Southgate’s Men to Solve the English ‘Striker Crisis’

FIFA’s ‘World Ranking’ system has become something of a joke in England over the last few years. During 2013, the nation that have failed to beat Ukraine on both home and away soil, were matched by Montenegro and struggled against Scotland – have sat as high as fourth in the rankings. Since it’s creation, England’s average position has been 10^th – a slightly more plausible analysis. The latest rankings, on the back of some highly criticised England performances, perhaps offer the system greater credibility. England currently sit 17^th – between Chile and Bosnia-Herzegovina – and below the likes of Switzerland and Greece. Whilst some may feel dissatisfied with the sudden drop of our national football side in the eyes of FIFA, the future hasn’t exactly looked all-so positive judging by recent showings at under-21 level.

The past two Under-21 European Championships have left a lingering sense of concern at the state of English football. Failing to get through the group stages on both occasions, the FA (and particularly Greg Dyke) have spoken of the need to take action, to prevent further downfall in England’s standing amongst the world’s footbaling nations.

With zero points and one solitary goal to show for a disastrous Championships this summer, the future of international football is looking increasingly bleak for England. That one goal at the championships – coming in a 3-1 loss to Norway – came through a penalty that was converted by a defender. No goals from open play; no goals from attacking players. By no means did this come as a surprise to me, though, for when you look at the forwards named by Stuart Pearce in the 23-man squad, the ‘striker crisis’ facing our national side was more apparent than ever.

Three forwards – that was all Pearce had at his disposal for the championships in Israel. One of which, Wilfried Zaha, had been playing on the wing for his Championship side Crystal Palace, leaving only two true strikers to lead the English line. Connor Wickham was to only make twelve league appearances that season for Sunderland, during a season in which he was farmed out to Sheffield Wednesday for a short-term loan – deemed surplus to requirements at his parent club. 1 goal in 6 appearances for Wednesday, and one FA Cup strike for Sunderland, were all that Wickham had to show for himself prior to the tournament. The final of the three, Marvin Sordell, managed only four goals in the Championship after his recently relegated Bolton side failed to make the play-offs. Compare that to the trio of Agbonlahor, Frazier Campbell and Danny Welbeck – named in the 2009 squad that made the final – as well as Theo Walcott, who was named by Stuart Pearce as the fourth striker in the squad.

Following the Israel debacle, however, we now see a new set of strikers aiming to make the international break-through for England. New under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has selected three forwards worth noting – either gaining Premier League experience, or showing goalscoring ability in the second level of the football pyramid. So who do we have coming through to give us hope of a ‘start of the end’ regarding the growing ‘striker crisis’ of English football?

Saido Berahino

The 20-year old West Brom striker came from nowhere this season to fire the winning goal as the Baggies saw off Manchester United at Old Trafford. It was his first League goal for West Brom, after showcasing his goalscoring exploits whilst on various short-term loans across the football league.

6 goals in 14 League Two games for Northampton Town was followed the same season by a ratio of 1 in every 2 at Brentford, one league higher. The Championship proved more difficult for Saido, as he only returned 2 goals in a 10-game Peterborough spell – but has nonetheless grown markedly from the experience, turning out a string of impressive performances for both West Brom and internationally at Under-21 level.

Gareth Southgate’s first game in charge of the England under-21’s was also Berahino’s debut at such a level. They weren’t to be the only firsts of the game, though, as Berahino’s debut goal secured a 1-0 win for Southgate’s youngsters. His second appearance for Southgate was yet again marked with a goal, when Zaha (playing, rightfully, on the wing) found the West Brom forward in space to make it two in two for Saido.

Berahino’s ability in front of goal was for all to see in the Capital One Cup at the beginning of this term, as all four of The Albion’s goals in the competition came through the Burundi-born striker, before they were cruelly knocked out on penalties by Arsenal. A hat-trick against Newport County delighted boss Steve Clarke, who has promptly put his faith in his ‘born goalscorer’ in Premier League outings.

Danny Ings

This years surprise package in the Championship, Burnley have found themselves sitting pretty at the top of the table – much of which is down to an impressive goals tally between striking duo Sam Vokes, and 21-year-old Danny Ings. Danny’s performances for the clarets have merited inclusion in Southgate’s latest under-21 squad – much to the delight of Burnley Boss Sean Dyche.

Eyebrows were raised when then-Burnley boss Eddie Howe bought his Academy product Ings from Bournemouth for £1 million, despite only 7 goals in 26 appearances at League One level. His Burnley career got off to a terrible start, as within one week of the move, Ings found himself on the treatment table – ruled out for five months and requiring surgery on his knee. 3 goals was all Ings could muster in the 2012-2013 Championship campaign, and so little was it expected that his impact the following season would drive Burnley towards a title challenge.

Cut to the present, and 11 goals in an impressive 14 games so far has caught the eye of Southgate – convincing the ex-England international that Ings deserves a chance of his own on the international stage. The under-21s face San Marino and Lithuania this week, and it will be worth keeping an eye on Ings, should he get a chance to show what he can do.

