1. Brave referee deserves immense credit
IN MODERN FOOTBALL in particular, there is a sense that referees too often abdicate responsibility at crucial moments during games.
If a big call needs to be made, the safe option from a referee’s perspective is to simply do nothing and allow play to continue.
Officials are far more likely to be remembered for an incorrect decision than a non-decision.
While referees are sometimes accused of aspiring to be the centre of attention, generally the opposite is true — they don’t want to be talked about after the game, and the less the focus is on them, the better they have performed in many cases.
Sometimes though, there is an element of cynicism in officials’ thinking. A good example was in the 2016 Chelsea-Tottenham clash.
Then-referee Mark Clattenburg later suggested Spurs players should have been sent off, but indicated he deliberately refrained from issuing a red.
“I allowed them (Spurs) to self-destruct so all the media, all the people in the world went, ‘Tottenham lost the title,’” Clattenburg told NBC’s Men in Blazers podcast.
“If I sent three players off from Tottenham, what are the headlines? ‘Clattenburg cost Tottenham the title’. It was pure theatre that Tottenham self-destructed against Chelsea and Leicester won the title. I helped the game. I certainly benefited the game by my style of refereeing.”
Clattenburg’s brutally honest recollection seemingly confirmed what many fans and critics already believe — that referees are more interested in self-preservation than making the correct call as they see it at the time.
However, it would be unfair to tar all officials with the same brush and tonight demonstrated why.
English official Michael Oliver could easily have done nothing, when Medhi Benatia impeded Lucas Vázquez in the box in stoppage time of a highly entertaining second leg Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus — it was not an entirely clear-cut penalty in real time.
If he had ignored Real’s claims for a spot kick, it would likely not have been a major talking point in a game of constant thrills.
In the end though, in the most tense circumstances imaginable, Oliver bravely opted to make the controversial-but-correct decision and award Real a penalty.
As Didi Hamann pointed out on RTÉ afterwards, he probably should have sent off Benatia as well, but it mattered little as Ronaldo hammered home the decisive goal with impressive assurance.
The subsequent reaction of Gianluigi Buffon and others in the Juventus team to this big call was unacceptable, and the goalkeeping legend was rightly given his marching orders as a result of overly aggressive protests.
It is a sad way for the 40-year-old to bow out of European football (provided he doesn’t make another u-turn as he did with the national side).
Buffon is a popular figure in the game not only for his achievements but also for his comportment and surely on reflection, he too will realise that his behaviour in this instance was unsavoury.
Oliver, meanwhile, can reflect with the satisfaction of knowing he got a pivotal decision right, despite the endless abuse he was required to put up with afterwards.
2. Is Jupp Heynckes the most underrated manager in football?
When Jupp Heynckes took over Bayern, they were in considerable difficulty by their high standards.
The German club started the season unconvincingly, and Carlo Ancelotti departed after a relatively brief stint in charge.
The 72-year-old former West Germany international has since played a big part in turning things around at the club.
Granted, the Bundesliga is by no means the most competitive league in Europe, but claiming a sixth title in succession on Saturday should still not be scoffed at.
And Heynckes has now guided the club to the Champions League semi-finals, after a fairly convincing defeat of Sevilla over two legs.
Should he go two steps further and help the club triumph in Europe, it would surely consolidate the veteran coach’s status as the most underrated manager in the game.
After all, he departed Bayern previously in 2013, after guiding the club to a treble that included a Champions League success. They haven’t won the trophy since, despite the many millions spent and the subsequent tenure of the more high-profile and much-lauded Pep Guardiola.
3. Liverpool’s attack proves it is up there with the best in Europe
At the start of the season, few people would have tipped Liverpool to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The future of star player Philippe Coutinho was uncertain, while new signing Mo Salah had previously struggled to make an impact at Premier League level with Chelsea and there were doubts as to whether he would justify his €42 million price tag. On top of all that, the Reds’ defence at times looked like a disaster waiting to happen.
