The Chester Manero Brand

August is the month of an anniversary, the Chester Manero website brand kicked off three years prior, 2018, cakes all around. A further insight into Chester Manero follows, the Manero’s advice was seeked out and recommendations given the green light with the appointment of a football club manager and chief scout positions, (privacy on). Worked in conjunction on football communities with the former football association, Manchester City and Fulham head of football (technical director), Mike Rigg, currently at Burnley FC. The CM has coached at grass roots level (badged qualifications) offering opportunities at a football league club. Manero has written for three newspapers alongside producing monthly thirty paged programme sized editions. The CM brand continues to evolve.

Pizza’s Coming Home

Enter into pizza gate, Southgate, Gareth in part, Euro 1996, penalty miss v Germany into highlight mode, exit England. A defining moment for England and the fight to shred adversity for Southgate the debate, the question, should a player be put in a position, on a possible penalty miss with the nation of a country tuning in, a hero or a zero within a split second, the road to heaven or the devil’s door? To be ridiculed, vilified on failure, outlaw, bin the farce, the fiasco, the penalty shout outs, (ref July 13^th, Football’s Farce). Football is a team game, in that moment Gareth became an individual in a team ethic, to suggest that players are hung out to dry as the penalty spot looms (the shout outs). A nervous stride pattern, run up with a lack of conviction and belief on the required technique, the ball pace on the strike, on the goal, the goalkeepers claws saved the shot, the failed penalty, should Gareth’s career have centred around that one moment in time?

Of interest, of note, was David Platt’s comments on the Terry Venable’s think tank. During training El Tel told Platt to strike the deal for Platt to tell goalkeeper David Seaman which corner the penalty strike will be aimed for on all five penalties, Platt thought process became “Are you crazy, the chance of scoring the penalty is with the knowledge that the man between the sticks does not know which I am going to go, that’s the advantage, make sense?” Platt had to take the lead from Venable’s instructions and went onto score four out of the five penalties. Venables words to Platt were, “Strike the ball with pace and accuracy into the corner socket of the corner net and no goalkeeper in the world will save the ball”. The word genius was afforded to Venables, perhaps one’s self is a genius, don’t like the word myself, the correct technique will defeat the goalkeeper. Another Three Lion of the Euro 96, Teddy Sheringham emphasised the point on one’s penalty kick v Germany, hold firm on the technique, select your corner and strike the ball with pace, forget your penalty brief seminars and psychologists, onto the training pitch. Ingrain the above, picture penalty perfect. Gareth Southgate’s moment in time is now. A respected leader of team England, no need to dwell on the demons, time for a pizza, dig in deep, do it for me, there’s only one margherita, delicious pizza, come on England, pizza’s coming home.

Away with the UEFA, Hogwash

UEFA have decided to abolish the away goal rule in European competitions, in existence since 1965. According to UEFA, the home team of the two legged affair don’t look to attack with the same intensity in fear of conceding an away goal, do we have an agreement on this? No to UEFA, but that’s normal, in response, the home team will always look for a two to nil cushion as opposed to the one goal, a three to nil score line would be heavenly delight, the one to nil is sketchy, ropey. UEFA have opted to enter into the extra time come penalty shoot outs if required, better viewing figures, more subscriptions, an overall increase on incoming revenue for the UEFA. The undercurrent is always the money, the UEFA ideals, the concept, the badged greedy green.

UEFA’s Covid Snakes

Two thousand five hundred at the last count, UEFA delegates embarked on the Euro 2020 final, destination London, Wembley Stadium, quarantines not required, the don’t give a s— about, the Covid-19 spreading UEFA’s reps. The hunger pangs for top notch travel, hotels, VIPs of course, the Roy Keane delivery service, prawn sandwiches followed by caviar for the choking effect. The UEFA threatened to move the final to Hungary if the English government did not comply, a country where the Covid is running wild and free. The soulless blazers of the UEFA delegates, the Covid spreading snakes.

The 2020 Euro Final

Fifty five years of hurt about to be ended? Seemed to be the case to the overindulgent on the pre-match hype. And in the mindset was cement on two minutes when Luke Shaw ghosted in at the back post with a half volleyed shot. For the remaining forty three minutes of the first half England remained relatively controlled bar one hazard warning with Chelsea showcasing his raw power with a strike on goal. To run the clock down during the second half period was clearly England’s intention, to protect the goal, the lead, invite the Italian pressure, wrong tactic, Gareth Southgate’s first managerial mistake during the tournament. The Italian equaliser was forthcoming and on sixty seven minutes Bonucci netted the equaliser from two yards. The ninety minutes and extra time ran its course, to be headlined the penalty shootouts and Southgate second but fatal mistake. From penalty number three, Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all failed on the spot, the experienced players of team England were all huddled cosy watching the European Championship slip away 3-2, the nightmare penalty defeat, the Italians secured their trophy grab and team England sank into the pit of despair, the inquest begins, but for the Azzuri, the 2020 UEFA European Champions.

The Three Lions Hung Out to Dry?

Were the now aptly named Three Lions Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho hung out to dry alongside the nation? Players of the ilke, Jamie Henderson, Raheem Stirling, John Stones, Luke Shaw, the list can go on, the link, all experienced players has to be a requirement to take penalties inside the pressure cooker of the penalty shootouts. Questions have to be asked, did Gareth Southgate approach players of this standing to take the penalties? Did they refuse? Bottle the responsibility? To suggest has to be the case in part. Even the most Trojan of warriors on the pitch can have small p—pots squishy, squishy pants. Jack Grealish to his credit has come out in the public domain to state that he volunteered to take a penalty, silence has followed from the other players. Marcus Rashford in some quarter could be excused for taking on one of the penalties, but Marcus cuts a sombre figure on occasions whose ambition can seem muted, hence the penalty miss perhaps, for Saka and Sancho to be trusted with the spot kicks alongside the huge responsibility is questionable. Gareth Southgate ticked all the right boxes during the tournament with his decision making but to suggest fell on one’s sword with the penalty shootout debacle v Italy, time for a pizza?