Whatever Happened To...

Xisco


When Newcastle signed Francisco Jimenez Tejada on transfer deadline day in 2008, a few eyebrows were raised. With the then manager Kevin Keegan seemingly unhappy at his lack on control on transfer activity, it never seemed that ‘Xisco’ was destined for greatness in the North East. However, he did score on debut against Hull City, yet after this there has been very little success. In total the Spaniard, with 11 youth international caps, has only made 9 league appearances for the Magpies, yet he is still contracted to the club. That may come as a surprise to many supporters, who had thought that the forward had left on a permanent transfer. So, what has he been up to, and does he still have a future at the club as he returns this close-season after three loan moves back to Spain?

Signed for 5.7 million, possibly rising to 7 million, it is without doubt that there must have been some potential in Xisco, a robust forward who had scored goals for fun at Deportivo B, and had a decent record for the first team in La Liga. As shown about he hasn’t had any great success for the Newcastle first team, and a red card for the reserves did him no favour either. He left under unhappy circumstances, returning to his native country on loan after failing to turn up to several training sessions.

His first loan spell came at Racing Santander, a mid to low table side in Spain’s top division. Mainly un-inspiring, he did turn in some good performances showing why he had began to make a name for himself at Deportivo. Scoring three times in 23 league appearance is far from prolific, but a large amount were from the bench and he played a vital role in their run to the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey. Returning to Newcastle he again failed to oust Obafemi Martins, Andy Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands, and despite an entertaining cameo and an assist in the 6-0 mauling of Aston Villa, found himself out on loan again in January 2011. Back at his first club, he scored twice in nine appearances yet couldn’t prevent them staying up, and Deportivo were relegated. He stayed for the entire 2011/12 season, yet didn’t play as big a role as he would have wanted. He did, however, play a big role in their final game of the season as they secured a quick return to the top division, winning promotion. 2 goals in 14 league appearances was again not a great return, but he did show glimpses of real talent.

So, is there a chance that Xisco could make it in the Newcastle first team eventually? It looks as though he will be sold as Alan Pardew attempts to build his squad for a Europa League campaign this season. However, it is without doubt that he has some natural ability, and maybe, just maybe, Newcastle should take a punt on him this season.

HA

Euro 2012 - The Surprise Packages

With the European Championships starting in under a month now, TacticalBet takes the opportunity to take a look at some of the potential dark-horses for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

France - 12/1

Les Bleus suffered a horrific experience in their last major International voyage, crashing out in the group stages in the most recent World Cup in South Africa. Back then they were a rudderless ship destined to sink, with in-fighting and poor performances sealing an early trip home, earning just the single point in a draw with Uruguay. However, under new man Laurent Blanc, they've enjoyed a brilliant run in qualifying, and earned some great results in recent friendlies. With the French domestic league beginning to develop to a new level of prestige, these are exciting times for French football. They'll fancy their chances of topping the group, involving England, Sweden and Ukraine, and if they can manage that then they've got a real chance.

The Hosts - 50/1

Both Poland and Ukraine are priced around 50/1 to win the tournament, and given their pedigree it looks like they have no chance. However, home advantage can never be underestimated. Ukraine will feel they can beat England on home turf, as they did a few years ago in a qualifier for the 2010 World Cup, when Rob Green saw red. With 35 year old Shevchenko on his swan-song, this last chance saloon means that Ukraine will be more than motivated. Poland are probably less likely to advance, but do have the help of being in a very straight-forward group with no real star sides. They've got good players, and could yet spring a surprise. There have been shocks before in the European Championship, and don't bank on this winner being easy to pick.

Portugal - 20/1

The nearly men of previous tournaments, they will go into this occasion knowing that they have a chance, as they always do. Beaten in the semi-finals of previous tournaments, losing a final on home soil, will all have hurt the Portuguese fans, and their players will feel they've got a chance to pay something back here. With arguably the best player in the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo, their won't be many teams they fear.

Czech Republic - 100/1

They may seem an extraordinarily long-shot, but they shouldn't be overlooked. In the relatively 'easy' Group A, they'll feel they've got a great chance of topping the group. In doing so they would earn themselves a winnable tie in the quarter-final, and then anything can happen. Big odds, but they will believe, and they've got big game players in the form of Petr Cech and Milan Baros.

