Going, Going...Er, Still Going. Honest

The confusion surrounding Frank Lampard’s move to New York City FC seems to have finally abated. The former Chelsea midfielder will now be joining the new MLS club in July at the end of the English Premier League season. The confusion, you will remember, came from Lampard initially saying that he would be going to the States on January 1^st after his loan spell at Manchester City finished.

A few months of successful football in the (ahem) most popular league in the world seemed to have changed Frank’s mind about the whole January thing. Not so, said Frank. He only signed a ‘commitment’ to join NYCFC in January apparently. Putting aside the fact that he now seems to have fallen pretty short of that ‘commitment’ anyway, the main problem here seems to be that Major League Soccer – in its stereotypical American tub thumping style – shouted the announcement of Lampard’s joining the league from the rooftops. This was, understandably, also a massive draw for those New Yorkers who spent money on season tickets and merchandise for a club that had yet to kick a ball. When Lampard revealed that he wouldn’t be joining in January after all it is also understandable that those same fans might worry that they had been duped.

Lampard’s panic-calming words about all parties speaking to each other to sort out the situation are all very well until you remember that these ‘parties’ are all basically the same party. The same people that own Manchester City, own New York City (and probably many other cities all around the world). MLS fans are long enough in the tooth now not to be fobbed off by football authorities with the promise of untold riches and good news stories – they deserved to be told what was going on from the beginning. Whether that is from MLS, Man City or Frank Lampard himself.

As much as many American fans want to be regarded as a major force in world football and for their top league to be given its due respect this episode has only proved that money rules everything in football now and signed ‘commitments’ don’t really count for much. Maybe New York fans could look at other clubs in the area already actually playing football matches if they want to get their fix of ‘real’ football rather than be a carbon copy of what is already sadly the norm on the other side of the Atlantic.

January Blues?

Here's something I wrote just before Christmas about possible Chelsea transfer window targets - January Blues?

New Work

I've just started doing a bit of sports writing for a new content company - 90 Digital. Here's the first two pieces:

Is Origi the Answer? - featured on Liverpool site, The Empire of the Kop

Peering Through the January Transfer Window at Football Extras

Met-God

Excellent new sports site The Upright were kind enough to publish a short piece of mine in their flash features strand at the weekend. It's a piece about a very special man. Here it is - Letter For Metgod

Footballers DO Care

Well that’s that then. While some may waste their time arguing over whether the Brazil World Cup was the best of all time or not, the football on show has been universally applauded. And most fans would feel that Germany lifting the trophy befitted the previous four weeks of football on display.

Many words have been written about the glory of the 20^th World Cup but there was a moment after the Holland v Brazil match on Saturday that went largely unnoticed but made me forget for a second the money grabbing, agent-led, vacuous nature of the modern game. The third/fourth play-off match (unwanted by all but FIFA and especially by the players forced to perform one more time when they would much rather forget their semi final defeat and retreat to the luxury spas and resorts of the world) had just ended when the camera picked out Arjen Robben in the centre of the pitch. Like many players in his position he mugged for the camera taking on a triumphant pose. But it was as Robben turned away from the camera to find his teammates that a sliver of the beauty and innocence of football was fleetingly apparent. Arjen Robben is undoubtedly a great player and arguably the real player of the tournament but he is not generally thought of as a footballing innocent - as Mexican fans would confirm. But at the end of a meaningless match as the world’s attention was about to switch to crying Brazilians you could see Robben fist pump to himself – a sign that the match had meant something to him. That, in what could possibly turn out to be his final World Cup match, winning the game had meant a lot to him. His mind wasn’t on the beach, for Robben it wasn’t a perfunctory kickabout in what will turn out to be a forgotten match. Finishing third at a World Cup had meant something to him. It was an achievement. The physical and psychological barrier between the footballer and fan had come down for a split second.

No doubt as the new season goes on there will be many examples of how modern football goes against everything I hold dear about this glorious game, but for a moment my heart was lifted.

10 Reasons Why Brazil 2014 Has Been So Good (So Far)

We're only at the end of the group stage but already this World Cup has surpassed expectations and provided some great memories. Here are some of my favourite moments so far...

Holland's demolition of Spain Although not the first game of the finals, Holland's thrashing of the all conquering Spanish side set the tone for the tournament

Pirlo's free kick against England Joe Hart rooted to the ground as Pirlo (who, along with the entire Italian team, had an otherwise unmemorable tournament) struck a ball that swerved and swayed until it crashed off the crossbar. Hopefully the rumours that talk of his retirement was premature are true

Costa Rica Before the tournament started the best thing anyone said about them was that they might not be as rubbish as everyone thought. Then they won the group after outclassing Uruguay and Italy

Colombia's goal celebrations Slightly unfair to mention this and not their fantastic results but if the group choreographed celebrations haven't made you smile you have a heart of stone

John Brooks' goal celebration The American had only come on as sub but the incredulous look on his face as he realised that he had scored the winner against Ghana with only four minutes to go on his World Cup debut was a delight

Ochoa's performance against Brazil The hosts were not at their best but the Mexican keeper was outstanding

Cahill's goal Australia were not expected to do much in a group with Spain, Holland and Chile but Cahill's left foot volley made their trip worthwhile. An excellent swansong for the New York Red Bulls striker in his final appearance at a finals

France's goal-fest against Switzerland Maybe Deschamps was right to leave out the disruptive Nasri. France have played - and scored - as a team. The rout of Switzerland being the best example so far. Not that I saw most of it however, I was busy trying to explain to my distraught three year old where his snowman had gone. A snowman we made in March 2013. It's a long story...

GOALS!!! We didn't even have a draw until the 14th match and there's only been five 0-0 stalemates in the entire group stage. The age of conservatism is dead

Algeria qualifying The elation of the Algerian fans and players as they drew their final game against Russia, to go through to the second round for the first time in their history was yet another example of the uplifting nature of this World Cup. The fact that they now face Germany and have a chance to avenge 'the disgrace of Gijon' is proof of footballing gods. They won't win next week though. Will they?

The Domitable Lions

I miss the exciting, skillful Cameroon. They didn't turn up in Brazil so I wrote this for Sabotage Times:

The Domitable Lions