The Football Playbook: Tactical Puzzles – A Review

So, I’m doing a little review on the iPod, iPhone and iPad compatible free app called The Football Playbook: Tactical Puzzles by Super Rock Games. 

Firstly, let’s go over the idea of the app. The whole point of the game is for the player (you) to unpick the tactical conundrum and crucially score goals. Initially, when I first played the game, it was quite challenging, but with a bit of trial and error and going over the tutorial, I got the jist of it. And the game is quite a lot of fun, especially when you solve the puzzle, you do feel like you’re a bit special. So that’s good. 

What’s brilliant about the game is there is a great number of Puzzles there for you to solve. So the game does not get repetitive and boring. Super Rock Games state the game has over 700 unique tactical puzzles, so the game has longevity and isn’t one of those games you forget that you have knocking about on your phone or tablet. For me, the most satisfying point is when you create space and exploit the opposition movement in the game. It’s a bit like when you score a sexy pass and move goal on FIFA, you think fondly of yourself thinking, ‘I created that.’

Screen Shot from the game

This game is perfect for football fans who love a tactical challenge. I would also recommend the game to more general football fans too. It’s free and that, so it’s worth a check. 

However, this is version 1.0 of the game and there is considerable amount of room for improvement. Sometimes, the game can crash a tad too easily and you can lose your progress. While, as I stated before, the game is quite hard to get into. But I am sure with the next few updates the game will be at its optimum. 

Here’s a little video from the makers about the App:

You can download the app HERE

The official website of the app: http://www.footballplaybk.com/

Euro 2012 Team Reviews

      Hello, I’m Callum Rivett, and this will be my review of the European Championship, running through team-by-team. I’ll give a brief overview of their matches, then their highlight. Finally a rating out of 10, based on what people thought of them before the tournament (for example, a team who over-performed and came 2nd in their group would get a higher rating than one who was expected to win their group and did), and we’ll see if we agree. Hope you enjoy!

GROUP A

Poland

            The hosts were widely expected to qualify in second place from Group A, but they failed to win a single game. Opening with a draw against Greece, then another against Russia, all they needed to do was beat an average Czech Republic side. They lost 1-0, and the co-hosts were out at the first hurdle, but at least there was one moment to savour: Lewandowski’s strike against Russia was easily their highlight.

RATING: 5/10

Greece

            The 2004 winners were not expected to proceed from their group, with Russia and Poland the favourites. However, a draw against Poland and an unlikely win against Russia - which was their highlight - in the final group match sent them through, playing their almost traditional style of play: defensive. Finishing second, they faced a tough task against Germany in the quarter-finals, and succumbed to a 4-2 loss. Not disgraced, and can take heart from their performances. 

RATING: 7/10

Russia

            This was a Russian side full of quality, boasting players like Alan Dzagoev, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin. Things started very well for them, a resounding 4-1 victory over a lacklustre Czech Republic side, their one and only highlight. A draw against Poland meant they were still favourites to progress, and only a defeat to Greece and a Czech Republic win over Poland in the final group game would send them out… A 1-0 defeat to Greece followed, and the Czechs won 1-0, sending the Russians home early.

RATING: 4/10

Czech Republic

            The Czechs were expected to go out with the Greeks in the group stage, but veteran Milan Baroš helped guide them to the last 16, exceeding many expectations. A heavy defeat to Russia in the opening game merely spurred them on, collecting two wins from two against Greece then Poland. They met Portugal in the quarters, and went out fighting, going down 1-0. Perhaps not the most vintage set of performances, but it’s the results that matter. The win over Poland has to be the highlight.

RATING: 7/10

GROUP B

Holland

            The World Cup runners-up had a nightmare tournament, one that fans hope can be thrown into the abyss of football history, never to return. Expectations were high, but performances and results never met those standards. Wesley Sneider hinted at an “ego problem” within the Dutch set-up, and with players like Arjen Robben, you can’t help but to agree. Losing every game and not putting up much of a fight dents their reputation, one which they hope will be restored come Brazil 2014. 