If Ings can stay injury-free, putting the knee problems that have blighted his progression during the first few years of his Burnley career behind him, it’s not unthinkable that the striker could find himself a Premier League forward within the next few years. From there, we shall have to wait and see…

Nick Powell

The latest name in a growing list of youngsters developed by Crewe and sent on their way to the Premier League, Nick Powell was a revelation at Gresty Road before his move to Manchester United. Playing mostly as an attacking midfielder, Powell bagged 14 goals in 38 League Two appearances, during which he won Crewe’s Goal of the Season, Player of the season, and Young Player of the Season all in the same year. He ended the season with a scorching volley at Wembley to send the Railwaymen into League One.

Sir Alex had seen enough, promptly arranging a private jet to bring Nick and his father to the South of France to discuss terms to sign for United. Arsenal and Fulham let their interest be known too, but Dario Gradi spoke of Manchester United’s professionalism throughout the negotiations in comparison to the approach of others – resulting in United sealing a deal for around 6 million pounds to bring the highly rated attacking player to Old Trafford. Within 11 minutes of his Premier League debut, Powell had scored his first United goal in a 4-0 battering of Wigan.

Four years later, following Wigan’s relegation, Powell was brought in on a season-long loan deal by manager Owen Coyle. Coyle has history developing promising young players struggling to get games at their parent club from his time at Bolton – having brought future England internationals Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge to the Reebok Stadium. Both were inspirational for their loan club at the time, returning to their individual clubs as proven Premier League footballers. We all know how those two have turned out since…

With a keen eye for goal, Powell has been regularly deployed as a striker this season for Wigan. Scoring two goals in Wigan Athletic’s first European appearance against MK Maribor.

Powell is no stranger to international football. The man Coyle believes has the quality to follow Sturridge and Wilshere into the England set-up has represented his country at every level from under-16, to under-21. A strong season at promotion-hopefuls Wigan – Powell could return to United with a higher level of maturity and greater experience than he would have got staying-put for the season at United. Whether he returns an attacking midfielder, or a forward, is yet to see.

8 Hot Prospects - 1 Important Year

Research for FourFourTwo Magazine

Lorenzo Insigne

Napoli             Nationality: Italian    Age: 22 (4^th June 1991)
Higuain, Hamsik, Albiol, Reina… When Arsenal faced a Napoli side jam-packed with talent early on in the group stages of this years Champions League competition, it was youngster Lorenzo Insigne that Arsene Wenger picked out as a threat following a blistering start to the season. The right-footed, yet predominantly left-sided winger has been ever-present in the Napoli side at the beginning of the 2013-2014 campaign, and has began to be regularly selected for his nation. A scorching free kick in Europe against Dortmund lifted the Italian’s recognition, putting the pacy playmaking prospect into the spotlight. Tricky, mobile and technically accomplished – Lorenzo’s value will hit knew heights if his progression continues throughout this season.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Bayern Munich          Nationality: Swiss      Age: 21 (10^th October 1991)

After starring for FC Basel between 2009 and 2012, including an impressive performance against Manchester United in the Champions League group stages, the Swiss international midfielder was snapped-up by Bayern Munich for a reported €11.6 million. At only 21 years of age, Shaqiri has already won the three Swiss Super Leagues, two Swiss Cup’s, the Bundesliga, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Club – including international recognition as the best player of the Swiss national team in both 2011 and 2012. A winger capable of playing of either sides, noted for his dribbling speed and ability, Shaqiri will only improve if regular game-time for the European Champions continues.

Bernard

Shakhtar Donetsk      Nationality: Brazilian            Age: 21 (8^th September 1992)
Strongly linked with a host of European clubs whilst playing for Atletico Mineiro, including Arsenal, Porto and Dortmund, Brazilian international Bernard wound up in the Ukraine – after Shakhtar shelled-out around €25 million for his services. A left-sided winger with bags of energy and speed in abundance, he will be hoping the improving Ukranian League offers a standard high enough to support his progression and gain further recognition back in Brazil. On his recent return to the starting line-up for Shakhtar, Bernard managed four assists in a 7-0 demolition of Arsenal Kyiv. More of the same will see Bernard add to his 6 international caps over the coming year.

Aleksandr Kokorin

Dynamo Moscow       Nationality: Russian              Age: 22 (19^th March 1991)

Labelled as ‘the next best thing’ in Russia – the ‘future of Russian football’ alongside Dzagoev – Kokorin has been chased by Aston Villa and briefly earned a move to Anzhi before their restructuring crisis saw him return to Dynamo without making an appearance. Having already captained Dynamo and cemented a place in the Russian national side at only 22 years of age, this season is massive for the lightning quick forward. A strong start with 5 goals in 7 games for Dynamo has been accompanied by a good run of form in World Cup Qualifying, helping Russia to the top of their group, ahead of Portugal. It is looking likely that a summer in Brazil will offer the young Russian an opportunity to shine in the eyes of the footballing world.

