#couldn&039t

[365footballorg-blog]

'He couldn't get a lift to the academy' - Wilson's difficult road to the England squad

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Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson has overcome some “incredible setbacks” on his way to becoming Gareth Southgate’s latest recruit.

The 26-year-old has been rewarded with his first call-up to the senior England squad[1] after an excellent start to the Premier League season – but international football is a far cry from Wilson’s challenging childhood.

“I was in foster care for a bit when I was younger,” said Wilson in an interview with Football Focus in October.

The situation at home and “erratic” form as a teenager nearly saw him leave the game on two occasions.

BBC Sport looks at the striker’s journey from playing in local cages to England international.

‘He couldn’t get a lift to the academy’

Wilson’s first taste of a professional set-up came as a schoolboy on the books of hometown club Coventry City.

The young striker’s pace and power were evident from a young age, but his domestic setting was already threatening to derail a career that had not yet begun.

“Callum was in and out of the academy,” said Coventry City academy manager Rich Stevens.

“After coming in as a 12-year-old, he then left because he couldn’t get a lift to the academy.”

Although he had been released from the Sky Blues’ youth system, Wilson’s development continued on the streets, away from the sheltered environment and immaculate facilities at the Alan Higgs Centre.

“He went out of the programme and played with his mates, who are older than him, in the local cages and on the streets,” added Stevens.

“Callum was reintroduced to the academy at 15, which is when I first met him. He was driven, hungry and very athletic.

“He scored goals, but there were also lots of injuries through his youth and he had big ankle and shoulder issues.”

‘He wasn’t a player the club were looking at for the future’

Wilson progressed through the youth ranks at City, before spending time on loan in the non-league.

However, injury concerns and inconsistent performances meant the striker was set to be released for a second time at Coventry.

Former Sky Blues manager Steven Pressley said: “When I first arrived at Coventry, Callum’s contract was due to expire at the end of that season and he was training with the development squad rather than the first team.

“He wasn’t a player the club were looking at in terms of the future.

“After my first session in charge of the senior side, I went to watch the development squad train and Callum was one of two players who stood out.

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“Sometimes it is just a matter of luck, and a matter of timing, as he could have had a poor training session that day.”

Despite an “erratic” pre-season, Pressley took a leap of faith in the youngster and opted to start the academy product alongside Leon Clarke.

Wilson, buoyed by the manger’s confidence in his ability, never looked back.

“We got him fitter and sharper than he had ever been,” added Pressley. “He had incredible pace and power which was always going to disturb opposition defenders at any level.

“It wasn’t a smooth pathway for Callum and he had some incredible setbacks including several serious injuries, but he is very determined and he is a brilliant lad that I cannot speak of highly enough.

“He always trained with good energy, he was very popular in the changing room and he truly deserves everything that is coming his way.”

Can he make an impression for England?

England enjoyed their best finish a World Cup in 28 years during the summer, as captain Harry Kane won the Golden Boot for finishing the tournament with six goals.

The Spurs striker is expected to lead the line for Southgate’s side for the foreseeable future, but Wilson’s pace and direct running could provide an alternative option, or even support alongside Kane should the formation allow.

Wilson, who joined Bournemouth in 2014, suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries in both knees during a 16-month spell with the Cherries, but he appears to be growing in confidence each week.

He has scored six goals in the league so far this season, as many as Kane, and he has been involved in more goals than any other Englishman in the top flight, adding four assists to his goal tally.

“Callum is developing all the time under a very good coach in Eddie Howe, and the system at Bournemouth suits him,” said Pressley.

“A Kane/Wilson partnership would go against what England are trying to do, but I think they could be suited to play together.

“Callum likes to stretch defences by running in behind and Kane links play very well.”

References

^ call-up to the senior England squad (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

'He couldn't get a lift to the academy' – Wilson's difficult road to the England squad was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

'I couldn't sit in Archie's seat at Thistle' - McCall

Ayr United manager Ian McCall says he is “100%, completely and utterly” not interested in returning to take over as Partick Thistle boss.

McCall, whose Somerset Park side are top of the Championship, was in charge at Firhill for four years until 2011.

But after Alan Archibald’s sacking on Saturday, he insists his loyalty to friend Archibald, and Ayr chairman Lachlan Cameron, would be an issue.

“I can rule that out totally,” McCall told BBC Scotland.

“For what I owe my chairman, and that’s nothing to do with lack of ambition, it’s to do with stuff far more important than football.

“It wouldn’t sit right with me sitting in Alan Archibald’s seat. It just 100% would not.”

Archibald sacked as Thistle manager[1]

Archibald was in charge of Thistle for over five years and led them to the First Division title in his first season at the helm in 2013.

However, following the Jags’ relegation in the summer, the club’s board made the decision to call time on his tenure with the Glasgow side sitting eighth in the Scottish second tier after eight games.

“I spoke to Archie on Sunday and I wish I’d been a good enough friend to tell him what I thought at the time,” said McCall.

“Alan Archibald should have left at the end of the season of his own accord.

“I think he looked tired, I think he needed away from the game for six months then come back refreshed because undoubtedly he’s a very good manager.

