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27 Articles

Straight from the stands

Football fans are fickle. Four years ago, Ange Postecoglou was a breath of fresh air after the stale stagnation of Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck. Gone were the pragmatic defensive set-ups that relied on opportunistic goals and old hands who were getting much, much older without a new guard being brought through. Instead we got ambitious, flowing football from a next gen of stars who had been kept in the shadow of the Golden Generation for too long. Granted, the results didn’t follow immediately – but when we got to Brazil, we shone with our own brand of attacking football. Even still, despite the euphoria over our performances against Holland and Chile, the fact remained: we lost every game and we shipped three goals in each match. When the Asian Cup rolled…

Straight from the stands

ONE-ON-ONE BIXENTE LIZARAZU

“I TOOK PART IN THREE JIU-JITSU TOURNAMENTS. BEFORE ONE OF THEM, A GUY CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, ‘WE WILL KILL YOU’, BUT I STILL WON – IT WAS A CRAZY EXPERIENCE“ CLUBS 1988-96 Bordeaux 1996-97 Athletic Bilbao 1997-2004 Bayern Munich 2004 Marseille 2005-06 Bayern Munich COUNTRY 1992-2004 France Bixente Lizarazu has just only arrived at FourFourTwo HQ, but already he is causing mayhem. First, he frantically rips up some magazines, then puts us in a disconcertingly-sturdy headlock. Normally, this would be a sign that the interview’s gone badly wrong, but with Lizarazu it’s different. “I’m not a psychopath!” chuckles the World Cup winner, who’s in London as part of his new role as an ambassador with Bayern Munich. To be fair, we did ask the jiu-jitsu black belt to tear up an old issue or…

ONE-ON-ONE BIXENTE LIZARAZU

AROUND THE WORLD IN 12 STORIES

1 “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘YOUR REAL NAME’S BARRY ALLEN?’” USA Los Angeles What does Neymar get up to during his summer holidays? He dashes down to the nearest building site and poses for pics with a superhero, that’s what. OK, it wasn’t the nearest building site – the pictures with comic book star The Flash (alter ego, Barry Allen) were taken in a rather unglamorous area of the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. Neymar was in the US after opting to miss Brazil’s friendly against Argentina, where Gabriel Jesus was busy getting his face smashed by Man City colleague Nicolas Otamendi. A wise choice, then. 2 POSING LIKE A BOSS England London Antonio Conte’s greatest tactical plans were all probably devised while tuning in to Wiley, Skepta and DJ Slimzee, but it was still a…

AROUND THE WORLD IN 12 STORIES

MY GREATEST GOAL

THE LEAD UP We were stuck in the relegation battle. Leading up to that match there was a lot at stake and there was a lot of pressure. There’s always pressure in football but I do remember feeling that pressure then. There was a lot riding on it and it was against a team who were also stuck in the relegation battle. There was a lot of tension. I knew I was playing quite early on. I was one of the older players at that stage so I had to take on a bit of responsibility. THE MATCH We opened up the account after 10 minutes, which is always good. Sometimes you just feel it on the day and you feel that it’s clicking. Everyone was on their game and on the same…

MY GREATEST GOAL

“ You’re proud to play for the Roos but you only realise what you’ve achieved later...”

I knew I’d made it as a player when I first played first grade NSL. You start to think ‘I’ve got a contract, I’ve played a couple of games.’ I was happiest always. I was always happy. I just loved playing. I’ve never disliked it, even in the bad times. If I had to pick a happiest, it was from 25 onwards when you’re a good player, start to mature, you’re happy with yourself and you’re physically at a place where you’re at your peak. My hero growing up was any Liverpool player. I’m a Liverpool fan so back in the Ian Rush era with Kenny Dalglish and Craig Johnston. I actually captained Ian Rush when he came for two games to Sydney Olympic so that was something that was quite cool.…

“ You’re proud to play for the Roos but you only realise what you’ve achieved later...”

