The Drug Debate

There’s never a good time for a footballer to be found guilty of taking drugs, but the latest controversy surrounding ex-Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has come at a rather interesting time for me. Whilst studying A-level Physical Education, one of the things that I have been required to do is debate about the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), and whether or not they should be legalised or indeed remain completely unacceptable.

Despite the fact that Sibutramine (the drug Mutu has been found guilty of taking) isn’t an obvious choice for a professional athlete to use, it is still against the law. In 2004, Mutu was found guilty of taking a much more recognised drug, cocaine, and was slapped with a 7 month ban. On that occasion, his current employers Chelsea sacked him with immediate effect, but the story is a little different this time. Italian giants Fiorentina have vowed to stand by the Romanian International and he will not have his contract terminated. Mutu is due to return in October, having already served 2 months of the ban.

So, should PEDs be legalised?

The argument for the use of illegal substances is fairly straight forward and understandable. One may say that the use of drugs increases the entertainment factor of sport, as athletes are able to perform well above their ability; Breaking world records, running quicker times, playing better football, and making bigger tackles are all things that truthfully we would all love to see. PEDs enable these goals to be achieved, and make sport a much more exciting prospect. That is, if everybody used them.

In the case of Usain Bolt, he’s a unique sprinter. There has never been anyone as quick as him, and possibly never will be. When Bolt lines up for a 100m race, you don’t give any of the other athletes a hope in hell. The use of PEDs would level out the playing field and bring competition much closer together. Bolt wouldn’t be a consistent, predictable winner, and there’s the potential for much closer, more watchable races.

Whilst a lot of athletes who take PEDs are caught, there a lot of others who get away with it. Random drugs testing makes it very hard for athletes to escape punishment, but for the number that do, they can enjoy a career full of success and personal achievement. Those arguing for the use of PEDs may say that due to this fact, every athlete should have a right to use any drug they want to enhance their performance, instead of wasting time training for major events, only to be beaten to the post by someone who may be on drugs. The introduction of drugs would stop this happening, and again, would level out the playing field entirely.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a drug which increases the number of red blood cells in your body, and therefore helps the flow of blood around the body and increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. This, of course, aids performance. EPO is a banned substance. Altitude training is a method used by a lot of athletes, particularly long-distance runners, before major events, and this too increases the number of red blood cells in your body. Altitude training is legal.

So, what’s the difference? They both increase one’s number of red blood cells, and they both carry the same health risks; nausea, increased heart rate/blood pressure. Yet one is illegal and one is legal. Does that make sense?

Whilst the arguments for the use of PEDs is extremely valid, there are of course counter-arguments that so far have stood firmer in society and sport.

Any form of drug taking is seen as cheating. It’s illegal in society, and illegal in sport and any one who is caught taking drugs receives a vast amount of negative press. What people may not understand is the pressures and expectation that sport brings with it today, from the media, supporters, and significant others. It’s enormous, and some athletes are unable to deal with that pressure without breaking the rules. However, that is no excuse.

Drug taking is against the original Olympic Ideal; to play fairly, to the best of one’s ability, with the value of taking part being regarded as more important than winning. That Olympic Ideal still stands today of course, yet is constantly broken by drug-taking athletes.

One may argue that drug taking completely defeats the object of being a professional sportsperson. The idea of working towards a goal goes completely out of the window, and there must be very little satisfaction in gaining success with the knowledge that you worked very little to get there. Perhaps athletes don’t care about those values, and just want to win at whatever cost. The Lombardian ethic has perhaps influenced a lot of drug taking in recent times.

Finally, drugs bring with them extreme health risks, including a dangerous rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and somatic anxiety as well as physical risks and even death in some cases. Surely for the benefit of sport and for youngsters growing up with aspirations to become professional athletes, it is the responsibility of athletes to resist the temptation to take PEDs and uphold the values of sport and the Olympics.

It’s a tricky topic to comprehend, and one that will go on forever. People will always take drugs no matter what, and perhaps it is inevitable that one day, PEDs will become legalised and sport will become no more than a selection of the world’s most dedicated drug users coming together to run, jump, and compete against each other.

Terry sees red as Chelsea show signs of cracking

You wouldn’t have said this 3 days ago, but the aesthetically calm and professional Chelsea seem to be displaying significant signs of wilting under the pressure of another title race, which looks like it will go right down to the last sinew of the season.