“I wish I’d offered that advice. He’d have probably ignored me.”

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References

^ Archibald sacked as Thistle manager (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Scottish

'I couldn't sit in Archie's seat at Thistle' – McCall was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Wiebe: Zlatan couldn't really beat Josef to MLS MVP, could he? Could he?

USA Today Sports Images

October 5, 20183:09PM EDT

It’s campaign season in Major League Soccer. Somebody’s gotta win individual awards, and it might as well be your guy. Or so I’ve learned from AT&T Goal of the Week voting.

There’s nobody I’d rather have in my corner this time of year than Brendan Hannan, the LA Galaxy’s VP of marketing, communications and digital or, as he might put it, guy in charge of slinging soccer and domestic tallboys.

This ain’t his first rodeo. Watch him plant the seed.

With 20 goals and nine assists in 24 appearances, #LAGalaxy forward @Ibra_official should be #MLS MVP.

— brendan hannan (@brendanhannan) September 30, 2018

“Yeah, but nahhhhhhhhh,” went the replies. That’s Josef Martinez’s hardware. Been that way since Atlanta United’s marksman set a new single-season goal record all the way back in August, an accomplishment so absurd nobody even talks about it anymore. Best stats + team in the league = MVP. Besides, “Zlatan for MVP!” is what Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s hype man is supposed to say.

Full disclosure: My top three is currently 1) Josef Martinez 2) Bradley Wright-Phillips and 3) a battle royale between Ibrahimovic, Lucho Acosta and Ignacio Piatti, depending on production and playoff status.

And yet here we are talking about it – damn your mind games, Brendan – because there’s a not-that-far-fetched scenario in which Zlatan could win this thing. Hear me out.

Zlatan’s got 20 goals to date; that’s good for second in MLS to you-know-who. He’s got nine assists, and with 29 total goals created (assists + goals) trails, once again, only Martinez (35). Meanwhile, Wright-Phillips’ only chance at the award comes via the Supporters’ Shield. If the New York Red Bulls win it with BWP leading the way, voters might be swayed, but alas, it’s probably Dos Nueves’ destiny to remain chronically underappreciated.

Voters tend to be swayed by three things: stats, publicity and reputation. What I’m saying is only one man stands a chance of knocking Martinez off his perch, and that’s Zlatan.

Now the obvious caveat, which is that the Galaxy must make the playoffs for the big Swede to have any chance of winning the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award. There will be no repeat of 2011, when Dwayne De Rosario played for three teams and won it on a D.C. United team that failed to make the postseason.

So LA have to make the playoffs, and in order to do so, they’ll almost certainly need to win their final three games. And if they win out, it’s a near certainty that Zlatan will play a starring role (circle the Oct. 21 game in Minnesota on turf). And if Zlatan plays a starring role, why can’t he finish with, let’s say for the sake of argument, 24 goals and 12 assists?

Let’s also say, again for the sake of argument, that the Red Bulls win the Supporters’ Shield and Martinez’s relative cold streak continues (2 goals in his last five games) and the Venezuelan finishes with 31 goals and five assists. All of a sudden, their stats wouldn’t be quite so disparate, and Zlatan would be riding the sort of ever-growing wave of headlines and public appearances that only he can muster.

He’d have the raw numbers, the publicity and the reputation to do something audacious. You could make arguments like these, which come straight from the mouth of MLS take machine/MLS Digital studios do-it-all Anders Aarhus and aren’t without merit, depending on the eye of the beholder, maybe more specifically voter:

Zlatan is more valuable to his team than Josef. If you took Martinez off Atlanta United and replaced him with someone like Cory Burke, Atlanta still finishes top-three in the East and Burke probably bangs in 15-20 goals.

Josef has scored 30 goals, but his xG totals tell us that’s right about where he should be. Atlanta is a very, very good team already and Josef is able to thrive within that, which is not trying to take away from how good he is. He’s very, very good.

We’ve seen what the Galaxy are if you take Zlatan away: the borderline worst team in the league. The only reason they’re anywhere near the playoffs is because he’s dragging them there.

Think about games like the first El Trafico and the 4-3 win over Orlando City on July 29. Those were situations where Zlatan was literally winning the game by himself. He’s also scoring at basically the same goals-per-90 clip as Josef and has more assists.

We vote MVP on who had the best combination of statistical and narrative season, so Josef is going to win, and that’s fine. He deserves it based on the way the award has always been voted. But if we’re trying to pick who’s “most valuable” to their team? It’s Zlatan, hands down.

You’re telling me voters couldn’t find a way to look past Martinez for Zlatan in the little universe I’ve concocted? You’ve got another thing coming, especially because the Galaxy will be filling up Twitter timelines and other assorted digital media platforms with content like this…

Here’s Zlatan getting asked about his MVP chances in a media scrum following a pair of 3-0 wins that revived the Galaxy’s once-dormant postseason hopes. You can read his answer – scroll down for the quote – or you could watch it. I’d recommend throwing on headphones. Per usual with Zlatan, the delivery makes it.