Iker Muniain
Athletic Bilbao           Nationality: Spanish              Age: 20 (19^th December 1992)
For only twenty, Athletics’ youngest player and goalscorer has been on the football radar for a while. Being known to the media in España as ‘The Spanish Messi’ brings considerable pressures, but Muniain has seemingly thrived off such comparisons, continuously showing his skill, and eye for a pass. Having already made well over 100 appearances for Bilbao, who remain the only side other than Real Madrid and Barcelona to never be relegated from La Liga, the attack-minded player would have hoped for more than one solitary cap for Spain. A notably dissapointing 2012-2013 campaign may have held him back, but Muniain has addressed the difficulties he faced – having stated he felt better both mentally and physically ahead of the current season. A good season could see Iker making a more high-profile move in the summer – with a number of top clubs rumoured to be keeping tabs.

Daniel Carvajal
Real Madrid               Nationality: Spanish              Age: 21 (11^th January 1992)

When Bayer Leverkusen paid €5 million for Carvajal in 2012, after he had failed to make a single appearance for Los Blancos, most thought the chance of a career at Madrid had disappeared for the young right back. An exceptional season at Leverkusen followed, prompting Madrid to quickly activate the ‘buy-back clause’ they cunningly added to the transfer deal the year before. Carvajal has found himself battling with Arbeloa for first-choice right back at Madrid – and if Carvajal was to cement a place in the Madrid first team this current season, we could see the Under-21 international rapidly shoot up the list of the world’s most reputable full-backs.

Mattia De Sciglio

AC Milan         Nationality: Italian    Age: 20 (20^th October 1992)

With comparisons to the great Paolo Maldini common at Milan, the fullback has been highly praised for his defensive confidence alongside his attacking capabilities. A regular in the starting line-up last season with 27 Serie A appearances, De Sciglio has been marked as one who could potentially develop into an AC Milan star. Injury has thwarted his start to the season, and also Milan’s as they shipped 10 goals in the first 5 games of the season. If De Sciglio regains his starting place upon his return, he could turn out to be the next big name in a long list of quality Italian defenders over the years – having already been capped 8 times for his country.

Jorginho (Jorge Luiz Frello)
Hellas Verona         Nationality: Brazilian/Italian    Age: 21 (20^th December 1991)
At the time of writing, newly promoted Hellas Verona are sitting 5^th in Serie A, after beating AC Milan 2-1 on the opening day of the season. Their promotion, and much of their success so far this campaign, has been underpinned by the performance of their midfield sensation Jorginho. Suitors AC Milan and Liverpool won’t have been put off by his top-class passing ability and opportunistic positioning that has seen him net 3 goals in the opening 7 matches. A multitude of talents means the Brazilian-born Italian can play in either a deep or an attacking midfield position. Possessing energy, athleticism and awareness of the highest order – the young midfielder is certainly one to keep an eye on in Serie A this season. 

What's in a Badge?

'What's in a Badge' research for FourFourTwo Magazine.

The Duplicating Design from Down-under

Founded in 1905 as AFK Vršovice, the Prague-based Czech club have changed their name a total of fifteen times – most recently in 2005 when they became ‘Bohemians 1905’. Between 1965 and 2005, they played under variations of the club name ‘Bohemians Praha’.

Following years of mismanagement, Bohemians Praha were relegated to the Czech 3^rd division and were only saved from extinction when fans paid off a portion of the clubs debt. During such turmoil, FC Střížkov Praha 9 of the Czech 3^rd division bought the white and green logo – of which they continue to display – and changed their name to ‘FK Bohemians Prague’. So now two extremely close variations of the same badge are used within Czech football.

During the 1920’s, the Australian Football Association were eager to attract a great European side to come over for a tour of their country – a lengthy sea journey that significantly lacked desirability. With invitations rejected left right and centre across Europe, they eventually settled for AFK Vršovice, and so a 4-month tour of Australia began in 1927. As a measure of their gratitude, the Australians presented the Czechoslovakian side with two live Kangaroo’s.

The two kangaroo’s were donated to Prague Zoo after a safe trip, supposedly under the watchful eye of AFK squad-member Havlín. Their nickname, the ‘Klokani’, means ‘Kangaroo’ in Czech, and their mascot is also a kangaroo.

Below: The fake ‘Bohemians Praha’ badge.

5 Disastrous England Qualifiers

Research completed for FourFourTwo Magazine.

Poland 2 England 0           1974 World Cup Qualifier

6^th June 1973

England’s hopes of reaching the 1974 World Cup in West Germany took a beating when former World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore uncharacteristically produced two blunders, gifting a 2-0 victory to Poland – who were later to qualify for the first time since 1938, at England’s expense. Moore first failed to clear a free kick, allowing Robert Gadocha to open the scoring, before gifting Wlodzimierz Lubanski a second for Poland as he was caught in possession. Alan Ball was later sent off, just to top off a woeful England performance.