TacticalBet's Predictions -

Group A - Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Greece
Group B - Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Denmark
Group C - Spain, Italy, Croatia, RO Ireland
Group D - France, Ukraine, England, Sweden

Winners - Netherlands

HA

Five Things We Learnt From Chelsea's Triumph

Petr Cech's Penalty Prowess 

It must have been said at least a thousand times as the Champions League final headed towards a penalty shootout that the Germans 'don't lose' in the dead-ball scenario. Therefore, it was going to take something special to stop them, especially right infront of their home crowd. Czech Republic keeper Cech did just that, guessing right for all five of Bayern's penalties and crucially saving two. That now means that the last seven penalties Cech has faced, he's gone the right way. There is nothing lucky about that, despite the old adage of the penalty shootout being a 'lottery'.

Spirit Over Skill

You can have all the skill in the world, the finest technique known to man, but perhaps the greatest quality of all is that 'never say die' attitude which seems to typify this Chelsea side. Refusing to be beaten, they pulled another rabbit out of the hat by striking late on to level the match when all had looked lost. Furthermore, they were 2-0 and then 3-1 down in the shoot-out, yet still failed to buckle. The team may change, but you can rest assured that the spirit will never end. This Bayern Munich team, while possibly providing a visage of being together, were at loggerheads earlier in the season. While Chelsea might have had issues with their long line of managers, you can't deny that this group of players are all united.

Gomez Disappoints

You simply do not expect your 40 goal a season striker to miss the kind of chances that Mario Gomez did on Saturday night. In the semi-final, he may of scored the decisive goal in the home leg late on, but he also missed a raft of chances throughout both ties. Here, he was at it again, heading over a presentable chance, mis-controlling when only six yards out, and most heinously blazing over when brilliantly placed. Is Gomez merely struggling under the pressure, or is the standard of the German league such that he is overrated?

The 'Beautiful' Game 

There is no set way to play football, and Chelsea proved that it doesn't matter how you play, it's all about the result. Bitter Tottenham, Barcelona and Munich fans can moan long into the night about Chelsea's defensive set-up, but realistically football is all about winning. Chelsea got their name on the Cup, and in 10 years time that's all that will be remembered. The debate will go on though, yet should more teams adopt defensive strategies like Chelsea in order to succeed? It does appear that while Arsenal continue with their free flowing football, they will never win the Champions League, as their are better sides at it than they are.

Roman's Empire

The obsession has been satisfied, the dream complete. Ambramovic's dream of sealing European glory has finally been achieved, and surely nobody can criticise him after what he's done in his 9 year spell in West London. Chelsea's motto has been 'making history, not re-living it', and they certainly made a huge chunk of it with this step into immortality. The side the Russian oligarch built currently stands on top of the world, and it owes a lot to his money and work.

HA

May's Update

As things reach a peak of excitement in the month of May, it's time to take a quick stock-take on what action we've seen so far, and what's to come.

Football - Chelsea clinched the Champions League after an extraordinary victory over home side Bayern Munich, 4-3 on penalties. Despite TacticalBet, along with most of the footballing world, tipping the Germans, Roberto Di Matteo's men pulled off one of the most memorable upsets ever to grace the biggest of stages. Thomas Muller looked to have won it for Bayern with 8 minutes to go, before Drogba, like a pheonix from the flames, pulled Chelsea out of the depths of despair to drag the game into extra time. Those thinking the drama couldn't get any greater were sorely mistaken, as Drogba preceded to give away a penalty which ex-Chelsea star Arjen Robben went on to miss. It was beyond fiction, and in extrodinary circumstances, Drogba again proved the man for all occasions as he slotted the final penalty in the shoot-out. Elsewhere, West Ham returned to the Premier League thanks to their 2-1 victory over Blackpool, and York similarly earned promotion beating York in the Blue Square Premier final. In the 4th final of the weekend, Hearts thrashed Hibs to win the Scottish Cup, after an all Edinburgh affair.

Rugby - Leinster continued their dominance in the Heinenken Cup with a third triumph in four seasons, beating Ulster 42-14 at Twickenham. Biarritz claimed the Challenge Cup seeing off Jonny Wilkinson's Toulon in a tight, no try match. Up next is the Aviva Premiership final, which will be between Leicester and Harlequins. If that wasn't enough, there's the Championship play-off final between the Cornish Pirates and London Welsh, a result which could have great significance for the relegation places in the Premiership.

