Mourinho

I was just about to start listening to yesterday's podcast of the World Soccer Daily show when I paused. The episode, three hours in length, is going to be all about The Special One -- how can I listen to this without putting my thoughts out for all to hear before taking in all that Steven and Howard have to say?

I love listening to this show and hearing these guys rant. It's refreshing, so unlike the staid commentary on podcasts such as Guardian Unlimited's Football Weekly or ESPN Soccernet Extra. Those are both great pods, but lack the personality of WSD. I highly recommend it; there's a link on this site; check it out.

Well, here goes...

On Thursday morning at 1:00 a.m. or so GMT, Chelsea made the decision to part ways with Jose Mourinho. For better or worse, this alters the course of a footballing juggernaut.

Chelsea are laden with talent and their owners pockets are so deep the only issue for acquiring new talent appears to be the technicality of a transfer window and the whim of Mr. Abramovich.

Somehow, Mourinho kept egos and icons on the same page. They've won two Premier League championships, an FA Cup and League Cup during his reign. Without his personality vacuum in the dressing room, where do Chelsea turn for guidance?

The answer is unclear. Avram Grant, Mourinho's replacement, is sure to keep the boat on course, but I'm concerned with his ability to react to the unexpected. Just over 24,000 fans turned up at Stamford Bridge to see Chelsea draw Rosenborg 1-1 on Tuesday. What happens if the next result isn't a victory? How will Grant fill the void and keep Chelsea on track?

Chelsea's season may be scuppered. There was always going to be a daunting task come January to deal with the African Nations' Cup (Essien, Drogba, Kalou et al all gone for a month or so). Injury has already been a problem. Where will Chelsea turn if things go sour?

Don't get me wrong. Chelsea are too good to fall too far, but Champions League qualification is now the big task. Arsenal have proven so far they could absorb the loss of another talisman and Liverpool and Manchester have started well. It won't take much for a Man City, Everton or Blackburn to pop into the fourth spot.

Mourinho was the glue that held Chelsea together. He was eccentric to be sure, but his quality was evident. Chelsea's trophy cabinet speaks for itself.

Perhaps his only flaw was to have an ego larger than that of his boss, Mr. Abramovich.

Alarm Bells Go Off In Toronto

Alarm bells rang in the heads of Ontario football fans yesterday after reading that the Toronto Argos of the Canadian Football League were in talks with the City of Toronto about possibly moving into BMO Field as soon as 2009.

The disturbing part of this development is moving the Argos into what is also the National Soccer Stadium would require renovations to the stands to squeeze a CFL-sized field into a soccer specific stadium.

The owner of the stadium is the City of Toronto. I would expect the Argos would be on the hook for the estimated $10-20-million for the renovations but what is more important is what this will do to the atmosphere at BMO.

The center line would remain the same, according to an article in the Globe and Mail, requiring the end stands to be moved or removed. These areas contain the seats of the Red Patch Boys and U-Sector (among others) supporters groups.

As it is clear to anyone who follows football, by moving the seating further away from the action, this diminishes the atmosphere. Anyone who cares about Toronto FC or the Canadian national side in Ontario should keep on top of this story and let the city of Toronto know the Argos should find and pay for their own home.

The MLS wants football-specific stadiums. I'm sure I speak for the core of TFC's fan base when I say that they want a football specific stadium. Let's ensure we keep it a football specific stadium.

Canadian Football Fans To Protest

Tonight's match between Canada and Costa Rica at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto will feature fans protesting the leadership of the Canadian Soccer Association.

Fans, led by various Toronto FC supporters groups, are encouraged to wear black to protest the what they believe is poor handling of the elite football programs in the country.

Some of the protest details and motives behind it are outlined on the U-Sector forums. Stephen Brunt of the Globe And Mail also wrote a column about the protest and the issues involving the CSA in today's edition.

In my opinion, the criticism of the CSA is fully deserved. I hope the fans at the game follow through with their comittment to cheer the team but make others aware of the poor state of the game in this country.

Canadian football deserves more

When Football Takes A Back Seat

Over the past few weeks, there has been a spate of incidences that have caused fans of the game to reflect on life outside of football. From the tragic death of Sevilla's Antonio Puerta to the heart attack suffered by Sunderland's Clive Clarke, the trials of life have been transcending the drama on the pitch.

This unfortunate trend continued today with the death of Ian Porterfield, former Sunderland footballing legend and the manager of the Armenian national team. Porterfield is best know as the player who fired home the winning goal to lift Sunderland to victory over heavily favored Leeds United in 1973.

What makes this event even more difficult for Armenian fans is it comes amid a pair of cancelled games with neighbouring Azerbiajan that were to be played September 8 and 12. The two countries share a border, but political differences made arranging the matches impossible. No points will be awarded to either team for the cancelled matches.

The most disappointing thing about the timing of the cancelled match tomorrow, to be played in Armenia, is that the Armenia FA and fans will have to wait to pay tribute to their manager. Hopefully UEFA will ask other associations to mark the passing and will support any tribute Armenia might plan for Porterfield in the future. Their next home fixture is October 13 versus Serbia in Yerevan.

Hiatus Over

I tied the knot on August 25, my excuse for not posting in a few weeks. Sorry, the honeymoon didn't involve much online time.

I'm going to take a bit of time to consider the England situation, since it is the international break and not much else is going on (except for Toronto FC extending their MLS record goalless streak, but I'm choosing not to comment).

England impressively defeated Israel 3-0 at Wembley on Saturday. What makes this an intriguing result is the number of regulars that were absent and the fine play of those coming into the squad. Emile Heskey, Gareth Barry, Micah Richards and an uninjured Michael Owen were the men doing the job in place of John Terry, Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard (whose current Chelsea form makes him missed) and Wayne Rooney.

Listening to podcasts and reading articles in the run up to this game, I was given the impression that England might be lucky to draw with Israel, who were undefeated in a streak of over a dozen games. However, I think the depleted squad was a good thing for England, especially at this point in their campaign.

England, currently fourth in their pool, need to play with urgency. Players of top calibre, not on top calibre teams are not used to playing with the same desperation of those teams who struggle for survival. I'm not suggesting that the Heskeys and Barrys are the type of players to necessarily be the key to the cup, but they are the type to get you in the door.

John Terry and Frank Lampard are champions. The silverware they have accumulated during the past three seasons speaks volumes about their character. But I'm not sure that players from the top Premier League teams are the right ones to pull England out of its hole. Players who are used to formidable opposition, used to playing against the odds are the ones whom England needs now.

This doesn't mean that Derby County's starting eleven should be drafted into the England squad. On form players, like Barry and like Heskey are the men for the job. They have both shown up early on in the season and McClaren has rewarded them for their efforts. But the League Championship, workhorse mentality that players from bottom-feeding teams bring with them is a breath of fresh air to an England team adrift in the qualification sea.

I think particularly at home on Wednesday, the England manager would be well served to keep his squad intact from the weekend. Russia will be a bigger test, but one that this squad should be able to handle at home. If he moves healthy players like Crouch (back from suspension) and Lampard (if he's fit) to the bench and uses them wisely as the situation calls for, England should see all six points from the current slate of matches.