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Ghaly puts Relegation rather than ACN on his CV

Date: 13-1-2008
Wrote: EP’s editor Islam Issa

It is simple. Hossam Ghaly's move will put a relegation from the Premiership on his CV. Paul Jewell admitted when he first entered the job that he would try to work towards the coming season, and this too isn't hard to explain

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    • "Ghaly should have greater ambitions at both club and national level"

    Derby County may be on course for the worst Premiership finish in history. In 2005-2006, Sunderland ended the season on 15 points, 25 short of the so-called safe 40. Derby had 7 points from 21 games, today making it 22. Their start to this season was one of the worst three in the league's long history.

    Ghaly it seems, is so keen to get back into the Premiership, that he gave up the African Cup of Nations, for Derby County. Yes, Derby County! Ghaly missed the 2006 African Nations triumph two years ago, and when he saw an Egyptian fan in England wearing an Egypt 2006 shirt, tears came to his face!

    The midfielder did not want to risk another half-season without playing, it seems, though it is thought that he had two or three more options from the Premiership. Ghaly should have insisted to stay with Egypt, or simply rejected Derby County for his country, many still believe.

    The performance of his team today added to that feeling, and analysts and pundits have tipped Derby as good as gone.

    Paul Jewell himself commented to the BBC:

    "I could never see us scoring.

    "We tried manfully but we're not bottom because we're unlucky. It's because we're not good enough, and that's a fact.

    "We've got to be bigger and stronger, and the players who are here have got to be better."

    Despite this, the Egyptian did receive praise in post-game radio reactions in England. He showed some glimpses of class, the fans remarked, though the other new signings didn't. He was also praised for his control, passing and commitment.

    Ghaly should have greater ambitions at both club and national level. Ambitions at the international stage would have got him a better club. Where have the seemingly old ideals of prioritising nation over anything else gone?


    In fact, by not going to the ACN, Ghaly almost risked not going to Derby as he has less than 40% caps for Egypt in the last two years, something which made his work permit uncertain. Though he has now obtained it, one will wonder whether he will be able to next time.

    Yes, Derby is a stepping stone for him to a new club in the summer, but why couldn't the African Nations Cup have been? In fact, players like Emad Motaeb and Amr Zaki are hoping to receive offers during the ACN and sign contracts with new clubs before the January window is over, so he could have done that too as he needs playing time until the summer.

    The English reaction to Ghaly's shirt-throwing incident has made him want to prove he is a committed player. He gave up the ACN for Derby, and the Rams fans know this. But he doesn't need to succumb to this. Anyone who follows him knows his commitment and professionalism. He didn't say a word when not getting a chance at Feyenoord. He played at right-back and right-mid a whole season for Spurs and didn't complain. He had his teeth kicked out going for a 50-50 challenge and came back on to play for Spurs!

    Ghaly has been unlucky and Tottenham have treated him badly, something we stick by him in. They denied him his bonus by not playing him one more game, and over-reacted to his passionate reaction after being subbed off. He wanted to perform better and that is why he threw his shirt, and in a multicultural English society, one expects cultural differences along these lines to be appreciated a little more. If Jermaine Jenas had done this, I challenge the same outburst of a reaction! Ghaly did not mean to insult anyone... And at Birmingham City, we stuck by him hugely. Birmingham had little patience and Ghaly was simply making honest comments, as EP reported through his agent Ton Poldner.

    But now, it is up to individual opinion to analyse whether Ghaly made a mistake... An African Cup of Nations medal (we hope) may for some, be better than two Premiership wins in sixteen games, which is probably something like what Derby will manage...

    (Parts of this article express the opinion of the writer)....