RATING: 2/10

Denmark

            Being dealt in the Group of Death meant expectations were low, and the world was expecting them to be on the first flight home with zero points. But an opening win over Holland - their highlight - put them in good spirits, and it took a late Portugal winner to deny them a point. Germany followed, and so did another good display, but they unfortunately lost 2-1, sending them home with the Dutch. 

RATING: 7/10

Germany

            One of the best German sides in my lifetime, and they were hailed as the favourites to lift the trophy before it had even kicked off. Three wins out of three in the group stage certainly helped their cause, and momentum was building. A 4-2 win over Greece and they were in the semi-finals, thinking they could go all the way. But the infamous Mario Balotelli popped out with two goals to ruin the Germany parade. 

RATING: 8/10

Portugal

            A team that has constantly underperformed given the strength of their side on paper: Ronaldo, Nani, Moutinho, Miereles… Finally they get to where they should be - a semi-final, and just penalty kicks away from a final. Going out to the eventual winners is no disgrace, and they put in some good performances along the way, and finally got Ronaldo playing well for the national side. 

RATING: 8/10

GROUP C

Spain

            Three trophies on the bounce says it all about this Spain side. They are simply the best in the world. Why would anyone ever call them boring? They play nice football, and have when their original tactic was on the verge of being sussed out, they changed it to a tactic no one expected. They didn’t play with a striker, yet they still had a striker win the Golden Boot. It seemed they didn’t get out of second gear for most of the tournament, until the final. The performances weren’t vintage Spain, but it’s the results that will be remembered.

RATING: 10/10

Italy

            The other finalists surprised many on-route, including beating favourites Germany. Even more surprising was Mario Balotelli. He stormed his way to three goals, including a brace against the Germans in the semi-final. The cool and calm Andrea Pirlo provided the killer ball many times, and his style and grace on the football pitch will be missed at international tournaments, as this was almost certainly his last one. A win over England on penalties was impressive, but they had many chances to kill us off. It has to be remembered that Thiago Motta had to go off injured in the final, and they didn’t deserve to lose so heavily.

RATING: 9/10

Ireland

            A disastrous tournament in terms of results for the Irish, but the fact that they even reached the group stages has to be seen as a success. The fans were brilliant, but that would be no consolation back in Ireland as they crashed out at the first hurdle. They gave it their best shot, but with teams like Spain, Italy and Croatia in their group no one expected them to do anything, and they didn’t.

RATING: 3/10

Croatia

            Croatia were unlucky to be drawn in this group, they had a good side and a draw against Spain would have sent them through. Slaven Bilic had them playing well, and scoring goals. They didn’t have the strongest defence, but with a bit more coaching, and with the youngsters coming through, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the next World Cup. A draw against Italy and a convincing win over Ireland made it a very respectable campaign, and a good building block.

RATING: 6/10

GROUP D

Ukraine

            The co-hosts didn’t embarrass themselves in a tough group, with an opening victory over Sweden the highlight. After falling behind, they rallied and the home crowd spurred them onto a well-deserved win. An expected defeat against France followed, then a spirited performance against England where they had a goal disallowed - it did cross the line, but the attacker was offside so justice was done in my view. They played well excluding the France game, and it was a good tournament.

RATING: 6/10

Sweden

            They lost in surprising fashion against Ukraine, then a good performance - helped by England’s defensive frailties - was only ruined by a sublime back-heel by Danny Welbeck and a wicked shot on the edge of the area by Theo Walcott. They were not sent home empty handed, however, defeating France 2-0 in the final group game, an acrobatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic volley giving them the lead, then a late goal secured the victory. Not a terrible performance, but the opening day loss will haunt them. 

RATING: 6/10

France

            A balanced opening game against England ended in a 1-1 draw, then a victory against Ukraine provided a massive stepping stone to qualifying for the quarter finals. But a loss to Sweden in the final group game proved their downfall, which meant they finished second in the group behind England. They faced eventual winners Spain, and got dominated. For a French side with so much quality - easily a better side on paper than England’s - they lacked the cutting edge, and this will be a tournament to forget.

RATING: 5/10

England

            Last but by no means least, we come to England. A team in transition, with a newly appointed manager meant expectations were low. Some expected us to go out in the group, most thought a quarter final was a reasonable target. We, along with Spain, were unbeaten in the first ninety minutes of football, and only went out by the dreaded penalties. This was undoubtedly a tournament where not much was known about our game plan, our manager, but we put in a good display. Hopefully we will be ready for Brazil 2014, and get further than the quarters, where we fall so many times.

