tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37828883867891665442024-01-06T09:28:50.450+00:00The Frustrated FootballerTom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-6527293820921092642012-01-25T18:40:00.002+00:002012-01-25T19:53:31.557+00:00Younes Kaboul - the exception to the rule<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CTOM%7E1.NAS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="address" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="Street" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">They say in football, as in many other things, that you should never go back. Harry Redknapp is seemingly on a one-man mission to disprove that theory. On arriving at Tottenham, Redknapp re-signed several of Tottenham’s outcast players. Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Pascal Chimbonda and Younes Kaboul all were welcomed back to</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial;">White Hart Lane</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">. Keane, Chimbonda and Kaboul had barely left the club when they came back. <i>(The less said about Redknapp’s own flip-flopping around <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1:place></st1:city></place></city> at the moment, the better – at least while the court case is on-going…)</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.teamtalk.com/11/10/640/Younes-Kaboul-Tottenham-Hotspur-Player-Profil_2670972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://images.teamtalk.com/11/10/640/Younes-Kaboul-Tottenham-Hotspur-Player-Profil_2670972.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Of those that returned, only Defoe and Kaboul remain – both brought in from <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Portsmouth</place></city>, where Harry had signed them just a year before. He’s got his favourites, has Harry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Younes’ first spell at Tottenham was not an unmitigated success. Plus points of power, aggression and a love for surging forward where outweighed by negatives of poor concentration, unpredictability and a love for surging forward at the wrong moments. Tottenham finished a disaapointing 11<sup>th</sup> in the league in Kaboul’s only season of his first spell at Spurs, with a goal difference of only +5. Sure, Kaboul scored 3 of those league goals, but he was surely at fault for many more of those conceded. He fell out of favour with boss Martin Jol, and also with doomed replacement Juande Ramos – although falling out of favour with Ramos must now be seen as a positive thing for any Spurs fan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Helping Spurs lift the League Cup in 2008 wasn’t enough to secure his continuation at Tottenham, and he was sold to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Portsmouth</place></city> for £6 million – a £2 million loss for only 29 games. Redknapp was the Pompey boss that signed him, and obviously felt that his instincts were right about the powerful Frenchman, as he brought Kaboul in amongst several other signings from Pompey, as the south coast club went into financial meltdown – not for the last time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Kaboul’s second spell at the North London giants has coincided with their rapid turnaround, from rock bottom of the Premier League under the ill-fated Ramos reign, to the current Redknapp revolution taking place, as Spurs look for Champions League qualification. IN some quarters they are even being talked about as league title contenders, they certainly play some of the best football in the country at the moment. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Kaboul is now a regular in the starting eleven, and has written himself into club folklore with some important goals for the team. He has seemingly ironed out the inconsistencies that plagued his debut on these shores, whilst retaining the swashbuckling nature that sees him charging gleefully up the pitch on occasion. Importantly, he has learnt to judge when to do that – important when you consider that Tottenham play with attacking full-backs Assou-Ekotto and Kyle Walker. Choosing the right moments has seen him score some important goals - he scored with a fine, powerful header against North London rivals Arsenal to break a 17 year hoo-doo, and on Spurs 125th anniversary he scored the equaliser in a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa in his first period at the club.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/2652116/136372441_extra_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="212" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/2652116/136372441_extra_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">He’s become such a solid presence at the back that he wears the captains armband in the absence of fellow centre-back Ledley King, who’s knees prevent him from starting every game. It used to be Kaboul who made way for King, now he’s almost ever present. Redknapp has partnered him with Dawson, King, Bassong and Gallas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">His performances have earned him 5 senior national team call-ups, and at the age of only 26 he is one of the players Redknapp will have to keep hold of if Spurs are to continue raising their own expectations.</span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-47197609439186309992012-01-04T18:59:00.000+00:002012-01-04T18:59:12.537+00:002012 ResolutionsI've been writing an awful lot over the last few months - but none of it for my own blog. I've been trying to get about a bit, writing with some success on thefutblog.info ; thefalse9 ; and 10sBalls.com<br />
