Should we all be jumping on the Bannan wagon?

Scotland has found itself its next superstar, or so it would appear.

Introducing Barry Bannan a young talented Scottish winger with tinges of Jimmy Johnstone about him. The twenty year old, soon to be twenty one is at Aston Villa and has recently broke into the first team under current boss Gerard Houllier.

Bannan himself claimed that former manager Martin O'Neill was detrimental to his progress as he wouldn't play him due to his height. The Aston Villa player stands at a proud 5 ft 7 and was head and shoulders above the rest on his debut for Scotland against the Faroe Islands if only in metaphorical terms.

However, are we right to be hyping him up so quickly? A reality check suggests otherwise as it was the Faroe Islands he was playing against, and to further emphasis this their season finished three weeks ago. It was hardly the sort of team that would provide any sort of challenge to the tricky winger.

I can already hear the argument about him playing against Manchester United and undoubtedly playing really well. But careers are not made on one game they are made on hundreds and there have been instances in the past where the Scottish media in particular have hyped up players and then nothing has come of it.

Players like Mark Burchill when he was a youngster at Celtic was being compared to the great Michael Owen when he was at his peak and where is he now one might ask.

Another candidate in the hat for this award is Sean Maloney again another rising star for the Hoops went down to the Premiership to try and test his ability against the elite of football but was found to be lacking in certain areas and instead is back in the SPL testing his ability against the 'elite' in Scottish football.

Incidentally Maloney played in the match against the Faroes and was dire his night was summed up when he was gifted the easiest of chances as a misplaced pass led him one on one with the goalkeeper- admittedly if it had been a proper International match then he might have not attempted to chip the keeper but it was a poor effort none the less.

And what about superstar John Fleck being compared to the next Wayne Rooney a season or so ago and he cannot even get in the Rangers team even with their squad being sparse as it is.

But perhaps in Bannan's favour is he already playing in the Premiership where others in the past have failed. He seems to have genuine talent and does not seem to fear anyone with the right coaching and direction he could become a very good player for his country but for now he needs to keep his feet on the ground.

Are you having a frickin' laugh?!

Did anyone hear about the gangland attacks in Glasgow the other week? It involved the Hanlon brothers. One got a power drill bored through his head, the other had a chisel to his dick and then they shoved the same chisel shoved up his arse, i can assure you, that watching that Scotland performance tonight particularly in the first half was more painful.


Scotland hosted Liechtenstein - a country about the population of Falkirk who are ranked 141st in the world. But on this display you wouldnt think for one moment there was 100 places separating the two countries.

A goal by Steven Mcmanus in the 97th minute of play saved the blushes of a decisively poor Scotland side which gave them a 2-1 victory, this actually puts Scotland top of group I.

Craig Levein had obviously thought ahead before the game installing fans to play bagpipes in the background during periods of the game where Scotland were playing ineptly to drown out the boo's of the home fans. Perhaps what would have been more appropriate was to give everyone a blindfold so that the fans wouldnt have to endure what they were watching.

To put it bluntly the first half was shocking. Liechtenstein frustrated the Scots and Craig Levein's side never looked like threatening. A few hopeful long diagonal balls for Miller to chase was all the home side could muster. Mcfadden gave the ball away so often and it was not very surprising that he was substituted at half time. James Morrison came on to give Scotland more impetus in attack and a change in formation, however it would be the minnows who would take the lead with a lovely goal.

On 46 minutes, Mario Frick their captain took the ball into feet at the edge of the box, McManus gave him enough room to turn and curl the ball into top corner away from the despairing dive of McGregor. A piercing silence filled the stadium, it was a superb finish and nothing less than the visitors deserved.

Scotland had yet to register a shot on target but on 57 minutes Jehle had to be at his best to deny a powerful driven 25 yard shot from Fletcher. It fell kindly to the Manchester United midfielder who struck it sweetly towards goal but Jehle diverted it over the crossbar.