AND YOU THOUGHT HE’D BE

Antoine Griezmann shifts in his seat, smiles and flutters his eyelids. “Excellent question!” the Atletico Madrid forward responds to an enquiry on French early-evening chat show Quotidien into where he’ll play in 2017-18. “It’ll be decided within the next two weeks.” Host Yann Barthes takes a coquettish sip from his drink. “OK,” says the presenter, who resembles a cartoon Gary Lineker. “If I say Manchester United to you, what is your answer?” “Possible,” comes Griezmann’s reply, followed by a Gallic shrug. “On a scale of one to 10? With 10 being a done deal?” “OK… six.” “Do you realise what you’ve just said.” “Yes, I do.” The next day, the rumour mill having already gone into overdrive regarding Griezmann’s seemingly impending transfer to Old Trafford, he makes his position even clearer. “I’m ready to go,” explains the 26-year-old.…

AND YOU THOUGHT HE’D BE

THE BEST WE’VE EVER SEEN!

The A-League is now a dozen years old, stars have come and gone, careers have been played out, so FourFourTwo figured it was time to reflect and weigh up the Top 100 A-League Players of All-Time. Of course, this is a hugely subjective exercise, so before we even sat down as a group to launch into the nitty gritty of ranking players, we first needed to put together some ground rules (take note Football Federation Australia with your expansion plans!). Agreement was reached that the key criteria was the ability and quality a player showed during their time in the A-League and the impact they had whilst here – not before or after elsewhere. Longevity would be looked upon kindly, rather than flash-in-the-pan one-season wonders. But we’re looking at each player’s entire…

THE BEST WE’VE EVER SEEN!

TOP A-LEAGUE COACHES

ANGE POSTECOGLOU With his Roarcelona style of possession and pace, the future Socceroos boss turned the A-League on its head with a host of precociously talented youngsters to achieve a Premiership, back-to-back Championships and an Australian record 36-game unbeaten run. Postecoglou: “I’m constantly seeking some sort of credibility and leaving my mark.” GRAHAM ARNOLD The adaptable tactician carved out success with shoestring battlers Central Coast Mariners and cashed-up Sydney FC. Along the way he amassed two Premiership and two Championship titles, and set a new benchmark with the Sky Blues record-smashing 2016/17 campaign. Phil Moss: “He has a Plan A, B and C for every situation.” ERNIE MERRICK The poker-faced mastermind behind the original A-League entertainers, Merrick parlayed Melbourne Victory’s fearsome attacking style into Championship-Premiership glory in 2007 and 2009 but has yet to kiss silverware in…

TOP 5 VISA FLOPS

MARIO JARDEL The former Brazil hero scored truckloads with FC Porto but arrived unfit and unable to deliver as a marquee for Newcastle Jets with no goals in 11 games. Coach Gary van Egmond was reluctant to play him and he eventually left mid-season. Matt Thompson: “The research on him and his current form wasn’t done properly. He wasn’t up to it, he was 25kg overweight and couldn’t move.” MICHAEL MIFSUD The little Maltese skipper scored just once in 14 games for Melbourne Heart and just had just six shots on target of 21 before exiting at the end of the 2013/14 season. Mate Dugandzic: “He missed chances at the start and his confidence got shot and wasn’t able to find the back of the net.” RICARDINHO Melbourne Victory’s 2010/11 Brazilian marquee scored twice in 19 games.…

TOP 5 A-LEAGUE NOMAD STARS

LIAM REDDY The veteran keeper has enjoyed a colourful career at a record seven different A-League clubs. Fourth most clean sheets in league history but he was infamously sacked by Sydney after a drunken flight. Kenny Lowe: “He’s an absolute top guy. He’s got a winner’s mentality and he brings that with him.” ISAKA CERNAK The Brisbane-born attacking midfielder spent time at Brisbane Roar and North Queensland Fury before spells at Melbourne Victory, Wellington Phoenix, Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners but has since played in South Africa and Thailand. Phil Moss: “His talent is undeniable.” GLEN MOSS The 34-year-old New Zealand shot-stopper has long been an A-League number one at five clubs, including two stints at Phoenix, and sits seventh on the all-time clean sheets list. Ernie Merrick: “I have coached Glen at two clubs and have…

NINE PLAYERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE IT IF ONLY THEY’D PLAYED MORE

