| Shebby Singh is a full-time football pundit with ESPN STAR Sports and is now into his 14th year of giving us his straight-talking comments on the beautiful game. As a player, Shebby won everything there was to win in Malaysian football, and represented the country on the international stage. |
Simple and effective Spanish masterclass
July 03, 2012JULY 3 — We will put our pass master onto your pass master because we have two more pass masters than you have!That, in essence, was the Spanish game plan against Italy and for the 45 minutes that it took for Spain to retain their European crown, it was Xavi Hernandez who stuck very close to Andrea Pirlo.It was simply a tactic of getting Xavi, who was … Read More
Spanish missing class, as Germans miss the boat
June 29, 2012JUNE 29 — Veteran coach, World Cup winner, European Championship winner, twice Champions League winner and twice Spanish Primera Liga winner, but still fallible all the same. That is Vicente Del Bosque.This is no criticism of the much-respected Spaniard, but merely his tactical decision for Spain’s Euro 2012 semi-final against Portugal on Wednesday.The key … Read More
Gallant show, poor tactics
June 26, 2012JUNE 26 — So, England’s adventure in Polkraine comes to an end with a mild whimper. Not for the fact that they were eliminated, but for the realisation that they really did not have it in them after all.The European Championship (Euro 2012) is the biggest stage in world football, after the World Cup, and one would think an intelligent and hardworking coach … Read More
Euro 2012: A no-striker zone
June 12, 2012JUNE 12 — As the games are coming in thick and fast – and I am not talking about Mario Balotelli or Fernando Torres – it is almost impossible to sit and write at length. But still there is, as is the case with football, plenty to write about.One noticeable trend after the first round of group matches is that strikers seem to have mostly gone into hiding and … Read More
The best XI of the season in the EPL
May 22, 2012MAY 22 — The English Premier League (EPL) season has ended and we all know it was the best as proven by the statistics. Not to mention, it was given such an accolade by the organisation behind the EPL, the FA Premier League, in the recent 20th anniversary celebrations for the EPL.Even the final day of the season provided a most fitting finale too, with … Read More
Blues for Bayern
May 19, 2012MAY 19 — Should Chelsea not win the UEFA Champions League tonight (2.45am tomorrow, Malaysian time), for the most part, there will only be one party to blame.It will not be Petr Cech’s fault if he does not get his hands on old Big Ears. Nor will the lack of legs be Frank Lampard’s excuse if the Blues midfield gets overrun.There will not be an “if only John … Read More
The unsung heroes (Part 2)
May 17, 2012MAY 17 — The English Premier League season came to an end on Sunday and new heroes and legends were born with the breathtaking climax in the match played at the Etihad Stadium.Nothing can take away the joy of victory that literally came from within seconds of the agony of defeat for Manchester City. And I am glad to note that my pick for City in The unsung … Read More
Last-gasp City make it a terrific finish
May 15, 2012MAY 15 — And so the mind went back to May 1999 and the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, as injury-time goals won Manchester United the UEFA Champions League title on an otherwise uneventful night against Bayern Munich.Well, I suppose, if the Red half of Manchester could do it, so can the Blue of course!Honestly, I’ll raise my hands and admit I got it wrong on … Read More
The unsung heroes (Part 1)
May 12, 2012MAY 12 — There are always heroes and they will be applauded and lauded come end of the season in the English Premier League (EPL). But the truth is that these heroes could not do without a support team and in that support team there are individuals who will barely get a mention and quite perhaps are the unsung heroes of their teams and the league.These … Read More
The weakest link
May 08, 2012MAY 8 — For Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, read Jay Spearing and Jordan Henderson and therein unfolds the saga of Liverpool Football Club.Most coaches do not list stubbornness as a character flaw but unfortunately it has become a must on the CV of Liverpool managers.While Gerard Houllier persisted with Momo Sissoko and Rafa Benitez insisted that … Read More
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