England 0 Portugal 0        1976 European Championships Qualifier

30^th November 1974

Alongside Steve McClaren, Don Revie is the only other full England manager to never take the national team to a major championship finals. Games like this did nothing to prevent such a fate. Finishing only 1 point behind Czechoslovakia, a solitary goal at Wembley would have been enough to send England through – but England’s inability in front of goal proved costly. Misplaced passes and minimal threat on the attack resulted in a final whistle met with boo’s and chants of ‘what a load of rubbish’.

Italy 2 England 0                1978 World Cup Qualifier

17^th November 1976

England failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina by goal-difference, as Italy took top spot from Group 2. A combination of Don Revie’s lack of ideas and the Italian’s flair allowed goals from Antognoni and Bettega to secure a 2-0 victory. Don Revie later resigned during the qualifying campaign to become the United Arab Emirates Coach, leaving his successor Ron Greenwood an impossible task. The damage was already done, and a reverse score line the following year wasn’t enough to stop England crashing out of the 1978 World Cup in the qualifying stages.

Switzerland 2 England 1             1982 World Cup Qualifier

30^th May 1981

England almost threw away their ‘Golden Ticket’ to the 1982 World Cup, when two calamitous minutes saw Switzerland take a two-goal lead, leaving England joint on points with Hungary (who had two games in hand) and one behind Romania (who had one). England fans reacted angrily to the mess the seemingly unnecessary mess their team found themselves in, causing fighting on the terraces during the match, and vandalism on the streets of Basel after a solitary McDermott strike wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 loss. Nevertheless, England qualified in 2^nd place following favourable results throughout their group.

Norway 2 England 0                     1994 World Cup Qualifier

2^nd June 1993

Graham Taylor’s disastrous qualifying campaign for USA ’94 reached its peak in Oslo as Taylor’s tactics proved self-defeating in a game that left the Netherlands, Poland and Norway in stronger positions for qualification. Selecting three centre-backs to counteract the aerial threat of Jostein Flo backfired when the giant forward started wide right. Goals either side of half time for Leonhardsen and Bohinen secured a 2-0 victory for Norway, who eventually topped group-2, whilst England had to slump for third place. Chants of ‘we want Taylor out’ and ‘we’re so bad it’s unbelievable’ reflected a mortifying night for England. 

From Wembley to Dales Lane: The New (or old) 7th Tier Hitman

It’s the 2013 Conference Premier play-off final. Newport County are one up against Wrexham and are heading for the Football League. With only one minute left on the clock, Wrexham manager Andy Morrell makes use of his third and final substitution by giving veteran striker Dele Adebola his final few minutes as a professional footballer, and pushing everybody forward in search of an equaliser. At the home of English football – in front of a crowd of 16,000 - marks a fitting way to close the curtains on a football career that spanned over 12 years and included 168 goals across 15 clubs. A goal did come… though unfortunately in the wrong net as Wrexham were succumbed to non-league football for at least another season, whilst Newport celebrated football league status. With Dele already focusing his time on working towards his coaching badges, the time was right to call it a day.

Four months later, in the Evo-Stik NPL Premier (just slightly less glamorous than Wembley), Rushall Olympic are lining up with a new striker on the team sheet. That is, Dele Adebola. The big man appears to have taken a Scholes-esque u-turn on his retirement, not quite ready to hang up his boots, but rather planning on adding a few more goals to his career tally.

When boss Neil Kitching offered Adebola a friendly match over the summer, the football bug caught up with him - the buzz of a matchday, the excitement, the adrenaline. “I thought I didn’t want to play but as soon as the season kicks off you get that adrenaline rush and just want to be out there on the pitch”. Dele may be fixed on coaching once his playing days are truthfully up… it just seems that wouldn’t be quite yet.

Dele has found the lower realms of non-league football offer him more time, both for his family, and to continue working on his coaching badges. Travelling to and from the midlands whilst at Wrexham was proving too much for the 38-year-old striker, perhaps a key factor in his decision to retire. Now, Rushall offers a closer alternative, with less time required for training. It’s not all positive for a player who is used to playing much higher up the football pyramid – Adebola now actually needs to take things to games, such as his boots and kit. You mean, the kit man doesn’t do this for you now, Dele? Tragic.

Dele joins some notable figures amongst those who have fallen foul to the ‘football bug’.