And while not all of these issues have been entirely rectified — their backline looked nervy and error-prone in the first half on Tuesday night — it is clear that Liverpool have improved immeasurably over the course of this season.
Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson have given the defence a more solid look, 19-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold is constantly improving, while their attacking trio of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are up there with the best in Europe in terms of ability.
In addition, the £35 million signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which was derided by some critics at the time, is increasingly looking a wise investment, with the ex-Arsenal man providing plenty of pace and power in the middle of the field, while scoring a crucial goal in the emphatic 3-0 first-leg victory over City at Anfield.
And as dynamic as Mane and Firmino have been, there is no doubt that Salah is the single biggest reason for the Reds’ attacking excellence.
There are endless stats to back up this assertion. Liverpool have now scored 33 goals in the Champions League — the most by an English side in a single campaign.
Salah and Firmino now hold the joint club record in terms of goals for Liverpool in a single European campaign (8).
And Salah has been directly involved in no fewer than 50 goals in all competitions for his side this season (per the BBC) — 39 goals and 11 assists.
4. Man City’s Champions League woes continue
Manchester City are about to seal a third Premier League title in seven seasons, but the Champions League trophy remains elusive.
Conquering Europe has always been the ultimate aim for City’s owners. It is essentially why they made such great efforts to recruit Pep Guardiola, enabling him to become the best-paid coach in the world, and why they assembled the most expensive squad in history.
But given the money that has been pumped into the club, their form in Europe has been distinctly underwhelming.
The record in the Champions League in the past six seasons indicates as much — they have exited three times in the round of 16 and once each in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and group stages.
Perhaps more so than ever, these two Liverpool clashes felt like a big missed opportunity.
At their best, Guardiola’s side will feel like they are a better team than Jurgen Klopp’s men, and much of the evidence in the Premier League this season has backed up that belief, with the Reds currently trailing their rivals by 17 points.
They can justifiably complain about Leroy Sane’s disallowed goal on Tuesday — a pivotal moment in the tie — but there is no doubt that Liverpool were the better side over the two games and deservedly went through.
After plenty of hype and suggestions of a quadruple at one point, there is no escaping the sense that a memorable season is ending in decidedly anti-climactic fashion as far as City are concerned.
5. An upset no one saw coming
Last season, a Neymar-inspired Barcelona produced arguably the most incredible comeback in Champions League history, scoring three goals in the dying minutes to prevail 6-5 on aggregate against PSG.
This year, the Catalan side imploded almost as spectacularly against Roma.
Having led 4-1 from the first leg, few people gave the Italians hope of going through, but a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture saw them claim an improbable triumph.
It was a big shock, particularly as Barca have been in excellent form domestically, topping the league while on course to go the entire La Liga season unbeaten.
They also have an impressive defensive record in the league, having conceded only 16 goals in 31 matches.
However, Tuesday night was a reminder that there is a big difference from the level they are used to when it comes to the latter stages of the Champions League.
The majority of the matches Barca play in Spain would invariably see them come up against vastly inferior sides with limited attacking ambitions.
Roma, meanwhile, have an excellent home record — this week was their fifth consecutive Champions League clean sheet at the Stadio Olimpico.
But such factors only go some way towards explaining Barca’s dreadful non-performance for which they have been rightly hammered — it almost overshadows their astonishing La Liga record and had all the signs of a team beginning to believe their own hype.
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Good luck and thanks joe
Thanks for the good times Joe. We had many.
Enjoy your time with your family,
you deserve it.
He’ll go back to rugby that’s for sure . He could make a decent substitute for Nucifora as High Performance Director for the IRFU . It’d give him better family time and we won’t have to see him against us ..
@Limón Madrugada: why is Nucifora leaving?
@John Thomas: his contract is up in 2021 I believe
@Limón Madrugada: he could take the real madrid job….
@Hanzee: I’ve no doubt he’d make a better fist of it than Lopetegui . But he’d sleep even less and the attention from the ladies would surely turn his head and he’s a family man.