<br />
I'm very proud of (most of) my articles, but actually quite ashamed that i've neglected this blog.<br />
<br />
Thjis year, I'll be getting some clever ocmputer bod to update to a proper site (not blogspot of wordpress) and I'll get cracking with osme articles. Who knows... I might even let someone else wrtie one for me.<br />
<br />
<br />
...anyway here's to a successful and fulfilling 2012Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-73990496474431740582011-10-18T10:23:00.001+01:002011-10-18T10:25:28.340+01:00Lee Bowyer - The article I shouldn't have written<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Another, like Graeme Souness, who is set apart from the other inhabitants of The Empty room. But whereas Souness’ USP was being a world class footballer, Lee Bowyer’s uniqueness amongst his fellows here is the fact that he has no discernable positive features whatsoever. It can of course be argued that his career in its early stages at <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> promised much, but that promise was not delivered upon, and therefore the only positive is in fact also a negative.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/07/article-1211765-0651E38C000005DC-487_468x326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222px" oda="true" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/07/article-1211765-0651E38C000005DC-487_468x326.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Indeed, since those heady Champions League days with the doomed United, Bowyer’s career has drifted and dwindled, and he only remained in the public’s consciousness due to his off-field antics, and of course on-field tear up with Kieron Dyer. <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Newcastle</city></place> were 3 goals and 1 man down already, when our man approached Dyer and drove his head into his teammates face. Blows were traded, and the pair had to be separated by other player – Bowyer being dragged away by Villa’s Gareth Barry with his face a mask of rage and frustration, seething and snarling like a man possessed. Bowyer was, not Barry – that would just be weird. Both were sent off. Bowyer was eventually banned for 6 matches and fined £30,000 by the FA, and fined two weeks wages by <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Newcastle</place></city>. He was then charged by the Police for a public order offence. It wasn’t the first time Lee Bowyer had has his front door knocked on by the long arm of the law, oh no…..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Between 2001 and 2005 Boywer was in and out of court concerned with a drunken misdemeanour, including violence, and most despicably racism. Student Sarfraz Najeib and his brother were set-about by a group of thugs, one of whom asked “Do you want some, Paki?”. Woodgate was given a community order, Bowyer got off without a conviction, but the judge made him pay court costs as his statement was “littered with lies”. Another co-defendant got <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">six years</i>, it was a horrifying assault. Bowyer was wholly supported by his employers during the long criminal case (Bowyer settled a civil case out of court in 2005) who believed rightly or wrongly that they had to wait until the court had made its decision before dealing with the players – paying out millions in legal fees, organising chauffeur driven cars from court to training or matches. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Strangely, it was during the early noughties that Bowyer played the best football of his career. Quite an amazing thing to do if you think about it. Under enormous stress Bowyer produced the goods on the pitch. He was <place w:st="on">Leeds</place>’ player of the season in 1998-99 and 2000-01, scoring 15 goals in the same season as the court case. This was the exciting <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> team of Alan Smith, Radebe and Olivier Dacourt – and the Aussies Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka. A young Rio Ferdinand led the defense, and Paul Robinson was on his way to being talked about as <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">England</place></country-region>’s number 1 for the next 10-15 years. They even had Robbie Keane on loan <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from Internazionale</i>! It was also in the early noughties that <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> wore the Strongbow emblem. Shitty drink, but I think the logo looked wicked on the white shirts. Leeds United were exciting, <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> were in the Champions League and looked to be major contenders for being the first team of the new millennium to establish a defining era. It wasn’t to be, sadly for <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> fans. Risdale’s gamble is well documented elsewhere, so I won’t bother here.