RATING: 7/10

So, that wraps up the team reviews, and as you can tell this took a while: re-watching highlights, looking at team line-ups, tactics, results. If you agree or disagree, I’d be delighted to know, so drop me a line either on my twitter (@cjrivett12) or in the comments below. Hope you enjoyed, and I’d like to end on a quote which I found completely correct, one by double European Championship and World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas:

“Those people who think we are playing boring, in my opinion they don’t understand the game.”

Follow Callum on twitter: @CJRivett12. You can find more of Callum's work here.

Euro 2012 Review

Team of the competition

Spain – This was an odd competition for Spain. It was the first time they had to continuously defend their playing style. But again their system was beautiful, effective and un-containable. There was no complacency, arrogance or underestimation from Spain during Euro 2012, they played each game with complete focus and a great worth ethic, something their system demands immensely. Although Spain haven’t really changed their playing style, they have improved. In the 2010 World Cup they scored 8 whilst conceding 2. But in the Euros they scored 12 and only conceded once. It’s pretty impressive considering in the World Cup they played a game extra and for most of the games in Euro 2012, they played with no striker.

Overachievers of Euro 2012

Portugal – Now this one is hard to pick. Especially considering there aren’t that many teams in the Euros, and the Euros is only 6 games long. It basically means your often out before you even know it.

But Portugal have impressed me quite a lot. Although they started off with a slow and rather lacklustre performance against Germany, they really grew in strength as the competition progressed. It comes as no surprise, but once Cristiano Ronaldo found his feet, Portugal shifted into another gear. After Portugal’s dismal qualifying campaign for the Euros and their poor World Cup in 2010, most thought they’d go out in the group stages, especially being in the Germany, Holland group. Instead, they marched on all the way to the semi finals and took Spain right to the end.

Underachievers of Euro 2012

Easy. Holland.

They were bad. So bad. They had a campaign what one would easily define as a ‘nightmare campaign.’ It started off badly and finished badly. They didn’t even pick up a single point. You’ve got to remember, this is the same team who made the World Cup final in 2010. Holland had a complete shocker. Holland were like that kid who did really well in their 11 plus but when they did their end of year tests, they failed. Miserably. ( You probably wont get that joke if your over 21, sorry.)

Player of Euro 2012

This is a tough one. But for me it’s Andrea Pirlo. Prior to this tournament only those who follow Serie A would remember and be aware of just how he’s been. But now, the whole of Europe and the world know that he is still classy as ever. He was a catalyst of everything that Italy did. He kept the team ticking over, whilst when he played as a deep lying creator,  he played great intelligent long balls to Balotelli and Cassano. When he played higher up the pitch, Pirlo didn’t look out of his depth at all. He threaded in so many fantastic through balls from the edge of the box and was a constant danger to the opposition. His free kick against Croatia was just glorious, a real demonstration of his technical abilities. While his penalty was unforgettable. He took the tension of the night and cut it with a pin so coolly and composedly. Just genius.

Best Young Player

Mario Balotelli

I often feel Balotelli’s abilities are a bit underrated simply because he is an idiot. But he gave a mature, composed and determined showing over the Euros for Italy. He lead the line brilliantly, he kept the ball well with his strength and created space with his quick feet and trickery. But what impressed me the most about Balotelli during this competition was his intelligent runs, he continuously broke offside traps and used his smart movement to open up goal scoring opportunities for himself. You could tell Spain were wary of this, whenever he got the ball, he was surrounded by three Spanish players, who would restrict his space and movement. At times, I did think Balotelli was a bit wasteful in front of goal. But the reality is, at 21 years of age, leading the line for a nation like Italy is mightily impressive and the fact they got to the final shows just how good he is, when he focuses.

