Do you think an African country will win the World Cup in the next ten years based on Morocco’s performance in the last tournament? -Chinoso
To be honest, the World Cup is a bit unusual because there has never been a surprising winner, except for West Germany in 1954. However, their later performances have lessened the surprise factor. This could suggest that we are overdue for a surprise, but it seems that the high stakes of the later rounds ultimately favor the top teams.
Western Europe has developed a strong system for nurturing young players, resulting in an industrialization of youth production. These players have received excellent training in academies from a young age and are then propelled into highly competitive environments, leading to rapid development. Even countries like Brazil and Argentina struggle to keep up with this level of competition, as evidenced by 15 members of Morocco’s World Cup squad having come through European academies.
The combination of limited resources, disorganization, and ongoing corruption greatly hinder many African teams. Despite the emergence of talented individuals such as Walid Regragui, Aliou Cissé, and Djamel Belmadi, most African teams still rely on foreign managers and do not prioritize developing their own coaching methods. As a result, it is unlikely that African teams will consistently compete at a high level in the near future.
The feeling of advancement and optimism that existed after Algeria’s victory against West Germany in 1982 and continued through Senegal’s quarter-final appearance in 2002, which also included Cameroon’s quarter-final appearance in 1990 and the triumphs of Nigeria and Cameroon at the Olympics, has come to an end. Ghana’s 2010 World Cup performance, where they were denied a spot in the semi-finals due to Luis Suárez’s handball, always seemed unusual – if Serbia had been given a clear penalty for handball against Australia and scored, it would have been the sixth African team to be eliminated in the group stage of the South Africa World Cup. However, perhaps Morocco’s performance in Qatar can signify the beginning of a new era of progress.
What is the most peculiar regulation in soccer that you still struggle to accept? I am still perplexed as to why the ball must be stationary when taking a free-kick. – Richard
I support the concept of a brief pause to indicate that play has halted and a kick has occurred. This reflects the effectiveness of the original football laws established in 1863 and how infrequently they have needed modification – at least until the implementation of VAR forced us to develop language that encompasses all possible scenarios. However, this has resulted in a handball rule that appears illogical to me; I would greatly relax its restrictions so that a player must intentionally deceive in order to be punished.
I dislike the fact that certain games, such as the 2018 World Cup final, can be influenced by penalties given for events that are essentially based on chance. While the implementation of offside rules has improved, I believe that the definition of interference should be stricter so that a forward who puts a defender in a position to clear the ball is always considered offside. Situations where a player accidentally deflects a header and the ball ends up with another player who would have been offside if the defender had missed the ball completely, seem inherently unjust.
However, these are modifications to regulations that have been revised recently. The most peculiar aspect of football, in my opinion, is the throw-in. I am not proposing that players should be permitted to fling the ball down the field with one hand, as this was the reason for the current rule being implemented in 1883. However, I would support the idea of a player being able to drop the ball to a teammate or even themselves.
Do you support the use of VAR or are you against it? – Chekwube
I support the idea of starting fresh and implementing what the governing bodies of football should have done from the beginning – having a comprehensive consultation involving players, coaches, referees, journalists, and fans.
Experiment with various options in lower-level leagues to determine what is effective and what is not, and how it can be enhanced. Develop a proposal, share it, solicit feedback, test the updated version, and finally implement it in the wider game. However, seeking input and advice appears to be unpopular in current times, not just in soccer but in general. In Gianni Infantino’s Fifa, everything is presented as a done deal.
Which team vying for a championship is most in need of acquiring an enhancement during the January transfer window? Drew
Arsenal are very obviously in need of a goal-scoring centre-forward, who could not merely change games but also allow Gabriel Jesus to occasionally play wide and relieve some of the pressure on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, both of whom look exhausted. Liverpool, because of the injuries to Andy Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas, could probably do with a left-back at least in the short term, and perhaps also a central defender. Manchester City don’t have such an obvious gap, but Ilkay Gündogan has been missed this season.
On this day
Kevin Keegan’s influence as a manager on Newcastle was remarkable. After retiring as a player in 1984, he left the St James’ pitch in a helicopter, having inspired the team. When he returned to manage the team in 1992 during a time of crisis, it felt like a legendary moment. Despite facing relegation to the third division, Newcastle survived and were promoted the following season. In their first season in the Premiership, they finished third, playing an exciting and attacking style of football. Although they slipped to sixth place the next season, in 1995-96, they held a 12-point lead at the top of the table.
Gradually, their shape started to weaken as Manchester United launched an unrelenting chase. A remarkable 4-3 victory over Liverpool in early April seemed to be the tipping point and Manchester United secured the championship on the last day.
During the summer, Keegan had reportedly offered his resignation. However, Newcastle went on to break the world transfer record by signing Alan Shearer for £15m. In October, they achieved a major victory against Manchester United with a score of 5-0. Despite this success, they struggled with only one win in nine league games. After losing to Blackburn on Boxing Day, Keegan once again allegedly offered to step down. But soon after, the team bounced back with a 7-1 win over Tottenham and a 3-0 win over Leeds.
On January 8, 1997, Keegan resigned to the shock of many, stating that he had reached his limit with the club.
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Do you have a question for Jonathan? Contact him at [email protected].
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This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email [email protected], and he’ll answer the best in a future edition
Source: theguardian.com