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Bowyer was a classic bit yer legs midfield lung buster. His sense of timing and good finishing from the edge of the box gave him plenty of goal of the month contenders, and in Europe he scored against two of the heavyweights – <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Barcelona</city></place> and AC Milan. What is perhaps intriguing, is that when this awesome team was broken up due to financial reasons, only one of those component parts went on to be world beaters. Woodgate perhaps made the best of the rest, during his time at Real Madrid, and Harry Kewell of course got a Champions League medal in 2005 with Liverpool, but suffered with injury throughout his playing days – but the stand out achiever is Rio Ferdinand who went on to win <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literally</i> hundreds of thousands of medals at Manchester United. Lee Bowyers career was the one perhaps most stunted by <place w:st="on">Leeds</place>’ implosion – although to be honest, it was as much to do with his reputation and attitude as it was fading skills. Although acquitted of the assault on the students, Bowyer was labelled in many people’s eyes as a racist, because when you settle out of court, it’s as good as an admission – isn’t it Michael Jackson?!?!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It wasn’t the first time Lee Bowyer had been allegedly involved in racist violence, oh no…..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Back in the 90s Lee was charged and convicted for affray for his part in a frightening rampage in a London McDonald’s outlet. Staff were racially abused and chairs were thrown around. What a sweet-heart. Apparently it was some sort of Falling Down espisode, he was told that he couldn’t order from the Breakfast Menu after it has closed, so he and his friends tore the place up.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">From Leeds, a £9 million transfer to <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place> was organised, only for manager Gerard Houllier to question Bowyer’s commitment. Quite possibly a PR friendly way of saying “We don’t want that racist cunt anywhere near us”. Instead he moved to West Ham in 2003. Playing for the club he’d supported as a boy, he suffered the ignominy of a fans’ protest at his unveiling, then suffered injury and was off-loaded for a free after the Hammers were relegated. Quite a fall from grace, if ever there was one. From scoring in the Champions League to relegation from the Premier League in just a few short years.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Bowyer spend the next part of his career being loaned out and transferred for nominal fees or on frees, but eventually returned to the big stage with Birmingham City, winning the only medal of his career so far – the improbable victory over Arsenal in the League Cup final. It will probably be his only medal of any note at all, he’s currently playing for Championship side <place w:st="on">Ipswich</place> – a newly moneyed team who might be looking at a play-off place this year or the next.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As a footnote, another charming tale of tolerance and love to all mankind. Bowyer’s childhood sweet heart was mixed race. Surely evidence that he’s not a racist, just a misunderstood young man victim of circumstance? Nope. Apparently the skin tone of the girl was sufficiently light for Lee to think she was ‘alright’. He fucked her in a caravan, and they were set to get engaged. Then Lee’s mother – helpfully – alerted her son to his beau’s mixed race heritage. He went to see her, and confronted her about her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hideous and heinous secret</i> “My mum tells me you’ve got something in you” and told her that they could never have a baby in case it might be “a throwback”. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">My intention here was to write a light-hearted article for the Empty Room series on The Frustrated Footballer blog. However, the more research I have done, the more dirt I have uncovered, the more disgusting I realised Lee Bowyer is. The Empty Room is a series in praise of those players walking the disciplinary line on and off the pitch – but this is not someone to be lauded in any sense. I will post this article but not publicise it. Forgive me.