Tag Archives: Wayne Rooney

Tottenham’s Andros Townsend the future of English football?

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I did not watch the England game. I was travelling for a weekend away in Suffolk whilst the match was on. I have not seen the match. By the time I got to where I was staying, the final whistle had just gone, so I settled down to watch the highlights of the goals. I did, however, read many a news report the next day, and most were saying the same thing, that Andros Townsend was the future of English football.

Let me get straight to the point, Andros Townsend is not the future of English football. He is the 4th choice English right winger, behind Walcott, Lennon and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Andros Townsend is 22 years old. He has played for 10 different clubs as a professional footballer. His career reads played 136, scored 14. These are not the statistics of the future of anything.

He has got lucky this year, and in fairness, has taken that luck and made the most of it. An injury to Lennon, Bale being sold, and Lamela settling in has meant he has gone from QPR last season to Spurs 1st team this season. And injuries in the England squad left Roy Hodgson with few other options. He is not even the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s right wing, let alone England’s.

I first saw Townsend a few years back in a Tottenham v Arsenal youth game, where Arsenal took around 3,000 fans. A young lad called Jack Wilshere was by far the star of the show, running in a game which Arsenal comfortably run. Townsend was Tottenham’s best player, but he was mainly just pace, with very little end product. He has not changed that much.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how young players are getting too easily hyped after just a couple of performances. It seems after one game for England, Townsend is getting similar treatment. Tipped as the next big thing, despite not doing much, and already being 22.

Yes, the goal he scored was a brilliant finish, but a wonder goal does not make a brilliant player. Both David Bentley and Danny Rose have scored wonder goals against Arsenal in the past, neither of them have gone to do anything special.

The gushing over Townsend during the post-match summary even went as far as claiming he assisted the 1st goal. This despite it being a poor cross from Townsend and at least another as touches of the ball from other players before Wayne Rooney put the ball in the net. The pundits conveniently ignored a poor cross to use the clip as another example of how Townsend was the future.

In one report I read, someone jorno even said he was the ‘New Gareth Bale.’ That he was quiet in the 1st half but exploded into life during the second when he dropped inside in a Bale-esque performance. Gareth Bale is 24. Andros Townsend 22. He is nowhere near the talent of Bale. He is on par talent wise with Serge Gnabry, who is 4 years his junior.

Infact, Townsend is most similar to Shaun Wright-Phillips. A player of pace who would score the odd worldie, but never have the talent required at the highest level. His raw pace enough to make people remember him, but not good enough to be a consistent high end performer. Townsend also compares to SWP in that he is older than what many think. For years SWP was put in with Walcott and Lennon as ‘exciting young wingers for England’. This despite SWP being 7 years older than the other two. He is now 32!

I am sure Townsend will end up similar. Continual comparisons with those 4/5 years younger as he broke onto the scene so late. At 22 he has no potential. He should be England’s star now, not an England star of the future.

He is of similar ability to the likes of Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge. He is just pace, and like these players, will suffer from second season syndrome. As players work out how to defend against him, his tells, whether he go’s inside or out. The top players such as Lennon and Walcott are able to continue improving, adding to their game, these players, like Townsend, have not, as they are just pace.

England’s future lies in the hands of the likes of Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley and many more better, younger players then Andros Townsend. The future for England is brighter than some make you believe, and it is these players who Hodgson should be looking at taking to Rio to gain experience, not a ‘never gonna be’ like Townsend.

Again, to remind you all, Townsend is 22. Not exactly a young star. He is only 2 years younger the Mesut Ozil!

The one thing I would say about Townsend is that he is testament to not giving up and working hard. In the youth game I mentioned, he was outshone by the likes of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Emmanuel Frimpong. Neither of these have done much of note since then, so credit to Townsend for wanting to be better, not sitting on his laurels and accepting earning a good wage whilst being mediocre.

You have to feel that were Townsend not playing by the presses love Spurs, there would not be as much love for him. Were he playing for an unfashionable Stoke, Villa or Southampton, the hype would not be there. The only surprise is that Harry Redknapp has not yet come out and said how it was he who developed Townsend at Spurs and QPR and that if he were England manager, Townsend would have been in the England side years ago.

Andros Townsend will not be going to Rio.

Keenos

10 Athletes Caught Smoking

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Michael Jordan

One of the greatest athletes ever enjoyed the odd cigarette. Smoking on occasion did not stop him getting thee NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game) as well as being named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN

Sir Bradley Wiggins

Four time Olympic Champion and Tour De France winner was pictured smoking in August last year. For a sport which relies so much on lung capacity, the odd smoke did not stop him from becoming the 1st English winner of the hardest race in the world

Zinadine Zidane

A glass of red wine and a cigarette. That is how the French relax, and it is how Zinadine Zidane relaxed prior to the 2006 World Cup semi final against Portugal

Shane Warne

The greatest cricketer of his generation and the best bowler of all time not only smoked, he was a chain smoker, a womaniser and a legend. 145 test matches, 194 ODIs, over 50,000 balls bowled on an international stage. Oh yeah, 1,000 international wickets too

Anna Kournikova

Former world number 8, Wimbledon semi finalist, twice winner of the Australian Open in doubles and absolute babe. She once said “My smoking has nothing to do with my tennis.”