John Terry’s red card against London rivals Tottenham at the weekend is not only representative of a man who has completely lost the plot since allegations over his private life surfaced, but may also be a warning of things to come for the Blues. An atypically off the boil performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men, together with a vital late Paul Scholes header at the City of Manchester Stadium, has meant the title race is firmly back to a 2-horse battle, with United now the ones neighing strongest, and boy can Chelsea hear it.

With United now only a point adrift in second place, results against Stoke (H), Liverpool (A) and Wigan (H) now look imperative for Chelsea. Fergie’s Devils have the task of overcoming Spurs at Old Trafford, Sunderland (A), before ending the season with what could be the deciding fixture against Stoke at the Theatre of Dreams. If I was to choose, I’d favour towards Chelsea’s run in, but if the inconsistent Liverpool can take 2 or even 3 points off a side they’ve struggled to dispatch in recent times, United will feel it’s their’s to lose.

Terry’s drop in form hasn’t cost his side too much in the scheme of things, but they say one moment can turn a season, and who’d bet against it being ‘that’ match? England fans should be worried with the World Cup less than 50 days away. The man, who 6 months ago was playing reasonably well, with no real alarms, and captaining Fabio Capello’s England to WC qualification, has suddenly thrust himself into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, and at completely the wrong time. Doubts over Rio Ferdinand’s fitness add a touch more anxiety to the mixture and Terry now has a job on his hands to prove his worth to the National side.

Michael Dawson has had an outstanding season for Champions League-chasing Tottenham and unluckily for Terry, it’s been timed to perfection – reminiscent of his brave defending at WHL. A World Cup year is a nervous year for everyone involved in and around the National setup, and Terry will know that his place is far from certain. Clearly, he’ll be on the plane to South Africa and there’s no doubting that’s the correct decision. However, starting XI come June 12 in Rustenberg? Debatable. It could all depend on the final few games of the season, one of which Terry will miss.

Could Capello be so ruthless and brave to leave him out of his first team? Can he possibly base his decision on Chelsea’s end of season success? You’d say no, but the Italian has shown in the past he’s not afraid to make a brave decision or two, particularly against Terry. Nervous times ahead for Mr. Controversial.

Caption Game

A pretty simple one here. Gary Neville and Paul Scholes kissing after the Manc derby. Who's got the best entry?

Adebayor turns back on National team

Emmanuel Adebayor, the Manchester City forward, has made the courageous decision to hang up his International boots after failing to get over the traumatic events that rocked the Togo National team back in January.

Whilst Adebayor and his teammates were travelling to the African Nations Cup in Angola earlier this year, their team bus was attacked by a group of armed men who injured numerous players and officials and took the lives of 3 of the passengers, including the driver of the bus.

In a statement on the Manchester City website, Adebayor said:

 “Following the tragic events during January’s African Cup of Nations, in which two of my fellow countrymen were killed by terrorists in Angola, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from international football. I have weighed up my feelings in the weeks and months since the attack, and I am still haunted by the events which I witnessed on that horrible afternoon on the Togo team bus. We were just footballers going to play a football match and represent our country, yet we were attacked by people who wanted to kill us all. It is a moment I will never forget and one I never want to experience again.”

One has to respect Adebayor’s decision, which is clearly a direct result of the attack. For a world class talent like Adebayor to quit the International scene displays the difficulty that he has had getting over what he witnessed that day, and the memories are obviously too horrific for Adebayor to step back on a Togo National team bus again.

Spurs slip up to hand Pompey final date

Frederic Piquionne celebrates breaking the deadlock at Wembley

Goals from Frederic Piquionne and Kevin-Prince Boateng have seen Portsmouth progress to the FA Cup final after battling their way past an unfortunate Tottenham Hotspur side at Wembley.

In a game hyped as being a walkover for Harry Redknapp’s men, cash-strapped Portsmouth were more than their equals with numerous chances throughout the 90 minutes. Piquionne was the wasteful culprit the majority of the time, but Spurs ‘keeper Gomes was also on top form. Spurs had more than their fair share of chances too, with Peter Crouch and Tom Huddlestone coming closest.