• Brazilian legend and world cup winner Romario announced his retirement from football in 2008, only to play again a year later in order to fulfil his father’s wishes. At 43, Romario made his one and only appearance for America Football Club – the team his father supported. Coming on as a substitute in the 68^th minute, Romario failed to add to his goal tally, but America managed a 2-0 win as they secured the Second Division title of the Carioca Championship.
• Matt Le Tissier retired from the game in 2002, after over 400 appearances for Southampton. 10 years later, Le Tissier signed up to play for Guernsey of the Channel Islands – of whom he was Honorary President – in order to help a fixture congestion crisis. At 44 years old, Le Tissier only managed one substitute appearance, coming on during a 4-2 defeat.
• Football league journeyman Steve Claridge fell victim to the ‘football bug’ not once, but twice. After formally retiring in 2007, Claridge gave a single appearance for Weymouth, who were going through serious financial difficulties. At 45, however, Claridge dusted off his boots once more to sign for Gosport Borough of the South League Division One South & West. Claridge bagged a goal on his debut, and then scored twice in the play-off final against Poole Town – sending Gosport into the Southern League Premier Division. He has since retired for the third, and final time. Or so we presume…
• These three however were made to look like kids in comparison to Benny Docherty in 2010. Benny, who played professionally for Notts County way back in 1963, signed up for his local team Holt at the age of sixty-nine. He made his debut for the club in 2011, a game in which Holt won 5-0. Still got it.

The Boy's a Bit Loco - FourFourTwo

A few of my own attempts at FourFourTwo's feature 'The Boy's a Bit Loco' during work experience. From my own research.

Gao Lin

Position: Striker                                   Nationality: Chinese
Club: Guangzhou Evergrande             Age: 27

Nutter Credentials

With only 9 yellow cards since 2008, Gao Lin doesn’t appear a credible candidate for the ‘loco’ categorisation. In this Chinese striker’s case, though, it’s his individual moments of madness that earn him a reputation that has scarred his status amongst China’s football following. If driving a pink Porsche alongside a woman who enjoys posting racy images of herself all over the internet (that is, his wife) doesn’t point towards a Balotelli-esque mentality – the eccentric striker dropped a division in 2010 when he signed for Guangzhou Evergrande, who had been relegated following a match-fixing scandal. The reason? Money, and lots of it. Inevitably, this controversy considerably damaged respect within his native China. If that’s not sufficient, a straight-arm salute celebration can be added to his repertoire of eccentricities.

Most Spectacular Outbursts

In the first leg of the 2012 Chinese Cup Final, with Evergrande drawing 1-all, Gao Lin was booked for a needless, albeit evidently soft foul. Rather than keeping his cool and seeing the final 10 minutes out, he opted to protest against the referee – which earned himself a second yellow within three minutes. Lin was later fined £133,000 and forced to issue an apology by his own team. Even more outlandish, during the Chinese Under-23 National side’s tour of Great Britain, a ‘friendly’ with QPR escalated into a mass brawl, leaving fellow countryman Zheng Tao with a broken jaw. Who initiated the scrap? Gao Lin, who began throwing a flurry of punches at a Rangers defender following apparent ‘provocation’.

He said…

"When facing the provocation I failed to obey the three rules of submitting to the referee, respecting opponents and not striking back, which caused the incident. I sincerely apologize to the fans." Issuing fan apologies is becoming a regularity for Gao, it would seem.

Jose Pedrozo

Position: Defender                              Nationality: Paraguayan
Club: San Marcos de Arica                 Age: 32

Nutter Credentials

What has to happen for a player to suddenly announce they have quit their club and are to retire following one on-field incident? Well, the player in question has to be bonkers – and have been involved in some overly bizarre episode of football drama. Although Paraguayan defender Jose Pedrozo did irrationally quit Chilean side Rangers, he has since returned to football. A drama queen he most certainly is, a nutter, unquestionably.

Most Spectacular Outbursts

It has to be something excessively ‘spectacular’ to result in a 27-game ban – performing a chokehold on the referee during a Chilean Second-division match, and then returning for ‘round two’, just about sufficed for Pedrozo. Referee Marcelo Miranda ordered a spot-kick – against Jose’s side – to be retaken an excessive four times. The second and third attempts were to be saved by the Rangers’ keeper, only for the fourth to be converted by Hamilton Ricard. The fourth stood. With Pedrozo already infuriated, an aggressive challenge subsequently resulted in red for Pedrozo, sparking an outrageous reaction. The Paraguayan grabbed referee Marcelo Miranda by the throat as he reached for his cards. This wasn’t enough for Jose though, who chased the referee once more after he had released him. Intervention came only when Pedrozo’s teammates wrestled him to the ground.

He said…

“I’m not the least bit sorry… I understand that I will be punished and I will no longer play for Rangers or any other team. I intend to get away from football, I’d rather be at peace with my family in Paraguay”.  Remorseful and true to his word, good on him…

Esteban Alvarado

Position: Goalkeeper                           Nationality: Costa Rican
Club: AZ Alkmaar                                Age: 24

Nutter Credentials

Esteban Alvarado has high ambitions. The Goalkeeper wants to establish himself amongst the worlds’ elite, eventually turning out between the sticks for ‘the best team in the world’. I’m assuming breaking into the AZ Alkmaar first team, alongside a limited number of international caps for Costa Rica (two, to be precise), wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. The ambitious young keeper has in one respect, however, followed in the footsteps of some of football’s top professionals. He joins the likes of Cantona, Clough, Beckham and Bellamy in having… attacked a fan.