</div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-6623653314292054522011-09-27T20:43:00.000+01:002011-09-27T20:43:14.102+01:00Champagne Charlie - Graeme Souness<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Google has many, many uses. It can tell you how Jamie Oliver boils an egg, it can find you the latest starlet’s “accidently leaked” rudey nudey home videos. My third favourite thing about google is the autofill. Type in “scar” for example, and google suggests that you could be looking for “Scary maze game” “scarlett Johansson” or perhaps “scarborough”. It’s brilliantly diverse, I should think it is based on most popular searches or some-such widget. Quite what Scary maze game is, and how it’s been looked for than the wonderfully sculpted Scarlett, is beyond me. If you ignore the autofill suggestions, you put the blinkers on the internet, and you ignore the searching questions posed by your fellow man. Shame on you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.givemefootball.com/gmf/files/cb/cb9c463e-8439-4561-88af-8dd35cfebed5.633549251880000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://static.givemefootball.com/gmf/files/cb/cb9c463e-8439-4561-88af-8dd35cfebed5.633549251880000000.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When “Graeme Souness is typed in, the first suggested searches are for “flag” and “tackle” (Apologies to anyone over the age of thirty or a student of football history and folklore). What’s that all about? How can such a famous player, manager and pundit be more famous for a flag and a tackle than any of his many achievements in the game? Has he not got eight League Championship medals? Did he not win three European Cups? Even the bad things in his career – dismantling a Liverpool legacy in a disastrous 3 year managerial career there, signing Corradi for Blackburn – take a back seat to: Flag, and tackle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Souness is one of Liverpool FC’s Hall of Fame alumni, yet according to the internet’s most widely used search engine, people are more interested in these two <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">things</i>. A flag, and a tackle. Google here provides a wonderful insight through simple statistical formulae into what we think about Graeme Souness. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He’s a fucking nutter.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For some reason he seems to hate Romanians. Against Dinamo Bucharest as a Liverpool player he broke a player’s jaw, and (This is the google autofill one) as Glasgow Rangers player manager, he all but kicked an opponent’s leg in half against Steua Bucharest – a modern equivalently violent and nasty challenge would be Roy Keane ending Alf-Inge Haaland. There was a steel to his game, but Souness sets himself apart from the other occupants of the Empty Room series, because he was a truly world class player. A whole generation of Liverpudlians idolised him and his team mates, he played at the heart of Liverpool’s greatest ever team.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The flag then… Whilst manager of Galatasaray he almost caused a riot by placing a huge Galatasaray flag in the centre circle of bitter rivals Fenerbahce’s pitch. His team had just beaten Fenerbahce in the Turkish Cup Final, what more appropriate way to celebrate than claiming their land? Utterly hilarious when viewed form a safe distance 15 years later, but at the time it was truly inflammatory. Turkish football fans aren’t the best group of people to provoke. Souness didn’t give shit.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/165/429/6GraemeSouness38938537a_display_image.jpg?1267412757" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/165/429/6GraemeSouness38938537a_display_image.jpg?1267412757" width="253" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Souness didn’t give a shit about hurting a few people on the pitch either. With better aim and more ferocity than displayed with his flag raising efforts, he was more than happy to go to war for the sake of his team.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">His managerial career is often dismissed as poor, but whilst he never reached such heights as he did as a player, he did achieve a lot more than his detractors would have you think. He’s blamed for the fall from prominence of Liverpool, but in truth he inherited an aging squad from Kenny Dalglish, and just wasn’t able to manage the transition period when youngsters such as Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman came through. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vast majority of his problems with the other clubs he managed seems to have been fall-outs with players. Perhaps his own high standards couldn’t be reached by his players, perhaps he was just a massive cunt.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fansonline.net/images/newcastleunited/souness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" kca="true" src="http://www.fansonline.net/images/newcastleunited/souness.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never one to let a small thing like hypocrisy get in the way of a good rant – he reportedly flew into a foul-mouthed angry tirade at the manager of an under 10s team who had upset him. Apparently this manager had not taken a player off after he committed a bad foul, so Souness upped the ante and went ballistic at him, pausing to apologise to the women present for the blue language. What a gent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for his nickname "Champagne Charlie"? Well... as a young Scot on Merseyside in the 80s, he didn't mind a bit of a party...</span></div></span>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-5705367930356101972011-09-01T10:14:00.001+01:002011-09-01T18:35:58.215+01:00Transfer Deadline Day: Winners, Losers, Users and Abusers.WINNER:<br />