Best Manager

Vicente Del Bosque

This guy has got balls. When you’re Spain and you have three exceptionally talented forwards and you choose to predominantly play with no forwards, you have guts. Del Bosque did a fantastic job in coming up with an offensive plan to bypass the injury to Spain’s record goal scorer David Villa. The World Cup winning manager came up trumps with an extremely creative and gifted central midfield taking dominance. After his and Spain’s latest success, you’ve got start to consider if Vicente Del Bosque is one of the greatest managers ever. I mean he has won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and La Liga. No other manager has ever achieved that. He seems to have the ability to keep the players onside and to not allow the players to become complacent and revel on past glories.

Moment of the tournament

Wayne Rooney’s goal v Ukraine:

It was a glorious moment. The hero returned with a goal. A goal which allowed England to top the group. You couldn’t have scripted it.

I JOKE

My moment of the Euros was Aindry Shevchenko goals v Sweden.

It was like the nation and the player were craving for that moment for a life time. The sheer ecstasy from the player and fans was just unbelievable. For me, the Sheva goals rolled back the years. The 35 year old showed he really was the man who tore up Europe once for Milan. What topped off the moment was Ukraine ended up winning the game. The pride and glory of that moment was unforgettable.

Funny Moment

Keith Andrews being knocked over the ref:

Let the pictures do the talking.

Best Match

Sweden 2 – 3 England

This game was brilliant. It had twists, turns and tantrums. England were in complete control in the first half. They took Sweden by storm. But in the second half, Sweden sharpened up and in a 15 minute spell of dominance they turned the game round into their favour. But for the first time in a long time, England showed resilience, determination and persistence, it probably raised the hopes of some England fans too. This game was fantastic for another reason for England. That reason was, Theo Walcott. Everything he had improved on in the past year was demonstrated in that game. His final ball, finishing (call his goal luck or a fluke, whatever you want) and his defensive work. They all were on show in his cameo performance against Sweden. But the lasting impact of this game was the scorers for England. Andy Carroll, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck. All three were under the age of 24 and you could argue, they will play a key role for England in the future.

Best Group

Group A

This group was a certain surprise. Initially, I thought this group would be boring as listening to Mark Lawrenson co-commentating.  But this group had everything; it had hammerings, twists and utter confusion. It was like one of those parties you go to and before you go to the party your thinking, ‘oh why do I have to go to this? This will be shit. ‘But by the end you want to stay and you don’t want it to end. What makes me laugh about this group was at one stage Russia were certain to top the group. They hammered the Czechs and were rather unlucky to draw against Poland. Greece on the other hand was the complete opposite. They were utterly lacklustre in the opening two games and at one point, it looked like it was only a matter of time till someone put them out of their misery. However, against Russia, Greece took their chances and held on for dear life. It certainly was one of the moments of the tournament when Greece made it through. No one gave them a chance. No one. But somehow they dug deep and found it within themselves to through. What typifies just how crazy this group was, Czech Republic got hammered 4-1 in the opening game, yet they ended up topping the group. Insane.

Euro 2012 XI

 

The Winners and Losers of the January Transfer Window 2012

The dust has settled, and on his debut article for The Football Front, Tom Moseley depicts the January transfer window.

Even after a rather quiet transfer window, with only £58.3M spent compared to last year’s £225m, some teams have still come out better than others. Only one team in the Premier League didn’t sign anyone in this window, that was Stoke.

Winners

QPR

Everyone knew QPR were going to be active in January . QPR started off by looking at players like Alex from Chelsea and I’m sure I also heard rumours (only rumours) about Tevez joining them, especially after playing under Hughes and sharing the same advisor. However, they did eventually target and sign far more ‘modest’ players. They tightened their defence up with the signing of Nedum Onuoha from Manchester City for £2.5m and they also loaned AC Milan left-back Taye Taiwo until the end of the season. These are both good signings as Onuoha is a good versatile defender with a bit of pace. While Taye Taiwo will also add a bit of experience to the back after having 52 European appearances with Marseille and AC Milan. QPR not only improved their defence during this window they also bolstered their front line with the signings of Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cisse and Federico Macheda. Zamora joined for a fee of £4m and he now reunites with Mark Hughes, who arguably got the best out of Zamora in his season at Fulham. However, apart from his Brighton days, he’s never been a prolific striker. This is also Cisses problem, yes he has pace and power, but in the premier league he only has a 3% chance conversion. However maybe together they’ll work well. As Zamora’s strength along with Cisse’s pace could cause a few concerns to opposition defenders. QPR also added to their numbers with the loan signings of Federico Macheda and Samba Diakite. With a new manager and all these new players QPR should really be on the up, but you never know with football.