Most Spectacular Outbursts

Esteban’s moment of insanity forced the entire AZ team off the pitch in a clash against Ajax, and the match was abandoned. When an intoxicated fan encroached onto the pitch and launched a karate kick at Esteban, the goalkeeper’s retaliation resulted in a red card – from which AZ were incensed. The usually cool-headed Costa Rican proceeded to violently kick the fan repeatedly as he lay on the ground, before security could intervene. The red card was later rescinded, and the match replayed. Safe to say nobody will be attacking Esteban again in a hurry.

He said…

“I am ambitious, I want to play in goal for the best team in the world. I made a few mistakes at the beginning, but that can happen, I must make mistakes to progress”. Perhaps he was simply unleashing his anger that had built up through a lack of opportunity at the ‘best team in the world’.

Where Are The Jobs?! Insight into the Hidden Jobs Market

Original draft written for the 'Norwich for Jobs' project. Published link to follow once the new website is up and running.

Whilst job boards are both extensive and a great way to identify vacancies that suit you, they are certainly not the only way despite what the digital age of today will lead you to believe. Are you aware that a reliance on job boards and advertised vacancies online restricts you to an estimated 40% of available positions? Getting a foot in the door of the hidden jobs market can be a long, drawn-out process with a frequently low response rate – but on the other end of the scale, such an approach can prove significantly rewarding and tailored more extensively to the industries, positions, and organisations that are of interest to you.

It is true, jobs are tough to find and even more difficult to obtain due to increasingly strong and broad competition. One of the most recycled, though indeed important sayings as you begin your venture into the working world remains – “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This is, largely, due to a tendency for companies to recruit internally as a first port-of-call once a position rises. Should no suitable candidate come from such an approach, job advertising is often played out as a last resort. Internal recruitment is a significantly more cost-effective, time-effective route to take. So, how do you stand a chance? The answer is speculative applications.

Don’t wait for a vacancy to find you, get yourself out there and find it yourself. A speculative application is a process of finding the contact details of the recruitment manager or department of an organisation you wish to work for; putting together a CV and cover letter (just as you would for any application); and sending a query as to whether any suitable positions happen to be available for you. Sounds unlikely, yes. But should there be an opportunity, your approach has demonstrated research, initiative and confidence – all qualities valued by employers.

Never be put off by an offer of ‘work experience’ at a company really suited to you. With the jobs market as competitive as we find it at present, voluntary work experience is extremely worthwhile for numerous reasons. First, you get an opportunity to prove yourself in a working environment within an organisation you have selected; secondly, if your network of contacts is distinctively empty, there’s no better method for gaining ‘inside’ influence; thirdly, if the experience wasn’t to lead to a paid position – it is always, at very least, a fantastic addition to your CV. A positive reflection on both your desire and willingness to work, which can only lead to an increase of opportunity.

Networking is one of the most beneficial activities a jobseeker can do – you never know who you might meet or what it might lead to. Careers fairs, voluntary work, community involvement and speculative applications are all great tools for networking. Information interviews signify another beneficial course of action to take – that is, simply contacting those in a particular industry asking for information or guidance. This could refer to making yourself employable, finding a job or being a success in a particular field. The content is not the most important aspect, it’s the initial effort to make contact that can prove pivotal. These people were all in your position once, and are often more-than-willing to assist. The more you network, the more doors open.

Barriers to Employment: Employer Responsibility?

Original draft written for the 'Norwich for Jobs' campaign website - aiming to reduce youth unemployment in Norwich.
Norwich for Jobs: Published Blog Entry

Upon graduating, personal expectations in the world of employment are high. You’ll find yourself a job, doing something you want to do, earning enough to start paying back your student debt. It won’t take much; a decent CV, a few applications and maybe one or two interviews before you fall into job-security heaven. Okay, even graduates such as myself know that’s an unrealistic utopia – but for most, beginning to achieve something from your degree is extensively difficult – to an entirely unexpected level. But can all the responsibility lie with the applicants and their attitudes? Are we simply too arrogant, but ultimately unprepared? From my own experiences, and feedback from those in similar positions, no. Many employers are unfair, unrealistic, and exploitative due to an unstable jobs market.

First is the unrealistic perception of ‘graduate credentials’. A typical graduate job in marketing, for example, requires ‘at least 2 years previous experience in a marketing role’. So in other words, you aren’t looking for a recent graduate at all, then? Students that have been studying towards a degree for three years simply do not have any ‘years of experience’ to put in their résumé – to expect such vast experience becomes a major hindrance on graduates finding work in their desired fields, leaving them to apply for positions they have no interest in.

Second, is it so hard to give an automated response to unsuccessful applicants? I don’t think so, and I think employers owe that much to applicants who have shown an interest in working for their company, and bothered to apply accordingly. Too often applicants are forever left in the dark about positions applied for, which in my opinion, should be given closer scrutiny by a government seeking to control levels of unemployment.