.@Ibra_official gave his thoughts on the @MLS MVP race… pic.twitter.com/W1HerFedHW

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) October 4, 2018

“That for me is just extra bonus. I think I am bigger than all MLS,” he said. “It is not my main focus. I don’t want it if we don’t win the whole thing. I prefer my team to come in the playoffs, win the big trophy and whatever after that is just a bonus.”

MLS Cup and the MVP award, just a bonus in Zlatan’s world. He’ll probably get neither, but who’s to say he won’t get both?

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Wiebe: Zlatan couldn't really beat Josef to MLS MVP, could he? Could he? was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

'They were very dismissive' - the English boss who couldn't get a job in England

It’s a story you might have heard before – an English boss, who couldn’t get a job in England, succeeding at Swedish top-flight team Ostersunds.

In six years at the club, Graham Potter[1] guided them from the regional tiers to the top-flight Allsvenskan with three promotions, and won the Swedish Cup.

But he left in June[2] – lured by the chance to lead Swansea City back into the Premier League.

His replacement? Compatriot Ian Burchnall.

But, while Potter had a 13-year career as a professional footballer, Burchnall’s playing days were limited to Leeds Metropolitan University.

And, when working at Bradford City’s academy, he was told he would struggle to make it in management as he “didn’t have a name”.

The 35-year-old has made his mark, though, having spent a year as head coach of Norwegian club Viking.

But his experience did not count when he went home at the end of last year.

“Some clubs and agents were very dismissive about the experience I had, and whether or not I was ready to go in,” Burchnall told BBC Sport.

Then Ostersunds came calling.

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‘People thought it could fall apart’

Founded in 1996, Ostersunds caught the attention of the wider football world last season as they beat Arsenal in the Europa League[3] at Emirates Stadium.

Burchnall originally took charge of the team on an interim basis in June, and was given the job on a permanent basis after just one game.

After five wins and a draw, they have climbed to fourth in the table.

“People thought it could fall apart after Graham left,” says Burchnall, who was born in Leicester. “But we have made a statement.”

‘They felt players might not respect me’

Bradford’s then academy manager made a statement, too, when he told Burchnall he would struggle because of his lack of profile.

“It was tough to hear,” says Burchnall, then head coach of Leeds University’s first team.

“He was dismissive because I had not played. He felt my manner, personality and education was more befitting of younger players; that professionals might not take what I said on board or respect it.”

But Burchnall was soon coaching professional footballers, when former England striker Brian Deane took him to Norway as his assistant at Sarpsborg 08.

Deane and Burchnall – who first worked together at Leeds University – kept Sarpsborg in the top flight and led them to the cup semi-finals, and Burchnall even completed his Uefa Pro Licence in Norwegian.

‘The chaos of my first managerial job’

Viking was Burchnall’s next destination – initially as assistant before taking the top job. It was, he says, “chaos behind the scenes”.

“It was all about building downwards to try and save money,” he says.

“There was no money to bring players in, we had to move players out and reduce the staff.”

After a year in charge he was sacked, to protests from fans.

“When I took the job I was 33, with no history as a player,” he says. “I knew when I did get the chance it would probably be a difficult one.

“Viking is such a huge club in Norway and Scandinavia, it was difficult to say no. It was a great opportunity and a dream to step out as manager.

“At the same time there were challenging circumstances and it was quite a steep learning curve.”

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‘It’s about changing people’s perception’

Burchnall says he “doesn’t get frustrated” about the lack of opportunities in England, adding there are “other pathways to have success in the game”.

But he does believe the ‘hire and fire’ culture in his homeland can prevent coaches like him getting a job.

“The pressure of football in England tends to means you don’t get time,” he says. “Clubs tends to box safe.

“When a chairman says they can’t take a chance, it is because they don’t have time for a coach to develop and learn about the league. They want someone to hit the ground running and if they don’t they want to change it fast, the pressure is so great.”

Burchnall thinks some English clubs are “outdated” compared with their European counterparts, who “run clubs in a different way with a longer-term vision”, but he does acknowledge some have started to “think outside the box”.

But does he ever dwell on what he was told at Bradford all those years ago?

“I am pleased to be where I am, what I have learned,” he says. “It’s justification for all those hours of hard work.

“When I was told that it would be difficult without the background, I understood why they said it. It was to try and give me a reality check.

“But I tried to flip that and thought, ‘if that’s what people expect, then what can I do about that and change their perception’.”

But what about the future – does a return to England appeal?

Burchnall says: “I didn’t necessarily think I would end up in northern Sweden or the coast of Norway, but if you are willing to embrace the challenge you can end up anywhere and have a great experience in football.

“Managing in front of 30,000 away in Stockholm, I am not missing anything by not being in England. I manage internationals who played at the World Cup and come up against teams who play in the Champions League.

“One day in the future it would be fun to try and come back and do something. But I am happy to continue my development abroad, and I am in no rush to go home.”

References

^ Graham Potter (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ left in June (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ beat Arsenal in the Europa League (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

'They were very dismissive' – the English boss who couldn't get a job in England was originally published on 365 Football

[fuctumb-blog]

Painting couples couldn't resist their urge to fuck