Bloomfield and McNamara's Premiership Team of the Noughties

As frequently happens when normal service is resumed after a holiday period the classic pub-chats flow without falter and this was very much the case last night. When my co-creator raised a conversation surrounding a Radio FiveLive debate involving pundits such as Steve Claridge, Graham Taylor, and somebody else who'd achieved just as little in a long, dragged out career which led to their talking nonsense about football after a long overdue retirement - it was our perogative to put them right. The debate of the Premiership team of the noughties led to some interesting names being thrown out by this circus such as Peter Schmeichel, Alan Shearer- I think the great Dennis Bergkamp even found his way into the side. All very way gentlemen - but these players made their names in the 90's when you were still threating over the shortcomings of your own twilight careers. So if you're going to make a Premiership team of the noughties let's have it right. Firstly we want players who made their names in the Premiership not just a who's who of football involving players like Shevchenko who was good before he came then not so good when he actually played.
Secondly we want a functional team with a proper system. None of this playing 3 at the back rubbish to accommodate all of the good centre backs - football management is about tough decision making which is why Graham Taylor and Steve Claridge are both now pundits. And most importantly we want to right the wrong of choosing 90's talismen over the true greats of the Noughties. Like it not this is our generation and its not being flooded by 90's nostalgia, although admittedly that would make a very fun game as well.

First of all the system. Tactics in the Noughties differ in two distinct ways to that that had gone before. The emergence of the 'Makelele role' inspired of course by the famous holding midfielder of Los Galactico's Real Madrid with his move to Ranieri's framework for Mourinho's great Chelsea team of 2004-07 in 2003. This will let us re-live one of the biggest debates of the noughties in the classic 'Gerrard-Lampard' feud and their supposed inability to play together in central midfield.
Secondly the utilisation of a role that we know thanks to Pro Evolution Soccer as the 'Second Striker' or on Football Manager as 'Deep Lying Forward.' This position was inspired by Bergkamp's successful partnerships behind Wright, Anelka and Henry with his unique brand of skill and finess complimented the main bread-winners speed and finishing ability in a way never seen before in a league which was build on partnerships such as Shearer-Sutton, Rush-Aldridge, Fowler-Collymore, and Cole-Yorke at the turn of the century. This is going to give us a real headache but we're sticking to our guns and using the Noughties systems.

The manager - easy - Alex Ferguson. 5 titles and a European Cup during this decade say that he was still the best manager in the noughties fighting off competition from Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho - and not a lot from Rafael Benitez.

Number 1.

Names such as Van der Sar, Lehmann and Cech were bound to be thrown around of course. David James has stacked his own claim as a goalkeeping great on several occasions before ruining them all with an act of lunacy on the international stage. One man stands alone for this post. A man who has kept goal superbly behind a host of disastrous defences since 1997 for Newcastle United and the Republic of Ireland before his move in 2009 to moneybags Manchester City. Named in the Premiership team of the season in 2002 and 2006 - Given's consistency as a great shot stopper and a fiersome organiser in a testiment to his reputation.
Number 1. Shay Given.

Number 2.

We want a tradition English style full back who people only openly rate as a great player when he isn't present. Eboue and Lauren of Arsenal don't quite fit that bill and this position was the only flaw in Chelsea's great sides meaning the answer is obvious. A mancunian through and through who has experienced success at every level of club football with the Old Trafford side. A defender who has adapted his game from a bombing overlapping right back to an assured defensive stalwart for his beloved United.
Number 2- Gary Neville.

Number 3.

Left backs of our era have been a little different to the right backs. Whereas the 90's was epitomised by the engine of Cafu to the elegance of Maldini on the other side before the ferocious Roberto Carlos burst onto the scene making left back the new fashionably attacking position. We're rooting for an athletic full back who knows no bounds at either end of the pitch. The only left back I have ever seen contain our number 7. Step forward Ashley Cole.
Number 3. Ashley Cole

Number 4.

Well we said that this had to be done and there are a few candidates for this role. The symbol of the 'Makelele' role Claude himself is limited in comparison to our choice of Number 4. Unfortunately Roy Keane saw his greatest day in 1999 by numbing Zidane in the Del Alpi and guiding United to the historic final at the Nou Camp with a sensational showing. No we need a man who saw his career go up in lights during this decade. How about a man who led his side to a bit of an unbeaten run? A man who led his side to a Premiership title in which his side were not beaten once in their awesome campaign? The only man I have ever seen play one twos from the half-way line into the area and apply a composed finish. This is no ordinary holding midfielder. This is a leader, a titan and unfortunately a Frenchman.

Number 4. Patrick Vieira (captain)

Number 5.

We want our number 5 to be a footballing centre half. More in the mould of a Beckenbauer to a Baresi. Well Ricardo Carvalho has had his moments and in our opinion he's a much bigger reason behind John Terry's success than the media give him credit for. A man who single-handedly quelled England's attack during the 2006 World Cup. But its not quite enough unfortunately Ricardo. You won your European title with Porto not with our very own Manchester United. A man who until recently was never questioned. A man who in 2002 drove England clear of Argentina's potent attack and is definitely not as people try to say now carried my Nemanja Vidic. Look what happens to Vidic when our Number 5 isn't playing!
Number 5. Rio Ferdinand

Number 6.

Now we want a partner for Rio who puts his head in ridiculous places. How about his European title winning partner Nemanja Vidic? How about his opposite number during that final, England captain and leader of Mourinho's Chelsea, John Terry. Maybe a fantastic centre half whose unrivalled determination led to a passionate European Cup in 2005, pathed the way to a consecutive final in 2006 and has unfortunately for you Jamie Carragher never been enough for you to win this league therefore I'm afraid you've been pipped to the post as well. What made the noughties great for English football? Was John Terry involved in it? No he wasn't. Now if I recall Neville, Cole and Rio all played in a rather decent match in 2001 together. Quite a good result for England actually. Can't for the life of me think who was playing centre back with them? Wait a second was it the man who led Arsenal's unbeatable defence without the support of a consistent partner? Was it the man who took Pompey to FA Cup glory in 2008? The man who scored in the European Cup final of 2007,  the World Cup of 2002, the European Championships of 2004 in which he was robbed of his lawful header and many more. Rio certainly isn't going to be nestling headers into the net from corners is he. Sol Campbell however, is.
Number 6. Sol Campbell

Number 7.

There's been a few good right wingers who have given a good number of left backs a vast array of different headaches over this decade. The emergence of the raw athletic speed dynamo comes in the form of Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott - while the good old clever, tricky customer is personified by the likes of James Milner and Joe Cole. We've also seen a few prolific goal scorers from this position with Freddie Ljungberg gaining a reputation for scoring important goals with his timely surges into the area. The question is what do you get if you combine each of these qualities? A right winger who can terrify with his pace, humiliate with his trickery and put defences to the sword with his deadly finishing. In 2009 he became the most expensive footballer on the globe as Real Madrid paid a record fee of £80m to prize him away from Old Trafford where he scored 84 goals in a 6 year stint. Love him or loathe him Cristiano Ronaldo is a genius of our time and his exploits have not been rivalled by any other. He won the league, the cup, and the Champions League with United and he'll do it again with Madrid.
Number 7. Cristiano Ronaldo

Number 8.

Steven Gerrard can't have a bad shout for the number that has been his own at Anfield during this last decade. Neither surely can Paul Scholes who exorcised the demons of missing out in the 99 Nou Camp Final by featuring in United's victory in Moscow over Chelsea. However it is the man who we believe to have been the linchpin of the Chelsea side who were defeated in the 2008 final and continues to maintain his astonishing goalscoring record from his drifting midfield birth. Despite being undully hailed by his Sky Sports pundit and cousin Jamie Redknapp as some kind of mythical God - its hard to imagine another midfielder with the passing range, shooting prowess and perfect timing of his untrackable runs of Frank Lampard. Lampard has been major in every Chelsea side of this decade and ultimately proved his qualities as a leader with an astonishing performance against Liverpool in the Champions League Quarter Final of 2009 where he outshone his opposite number scoring 2 goals in an emotional encounter. Chelsea's 5th top goalscorer of all time - not bad for a midfielder who is still very much a goal threat in every game he plays.
Number 8- Frank Lampard

Number 9- We were oh so tempted to part with our policy of a typical noughties style but we've stuck to our guns and are going to fulfil the criteria. The man to do it isn't half bad. A unique talent in every way with the poise of Bergkamp, the strength of Hasslebaink, and the aggressive edge of England's greatest number 9 in our eyes Alan Shearer. He captured the imagination of the noughties generation in 2003 with his wonder strike against the unbeatable Arsenal side at the age of only 17. Since then he has been the driving force at the spearhead of every England attack and has complimented some of the finest players of the decade whilst winning the league and European title with Manchester United. A man who can only really be summed up as a 'boy who made it' whose honesty had won over the football loving world. Once a blue and always a red,

Number 9- Wayne Rooney

Number 10- A man who probably due to his own awkwardness has never actually worn this number. A man who has seen off competition from fellow marksmen his entire career to break records all over the world. He stormed the Premier League, he dethroned Ian Wright, has held the World Cup, has enjoyed the European Championship and in 2009 he finally held the ever elusive European Cup. Thierry Henry has achieved everything in football which is was sets him apart from other great noughties strikers such as Michael Owen and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Although it sticks in the throat to pick him as his last contribution to the noughties decade was to cheat Ireland out of a World Cup place it would be ridiculous not to recognise the outrageous exploits of a trully unreal striker.
Number 10- Thierry Henry

Number 11- It would be wrong not to briefly mention the elegant Robert Pires and the improvisational Joe Cole in this next slot. However these greats of the game do not compare with our choice on the left wing. A man who has scored in every single Premiership season. A man who after his magical solo effort which teed up the United treble of 99 it becomes hard to imagine that he could have ever made the noughties his best decade. Well 70 goals from the left wing, 5 Premier League titles, 3 domestic cups and of course that memorable European Cup victory of Moscow 2008 says that Ryan Wilson certainly has. He has successfully adapted his style from the speed demon, dribble wizard who every left footed kid in Britain wished to emulate during the late 90's to a mature, devilish midfielder whose educated left foot and model professionalism is greatly owed.
Number 11- Ryan Giggs.

A decade of fallen heroes- For love nor money

2000-2010 has provided us with some of the greatest footballing talent the world has ever seen. But what has happened to honest professional who is revelled in for his human nature as well as his footballing talent? Why is that in our age of mass media where sportsmen are revered as role models that every hero appears to be in someway tainted? Let's take a look at the greats of our decade who have suffered from the 'Maradonna syndrome' and decide whether we are to 'forgive' or 'forget' them.

Gareth Barry

At the age of 16 Aston Villa paid Brighton & Hove Albion £2.5million for the young left footed prodigy by the name of Gareth Barry. His talents as a defensive playmaker were not discovered until slightly later in his 12 year stint at Villa Park and for a brief period he was in danger of  becoming a dogs body utility player due to the unstable nature of John Gregory and David O'Leary's squads. His ability to feature at left back or even as a left winger prevented him from showcasing his range of passing and classy touch in Villa's engine room until O'Leary finally began playing him regularly in a dynamic centre midfield duo in which he struck an effective partnership with Gavin McCann in 2003-04. Five years later Barry became one of the most valued midfielders in Europe and his guidance of Martin O'Neil's fledgling, young side filled with potential starlets such as Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor - attracted the attention of Rafa Benitez who loomed over the Villa captain as his long term replacement to Xabi Alonso who would later make his own big money move to Real Madrid.
The partnership of O'Neill and Lerner won the hearts of many football lovers as they refused to be bullied into selling their talismanic midfielder for what they saw as a cheap price to a Liverpool set up who have now become the midlands clubs rivals for the top 4 spots. Barry responded slowly in the 2008-09 season before turning the screw on Villa's authentic challenge to breaking the top 4 Premiership dynasty of Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Although Villa would eventually drop off and let their small squad size haunt them at the business end of the season, the team that Barry led marked what many wanted to be the beginning of a power shift in English football.
His leadership of O'Neill's young British side pathed his way into the plans of Fabio Capello's World Cup qualification campaign after England's humiliating failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Since the turn of the century Barry has won 35 caps for England and his presence has ended the famous 'Lampard-Gerrard' debate as he has very much made the number 4 shirt his own with a series of collected performances for his country.

Barry's fall from grace arrived with his fairly sudden exit from Villa Park for a big money contract at Eastlands becoming one of Mark Hughes' first summer signings with his unlimited cheque book. Despite being one of Villa highest paid players with a view to an improved contract - it is understandable for the Holte Enders to feel aggreaved at what one would say was a lateral move in terms of club stature. Barry's comments that City were 'going in the direction' he wanted to go in implied that his former club were not, despite the fact they had finished 22 points and 6 places above Mark Hughes' moneybags outfit.

Forgive or Forget?

Barry can pretend all he likes that his move was inspired by wanting to further his England opportunities or the potential of European football at the highest tier. At the end of the day his opportunity of a move to Liverpool back in 2008 would have provided this for him. Add Barry to the current Villa side and for me you have a team more than capable of pouncing on the floundering fortunes of Liverpool and securing a top 4 spot. Villa still lie ahead of City in the Premiership standings and have strengthened their squad with some intelligent dealings in the summer - unlike City's chaotic spending spree with has led to Hughes being sacked. With a side you would imagine was close to Gareth's heart finally looking as if they could fulfill potential; his plane ticket for South Africa already booked, and more money in the bank than any other player in the Midlands there was no need for Barry to move. For these reasons my verdict is to Forget him.

A decade of fallen heroes - The French Headmaster

2000-2010 has provided us with some of the greatest footballing talent the world has ever seen. But what has happened to honest professional who is revelled in for his human nature as well as his footballing talent? Why is that in our age of mass media where sportsmen are revered as role models that every hero appears to be in someway tainted? Let's take a look at the greats of our decade who have suffered from the 'Maradonna syndrome' and decide whether we are to 'forgive' or 'forget' them.

Zinedine Zidane

For me Zizou was the great of the early 21st century. He came into the year 2000 on the back of marking himself as the ultimate victor, leading his France team to World Cup Glory in 1998 to the delight of the hosting fans. His two first half headed goals in the Stade de France final against then 4 time winners Brazil were just one example of Zidane's all round ability. In a period where football personnel obsess with the idea of specific role assignment - there can be little argument that the Juventus and Real Madrid galactico was a playmaker, a ball winner, a link man and a defensive shield all elegantly rolled into one phoenomenal player.

Unlike many in his mould he certainly has the honours to back up his weighty claim to being an all time great. At the age of 23 Zidane showed his hunger for Continental success by punching above his weight with a Bordeaux outfit that advanced to the 1996 UEFA Cup Final through the UEFA Intertoto Semi Finals. Not for the last time in his career Zinedine was the victim of the German 90's dynasty with his Bordeaux side containing names such as Lizarazu and Duggarry succumbing to a 5-1 aggregrate hammering by rock solid Bayern Munchen. After underachieving with his French team in Euro 96 and being denied an opportunity for revenge at Wembley by the steadiness of the Czech penalty taking and being edged out by Boroussia Dortmund in 1997 with a Juventus side that he fast became the linchpin of - Zizou was more than a little bit fed up of second best. Despite rubbing shoulders with the likes of Del Piero, Inzaghi and Davids, Zidane and company were unable to repeat the success of 1996 and after being runner-up again in 1998 at the hands of Real Madrid - Zidane began angling for one of European footballs most noted transfers. After his move to Real Madrid which saw him become the maestro of Los Galacticos with Figo, Raul, Ronaldo and Casillas for company Zidane finally began to rack up the trophies. The ever elusive European Cup medal  came in 2002 where Madrid triumphed over outsiders Leverkusen at Hampden Park, with Zidane finally putting the German spectre to rest with a spectacular volley which clinched the win. By 2006 the Frenchmen had won it all. The World Cup in 98, the European Championships in 2000, a string of Italian and Spanish league titles and of course the European Cup of 2002.

The reason this outrageous individual falls into this category of debate is for the legendary headbutt in the Final of the 2006 World Cup which stole the limelight and provided the world with a point of remembrance for what was a dismal tournament. Zidane still walked away from Germany with the Golden Ball for leading an average French side to the final against Italy before being dismissed for violent conduct after headbutting Marco Matterazzi who is supposed to have made a personal comment which greatly offended Zizou. His stature as a role model to all young football supporters was marred by this act of rashness and unfortunately it was his last contribution to the beautiful game and what those who were not as honoured as I to watch his majesty on top form.

Forgive or Forget?

A verdict of some conviction I would imagine for most. Yes he was wrong and yes he put a blot on the otherwise impeccable landscape that was his career with his moment of madness. In some ways however it can be said that Zidane showed his humanity with his reaction to the jibes of the Italian centre half and he was punished appropriately by being denied the opportunity to slot a penalty away in the ensuing shootout. The great man is by far and away - Forgiven.

Wait or Date? {Redbrick Article}

I’m sat at home relaxing in front of the television and waiting for a text. I’ve been waiting for a good while now for the latest love interest to reply to a message I sent her yesterday. Am I beginning to feel more and more into her with every second that passes that she ignores me? Is it keeping me guessing as to whether she’s some kind of international woman of mystery and I should feel honoured when she eventually finds time in her day to text me back? Unfortunately not I’m afraid! Actually I’m just beginning to tire of the scenario and think she’s clearly either not interested or playing annoying games designed to impress me. In actual fact, I’m this close to just texting the girl I met last night and see how long it takes her to respond.

We’ve all been there, boys and girls alike and we’ve all got our techniques of defying the conventions of texting in order to make ourselves more attractive by keeping a safe distance. The only advice is you’re walking a tightrope if you think the constant gaming isn’t going to irritate people, and irritate them fairly quickly at that. So the next time you receive a text, write a reply, save it to your drafts and send it four hours later to keep him / her waiting, think about just how honest you’re actually being with yourself never mind the person who’s going to forget they’re even expecting a text from you after ten minutes without reply.

If you genuinely feel there’s a romantic flame with somebody why feel compelled to play them like a game? We all want the movie-made relationship but there’s nothing romantic about basically ignoring somebody for two days and then getting back to them with absolutely no apology or explanation. Do you want someone to fall for the you that grins and giggles a bit when they receive a text from somebody who makes them feel a little weird inside? Or do you want to trick somebody into thinking your some kind of unemotional machine who couldn’t give one about whether they’re falling into an infatuation or not?

To conclude I’d like to finish by saying that as a lad who’s confident and self respecting enough not to chase every girl that passes his line of sight (unless he’s had a few!), I won’t be waiting by the phone for you to text me back no matter who you are. I’ll think a lot more of you if you play an honest game and show me the same respect by replying as soon as comfortably possible. So let’s cut the games out and stop messing each other around. If someone doesn’t explain themselves after keeping you waiting for days, they’re just not worth your time or 10p for a text. If love is really a game, then we can use one of the age old principles of the beautiful game in saying that attack is the best form of defence in the pursuit of the winning goal!

Are you taking the Mick?

This was very much the question of over 2,500 travelling Wolves fans as they learnt in many cases less than an hour before kick off that the entire outfield had been changed from the victors of White Hart Lane who had secured the teams second away win against an in form Tottenham outfit. McCarthy certainly had his reasons for the extreme alterations as his injury ridden squad face relegation rivals Burnley at Molineux on Sunday, a game that only kicks off what is always a make or break Christmas period in the struggle for survival in English football's top flight. Despite McCarthy's dismissive tone stating that he was "not prepared to get injuries before the weekend." having lost Kightly, Keogh and Edwards already until late January at least - it has been suggested that his selection acted out of the spirit of the game and was most certainly seen as defeatist by the fans who had made the journey to Old Trafford.

The game itself (which I myself attended) did not reflect the hiding some may have expected the Champions to have handed out to McCarthy's second string and the United's own flaws were exposed by a backs to the wall half an hour in which the multi million pound attack looked hapless to break down a makeshift back pairing of loanee Michael Mancienne and unpredictable full back George Elokobi. The breakthrough was dubious to say the least with Rooney converting emphatically from the spot as Referee Steve Bennett spotted a handball by Ronald Zubar amidst the melee of players following a Darren Gibson corner that not one of the 22 players or 70,000 in attendence appeared to see themselves.

As the game wore on and the Gold and Black Army watched on as Greg Halford's long throw caused chaos in the United box and the lunacy of Thomasz Kuszack became a goal threat in itself - many began to wonder what might have been had the likes of Kevin Doyle, Sylvain Ebanks Blake and Nenad Milijas been on hand. McCarthy described in a post match interview to have already had at least 3 changes from the side that won at Tottenham forced on his through injury and exhaustion however many would argue this is no basis to all but surrender valuable points against an unconvincing United side on the premise that a win against Burnley is more important. Given the nature of inconsistent Premier League scorelines this year - the Molineux men were just as likely to steal a cheeky point at Old Trafford as they are to secure 3 points on home soil on Sunday.

On a more emotional level the team selection can be seen as an act of disrespect to the fans that paid to watch and the players that were denied the opportunity to play at the biggest stadium in the league. Surely ex United striker Ebanks Blake would have relished the opportunity to bite his former employers back, and childhood fans Karl Henry and Richard Stearman would have been honoured to have played for their beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers on the biggest stage of them all. As it happens the pressure is now piled on Sunday's game as in order to justify his decision McCarthy needs a fairly successful Christmas period starting with a win against Burnley that is by no means guaranteed.

Disgruntled fans voiced their disgust with chants of '40 quid to watch the reserves'; 'We want our money back' and 'Where is a first team.' There were still muffled renditions of 'Super Mick McCarthy' even on a night where many felt he had sold the loyal fans out. It is unlikely that Jez Moxey's merciless opinion towards the issue of refunding fans tickets will be ignored lightly on Sunday by a South Bank that has had no quarms about ridiculing the Chief Executive in the past for much more minor crimes than this. After Wigan's 9-1 pummelling at the hands of Spurs at White Hart Lane (ironically) was apologised for by refunding the humiliated fans tickets - at least The Latics faithful can take heart in the knowledge that their team simply did not turn up on the day and they met a relentless Defoe-Lennon combination at precisely the wrong time.

The Wanderer's away following have the added displeasure of knowing that the game was deliberately written off by their manager - who frankly should be appalled with himself for his ludacris suggestion of 'This is my first team' after he decimated the starting XI which beat the in form team outside of the current top 4 on their own patch. One fan who had taken his child to what he thought was 'the biggest day of the season' for his youngster told me that he had paid full price for a child ticket due to an administration error at the Molineux ticket office and that he had not been given a reduction refund as due to excess demand for tickets the club could afford to sell all of the tickets for full price.

In an albeit mixed season so far for Wolves having appeared to have just turned a corner I hope as a usually blindly loyal, optimistic fan that McCarthy's decision is proven to be wise and the fresh faced starting XI is back with a vengeance for Sunday's clash with Burnley - the team who first proved to the world that the Ronaldo-less United were anything but invincible with the shock they inflicted upon the reigning Champions at the fortress of Turf Moor. Let us hope and pray that this has not set the tone for all away fixtures that pose what is deemed as too much of a challenge and the energetic, attacking outfit that brought the Wanderers to the dizzy heights of the Premier League returns to pit their wits with the best of the best after yesterday evenings bizare events.

Where is the love?

I’m going to do my utmost not to turn this into a complete and utter rant however; this week’s topic is one which has been driving me a bit mental as of late. I’m in second year now and there appears to have been some kind of revolutionary movement in everybody’s minds that has basically caused them to have become obsessed with the idea of getting hooked up. Now I’ve been in relationships myself before believe it or not and I’m not trying to say that it’s a bad thing at all. With that said; is it really something that you want to live your life in constant pursuit of? What on earth has happened to the age old clichés of ‘There’s someone out there for everyone’ and ‘You find love when you’re not looking for it’?


As I’ve said I am in no way trying to discredit the joys and pleasures of being in a relationship with somebody you love because it’s one of the most enjoyable and secure feelings in the world. But there really are dangers of being over-zealous in your pursuit of Mr / Miss Right. Firstly you can end up scaring off potential partners with what they might perceive as a freaky enthusiasm to settle down and live happily ever after. How many times do you hear your friends complaining that a fledgling relationship is moving far too fast for their liking? It’s a big step to make and not one to be taken lightly by anybody. If somebody doesn’t seem hell bent on a practical engagement after a month or so of going out together it’s no scorn on you they may just need more time than you to adjust to the taken lifestyle. Lest we forget most of us have returned off the back of one of the worst behaved years of our lives regarding the opposite sex!

The second danger is that you dive headfirst into a relationship with somebody you don’t really know well enough and experience the sour side of love. Don’t give yourself away wearing your hearts on your sleeves just because somebody may seem compatible they might not necessarily be right for you. It’s a bigger commitment now than it was in high school and just because somebody’s quite attractive and likes the same music as you that doesn’t mean you should be writing your wedding vows after a week of knowing them.

For those of you that are a little the other way and are so scared of commitment that you’ll pick fault with the most perfect potential partner you’ll ever come across it’s perfectly normal to be a little confused. If you take things at your own pace and keep yourself at arm’s length until you’re ready to take dating to another level you never know how well things might turn out. Don’t beat yourself up about not falling head over heels in love with somebody straight away even, it doesn’t always feel right at first.

So to wrap up I think people need to just value themselves a little more. So what if a lot of your friends are settled down it doesn’t mean it’s a new fashion trend that you have to follow. Be honest with yourselves when it comes to how serious or casual you want relationships and dating to be and certainly don’t feel pressured into being convinced that somebody is your Mr / Miss Right. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Swings and Rebound-abouts {Redrbick Article}

We’re half way through the first term now which for some readers may well mean you’re looking back on the first half of a fast and furious fresher’s semester. Sometimes even students need time out to reflect as the rollercoaster ride of meeting hundreds of new friends; indulging in dozens of new experiences; relentlessly kissing your more attractive acquaintances and drinking your own body weight in alcohol can unbelievably leave you feeling a little alone. It’s not a unique phenomenon for young couples to be torn apart by the pressures placed on them by university, and some of you may have learned that it’s not necessarily the easiest place to handle a break-up.

Hopefully many of you have moved on, re-found yourselves as singletons and have rebounded your way into a ditzy carefree existence that will make you a blissfully ignorant student. There may be some however who have found that flying through Fresher’s at a million miles per hour has at times led you to crash into an unforgiving wall and left you crying for your mommy and wondering who you’ve become.

We all rebound in different ways and some admittedly can be more destructive than others. A common therapy is proving to yourself that you’re still attractive and it’s his / her loss by flirting and kissing every night away with whomever you see fit. If this has been your response and you’re now feeling a little regretful; you are not suddenly a whore; you’re not really trying to fill the void your ex has left as some will persuade you to believe. You’re reacting a little more impulsively when it comes to the opposite sex and merely taking advantage of your new found freedom, and sometimes taking it a little far. It’s really not that big a deal, but be mindful that you’re not leading potential partners on when you have no intention of requiting their interest.

If however the break up has affected you more severely; either due to a clingy ex, a completely uninterested one or simply a sense of utter disbelief, the excessive alcohol consumption will be the most lethal catalyst for the polarisation of emotions. One minute you’re on a massive high, enjoying a bit of a messy tear-up, the next you’ve had a phone call from an unwanted caller and your mascara’s dying your cheeks black with tears or your being restrained by your mates after attacking a wall. Everyone has a drunken tantrum, but to avoid it becoming a regular occurrence there are a few of things to consider. Is regular contact with an ex really healthy for you in your hours of vulnerability? Has student life been truly worth leaving someone you loved and if not is there a chance of re-building bridges? Finally, have you properly cleared the air with your ex partner, explained properly why the relationship had stopped working or listened to their reasons objectively as well?

Breaking up should be made easier by university but sometimes it really isn’t. You’re thrown into a world where you know no body and everybody at the same time, and you’re being asked to deal with a change in your life that you would usually do so with the support of your closest friends. You’re allowed to be upset, and don’t let the smiling faces around you feel you always have to bottle it up. Uni is a great place to be single, but it can be a bad place to become single.