Johan Cruyff

Used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day up until 1991 when he quit after a double heart bypass surgery. Proof, if any, that smoking a lot does not stop you becoming one of the worlds greatest footballers.

Michael Phelps

He might never have been pictured smoking a cigarette, but the greatest Olympian of all time with 22 medals including 18 golds was once caught smoking from a bong

Jack Charlton

Was once photographed with a cigarette in his mouth whilst training with Leeds, he made a club record 773 appearances for Leeds. Add in his England caps, he had of 800 top level games.

Alex Rodriguez

The most expensive baseballer in history was picture smoking a cigar. In 2007 he signed a 10 year contract worth $275,000,000. I bet he celebrated by lighting a cigarette with a $100 note

John Daly

He smoke. He drank. He ate. Proof, if needed, that if you pick the right sport when young, you can do whatever the hell you want.

Other footballing smokers:

Ossie Ardiles, Mario Balotelli, Fabien Barthez, Dimitar Berbatov, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Coentrao, Ashley Cole, Vincenzo Iaquinta, David James, Federico Macheda, Sir Stanley Matthews, Jackie Milburn, Alessandro Nesta, Robert Prosinecki, Wayne Rooney, Socrates, Gianluca Vialli, Jack Wilshere123

Wilshere needs to learn from Ramsey

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In today’s papers, a picture has been printed of Jack Wilshere, outside a night club, with a cigarette, ‘flirting’ with a pretty blonde. The paper claims that it was taken in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after the game against Napoli.

There are many different things going through my head. A player smoking, going on a night out and flirting with a girl a week after his childhood sweetheart has given birth. Let me quickly address these.

I do not have a problem with the smoking. Yes, it is a dirty habit. One which will kill you. It saddens me when I see a child in school uniform smoking, as they have succumbed to peer pressure and will end up dying young, having spent thousands of pounds slowly killing themselves. But that is a side point. A footballer smoking. He has got a lot of criticism for it.

However, a lot of people smoke. Zinadine Zidane smoked. Wayne Rooney has been caught with a cigarette. Reports were Robin Van Persie often liked a smoke. This has not effected any of these players. Footballers train so hard and regularly that the effects of smoking (ie blocked lungs) will have little, if any effect. Smoking might damage your health, but it will not effect Jack Wilshere’s performance.

The second point is being on a night out. There is no proof that Wilshere was drinking and usually after a game, players are given the night off. With the next day’s training often being light stretching and ice baths. The day’s are nowhere near as bad as the old Tuesday Club of Adams, Bould, Merson and Groves. There is no issue with a player going out after a game. Some go for a meal with their wives. Other’s go to a club. Jack Wilshere is 21.

The last point about him ‘flirting’ is the most ludicrous. Talking to a girl does not mean you a flirting. No one knows who this girl is, her relationship with Wilshere, or what they were talking about. In the words of Emmanuel Frimpong. Leave it, Yeah!

The press need to back off Jack Wilshere a bit. The British press are gutter scum. They have a history of building people up, then knocking them down, for the sole purpose of sales. That is what they are doing to Jack Wilshere. It is what they did to Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Gazza, George Best and more.

Rather then appreciate a talent, and let a player develop into a star who will represent his country, they knock him down. And this is all the story is. The Sun (I was not going to name the rag) have recently forced everyone to pay to access their website. This picture was no more than a way for them to force people to either pay for a paper, or log onto the website. This story is nothing but an attempt to increase sales.

Saying that, Jack Wilshere could do with looking at his midfield partner, Aaron Ramsey, and how he lives his life. A lot more private (or just less newsworthy?), his brilliant form this season is down to knuckling down and concentrating on his football. Jack Wilshere could do with spending the next few months concentrating on getting his place back in the Arsenal team. He needs to avoid putting himself in positions where the press, and fans could have a dig.

Wilshere is a talented individual, there is no doubt about that. However, he has to be a little careful that his football does not become disrupted or overshadowed by nights out. Pictures of him in clubs smoking, arrests or spitting at taxi drivers. Even having 2 children by 21 with a women who you have been in an ‘on off relationship’ with is a tad chavvy.

He needs to realise his god given gift. He needs to ensure he does not become a Frimpong, a Bentley or a Pennant. Knuckle down, concentrate on playing and he will become a superstar.

Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere could do for Arsenal what Xavi and Iniesta have done for Barcelona. We as fans just need to be patient, and they as players need to ensure they continue to put the hard work in.

Keenos