Everton

Everton have always been known to be ‘tight.’ But this transfer window, they may not have entirely splashed the cash, but they make some effective signings. They signed the talented Landon Donovan (on loan)who will chip in with a few goals and assists. They also signed Darron Gibson from Manchester United for a mere £1m.Now, I’m not Gibson’s biggest fan but for that kind of fee and maybe at a team like Everton, it’s not a bad buy and with more first-team football, he could turn into a good and effective player. Their last signing was Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic for a fee of £5.5m. Indeed, the ex –rangers man had a good goal scoring record for Rangers with 36 goals in 55 games; however (with no disrespect to the SPL) it will be a lot harder for him in the premiership. He said he moved to the premier league as it’s ‘the best league in the world’ – so let’s see how he fares in it. Overall Everton have made solid buys in my opinion, with these new buys Everton could sneak up to the table a bit and secure a finish of 8^th or 9^th.

Biggest Losers

Arsenal

In the summer Arsenal lost three key players and gained around £60m. They arguably panic bought in the last few days of the window bringing in Mikel Arteta, Per Merterstacker and Park Chu-Young. These are good players and Arsenal did need a centre-back, but it did leave about £40m in the bank as well. Indeed, they also signed Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gervinho, but these were before the outgoings of Fabregas and Nasri. I thought because Arsenal were linked with a lot of people, but didn’t sign certain players/positions they wanted, I would see some activity from them this window. However I was wrong. They signed legend Thierry Henry on a 2-month loan from New York and young midfielder Thomas Eisfeld from Dortmund. These aren’t the kind of players they need. They need players with world class ability and potential.

Wigan

Wigan sit at the foot of the table and were linked with quite a few people during the window, however they only bought winger Jean Beausejour from Birmingham for £4m. Don’t get me wrong he’s a decent player, but they don’t really need a winger as they’re a decent side going forward, but they have the worst defensive record in the league, so that’s where they needed improvement. They also kept hold of star-striker Hugo Rodallega, which could end up being a bad thing as his contract is up in the summer, so with that in mind and the fact they’re 5 points adrift, the future doesn’t look bright for Wigan Athletic.

Conclusion

Most teams didn’t have that good of a time in this window. But these Wigan and Arsenal stood out to me in particular as I think they need strengthening more than anybody else.

Without a doubt, it was a disappointing transfer window and we were all hoping for a headline move to make it a bit better, but sadly that never happened.

Oh well, let’s just hope for an exciting end to the season!

This article was written by Tom Moseley, you can find his work on his blog: http://itisonlyagame.blogspot.com/ You can also follow him on Twitter: @ItsOnlyAGame

2011 Premier League Review

It’s has definitely been an eventful year. Manchester United became the most successful domestic team in England. Manchester City won their first trophy for the first time in 35 years. Kenny Dalglish made a dramatic return to his beloved Liverpool. Fernando Torres became the most expensive Premier League player. And Andy Carroll became the most expensive English footballer. While Cesc Fabregas finally left Arsenal!

This article is a small review of the year, while at the end we will have a 2011 Premier League team of the year.

Onto the review!

Club of the year

This is a tough one, many teams have impressed this year. But for me it has to be Manchester City. Firstly, they have finally won a trophy. Secondly, the team broke into the Champions League elite and by the end of the year, the team look like favourites to win the league.

What has also impressed me about Manchester City is the way they pass the ball. Especially in the 2011/12 season, the team’s passing has been sensational. The team can outpass most teams in Europe. Their ball retention is almost Barcelona eqsue. Indeed, they are no where near Barcelona’s level yet. But when this City side pass the ball it’s an absolute joy to watch.

Runner up: Man United, third place: Stoke City.

Manager of the year

I think this is straight forward. It’s Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman has now been in charge of Man United for 25 years, which is nothing short of sensational in the modern game. Furthermore, Fergie has showed this year he still one of the best around. He has made Man United the most successful domestic side in England. Ferguson maybe getting on in terms of age, but he is still a huge threat to his contemporaries. His hunger, desire and determination to win seems to grow with every year.