Joe Cole? He's got his favourite number on 26 his shirt again, and has made the short hop over the channel to France, joining league champions Lille on loan for the rest of the season. Poor old Joe Cole - one of our favourite players here at The Frustrated Footballer, despite his obvious skill. Joey's got what Liverpool aint this season - Champions League football. French football is on the up again. Not because of Joe Cole, well not entirely because of Joe Cole. On a perhaps more sour note, Lille had failed in bids for Chu Young-Park and Yossi Benayoun before landing Cole. Hopefully England's forgotten playmaker will find his feet in France, get a lot of games, and rediscover the form that made him one of the most exciting talents in english football - what? 10 YEARS AGO? MORE? Christ!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/31/article-1314802833156-0DA5E6A500000578-207873_636x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/31/article-1314802833156-0DA5E6A500000578-207873_636x300.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div>Reports that Joe Cole has been quoted saying that Lille are his boyhood club and "it's a dream come true" are as yet, unconfirmed.<br />
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LOSER:<br />
Liverpool. Yes, they offloaded a load of old tat from their wage bill (Although are reportedly still paying 60% of J. Cole's dollars) getting rid of bit-part no-marks such as David "Wash" Ngog and Christian Poulsen, but the loss of Raul Meireles to Chelsea will be felt. Meireles was bought a year ago for £11.5M and moved on for just £500,000 more - having settled into the English culture and style of football, and also having played really well in pre-season and early season substitute appearances. Admittedly Liverpool have a glut of central midfielders at the moment after signing several platyers over the summer, but I doubt that Meireles was on Kenny's list of players to go, however once a transfer request was handed in yesterday, Dalglish must've known that his head had been turned. Villas-Boas knows Meireles from their time together at Porto, and has strengthened Chelsea's squad with the addition of his compatriot.<br />
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USER:<br />
Arsenal. The Gunners needed to buy, and buy well. The 8-2 result against rivals Manchester United merely crystallised thoughts at the Emirates. After losing Fabregas and Manchester City to European and domestic opposition. It was imperative for Arsene Wenger to bring some good players in - some even said that his job was under threat. Benayoun on loan is a great, risk free signing. It was tohught for a while that Yossi would finally get the minutes on pitch his talent deserves with the arrival of Villas-Boas, but no - he seems to be another of those players similar to the game's mega-stars but just below in terms of talent, and far below in terms of reputation. Example: What can Luca Modric do that Yossi Benayoun can't? Not much. Yet one was the subject of some of the summers most intense speculation, and the other was tarted about on deadline day to whomever would have him. He's a great player with that elusive quality of creative vision, Arsenal's strikers will relish playing in front of him - Torres will miss him dearly.<br />
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Arteta is perhaps less good business from Arsenal's point of view. £10M for a player who is nearly 30, who has won the grand total of fuck-all in English football (And at the time he won the treble with Rangers my dad could've done it) and who has never been able to break into the admittedly great Spanish national side. He was out for 12 months following a knee ligament injury, and once the rumours of a rejected £4M bid the day before are considered, it's a big risk.<br />
Arsenal also needed to bolster their defence (Alongside their attack and midfield - chortle) and did so with relatively unknown Brazilian left-back Andre Santos from Fenerbahce and Per Mertesacker, the solid but slow 75 capper from Werder Bremen who was by far the least exciting thing about Germany's exciting World Cup campaign. <br />
The jury is still out on new Arsenal NUMBER NINE Young Park. I guess if you want to sell shirts, an attractive number will help shift a few more. To be fair, his internaitonal scoring record isn't too shabby - 17 in 53, so yeah - jury is out.<br />
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ABUSER:<br />
Owen Hargreaves. On the one hand, a move to a top four club must be unexpected for him, and he's not to blame for taking it, fitness worries and all things considered. Fair play Owen, fair play.<br />
