An Irishman once told me that life is a journey … a journey that is affected as much by the method of transport as it is the terrain, weather and obstacles encountered. Our carriages (bodies/minds) are pulled and driven by our horses (emotions/feelings) which can ultimately determine the progress we make, the route we take, and how efficiently we travel. During the period when a horse drawn carriage was the preferred method of transportation, the driver was a serious master of the craft. Taking the reign of each horse between different fingers, the driver would be in control of the horses both individually and collectively. Experienced and stronger horses (known as wheelers) would be kept at the rear and would be responsible for the main braking effort and steering of the wagon. The strength of the wheelers would often be the limiting factor in determining the maximum safe load for a vehicle. As with any strong animal the need for a good diet, sufficient rest and tender care is essential.  Just one horse performing poorly would mean a rough journey. And the driver would instinctively know when to alternate any of his horses from front to rear if one wasn’t performing well. 

Returning to our metaphorical horse and carriage, it is just as important to recognise that when one of our horses (emotions/feelings) does not pull well, the journey can begin to get bumpy. You begin to feel uncomfortable; a drink is spilt inside the carriage, you swear and curse, and suddenly everything is a mess. However, as we become skilled horsemen & women we will begin to learn when to give one of our horses a rest and equally when one is ready to become a ‘wheeler’. The diet we feed our horses is just as important as their training and practice. From the food that we eat, to the ‘entertainment’ (tv/internet/radio/magazine) we consume, the words we digest, and the physical activity we undertake. All are key ingredients in shaping how our journey will unfold and how our horses will respond, perform and grow. Regular maintenance of the carriage is also essential. I’m sure we all know how it feels when ‘the wheels begin to fall off’.

 As an Aston Villa supporter I have a feeling that I may be waiting some time to see any European exploits at Villa Park, so I decided to follow the team that I’ve always admired hugely and have been a secret fan of for some time; Arsenal. The gunners are an interesting entity indeed. They play the most beautiful football in the Premier League but can’t win anything domestically. They have a young and energetic team but don’t have the leadership or experience to know how to ‘see out a game’ and ‘grind out a result’. In the 1st leg of their encounter with Barcelona they showed all of the qualities that a team need to progress in this most difficult of tournaments – desire, heart, composure, character. And in the 2nd leg they were trying their hardest to compete and have some sort of impact on the game, although most Arsenal fans would probably tell you that they were being annihilated in every department. But the fact was that by half time, despite all the pressure, Barcelona had only managed to score once due to an uncharacteristic error from Cesc Fabregas. On 53 minutes Arsenal had the equalising goal and it was well and truly ‘game on’. What followed was complete tragic comedy. Van Persie sent off for allegedly kicking the ball away when he in fact was committed to taking a shot. The result then became a formality. 

I chose to speak about this game for two reasons. I wanted to throw my two pence into the arena and give my humble opinion as to why I feel Barcelona are so formidable. But more importantly I wanted to examine the winning formula that club and country have implemented which is bringing such success. Anybody that saw Gary Lineker’s documentary ‘Can England win the next world cup’ will be familiar with what I’m about to say. It’s very simple. At grassroots level, Spain have far more UEFA qualified coaches than we do. A recent report showed that England have just 2,769 UEFA-qualified coaches. Compare that to Spain who have 23,995, Italy 29,420, Germany 34,970 and France 17,588. That speaks volumes. All of those teams have won the world cup in the last 20 years. And they are usually there or thereabouts as the competition progresses. Ok so maybe France can be somewhat erratic but the 2006 final was contested by themselves and Italy. 

 When Johan Cruyff took the helm at Barcelona he identified a lack of home-grown talent and from that moment on a new philosophy was installed at the club. This was the belief that there should be huge focus placed on the technical side of the game. Any incoming manager had to share and practice this philosophy or he would not be deemed suitable. The club have an ethos that will always remain. They invested heavily in youth development and this has paid off for both club and, in turn, country. As we saw with Sir Alex Fergusons golden generation there is no comparison to having a team in which over half of the players have grown up together and instinctively know their teammates game inside out. I truly believe that we had a serious opportunity to win something in 2002 with the generation of players that I have grown up watching. The problem was that we placed our trust in a foreign coach, who although is very good, did not understand how an English mind operates. The closest we have come to winning anything since I began watching football has been when an English manager has been in charge. Italia ‘90 and Euro ’96 both very memorable ‘oh so nearly’s’. Both managers overseeing the Spanish European championship and World cup winning sides were Spanish. The Germans have done very well at the last two world cups with a German in charge. The Italians have had a home-grown manager for as long as I can remember. I rest my case. 

  The other point that I wanted to make about the Barcelona side is something that may have been said by others but that I haven’t heard much, if any, debate about. This could be due to the fact that I don’t stick around after the match to listen to the utterly boring analysis, but my point is this. Barcelona play the most exciting attacking football and have some of the most skilful players on the planet, yes. But they also do something that no other team does. It’s not what they do but the extent to which they do it. They press the ball in the most intense way. Regaining possession is just as important for them as retaining the ball. Their approach to defending is astounding because having played football at a fairly reasonable standard I personally know how difficult it is to maintain that level of energy when you are attempting to dispossess your opponents. Their approach to the game technically, tactically and physically is unmatched. They are the greatest club team in the world after sticking to their mission statement for over 20 years. You can’t help but salute them.

I am beginning to lose my faith in football and not for the first time. I have written in previous blogs that I always see it as a complete paradox but just recently I am beginning to question whether I can follow a sport whose modern principles I completely disagree with. After watching the recent six nations rugby internationals, one thing has become clear. Rugby is a game full of true sportsmen. Most are powerful enough to kill someone if they hit them as hard as they could, yet rarely do they intentionally injure their opponents or disrespect their fellow professionals. They truly respect the referee and listen intently to any explanation for decisions made. I get the sense just as a viewer that there is so much more sincerity and truth in rugby. There doesn’t seem to be any playboys, they are passionate about winning, and they pull on the country’s jersey with real pride, singing their hearts out when the national anthem is played.  Football is very short of characters like this. Once Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes retire, the English game will be devoid of any role models aside from maybe James Milner. Football will always have a place in my heart and I’ve always been interested in coaching and managing a young team. I certainly know whose blueprint I’ll be following if that does happen.

Set in Glasgow in the 70’s the film revolves around John, a run of the mill, polite young boy who is destined to do well at school but is hampered by his older brothers reputation as a hard nut. After being pushed down a grade due to this unfortunate fact, he begins to believe that he must live up to his family name and gets involved with a group of Non Educated Delinquents. What follows is a solid film, stylistically shot with great use of colour and a magnificent performance from Conor Mccarron playing the lead role. Growing up in a troubled household with his alcoholic father regularly beating his Mother, John is so devoid of emotion it’s scary. A severe lack of direction combined with his violent anger lead the protagonist into a dangerous world where his actions have devastating consequences. This is a brutal snapshot of gang violence and troubled family relationships, and although the film is set four decades ago it provides a valuable insight into how easily young people can become disillusioned with the world around them. 

 Having never seen the original I was attending this screening armed only with the review I’d heard from the good doctor Kermode, which had been fairly glowing. I was not disappointed. The film is typical Coen brothers; sharp, witty and dry script; brilliantly cast; moving at the kind of pace which enables you to absorb the film fully. The story is centred around a young girl whose father has been murdered by an outlaw that he was trying to help. She sets off on a mission of revenge enlisting the help of a somewhat hapless US Marshal called Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges. Labeouf (Matt Damon) is a Texas Ranger tracking the same outlaw who shows up and demands to join the hunt. The film is a brilliantly shot and scripted piece of work with 3 amazing performances from the main characters. 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld is phenomenal as Mattie Ross and Jeff Bridges is slowly becoming the next Jack Nicholson in his ability to light up any role.