The consequences of this scoreline had started to seep into Scotland. This result would be up there with one of the worst results in their history if the score remained the same. Fortunately however it didnt. Kenny Miller's powerful shot just after the hour mark zipped in off the underside of the bar given the keeper no chance and the relief could be felt around the ground. Indeed Miller's reaction to the goal was almost as if he'd won the Euro Championships himself.

Scotland piled on the pressure which resulted in the away side using more cruder tactics of time wasting and putting in more physical challenges. One which incidentally ended Lee Wallace's night as he had to go off injured. On came Robson who's delivery from set pieces was excellent and he could have Scotland in the lead from a free kick on the edge of the box but much like the pattern of the last half an hour a Liechtenstein head, body or anything they could throw in the way of the ball managed to deflect it away from danger.

But Scotland had to be wary, the away side were dangerous on the counter. A rasping shot from Hasler had McGregor scrambling but he did enough to ensure there would be no further embarrassment.

Finally with literally the last touch of the ball McManus made up for his earlier error by heading in from a Robson corner sending the Scottish fans into raptures with a mixture of overwhelming joy and relief.

The Beautiful game in demise?

As we reach the climax of South Africa World Cup 2010, it is time to reflect and look back at the past three weeks. Has the World Cup lived up to the hype and excitement that prevailed the tournament or has it been an anti climax where all that will be remembered is the incessant noise of the vuvuzelas, players not playing to there full potential and the humiliation England suffered against Germany.

I am sad to say this but i cannot think of a game this World Cup and think wow that was an epic game i really enjoyed it and the first week of football was to put it bluntly terrible. The rainbow nation had sucked all the colour from the game making it look very pale and ill. Excitement was non-existent and too many teams were scared of failure opting instead to play conservatively with very little risk involved which might have been expected. Negative football was certainly on show with very little for fans to shout about. Uruguay V France being a prime example a 0-0 boring draw there were many others games similar to this.

Perhaps tactics can explain this. It seems that the traditional 4-4-2 is going out the game with more clubs and countries now adopting a more versatile 4-2-3-1 , with two holding midfielders and three attacking midfielders and a lone striker. This stifles the opposition as it is very difficult to find space in midfield however with only playing a lone striker it also tends to hamper the teams going forward.If the service is not good to the striker goals are going to be hard to come by.

Teams are also better organised than they were before. Coaches are far more tactically aware. They say there are no easy games at international level in football now and this is because where players lack skill or talent they more than make up for being better organised and working as a solid unit. Look no further than when Brazil played North Korea - everyone was expecting Brazil to win by a landslide margin however due to the work rate and organisation of North Korean team they narrowly won 2-1.

When coaches know they are coming up against a really good player they basically take that man out of the equation. Lionel Messi for Argentina technically gifted and lightning pace - he had the run of the pitch against Nigeria as he found space wherever he was, but against Greece , they just man marked him out of the game and he failed to make much of an impact.

Perhaps it is fair to say that modern day football has been affected by this development when looking back at some classic world cup games - there was more emphasis on skill rather than tactics. The World Cup 1970 final Brazil V Italy - the Carlos Alberto goal where nearly every Brazilian touches the ball in the lead up to the goal was fantastic to watch. But Italy just let them play there is no tight marking and plenty of space, there is nobody following the Brazilian runs. In today's game that just is not the case despite the movement being world class that goal would just not happen today.

Another difference is the modern footballer is now pretty much an athlete, he has to be extremely fit, strong and have a fair amount of pace. The playing field has been levelled by this which again explains why games have been very tight.Fitness is crucial if you cannot run for 90mins at that level you have not got a prayer. The physical aspect of the game was not as important as it is now. Lifestyle is also something that has dramatically changed George Best known for his antics off and on the pitch but the question must be asked could he have been able to live the lifestyle he did back then in today's modern game? The Brazilian Socrates a quality midfielder but again the lifestyle he led - smoked 50 a day and was an alcoholic - makes me wonder would he have been able to do that if he played now.

The combination of tactics and physical fitness has given the lesser teams more of a chance added to this the notion of fear of failing has reduced the 'beautiful game' to a rather cagey affair. Players are scared to make a mistake because of what is at stake. The philosophy of 'we will score more than you' has been eradicated and being hard to beat is very much resonant which has resulted in football becoming less exciting and more like chess with strategy and tactics playing a pivotal role. Teams cancelling each other out resulting in a stale mate- i just hope the final does not go this way but if most of the games are anything to go by it certainly will.

The Great Escape- Part II?

It seems hardly a year ago, since i was frantically pacing around the room in anticipation for Falkirk's biggest game of the season yet tomorrow at 12:30pm, the same churning in my stomach and excitement will surface once again as the Bairns go to Rugby Park in what surely will be an enthralling encounter.

Last year Falkirk went to Inverness knowing only a win would secure their SPL status - and watching the first half i feared the worst, Inverness CT were by far the better team creating most of the clear cut chances but for the heroic Dani Mallo in goals for Falkirk, this blog would have sounded a little different!

But after 71mins, Higdon broke the deadlock with perhaps not one of the most elegant goals he will ever score but try telling any Falkirk fan at that time whether that mattered or not. A wave of euphoria passed over me as i realised how important that goal could be and the real possibility of Falkirk staying in the SPL.

Twenty nail biting minutes later, the ref finally blew the whistle and the Bairns celebrations could began. Falkirk finished on 38 points - a point ahead of Inverness who were relegated. However one short year later and the Bairns find themselves in the same position - two points behind Kilmarnock with only a win good enough to keep them in the Premier Division.

The two teams have struggled throughout this campaign and it is fitting that they battle it out on the last day with both arguably deserving of relegation. Kilmarnock will be boosted though with a win in midweek against Aberdeen 2-1 and the return of on loan striker Chris Macguire who's proven to be a very shrewd signing for Jimmy Calderwood's men despite the poor league position.

Falkirk go into this match on the back of a poor run of form- no wins in 4 matches and like most of the season for the relegation candidates the goals are few and far between. However perhaps they can take some confidence from the fact that one of there few away victories came at the hands Kilmarnock earlier this season where they beat them 2-1.

Call it blind optimism, or naivety but something inside me suggests that Falkirk can achieve the great escape again, they have been in this position before and they know what they have to do- a win is what they need but all the players will have to be at their very best.

Their opponents Killie face the dilemma of sitting back and clinging onto the point or ensuring a victory by attacking Falkirk from the start - which i think if it is still a draw at half time, can work to the Bairns advantage as they have the experience to go on and secure the victory whereas Kilmarnock have not been in this scenario recently and might start to panic as the final whistle draws near.

Pressley said that he was 'absolutely certain' that Falkirk would stay in the SPL in less than 24hours time we will see if he is right.

Skill over Simulation?

Arjen Robben - arguably one of the best players in the world when he is on form, and recently his performances have proved it. His illustrious career started at Dutch club Groningen before moving to PSV for a few seasons where he caught the eye of Chelsea and moved to the Premiership. He has also had a short spell at Real Madrid and now is at Bayern Munich. This season hes been prolific scoring 20 goals, which has helped his side in challenging for another Bundeliga and cementing a place in the last four of the Champions League, knocking out Fiorentina and Manchester United in the process with two stunning strikes. Tonight he continued his rich vein of form with a great performance against Lyon securing a comfortable 1-0 lead in the Champions League Semi -Final. The french side had obviously not been watching him closely enough as time and time again, they let him cut in on his strongest side - his left- and run in on goal, which inevitably led to Bayern's goal. He collected the ball on the right hand side and drove in on his left foot releasing a powerful strike which beat Lloris in goal with a hint of a deflection.