With neither side able to break the stalemate in normal time, it took just 8 minutes of extra time for on-loan Lyon striker Piquionne to put Avram Grant’s side ahead. An untimely slip on the much talked about Wembley surface from Spurs’ skipper Michael Dawson presented Piquionne with the easiest of his chances, and for once Gomes was left helpless. In a last throw of the dice, Redknapp brought on Eidur Gudjohnsen, no stranger to Wembley occasions after his days with Chelsea. Gudjohnsen had little impact, and in a last attempt to push forward and find a last gasp equalizer, gaps were left wide open in the Tottenham defence, and Aruna Dindane was allowed to burst through only to be brought down in the penalty area by Wilson Palacios, who received a yellow card as a result of the challenge. Perhaps in a different scenario and with a less sympathetic referee, the colour may have been a different one. Kevin-Prince Boateng confidently stepped up against his old side, and dispatched the spot kick to Gomes’ right side. Game over.

These were two teams bristling with similarities on the field, with Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar all turning out against their former side, and with the aforementioned Boateng amongst the Portsmouth ranks, there was plenty of reason for niceties to be shared, both pre-match, and after the final whistle. Despite such obvious on-field comparisons, the two sides could be no different off the pitch, and nobody is ignorant to Pompey’s trials and tribulations behind the scenes this season. People talk about the romance of the FA Cup in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds, but no one can doubt that a little bit of that old adage rubbed off on the boys in blue today.

With Chelsea awaiting the winners of this tie in the final on the 15th May, it was written in the script somewhere, deep inside, that Avram Grant would be reunited with the club where he introduced himself to English football. Now, can he go one step further and produce the greatest cup story of recent times by leading relegated, depleted Portsmouth to FA Cup glory?

FA Cup semi-final preview

Injuries is the word of the day as Aston Villa, Chelsea, Portsmouth and Tottenham gear up for their respective FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley this weekend. Spurs are sweating on the fitness of influential centre-half Michael Dawson for their match with Portsmouth, while Martin O’Neill will have to make late calls on midfielder James Milner and central defender Richard Dunne for the re-run of Villa’s 7-1 drubbing at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.

Despite that result, Martin O’Neill insists his men are ready to set the record straight against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who are on course to do the double having taken a 2 point lead over Manchester United at the top of the Premier League. “Those players will want to make sure they don’t end up getting another result like that”, O’Neill told Soccernet.com. “It won’t be 7-1, that’s for sure, it’s going to be a close game”.

Villa have had a superb season under O’Neill but there is speculation that he will leave at the end of the season, with bigger names calling. Having narrowly lost out to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final back in February, O’Neill will be eager for victory this time. If Villa are to overcome the League leaders then Richard Dunne will need to be fit, as will Milner, and they’ll need every ounce of Emile Heskey to stay on his feet against Terry and co. Stopping Drogba and limiting Lampard will also be key, and the running of Ashley Young on the left side may play an influential role.

As for Chelsea, Ancelotti’s season can go either way. If they do end up as League Champions, as well as win the FA Cup, he’ll be deemed a huge success. However, if United pip them to the post and Villa complete their revenge mission on Saturday afternoon, questions over his future will inevitably be asked. It’s a thin line managing Chelsea these days, and Ancelotti will know just what is expected of him.

Daniel Sturridge is Chelsea’s leading goalscorer in this year’s competition, but he most probably won’t start. There is also doubt over who will start in goal, with Chelsea’s Cup ‘keeper Hilario struggling with a groin strain, with Branislav Ivanovic likely to return to the side after shaking off a knee injury.

Prepare for a close game between two counter-attacking sides, with perhaps extra time and penalties to follow.

George’s prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Chelsea – Chelsea to win on penalties

Tottenham go into their match with Portsmouth as strong favourites, but with nothing for Pompey to play for in the League they’ll be determined to go all the way in the Cup. Harry Redknapp has also stated that his side will be going all out to win the FA Cup, with their chances of finishing in 4th place not at all a certainty.

Spurs will be without Aaron Lennon, Vedran Corluka, Tom Huddlestone, Ledley King, Jermaine Jenas and Jonathan Woodgate for the tie, and there are also doubts over Michael Dawson’s fitness. 20-year old midfielder Jake Livermore is in line for a start, but not in his usual position. With Woodgate and King both out, and with Dawson unlikely to start, Livermore may be forced to partner Sebastien Bassong in the heart of the defence. Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker will play no part either, as they are both cup-tied.