It’s not just the employers either. Although very differentiated in their approach and helpfulness, recruitment agencies often follow those same negative trends set by some employers. Whilst some (typically smaller, more intimate agencies) listen to your strengths and desires in work and offer genuine help; others consider bombarding you with emails regarding jobs you aren't qualified for (or interested in) in an attempt to get you off their books as quickly as possible, as a service well provided.

Worst of the lot, however, is false job advertisements. The best one I've come across is a self-proclaimed ‘paid graduate training in marketing strategies and business operations’. Or, in other words, door-to-door sales. The cunning plan here is to appeal directly to the vast audience of unemployed youth by disguising the role as an enticing opportunity, only to send applicants on a ‘trial assessment’ selling their products around a neighbourhood, without pay. By the end of the day, applicants realise their time has been wasted, but the sneaky employers have just been given a willing workforce for the day, free of charge. Such exploitation should be more widely publicised to prevent others falling into similar traps.

This is not to say all employers and organisations are accountable for such negativity. Some deserve strong credit. I'm sure Capita won’t mind me mentioning them as a shining light amongst a largely unhelpful market. After just one stage in the application progress, I had received a personal phone call including very useful feedback and a positive endorsement to apply again once the scheme re-opened – it doesn't take much. Even a simple confirmation of a received application, followed by – ‘if you don’t hear back by… we thank you for your interest, but have unfortunately decided not to follow up on your application’ – would suffice. Keep pushing, job-hunters!

5 Small Steps to a Bigger Budget: The Student's Guide

     A flash car, designer clothing and the latest iPhone contract deal – leaving enough change to throw away at the casino. Whilst this may sound like every student’s ideal lifestyle, the reality of student budgeting simply doesn’t warrant such an irresponsible approach to personal finance. As obvious as this may sound, it’s surprising how many students you’ll find that fail to take simple and necessary precautions when managing their money, resulting in an early use of the troublesome ‘overdraft’ facility offered with your student bank account. However, your student life need not be a never-ending journey of financial despair. Here are 5 changes you should make that alone may have a trivial effect, but the combining effect could prove essential to your finances.

Leave the car.
Though a car may seem an easy getaway option – is it really necessary? The cost of the car isn’t even the issue here – but affording the running costs is something that can be avoided (and with petrol costs continuously rising, the money saved can be excessive). Don’t fall into the ‘taxi trap’ at university. One short trip may seem to only cost one or two pounds to your friends – but you will soon discover multiple trips are both costly, and expected.

Learn to cook!

Cooking is not only a valuable skill for surviving university life – but it’s remarkably cost saving too! Those who can’t (or simply won’t) cook soon discover the expense of regular takeaways and supermarket ready-meals. Your own ingredients will cost significantly less (whilst providing a healthier alternative, I may add) and don’t have to be less enjoyable. As they say, practice makes perfect!

Make use of student discounts.

Ask any graduate, they all miss student discounts! Discounts for students are available across an array of activities, goods and services – so make the most of them whilst you can! That doesn’t mean making a purchase simply because it’s discounted, but rather choosing a student deal over a full price.

Textbooks.

There’s most likely going to be a bookstore on campus, or nearby, offering those books required for your study. Don’t make the mistake of feeling you ‘have to’ abide by these often-extravagant costs. Use societies, tutors or message boards to buy second-hand books off previous students; search online, they’re often much cheaper; Buy an older version if your tutor says this is acceptable, they often lack any significant differentiation – meaning the price increase can’t be justified; and finally, sell your books on after use – someone will be in your position next year!

Ignoring those misleading ‘extras’.

Haircuts that cost £6 extra but come with a ‘free’ beverage; Student bank accounts offering a complimentary mug to all new account holders; ‘Exclusive’ phone contract deals ‘just for you’… These all represent obviously insignificant extras that continue to be surprisingly enticing for new students. Particularly with bank accounts, never jump straight for the first deal you’re offered. Be sure to carry out some research. A complimentary young-persons rail card is far more useful than all the pens, mugs and coasters a bank can throw at you.

Season Preview: Four Top-Tier Teams-to-Watch

Original draft. Written for 'Fireball UK'.