But for Lyon it could have been a lot worse, numerous times Robben ran at the Lyon defence his dribbling mesmerising to watch, leaving centre back Cris only a spectator at times before laying a chance off to the Bayern strikers or taking a shot himself. In fact Bayern could have and should have doubled their lead when Gomez was unmarked, Robben clipped a delightful ball onto the attackers head but he failed to get any purchase onto the header making it an easy save for the Lyon keeper.

However, there is a sort of Jekyll & Hyde character to Robben. Despite his effortless control, rapid speed and great finishing, the Dutchman is very prone to simulation or better known as diving or going down easily. Some would argue that this indeed is part of the game now - certainly in mainland Europe - where conning a referee into giving a player a decision has almost become second nature

But personally as a football fan, it is very frustrating to watch. There were times tonight where i was watching the game and thinking 'stay on your feet' or ' don't give up so easily!' But as usual he went down with the faintest of touches, moaning to the ref every time a decision went against him. He often if he was being challenged for the ball and felt that he was not going to end up with the ball, just stopped turned around facing the opposite way of play as to if insinuate he was body checked or the other player had fouled him - almost forcing the referee to give the decision to him and to be fair most of the time he did.

Nevertheless some people would say that this is good play by Robben manipulating the game into his hands and reaping the benefits and that other players dive and go down easily so why shouldn't he. And it is also true to say that there will be instances where his is actually fouled and not get the decision.

A certain argument to that is, well he is a gifted enough player he should not feel the need to go down so easily, however 2010 is an important year for Robben - his club looks almost certain to reach the Champions League Final, top of the Bundesliga by 2 points and his country - Holland should be challenging for the World Cup as well - hopefully from a footballing perspective we will see more of talent he has and less of the diving that comes with it.

Falkirk to beat the drop?

Well i thought it was time to do something with my life and since i am doing a Journalism and Sports Degree in my 3rd Year at Stirling University, i figured what better way to start on the road to success than to start writing a blog. My blog will look at the main football events of the week and try to give a balanced take on games and issues currently circulating around the world of football.

The team i support is Falkirk- please don't laugh , coming to a very crucial stage in the season where every game is a 'must win' game. This starts with a visit from Paisley outfit St Mirren who recently demolished a hapless Celtic 4-0. It certainly brings back memories when they came to the Falkirk Stadium last season and beat us 2-0 but in reality, it could have been a lot worse and i would not have been exaggerating when i say the saints could have been 5-0 up at half time, which ironically happened to Burnley yesterday at the hands of Man City - yes, if only we had players like Tevez , Adebayor and the array of other talent to grace the pitch at the Falkirk Stadium but alas this just is not the case. However we do have our own towering black striker Enoch Showunmi or 'Big Show' - personally im just waiting for the show to start!

The big fella does try his hardest but he will start having to be more prolific infront of goal if the Bairns are to have a chance of staying up this season, which the manager Pressley thinks is definitely happening.

Wild optimism, or just trying to keep his players spirits high, it remains to be seen whether or not 'Elvis' is capable of keeping Falkirk in the SPL however what is not in doubt is his passion. determination and confidence in his ability as being a manager - this confidence which he has been reflected in players like Ryan Flynn- who scored against Motherwell at the weekend to gain all 3 points for the Bairns, and has came on leaps and bounds recently for the club.

With Kilmarnock beating Aberdeen 2-0 at Rugby Park today - a result which most people probably expected due to the circumstances of teams like Aberdeen having nothing really to play for because of the league's format at this time of season - a topic which i hope to cover in the future. It makes the task in hand all the more difficult for Pressley's side since now the gap at the bottom is 3 points to St Mirren and 4 to Kilmarnock. A win next week would make the last 5 games against the bottom 6 really really interesting, however if St Mirren turn up mimicking Barcelona like they did last season, then i really cannot see us stayin up. Falkirk were in this precarious position last season but managed to somehow stay up with a win against eventual relegated Club Inverness, can they accomplish this feat two years in a row - only time will tell.