Avram Grant has no fresh injury worries ahead of Sunday’s game, with the only problems remaining off the field with new contract rows brewing. Grant will be fully focussed on on-the-field matters however, and one has to feel that if his side are to come away with a win, Aruna Dindane and Frederic Piquionne will be key. Experienced goalkeeper David James knows a thing or two about Cup ties as well, so a good performance from him is a necessity.

Spurs will look for the aerial prowess of former Pompey man Peter Crouch, while Jermain Defoe will look to reignite his early season spark. For me, it will only go one way, and that’s the way of Redknapp’s men. Ideally, they’d look for an early goal and not let Portsmouth settle in the game. Avram Grant will want a solid start, to not concede, and try and hit Spurs on the counter with the pace of the likes of Belhadj and Dindane.

George’s prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Portsmouth

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All English final beckons as Fulham & Liverpool storm through to Semis

Zoltan Gera, Roy Hodgson and Mark Schwarzer share a smile as Fulham see off Wolfsburg in Germany

Forget about the Champions League, it’s the Europa League that is bringing the most success to English clubs this season, with both Fulham and Liverpool through to the Semi finals of the competition after respective wins over Wolfsburg and Benfica.

With no English Semi-finalist in the more illustrious of the two competitions for 7 years, Hodgson’s Fulham and Benitez’s underachieving Liverpool have done the nation proud, and now lie just two matches away from an all English final in Hamburg at the end of the season.

Fulham’s route through has been spectacular, with victories over holders Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus, the latter having been 4-1 down on aggregate at one stage. As for Liverpool, their journey through has been a little more straight forward with wins over Unirea Urziceni and Lille before seeing off the tough challenge of Portuguese League leaders Benfica.

Fulham can now look forward to a Semi-final against Hamburg, who have their sights set on reaching the final staged on their home turf. Liverpool are up against Atletico Madrid who saw off Spanish counterparts Valencia on away goals to secure a reunion with Fernando Torres.

Both English clubs will face away ties first before the second legs at home, played on the 29th of April.

Wolfsburg (1) 0-1 (3) Fulham
Fulham travelled to Germany in a rather precarious position having won the first leg at the Cottage by 2 goals to 1. Despite getting a much desired victory, Wolfsburg’s away goal, courtesy of a late Alexander Madlung header in the 89th minute, had made them slight favourites. However, the night couldn’t have started much better for Hodgson’s men, as the in-form Bobby Zamora further stated his claims for an England World Cup spot with a brilliantly taken goal after just 22 seconds.

Despite having a goal disallowed in the first half, and hitting the post, Wolfsburg were unable to break Fulham’s resistence and Zamora’s goal proved to be the decider.

Liverpool (5) 4-1 (3) Benfica
It was a similar story at Anfield as Liverpool looked to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg against a Benfica side unbeaten in 27 games in all competitions. Benfica clinched the first leg after coming from behind, with two Oscar Cardozo penalties in the second half. Liverpool would be without Ryan Babel and Emiliano Insua, both banned after the first match in Lisbon.

Liverpool started nervously but slowly grew into the game, and Dirk Kuyt gave them the lead after 28 minutes with a header from point-blank range. There was slight controversy as the linesman on the far side put his flag up to indicate Kuyt was offside, before the referee over-ruled him and awarded the goal. Just 6 minutes later and Lucas Leiva doubled Liverpool’s advantage and put them ahead on aggregate with a superbly taken goal. Gerrard’s through ball was met by a perfectly timed run by the Brazilian who rounded ‘keeper Cesar to slot home in front of the Benfica fans.

15 minutes after half time and it was 3 for the Reds, as an out of soughts Fernando Torres finished off a wonderful counter-attacking move to seemingly put the game beyond doubt. An Oscar Cardozo free kick added a sense of tension to the occasion but that didn’t last long as Torres completed the scoring with a sumptuous chip over the onrushing substitute ‘keeper Moreira.

It was a thoroughly satisfying night for English football, and fans of Fulham and Liverpool can now look forward to mouth-watering Semi-final ties against strong opposition.