TIM CAHILL The Socceroos superstar’s switch to the A-League grabbed headlines. Unfortunately, apart from his Melbourne derby stunner from 35 metres and his FFA Cup Final winner, his impact was limited. SHENGQING QU The ex-China international dazzled in Season 1.0, with his seven goals helping Adelaide United to the Premiership. Homesick, he returned to China, only for the Reds to later lure him back for a less successful seven-game stint. BENITO CARBONE Sydney signed the ex-Inter striker on a guest deal after Dwight Yorke’s exit. He debuted with two goals and an assist. Sadly two games later he tore his hamstring badly and never returned. CORONA Brisbane Roar only got a sip of Corona. The Real Madrid junior lasted one season but left his teammates in awe, with even Thomas Broich arguing the Spaniard was better than…

4 SHANE SMELTZ SUPER HERO…..

in 2009, Smeltz quits Wellington for NEW Clive Palmer-run club Gold Coast United on a bumper three-year deal. The All Whites striker nets United’s first-ever goal in their glamour A-League debut derby against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium. After three years in England’s lower leagues, Smeltz joins newly-formed Wellington Phoenix in 2007. After scoring on debut, The German-born striker scores eight more that season and finishes as 2007/08 Golden Boot runner-up to Joel Griffiths. Here we go again! Smeltz wins the 2009/10 Golden Boot with a record 19 goals. At one point he has eight goals in five games, more than any other club’s overall tally at that point. Smeltz needs 50 stitches after smashing into Brisbane Roar’s Matt Smith in the 2012 Grand Final, He breaks his nose, leaving…

4 SHANE SMELTZ SUPER HERO…..

3 ARCHIE THOMPSON THE ORIGINAL A-LEAGUE LEGEND

Archie Thompson proudly embraces the idea that “when you think Melbourne Victory, you think of me”. In the A-League, the club legend played 224 games and scored 90 goals and his happy-go-lucky attitude won the hearts of many fans in Melbourne and beyond. When it was confirmed his time at Victory was up in 2016, he wept and didn’t care who knew or saw. Archie lived and breathed the Big V. The former Socceroo felt at home with Victory and resisted any temptations to move on after a brief return to Europe with Dutch Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven in 2006 and interest from former mentor Ernie Merrick at Wellington Phoenix at the backend of his career. “For me I felt like there was never a need to leave when my career came…

3 ARCHIE THOMPSON THE ORIGINAL A-LEAGUE LEGEND

2 BESART BERISHA GOOD, BETTER, BES…

Success follows Besart Berisha around. The Kosovan has claimed three Championships, two Premierships and two Golden Boot awards at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory – and now earned a place in history. Last season, he became the first (and only) player in the A-League to score 100 goals, cementing his legacy as one of the shrewdest foreign recruits. But Berisha wasn’t a typical glamour import when he first arrived in 2011. Since then he has grown to become a player opposition fans love to hate, famous almost as much for his attitude as his century of goals. But what’s it actually like to be on the other end of a Berisha attack? Keepers past and present told us… Mat Ryan The Socceroos goalkeeper was just 19 when he won best goalkeeper for Central Coast Mariners…

2 BESART BERISHA GOOD, BETTER, BES…

1 THOMAS BROICH THE OLD MASTER

Thomas Broich came to Australia in the summer of 2010 after falling out of love with football in Germany. On the verge of giving up the game in tormented frustration, he decided to try his luck on the other side of the world. Within a season he had won a Championship with an entire national hailing his prowess – and the A-League’s Mozart never looked back. In a remarkable A-League career, Broich played 181 games for Brisbane Roar and scored 21 goals in a seven year spell. The German won two A-League Premierships and three Championships, two Johnny Warren Medals and a Joe Marston Medal in the 2014 Grand Final (he was infamously named the winner in error for another, but had to return it to the rightful winner Perth Glory’s Jacob…

1 THOMAS BROICH THE OLD MASTER

RED SQUARE BLUES FOR THE SOCCEROOS

WHILE SOME FANS WERE BAYING FOR ANGE’S HEAD BEFORE KICK OFF, IT ONLY TOOK MINUTES FOR HIS TEAM CHOICE TO PROVE INSPIRED... Fresh from an unflattering friendly defeat against Brazil the day before, Australia’s 2017 Confederations Cup began with an ambitious target set by coach Ange Postecoglou: “We want to win it, mate.” The action followed – an exasperating 2-3 loss to Germany and an exciting 1-1 stalemate with Cameroon. The pressure mounted on Postecoglou, and relations with the travelling Australian press continued to deteriorate. When the Australian manager named six changes for the must-win final group stage clash with Chile, the national team’s time in Russia looked set to end in tragedy. Fans feared a calamitous defeat. And then, the surprise denouement. Despite two star players on the bench, the Socceroos played their…

RED SQUARE BLUES FOR THE SOCCEROOS

GERSBACH TO WHERE HE NOw BELONGS...