@Limón Madrugada: Zidane
@John Jones: is that code for something . I’m well aware that Zidane is the coach of Real Madrid , it was Lopetegui who got fired …
@Limón Madrugada: Lapotegui is only two points behind though
@Dave O Keeffe: 2 points a la Liga trophy and 3CLs behind
@Limón Madrugada: ah yeah but Zidane never won the u19 and u21 euros. Be pretty amazing if Lapotegui won the league or the CL three times in a few months.
@Dave O Keeffe: it’d be even more amazing if there was a coach called Lapotegui …
There is always a Job for the Best and you are the Best You have taken Ireland to the Top
Thank you and Good Luck in the Future
@pat seery: How has he ‘taken Ireland to the top’? Do you not remember that Ireland got hammered in the quarter final of the RWC again only 3 days ago?
@mar: they were literally number one in the world coming into the tournament
@Andrew Doyle: for 1 week
@bmul: yes the top, as stated
@bmul: Agustin Pichot, Vice-chairman of World Rugby had the following to say about Ireland being ranked No. 1:
“It’s ridiculous! I’m going to change it,” “It is all mathematical and I would say that it is almost a matter of marketing.” (quotes taken from an article in the Irish Independent).
The Vodafone Ireland #teamofus in the RWC was a marketing scam. The bubble burst quickly but some still seem to #believe.
@mar: I’d say you fall into the bracket of people that likes to see others fail
@John Jones: I’d say you quickly jump to conclusions about people.
@mar: Nobody listens to Augstin Pichot. He’s a dope.
@mar: Grow up mate
@Patrick N O Leary: If you still think Joe brought Ireland to the top and that the No. 1 ranking in any way reflected reality then no doubt it’s you who needs to grow up.
@Andrew Doyle: all that says is the ratings are a joke
@mar:
You are a assho@# with an childish mind: We got beaten by the real No. 1 in the world :: Joe never accepted that flash position as most of us real Rugby Fans did not either :: What Joe brought was a very high position in World Rugby, one we never got near before :: I have been following it since the 60s and Joe got us in a place I had never seen. In 2018 we were the closest at 1, 2, 3 which ever you want but we had beaten ALL the top teams in the World (N Z 2 times ) We got beaten by the real No 1 in the world 3 days ago and no body with any sense though different :: BUT YOU DID :: that says a lot about you and your knowledge of Rugby::
I will say it again you are a childish ASS@# with a nasty agenda against out game ::PISS OFF IMO IMO
@Martin Quinn: you are some dose
Thanks Joe. You are a legend. Enjoy the time with your Family. The team has excelled under your Management. It’s been an incredible ride
@Jason: they have not.
Remember the game at soldier field? The pit of sheer excitement and disbelief in your stomach at witnessing that spectacle, Ireland, like monsters, doninating the ‘All Blacks’, the physicality, perfect skills, and fully determined, making history from the off. Unbelievable! One of those events you remember with crystal clarity. Only one of many! There was no show like the Joe Show
@Daimhín De Naois: Got stuffed when it mattered though
@will: call over Will. I’ll piss in your chips for you. Save you the bother
@will: every game matters to the All Blacks. That’s what makes them so damn good!
@will: yes they did but let’s not forget the mighty NZ were the best in the world from 1990 to 2006 and still kept losing in QFs and SFs including great legends of NZ rugby. Failure is not the ultimate definition , nor is success . You would have learnt that doing your grinds at Leeson St.
@Daimhín De Naois: you also remember not so long ago, the mighty Aussies, well beaten by England, trouncing the All Blacks. Hyperbole of the highest degree.
