonia. Then came the return, and a stuttering 0-0 draw, followed by a 2-0 defeat in Croatia. McClaren's reign was encapsulated in the moment that Paul Robinson took an air shot at the ball as it lazily bobbled past him. Before long, Beckham was back, having a stormer in Estonia and very nearly salvaging the game against Croatia at Wembley, demonstrating that McClaren's one positive move in naming his first squad, had been a mistake.

2008, Fabio Capello; Gabriel Agbonlahor, Curtis Davies, Matthew Upson

Upson was the surprising choice to replace John Terry for this game, selected ahead of Micah Richards, Jon Woodgate and Joleon Lescott. Is it a sign of things to come, or is Upson just keeping the seat warm for McClaren's skipper, JT? Agbonlahor will surely have a long term future in the squad, as should Ashley Young and David Bentley if they can stay injury free.

However, for the most part, Capello has retained the same old players, and when injury struck the forwards this time, it was the familiar sight of Jermaine Defoe called up as cover. Were Wes Brown and Micah Richards out, who would bet against Phil Neville again featuring? Capello's initial squad, and indeed the performance, was not exactly breathtaking, however it was an acknowledgement that McClaren's squad did contain the best players, and that he is not going to pick new players for the sake of it. Lets hope Capello can do better things with them than McClaren.