Among an often mixed bag of individual performances, there was one of a few standouts: Alex Gersbach’s showing against Cameroon. Just 20, and the youngest in the Australian squad, Norway-based Gersbach looked assured in an outstanding shift as wingback against the African champions. The Sydney FC youth product was a late addition to the Socceroos, after Brad Smith withdrew from the team through injury with the tournament just weeks away. Gersbach was relaxing on a Greek island during a mid-season break when he received an unexpected phone call. “That was a great way to finish my holiday,” he joked. Gersbach moved to Norwegian giants Rosenborg in January 2016, making 19 appearances in his first Tippeligaen campaign. While he has mainly warmed the bench this season, Gersbach had nothing but positives to say…

GERSBACH TO WHERE HE NOw BELONGS...

THE WENGER WONDER RIDE

SEPTEMBER 1996: WENGER UNVEILED The former Nagoya Grampus Eight manager was finally unveiled as the new Arsenal boss. At first, the appointment didn’t go down well and one newspaper article asks “Arsene who?”. At his first press conference Wenger says: “The main reason for coming is that I love English football, the roots of the game are here. I like the spirit round the game and at Arsenal I like the spirit of the club and its potential.” NOVEMBER 1996: GOSSIP HITS HARD Wenger is forced to publicly confront rumours concerning his private life and that he is about to leave the club. He tells the media: “Nobody who knows me will tell you anything bad about me. I believe you have to respect people in their private life and I have one…

THE WENGER WONDER RIDE

FIVE BEST SIGNINGS

1 THIERRY HENRY Lured away from Juventus for $15 million, Henry went on to become an Arsenal legend. The two Frenchman shared a special bond that went back to their Monaco days together and the striker thrived in a move from the left wing to a more central role. Henry bagged an amazing 174 goals in 254 appearances for the North London club and a swag of trophies. He became a more than effective replacement for compatriot Nicholas Anelka. 2 ALEXIS SANCHEZ The dynamic Chilean forward is the most important player in Arsenal’s current set-up. Wenger landed him from Barcelona for $50 million in 2014 in a reversal of the usual trend. In three seasons Sanchez’s influence has been swift – racking up 53 goals in 108 matches. Now if Sanchez doesn’t play…

FIVE BEST SIGNINGS

FIVE BEST HOME-GROWN GUNNERS

1 ASHLEY COLE These days he is more reviled than revered at the Emirates, but Cole was once the darling of the Gunners faithful. The fullback came through the academy system after joining in 1997 and held up the left side of defence in the all-conquering Invincibles side. Sadly, Cole’s stint at Arsenal turned sour and he left for Chelsea in a bitter departure back in 2006. The leftback would never be forgiven by Arsenal fans and remains a figure of hate for all but the most forgiving Gooners. 2 JACK WILKSHERE A much hyped youngster, Wilshere made his first-team debut at the tender age of 16. After joining Arsenal when he was just nine, the midfielder has been at the club for 16 years. In that time the England international has only…

FIVE BEST HOME-GROWN GUNNERS

S I G N H I M U P ! SIGN HIM UP! SIGN HIM UP!

KYLIAN MBAPPE MONACO ‘The new Henry’ seems a particularly lazy title, but Mbappe did at least break Thierry’s record as Les Monegasques’ youngest player back in December 2015, two-and-a-half weeks before his 17th birthday. He also just happens to be a phenomenon in front of goal. There can be absolutely no doubt the rapid French forward was the breakthrough player of 2016-17. His six strikes in the Champions League saw off Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund and helped the Ligue 1 champions reach the semi-finals, while his devastating domestic form was crucial to the principality club’s first title in 17 years. He’s also bagged a place in France’s squad, no mean feet given the options at Didier Deschamps’ disposal. All that has naturally caught the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool,…

S I G N H I M U P ! SIGN HIM UP! SIGN HIM UP!