Cricket - County cricket remains in full flow, with the weather steadily improving, and England are back in action with a three test series against the West Indies. The hosts looked in control for the majority of the first four days, but will have a testing chase ahead of them, needed 191 to win and closing on 10-2. However, you would still have to have Strauss' men down as strong favourites,

In the season that just keeps giving, next up is the European Championships, held in Poland and Ukraine. We'll be here in the build up to the tournament with all the insightful articles and tips you could wish for.

HA

England's European Championship Squad - The Debate

New England manager Roy Hodgson today confirmed the 23 man squad he will take to Poland and Ukraine for the European Championships next month, and it wasn't an announcement without controversy and debate. It began with the farce of the squad slowly being leaked before the set time when it was supposed to become general knowledge, and ended with #HodgsonOut already trending on Twitter before the mid-afternoon. So, just what are the calls that has got everybody talking?

England Squad for the Euro's -

Goalkeepers - Hart, Green, Ruddy
Defenders - Johnson, Jones, Terry, Lescott, Cahill, Cole, Baines
Midfielders - Parker, Barry, Milner, Gerrard, Lampard, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Young, Downing
Forwards - Rooney, Welbeck, Defoe, Carroll

There are three main areas of debate to be considered, and we'll offer a judgment of how we think the new man in charge has called it.

John Terry vs Rio Ferdinand

It's such a difficult call to make, but Hodgson has stated he's made the call based purely on 'footballing reasons' and if that is the case, to us it looks like he's made the right call, albeit it just. There were arguments for the inclusion - and exclusion - of both central defenders, but the logic does decree that is should be the Chelsea man taking his place on the plane. Ferdinand has played just once for England since missing out on the World Cup in 2010 due to injury, and it seems right that Terry should be given the chance to compete in the tournament he helped qualify for. At 33, there are also question marks over how many games Ferdinand can manage in a short space of time, such is the way International tournaments are structured.

Form vs Reputation

So, Andy Carroll has made the squad based upon two good performances in recent weeks. In all honesty, until his recent games against Chelsea, he had been very poor in the Premiership this season, and at times struggled to even make a floundering Liverpool side. While there is an argument for Hodgson taking those players in good form, it highlights a horrific sense of in-consistency throughout the squad. Stuart Downing is picked with a total of 0 goals, and 0 assists this season in 36 Premiership game. It is astonishing that a player with such stats can be selected to represent his county on one of the biggest stages of all. Furthermore, Steven Gerrard is named as captain despite having barely played this season, and being distinctively average in most of the games he has featured in. Players who have had good seasons, like Michael Carrick, Grant Holt and even Swansea duo Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair have been left out in the hope that these players can re-live their past glories. Yet, Carroll has been included on almost the complete opposite grounds. Where's the logic in that one, Roy?

The Oxlade-Chamberlain Gaffe 

Given all the other controversy, it wouldn't have been complete without a live on air blunder from the new manager. Upon being asked about the Arsenal youngsters inclusion, Hodgson responded by stating he had seen Oxlade-Chamberlain 'deal very well with' Pirlo and Ambrosini when Arsenal met AC Milan at the Emirates. The only slight issue with this, is that it is an impossible scenario. Pirlo transfered to Juventus last Summer, and Ambrosini wasn't even on the bench for the game. So, being live at the game, just what did Roy Hodgson really see? It seems as though this horrific error highlights the lack of serious thought gone into the selection. Perhaps it's understandable given the way that he was West Brom manager until Saturday, but maybe that's a reason why the FA shouldn't have given him the job? Either way, he completely made up that he'd seen Chamberlain play against Pirlo and Ambrosini, for it simply never happened. Nobody is really complaining about the inclusion of the 18 year old, but the rational thought process behind it would appear to not exist.

TacticalBet's England Squad -

Goalkeepers - Hart, Green, Ruddy
Defenders - Richards, Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Cahill, Cole, Baines
Midfielders - Parker, Barry, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Walcott, Sinclair, Johnson
Forwards - Rooney, Defoe, Welbeck, Holt, Sturridge

HA