http://www.ignitethenite.co.uk/season-preview-four-teams-to-watch/

So with a new football season brings renewed optimism, growing excitement, new signings and universal hope across the nation. Some things never change - Nicolas Anelka has moved to his 138^th club, Wayne Rooney has handed in his annual transfer request, and Palace have been relegated before a ball has even been kicked (or so say every season review out there, and lets face it, they’re not wrong). But as Palace prepare for their 5^th Premier League season, with the previous 4 having ended in relegation, 4 teams in particular have been quietly making the positive changes required for a potentially memorable campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur
Okay, granted, it’s an obvious one, but hear me out. At the time of writing, Spurs are doing everything in their power to hold on to Gareth Bale, including prepping a young kid in their reserves to look exactly like Gareth so to confuse admirers (honestly, look up Kenny McEvoy and tell me that’s a coincidence). If by the time of reading Daniel Levy’s cunning plan has failed, and Bale has joined ‘CR7’ at Madrid, ignore this entire paragraph. He’s that good! However, if he stays, André Villas-Boas has assembled one very impressive squad. The addition of Nacer Chadli from FC Twente relieves at least part of the reliance on Bale and Lennon. In Roberto Soldado, Spurs now have a proven goalscorer to lead the line, with experience both internationally and during his time in Spain. Add Brazilian Paulinho to an already-impressive midfield-duo of Sandro and Dembele and suddenly Tottenham appear to be quite a force. Factor in the stability effect from holding on to AVB whilst Chelsea, Man City and Man United all face the new season with unknown-quantities in charge; alongside the benefits of owning one of the leagues’ strongest Goalkeepers; it would be foolish to bet high on Spurs not making Champions League qualification.

Norwich City

Call me a biased, blind-optimist all you like – few would argue Norwich haven’t already made significant changes this transfer window. In January, Everton reportedly bid over £8-million for midfield powerhouse Leroy Fer, only for a ‘failed medical’ to scupper the deal. The definition of the term ‘failed medical’, however, is somewhat ambiguous. Many reports indicate the term relates to the expected departure of Fellaini, which never materialised, and so Fer was no longer required. 6-months later and the Canaries have snapped up the Dutch midfielder for half the price, alongside fellow countryman Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Goal-scoring success has followed ‘the Wolf’ from Holland to the Portuguese League, earning him the opportunity to prove his worth in the illustrious Premier League – just in time for the World Cup, perhaps? Additionally, Martin Olsson offers an alternative to Javier Garrido at left-back, whilst also providing a pacy option down the wing, something which the Canaries noticeably lacked last season. The Hughton-factor enabled Norwich to beat off competition from the likes of Everton and Swansea to secure the hot English prospect of Nathan Redmond from Birmingham City, who was given his first professional contract by none other than Hughton himself. The most recent addition of Gary Hooper from Celtic doesn’t appear to signal closed business for Norwich either, with more additions likely. Expect a very different Norwich City from the rather dull and defensively-minded outset of last year.

 

Swansea City
‘Swansalona’ have taken the Premiership by storm since that fantastic Championship play-off final victory against Reading back in 2011, and don’t look likely to be heading back down any time soon. The most impressive factor of Swansea’s rise to football stardom hasn’t even been the development of their own distinctive brand of passing football; or their knack (or rather, luck) of discovering the bargain-of-the-season two years running in Michel Vorm and Michu’; or even the unbelievable story of midfield-regular Leon Britton who was a part of the Swansea team that fell to the very bottom of the football league only 10 years ago. Rather, most of the credit due to Swansea lies with their ability to not only deal with huge club departures that had seriously damaging potential – but to actually improve on those departures. Losing Brendan Rodgers could have seen an end to the Swansea-style of play, but instead Michael Laudrup came in and simply continued the trend. When Scott Sinclair made the choice to ‘progress his career’ in the Manchester City reserves, up stepped wingers Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge. The transition from Gylfi Sigurdsson to Michu went relatively unnoticed following Michu’s debut season-tally of 18 league goals. This year, the club-record signing of Wilfried Bony – once tipped to be the ‘next Didier Drogba’ – will provide vital goalscoring ammunition and lift the large burden of pressure from Michu’s shoulders. The combined effect could prove astronomical.

Cardiff City

With the South Wales Derby becoming a Premier League fixture for the very first time, Cardiff fans will be hotly anticipating the new season. After three failed attempts at promotion through the playoffs, Cardiff finally decided to take the automatic route - but at what cost? An image overhaul saw the ‘Bluebirds’ evolve into ‘Red Dragons’ with a new red kit colour and badge. Many in football, including Cardiff fans, saw this as an abandonment of their history. For many, success has simply been a smokescreen for the damaged reputation of their new owner. Aside from off-pitch controversy, Cardiff has the squad in place to really compete in the top-tier. The gap between the Premiership and Championship has expanded more than ever, but Cardiff holds the potential to be an exception. A clean-sheet tally of 18 over last years Championship campaign can be credited to a solid defence, with the strong addition of Steven Caulker from Spurs helping to ease the step-up. At the other end, 20-year-old striker Andreas Cornelius is a gamble following only one year of regular first-team football, in the Danish Superliga. Cardiff can take confidence from their goal-scoring potential all-over the pitch, aided by the threat Peter Whittingham and Craig Bellamy provide from set pieces. With survival a very realistic first aim, Cardiff fans should be buoyed by the prospect of top-flight football. Is changing back to blue too much to ask, maybe?

Now just sit-back and watch as AVB is sacked by November; Rooney reveals a ‘once a red, always a red’ message under his shirt; Anelka signs a three-year contract extension; Norwich slump to relegation; Bony turns out to be flop-of-the-season and Cardiff change their kits mid-season, to green. Oh, and Palace make their surge towards the top-half… Okay, apologies, I took it too far!