Runner up: Roberto Mancini (Man City), third place Tony Pulis (Stoke)

Player of the year

For me this is easy. It has got to be Robin Van Persie. The guy has scored 34 goals in the year 2011. This is sensational. His phenomenal form has kept Arsenal competitive. Not only this, he has saved Arsenal so many times in the past year. Without RVP one wonders where Arsenal would actually be. The year 2011 has shown if Van Persie can keep fit, he truly is a World Class striker.

What makes Van Persie a world class striker is the variation in his goals. Some are fantastic free kicks, bullet headers, cracking half volleys and there are some which are lovely placed finishes. Arsenal are very fortunate to have such a wonderful striker at the club.

Runner up: David Silva (Man City) Third place (Luis Suarez)

Result of the year

This again is very easy. It’s Man United’s 6-1 humiliation at home to Man City. For me this result showed not only to Man United, but the world that Man City are no longer the ‘noisy neighbours’ they are a real threat not only to English teams but to major European teams. What made this result more compounding was Man United’s home form prior to this game was exceptional. They had no dropped a single point at home for over a year. Man City had no real right to win there, but to City’s credit, they punished Man United and potentially left a scaring mark on United.

Runner up: Man United 8-2 Arsenal. Third place Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal

Goal of the year

Wayne Rooney v Man City

This goal was magical. No matter what your views on Wayne Rooney are you cant knock this goal. Firstly, his technique was incredible. Rooney had his body in the perfect posture and got perfect contact on the ball too. Secondly, the goal was against Man United’s arch rivals. At the time it was viewed as the goal which put Man City in their place. It was viewed as the goal which was supposed to suggest Man United were far better than Man City technically, individually and collectively. This goal will be remembered for years to come.

Second place: Robin Van Persie v Everton

Surprise player

Mario Balotelli

Super Mario has surprised many. Most have viewed him as a volatile young Italian who has talent but his stupidity hinders him from being truly successful. However, this year there has been a slight change with Balotelli. Yes he is still crazy and idiotic at times. But his form has improved dramatically. In the 2011/12 season he has scored 11 goals already. Balotelli has shown goal scoring consistency this year. He has been going through patches of form where he would score consecutively in various games. Not only this, Balotelli has been scoring in the big and smaller games too.

Super Mario has also found time to also make people laugh too. His goal celebrations, firework antics and apparently going round as santa and giving people money has had people talking about him for a good few months!

But, the young Italian has also found time to also show his volatile, inconsistent side. Against Liverpool in November, he came on a sub and left the field by getting a red card.

Balotelli has made great progress, but there is a lot more work to do before he is seen as World Class.

Worst Transfer of 2011

Fernando Torres wins this easily. The £50million man simply has not found his feet since joining Chelsea. In the past 12 months at Chelsea, Torres has been managed by two world class managers. But both have struggled to find a formula to get the best out of Torres.

The year 2011 has been a really tough year for Fernando Torres. So far in his Chelsea career, the most expensive Premier League player has managed just 6 goals. While Torres’ form has declined to levels which no one would have expected. His miss v Man United is probably the best evidence of this. The Spaniard looks deprived of confidence sharpness and ideas. It’s regrettable, because on his day he is an exceptional player. And can match any striker in the world.

Indeed, there is a long way to get yet in Torres Chelsea career. 2012 maybe the year when Torres finally finds his feet at Chelsea. But so far, Torres doesn’t look like a £50million player at all.

Runner up: Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool £35mill) Third place: Charles N’Zogbia (Wigan to Aston Villa £11mill)

Disappointment of the year

The passing of Gary Speed was the darkest news in the football world in the year 2011 in the Premier League. It left the whole of the footballing world in utter shock. It just didn’t make sense to anyone. Speed was a fine professional, a decent manager who was doing a wonderful job with a young exciting Welsh side. However, it was refreshing that the whole of the Premier League joined united to support his family. The response to his passing was incredible. It really proves the footballing world no matter what club you align yourself towards can come together and unite to help each other.

Team of the year

So here is my team of the year. It may annoy some and it may please others!