Micah Richards has had a somewhat tempestuous relationship with the City faithful and backroom staff. At one time worshipped by the Blues faithful the Blue's powerhouse is going through a torrid time of it at the moment. Is it the end of the road for Micah or is there hope lying around playing at the DW Stadium?
Bursting onto the scene in October 2005 in a debut sub appearance against Arsenal, Richards was a revelation. He scored a bullet of a header against Aston Villa to award the Blues an FA Cup replay and was praised by fans, players and pundits alike not afforded since Wayne Rooney came through the ranks at Everton. He ran away with the club's Young Player of the Year award for 05/06 and things were only just getting started for the Birmingham born lad.
Sven Goran Erikson rated him very highly, Carlos Tevez admitted that he was the hardest opponent he had ever played against and MOTD pundits slavered over his powerful performances alongside Richard Dunne.
So high in the public eye was he that when he swore in his first post match interview on national TV nobody batted an eyelid. Such is the luxury afforded to stars on the rise in England. He was confident, quick and showed strength at the age of 16 that most 35 year olds can only dream of.
On 15th November 2006 Richards won his first England cap against the Netherlands after regular right back Gary Neville withdrew through injury. It made him England's youngest-ever defender, breaking the record previously held by Rio Ferdinand.
This season, with Zabaleta proving that he's not the long term answer to the Blue's rightback birth, Richards knows he is in the last chance saloon and must grasp it with both hands if he is to make it at City.
Now lets take another young prodigy that was thrown onto the scrap heap. He too was coveted as a future England regular and was quickly signed up by Newcastle in in July 2002 for £6 million, vowing at the time to make himself indispensable to then manager Sir Bobby Robson.
He had physical presence, poise, calmness on the ball and a maturity that far outweighed his young years. He was to become the next England linchpin. But he hit a plateaux in his development and things started to spiral.
At the end of the 2003–04 season, fans of a well known newspaper voted Bramble as the worst player of the year in the English Premiership.
One reader wrote: "Titus's occasional flash of brilliance is heavily outweighed by the total inability to think before attempting what inevitably turns into a hashed clearance, a mistimed tackle, an own goal or a penalty for the opposition."
Its not too harsh to say that at this point he became a laughing stock and was the butt of many a jokes and he was shipped off to Wigan.
So why is this person important? Well yesterday at the DW stadium this same player proved that he has not only reinvented himself, but could actually be an outside shot for the world cup next year.
He has had a tough time from a few people, totally unfair in my opinion. He just needs to carry on showing what he can do for Wigan.
'Titus has been our Player of the Year this season. He has been superb and deserves all the plaudits because he has taken some unfair criticism throughout his career and now he is throwing it back at his critics which is great.
Chris Kirkland
Wigan Goalkeeper
With Ol'Duckface having a nightmare at the back for the Rags and John Terry not being able to rediscover his form of two years ago, it seems that not all is well in the position that not so long ago everyone thought was a given.
The likes of Ledley king and Spurs team mate Woodgate are in danger of breaking Darren Anderton's sick note record and Upson neither good nor fit enough to lead the Three Lions Vanguard. City's Lescott has a lot of work to do to prove his worth and with Nedum Onuoha not getting a game and having problems with injuries himself, it seems that Richards and Bramble might not be the laughing stock come summer time.
At least they'll see it that way. If Richards can make the most of the suspension to Pablo 'Reckless' Zabaleta and keep his place in the team, then his versatility could give hi,a suprise inclusion to the England squad come next summer.
He has many flaws to his game none more so than his positioning and reading of the game. He also has to learn when to leave unwinnable balls and to concentrate for the full duration of the game.
MARK HUGHES ON MICAH
"He had a lot of success very early on in his career and sometimes for young players they feel that's how it's going to be all the time."There's always going to be a time when that judgement of you as a player plateaus out and people start looking at you with a more critical eye.
"That's what has happened to Micah. But he's working harder and he knows he's not the finished product yet.
"We work hard in training every day and set certain standards that everybody has to get to. No one is allowed to ease off.
"We ask for intensity in their work and if Micah's not running around on a daily basis then he gets reminded of that."
"What Micah needs to do is establish himself in our team and have a body of work in terms of good performances over a long period,"
"It's difficult for Micah because it seems that the England World Cup squad, barring a few surprises at the end, looks set in stone."
Of course, Bramble will also be hoping that his form continues and that Wigan can stay in the top half. On yesterdays showing why not? So Micah take note and prove to the people that matter most that you can find that next level. If you do the world and its oyster will be yours to lap up.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment