TOC for the new Forging Freedom anthology

Check out the table of contents for the forthcoming Forging Freedom II anthology.

Why we all love Sepp Blatter…

My article, ‘Why we all love Sepp Blatter’, has been published in the latest Home Defence UK update. You can read it here.

Match Report and Player Ratings: Manchester United vs Swansea

Prior to Saturday’s game against Swansea, there was a sense of giddy optimism swirling around Old Trafford. The new broom of Louis van Gaal was expected to sweep the place clean of the cobwebs of misery remaining from the David Moyes regime. United fans were quietly confident that a top four finish – and therefore a Champions League place for the next season – were well within reach. Some got way, way ahead of themselves and predicted United might challenge for the Premier League title. Buoyed up by the belief that the absence of European football might leave the path clear for a championship challenge (a la Liverpool last season) and with the “mad genius” new boss at the helm, reds were starting to believe again.

After 90 minutes of football, that bubble has now burst.

Those who talked of a 21st title have so much egg on their faces now. Those who calmly predicted a top four finish will be twitching uncomfortably. For there wasn’t much on Saturday to feel confident about. Prior to the game kicking off, there was much talk on the phone-ins about what United fans would consider a success for the 2014-15 season. I’m generally a pessimist where football is concerned (that way you sometimes get nice surprises). I said a good season would be an improved home record. Decent football. The reds putting up more of a challenge against our rivals.

That improved home record thing is already out of the window. Saturday was the first time since the early 1970s that the reds have lost the inaugural league game at home. And though the display showed more promise, more planning, than anything we were forced to witness in the dark days of Moyes, it was still Swansea. At home. Liverpool, city, Chelsea, Arsenal will all blow Swansea away at home this year. So will Everton. Spurs too.

So where did it all go wrong? We never looked like scoring really; the Rooney goal aside (and this was a result of poor-marking). Never created many chances. And after Swansea took the late lead, heads dropped. The midfield looked limited, and slow. The attack ponderous. The defence wide-open.

There has been talk that Van Gaal fielded such a weak-looking line up in order to force the board’s hand. To guarantee funds to bring in at least one new player over the remaining two weeks of the transfer window. But I will believe it when we see it. United have signed fewer players than ANY OTHER team during this transfer window, despite the fact we are in dire need of new blood. The two signings we have made were – coincidentally (hah!) – sealed the week season ticket renewal forms went out. Since then we have been unable to sign anyone. Despite all the rumours, Hummels, Vidal, Cuadrado et al have not come.

Hummels is perhaps the most sorely needed. An experienced, cultured centre-back is crucial for Van Gaal’s system. Hummels is a younger version of Rio Ferdinand. A Rolls Royce of a defender. And he is an admirer of United – back in the day, his eighteenth birthday present from his family was a trip to OT to watch United in the Champions League. And yet we can’t persuade him to come.

Hell, the Argentinian defender Rojo went on strike at his current club in order to force a move, and yet we still can’t sign him up.

Ed Woodward – the equaliser – has truly levelled the playing field in the Premier League. His incompetent bumbling, his omnishambles of three transfer windows surely leave him in an untenable position… Unless he is tasked with not signing players.

That would make sense, actually.

People make a lot of the fact that United’s most successful spell in their history has come during the ownership of the (vampire) Glazers. But during their regime the club has been caught up, and taken over, by a number of Premier League clubs, let alone the European powerhouses of Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern etc. Talent drains away from the club and is not replaced. They won’t spend. United should be up there with FC Hollywood, Bayern Munich. That is the size of the club. And yet the Glazer mentality is to do things on the cheap, to make a quick buck out of the club every season…

We’ve now fallen so far behind that we won’t catch up again without serious investment. And yet, under the Glazers, nobody can seriously believe this will come.

Sad, sad times.

PLAYER RATINGS FOR SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

David de Gea – 6 – Nothing to do but to pick the ball out of the net. Twice.

Jesse Lingard/ Adnan Januzaj – (6) 7 – LVG has a reputation for ‘discovering’ new positions for players but Lingard didn’t look a wing-back before he was taken off injured. Januzaj, played on the wing, sparkled for 20 minutes and dragged United back into the game, however faded towards the end. Was kicked repeatedly.

Phil Jones – 6 – An awkward display in the main, but some lung-bursting runs provided the power United lacked going forward. One excellent tackle in the second half.

Chris Smalling – 5 – Clumsy. Poor distribution. Often bullied by Bony.

Tyler Blackett – 7 – An assured debut. He looks a proper player. Only spoiled by his lack of nous in giving the ball back to Swansea too quickly at a free kick, meaning they could burst up the pitch and score while United were still regaining their positions.

Ashley Young – 6 – A mixed display. Some lovely touches going forward but looked a little scared by the defensive aspects of the game. First goal came from his side of the pitch.

Darren Fletcher – 6 – Whilst it is great to see Fletch back from illness, he has always been a limited player. His first instinct is always to go backwards.

Ander Herrera – 6 – One woeful first half pass aside, he looked good. Substituted, when probably Mata should have gone off.

Juan Mata – 5 – Lightweight, slow. A major disappointment.

Javier Hernandez – 5 – Less touches in his first half showing than even the non-involved ‘keeper, David de Gea.

Wayne Rooney – 7 – Though he was careless with his passing, Rooney remained the one true hope of a goal, and took his goal very well.

 

OUT NOW: ‘The Pride of all Europe’ Print Issue

The Pride of all Europe is now available in paperback. You can order your copy here.

Print Version of ‘The Pride of all Europe’ available this weekend

To mark the start of the new Premier League season (and the beginning of a new era at Manchester United), my book The Pride of all Europe is finally being released as a paperback. After a successful spell as an eBook only release, in which the book became an Amazon bestseller, the long-awaited print version will be out to buy by Saturday at the latest.

If you can’t wait that long, of course, you can always read the ebook.

Here’s the cover of the paperback:

Re-covered, re-titled, re-invented: ‘Hangingstone’ by AJ Kirby, OUT NOW

white house press

Following our successful New Myths series of novellas, White House Press are now delighted to bring you the first in our NEW SERIES of novellas – GHOST STORIES. And we start with a bang… or should that be a BUMP in the night… with celebrated author AJ Kirby’s tale ‘Hangingstone’.

‘Hangingstone’ is available to buy right here.

You may recall that ‘Hangingstone’ was first serialised – Dickens-style – on the Yorkshire-based The State of the Arts website, under the name of ‘Cow and Calf’. Well now the author has changed the title to something we felt was more ghost-story-worthy. And we’re delighted with the new artwork.

You can purchase the novella as an ebook today, with the paperback coming VERY SOON.

About the Book

‘Hangingstone’ is a supernatural tale of madness, motherhood, and revenge.

Set on the wild Yorkshire moorland near Ilkley, it is the story of one…

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Guest Blog on the Petit Fours website…

I’m guest blogging on the excellent US writing site, Petit Fours and Hot Tamales, today. You can read the blog here. Thanks to the guys and gals from Petit Fours for making me feel so welcome.

Match Report – Manchester United 3-1 Liverpool (Sun Life Stadium)

In this first in a new series of match reports I gnaw on the bones of last night’s final of the International Champions Cup (which sounds a bit like a match which would take place in Thunderbirds) between north west arch-rivals Manchester United and Liverpool (played a good 1000 miles away from the north west)…

First, great result, good performances from Rooney, Young (!), and Herrera (though he gave away far too many fouls). Rooney’s first goal was excellent and his second (which was disallowed) was very funny. Lingard took his goal well too.

And it could have been a lot worse. I didn’t see any possession stats for the first half but for 20-30 minutes only Liverpool had the ball (a Hernandez sitter aside). Of course they got their customary penalty (which wasn’t one) and moaned about one they should have had (which probably was). Thought Jones and Smalling were terrible in that 45. Clumsy, awkward on the ball, kept passing it straight out of play. Clangers waiting to happen.

Second half Van Gaal changed it and pushed the forwards further forward and moved Shaw and Young further up the pitch. Also he took Fletcher off which was crucial, as he was worse than Jones and Smalling. Herrera was vital in the build-up to Rooney’s goal, and Rooney took it very well.

After we went 2-1 up the result was never in doubt, I thought. Liverpool, for all their possession, were toothless in attack. Lambert in particular was useless, and Coutinho (who is supposedly to be offered a new, extended contract) wasn’t much better. Gerrard non-existent too.

Here’s my ratings:

de Gea – 6 (a good save from Countinho, but kept smacking the ball straight out of play from goal kicks)

Young – 8 (the best I have ever seen him in a red shirt. Will probably avoid the cull now. The 3-5-2 means United will play without wingers and we have quite a few of them at the club: they must reinvent themselves or leave, and Young seems to be at least trying. Can’t really say the same for Nani.)

Jones – 6 (stupid challenge for the penalty and poor decision making)

Smalling – 5 (looked like a pub player)

Evans – 6 (looks the most likely of the back three to retain his place)

Valencia/ Shaw – 7 (supposedly unfit, but got forward well in the second half)

Fletcher – 5 (gave the ball away as frequently as Smalling/ Jones)

Herrera – 7 (played crucial part in the Rooney goal, but committed persistent fouls which will see him booked at least in a Premier League game, could have given away a second penno)

Mata – 6 (took his goal well, but was lucky with the deflection. Looked amazingly slow when through one-on-one against Gerrard)

Hernandez – 6 (great ball for Rooney could be his last contribution for United. Was only offside once)

Rooney – 8 (very good, particularly at swearing after being kicked in the ribs by Slovakian telecoms company SKRtel.)

Apparently Cleverley came on as sub, but I never saw him once.

Andrew J Kirby is the author of Fergie’s Finest: Sir Alex Ferguson’s Greatest Manchester United x11, and The Pride of all Europe: Manchester United’s Greatest Seasons in the European Cup.

Interviewing Myself

Interviewing myself is an interesting (if solipsistic) experience. Following the writer Richard Smyth’s lead I’ve had a crack at it on The State of the Arts website (which also serialised my short story, ‘Cow and Calf’).

You can read it online here: http://www.thestateofthearts.co.uk/2014/08/04/aj-kirby-by-aj-kirby/

Friday Fun: Vote for the Cover Art for the new Forging Freedom Anthology

Freedom Forge Press been working hard on the next installment of their freedom-themed anthology – which will feature two tales by yours truly ‘Why can you never escape with escape?’ and ‘The girl who stunk of sun’ – and they are proud to announce that a cover reveal is within sight.

There’s only one problem. The freedom elves (who work voluntarily and not at all against their will) left the cover design machine on too long. And as a result, FF have ended up with more than one cover.

So it’s up to you – yes you – to come to the rescue and help them choose the best cover by voting. It’s just like the X-Factor (sort of). Anyway, here’s your link for voting: http://wp.me/p2cVwF-t0