@Daimhín De Naois: Rugby doesn’t really float my boat but I cannot for the life of me understand why “fans” put so much value in these Test/Challenge games ? Surely winning last weekend or the previous other Q/F collapses is the only measurement of achievement on a world stage ??? I’m a long suffering Galway hurling fan, I’ve seen enough failure and thankfully some success to know the difference…
@Groundhurling: In any sport it’s up to those participating, and to a certain extent those spectating, how important any game is. Rugby has a long tradition of competitive test matches. Before 1987 there was no world cup and only the 4/5 nations and test matches. Obviously the arrival of the world cup pushed test matches down a rung in terms of importance but there’s no reason for them to suddenly become meaningless. I doubt anyone disputes that winning a Q/F trumps winning an Autumn test. Is it because friendlies in soccer and challenge matches in GAA are meaningless that people can’t get their heads around rugby tests carrying some value?
@Daimhín De Naois: what year was that again?
@Groundhurling:
Stick to the GAA then :: and you got an A I only a few years ago so why compline ::there are teams who have not won in years :: and don’t tell us how we are feeling
Brilliant coach , the best we have ever had. Sport is cruel . You can be brilliant for years and then just for whatever reason don’t perform for a short period and all your hard work can seem to be undone in a few minutes .
He has given us some great days and was a gentleman to boot .
Best wishes to Joe and his family
Thanks Joe. You are a legend. Enjoy the time with your Family. The team has excelled under your Management. It’s been an incredible ride
@Jason: we’re a GAA country, punching above our weight in rugby. 2200 GAA clubs vs 200 rugby clubs. We can’t compete against Southern hemisphere in matches that really count bar glorified money spinning friendlies.
@Peadar: all the more of an achievement to go to Number 1 in the world with such a low amount of rugby clubs. Think you need to elevate your viewpoint, if only for yourself Peadar
@Peadar: New Zealand have 141 thousand registered players. We have 95 thousand. We’re not battling overwhelming odds here, yet we have only ever won 2 matches against them (both under Schmidt). South Africa and England Both have far greater playing numbers than the all blacks and throughout history have mostly been inferior to them. Money, resources and playing numbers will only get you so far. Ireland are aswell resourced as is possible, rugby receives greater coverage and promotion than any other sport in this country despite it not being the most popular (but is loved by the ruling class and that’s what matters really isn’t it…) and we’ve never been beyond the last 8 of a World Cup.
In the last three world cups before this one we’ve gone out to Argentina twice and wales once. Both countries of similar player numbers and we were hammered on each occasion just like we were last weekend.
We went to world number one a few weeks after England put nearly 60 points on us! That ranking system is a sham.
We just aren’t good enough and never have been when it matters. Simple as.
@John drennan: Ruling class? Ffs.
@Cian: IRFU states there are 194,300 registered rugby players in ireland.
NZRU states 156,000 registered players
@Walter Obrien:
I stopped reading John drennan post when that came up ::”the ruling class”
He is an assh@#@ and I told you before you should know something about Rugby before you comment and here again you are doing it.
Regarding N Z :: I have been there and those numbers mean nothing :: When a N Z baby (male and Female ) is born, it comes out of with a “Baby birth Ball” in the position for passing. All they want to do is play for N Z :: we face the GAA (Hurling and Football):: Soccer and forth comes Rugby :: and our baby’s just have the love of their parents to get them through:: you can use figures anyway you want but it is what is in the sole and in NZ it is Rugby
It is sad to read an Irish Poster agreeing with some other Country troll:: you should be ashamed
Your a legend. Thank you
Thank you Joe for all of the good times good luck and enjoy the time off.
Yup
I don’t think we would have had Chicago without Joe
Honestly, one of the best weekends ever
Too loyal to the older crew joe
@Tony Mcgrath: on the balance of performances that’s too harsh, has been and will be the best return from a coach we are likely to have for years.
Joe Schmidt should be convinced to stay involved with the Ireland rugby team in some capacity. We will need him.
@J. Reid: I agree. I’d say he’d jump at a chance to right the last few weeks. I’d love him to take a special role with academy players or send project teenagers to him in NZ. No better man to take a break and analyse his errors and adapt. He learnt more than IRFU did.
Joe, you’re the best we’ve ever had! You owe us nothing, we will forever be in your debt. Good luck and every happiness to you and your family.
Think we were spoilt for the past 6 years. Anyone here saying otherwise will be regretting it. 6 nations time we will be lucky to get past Italy/Scotland Our card is marked. Thanks Joe, you will be sorely missed, pity it didn’t work out to go out on a deserved high.
A highly talented coach and a gentleman to boot. Thanks Joe, good memories, best of luck for the future. Irish Rugby is in a better realm thanks to your hard work and commitment.
Thanks for the good times joe, But let’s call a spade a spade, 2019 has been a disaster and theirs no getting away from it, the 2015 quarter final defeat vs Argentina was the one that got away.
@Alan Brazil: what has that got to do with this article? Are you just going to crawl into every article to bang the same drum? We know 2019 was a dissapointment, we all saw that for ourselves. Nonetheless, he’s the best and most successful coach we’ve ever had and its no surprise he’s had offers… Which, I must remind you, is what this article is about.
@Brendan Heery: Good for him, no f
@Alan Brazil: finished with Irish international rugby now until the 2021 six nations
@Alan Brazil: A true Irish rugby fan, ill be looking out for you.
@Alan Brazil:
You were always finished with Ireland :: all your posts were anti Ireland ::dont give us this chrap of 2021 :go off and don’t come back ::OK ::OK
France hoping to get him.
@Brian Farrell: there’s a job opening in Australia at the moment. Although I’d love to see him take a Pacific island team like Fiji and turn them into a tier 1 nation.
Thanks for the memories Joe enjoy your time with family
Thanks for the incredible entertainment & pride Joe, you’ve worked so hard & I have enjoyed every minute of your tenure
Thanks for the memories Joe and may an incredibly lucrative offer fall in your lap in due course. You deserve no less.
A Great Coach But above all a real gentleman.
About to take off for Tokyo. Had high hopes like Joe and the team but such is life. 2018 and previous years were incredible and for sure we enjoyed every moment of the games and celebrations.
Wishing him the very best for his year ahead and wishing the team rest and regrouping.
Meanwhile there are some great games to enjoy for the next two weekends.
In terms of 6 Nations and one off tests his era was a resounding success. However in terms of World Cups it was a resounding failure.
@Patrick Jackman: the same could have been said about Graham Henry and Steve Hansen up to 2011 … without so much success at 6N but obviously plenty at Tri Nations .. and they got slaughtered back home for it , as did John Mitchell etc ..
No
When it’s done, it’s done
I’d love to see him step down a few levels, relax and rediscover his more relaxed side.
@Eddie Hekenui: he’ll never be stuck , he’d be the perfect guy for WR to parachute into the Tier 2 qualifiers in the 12 months prior to a RWC . Daniel Hourcade was assistant coach to Portugal in 2007 all covered by WR .
@Limón Madrugada: He’ll definitely have a job sooner rather than later. World Rugby pay for the coaches of a lot of the Tier 2 teams but I can’t see Schmidt going that way yet. Maybe down the line but he’d be far too in demand now. He’s also spoken about going home and having more time with family so I think he’ll end up in the Mitre 10 or Super Rugby in the next 18 months. I’d like to see him help out in a school in NZ for the next few months though. It’d be a great way to recuperate.
@Eddie Hekenui: Blackrock college has dibs on him in Ireland :-) .He would be an awesome addition to Spanish rugby that’s for sure .
Thanks for everything you gave Irish rugby Joe at Leinster and Ireland. You took it on to another level entirely. A sad end no doubt and maybe 2018 was the peak when we won everything. Irelands demise this year struck me as a bit similar to Fergie somehow winning league in his last year at ManU with a fairly ordinary squad then they fell off a cliff after that. How could same players perform so differently in a year. One thing that stands out for me in relation to how good Joe is how players speak of him. Almost uniformly positive and that he was best coach they ever worked with and he improved them as players. Even older guys nearing end of their careers like POC, shaggy and Best. I look forward to hearing stories behind the scenes in future biography. Enjoy the break Joe.