“For me, passing is as good as scoring a goal – it was never my job to put the ball in the back of the net” Which of the game’s great passers did you like to watch as a youngster? I think that Pep Guardiola and Lothar Matthaus [below right] were two of the great passers of their generation and I watched them a lot. Paul Scholes was also a wonderful player and someone I really respected, and in the modern game Toni Kroos is now one of the world’s best passers. When did you realise that passing had become your area of expertise? As soon as I started playing football, passing was something that just came very naturally to me. My game wasn’t about dribbling or getting the ball and scoring many goals;…

Childhood heroes Zinedine Zidane [top], Ronald Koeman and Fernando Redondo. Proudest day My first game for Real Sociedad. I’d worked so hard to achieve it. Happiest moment Lifting the World Cup with Spain in 2010. Biggest regrets Just missing out on league titles with Real Sociedad and Liverpool, and the Champions League with Bayern Munich. Worst night Champions League defeat against Real Madrid last season – my final chance to lift that cup again. Prized possession My Predator Mania Champagne boots. Alternative career Economist, as that’s what I first studied. What football means It’s my life. I’ve lived the game so intensely and I’ll love it forever.…

1 John Terry @jamie_velocity “Mirroring’s a great warm-up routine,” says Watts. “Reacting to your training partner’s movements will improve your agility and replicate a match situation.” 2 Gareth Bale @garethbale11 “It’s become fashionable for athletes to wear elevation training masks to help them imitate the effects of altitude, but there’s limited science to back it up.” 3 Kyle Walker @kylewalker2 “Try skipping as part of the warm-up to sharpen your footwork and raise your heart rate before training sessions.” 4 Zlatan @iamzlatanibrahimovic “Walking in water will build up your range of motion following a period of immobility due to a bad knee injury.” 5 Jordan Henderson @jhenderson “In football, you’ll often find yourself in situations where you are knocked off balance. Performing this core exercise will boost your ability to hold off tackles.” 6 Yannick Bolasie @rayan_b2a “Mountain climbers will develop…

AND OUR WINNER IS... KETTLEBELLS

MEDICINE BALLS The use of medicine balls dates back 3,000 years when wrestlers in Persia would train with sand-filled bladders. Thankfully, modern versions are not quite so primitive and can be used to build strength, improve jump height and burn calories when used as part of a full-body workout. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning investigated what effects a 12-week schedule had on the core strength of 49 baseball players. The results found the programme improved abdominal power by more than 18 per cent. Add it to your training regime and you’ll be able to twist and turn past defenders and show off a killer six-pack to boot. Sounds like a summer well spent to us. 1 “Medicine balls are great for using with a team-mate in partner throws, plus…

AND OUR WINNER IS... KETTLEBELLS

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO ONE THING…

Sip on salt If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night, wailing in agony with cramp holding onto you in a vice-like grip, a lack of general fitness may not be the reason for your woes. A study by Sports Health found that dehydration and loss of salt during exercise was a main cause of muscle cramping, after a review of research on the topic spanning at least half a century. Indeed, the Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana used to suffer from this very problem while he was at Southampton until the south-coast side finally got to the bottom of it. “We would measure his salt loss during matches and found he was a salty sweater,” says their director of sports medicine and science, Mo Gimpel. “Adam was losing a lot of…

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO ONE THING…

RIO FERDINAND / NEMANJA VIDIC ‘I had to put them both because they were a fantastic partnership. They were very hard to play against - they had power, pace, were good on the ball and loved to defend. Great players in their own right but as a pairing they were sensational.’ MESUT OZIL ‘I could have spoken about everybody in their midfield, but Ozil was fantastic in South Africa in the 2010 World Cup. For me, he was one of the standouts in a team that scored four past England, Argentina and us, and that were eventually knocked out by the winners Spain. He was so clever and very hard to get near, got in great areas to receive the ball and created so much for Germany.’ ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO ‘What can I really say…

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