On the other hand, Manchester United paid with time, energy and a fair amount of cold hard cash for Hargreaves successive breakdowns and regenerations, and he repays them by joining their local rivals - who now have the added spice of being very realistic title rivals too. Poor form Owen, poor form.<br />
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WINNER:<br />
QPR. Having earlier secured the services of midfield land-shark Joey Barton, QPR had to sign some more quality if only to keep him happy. Warnock and the money men duly delivered Shaun Wright-Phillips who may just find his level here, and similarly Anton Ferdinand is a good signing. Expected to strengthen again in January, Warnock's squad now has the essential characteristic of 'not one of the worst three in the division' which will be an important factor in keeping them up. Keeping hold of talismanic playmaker Adel Tarrabt can be considered their best bit of business by far.<br />
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LOSER:<br />
Jermaine Beckford. He wasn't that bad was he? After his FA Cup heroics for Leeds United against Manchester United and Tottenham, Everton looked to have pulled off a coup by signing the former Chelsea youth player. 8 goals in 32 league games in a step up season isn't awful - including a solo winner against former academy club Chelsea. Yet Everton decided he was surplus to requirements and flogged him to Championship side Leicester for a fee estimated at £3-4M. Perhaps he is the new Michael Chopra. Perhaps, as a free signing, his wages were comparitively high and his value on the transfer market proved to much of a tmeptation to the cash strapped Toffeemen.<br />
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USER:<br />
Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. A flurry of deadline day deals saw several promising young talents loaned to lesser clubs seeking first team experience. I've often wondered how these young chaps are treated by seasoned pros at their adopted club. Nothing short of a heady cocktail of jealousy and contempt I imagine. Gael Katuka and Henri Lansbury will be leaping over training ground tackles for the rest of the season, whilst at the other end of the loan spectrum; Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and Nicklas Bendtner will be looking to secure permanent moves after being shipped out to Villa, West Ham and Sunderland respectively.<br />
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ABUSER:<br />
Whoever the fuck decided that Sky Sports News should ever this be important. Never in the history of football transfer has so much been rumoured, so many times, in such short time.<br />
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This is nice though...<br />
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WINNER:<br />
Stoke. Alright paying £10M for animated stick insect isn't the best of business, but in fairness only matches the trend of English clubs having to pay over the odds for English players - sort of anti-protectionist for those who are fans of economic and political history. But with the acquisition of Peter Crouch, and Wilson Palacios too, Tony Pulis' long term project moves on. A solid top ten team may be knocking on the Europa League door very soon.<br />
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LOSER:<br />
Scott Dann. Moving from Birmingham City to Blackburn. Hmm....<br />
You don't get any medals for being relegated do you? So that means he'll win one less that last year. Not a good move for the highly rated young Englishman.<br />
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USER:<br />
Martin Jol. The Fulham boss managed to convince hot-prospect Bryan Riz to sign for them on dealine day. A former target of both Tottenham and Asenal, Ruiz was in talks with Newscastle on deadline day, but plumped for the smaller London club citing his admiration for former Ajax boss Jol. Ruiz was FC Twente's top scorer when they won their first ever Eredivisie title in 2009-10 under Schteve McLaren.<br />
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ABUSER:<br />
Manchester United. The Champions lorded it over all beneath them by not making a single move on deadline day. Magnificently inactive.Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-10285086081829111442011-08-21T19:46:00.003+01:002011-08-25T22:50:56.152+01:00Yaya Toure - The most offensive defensive midfielder.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Not offensive as in he’s rude, or inappropriate or anything like that. Offensive as in attacking, I’ve utilised the word more commonly used to describe Grid-Iron, in an attempt to make a catchy title. If you’ve read down to here and leave now, it was still worth it. I live for hits.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yaya Toure is one hell of an expensive commodity. Not just his £24 million fee to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city>, but his rumoured £220,000 a week 5 year deal. Do the math. Enough Americanisms, I’ll do it. £220,000 over five years is £57,200,000. Add the two together - £81,200,000 for a man to chase a ball about a pitch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Is he worth that kind of money? Is anyone? He’ll have to sell a hell of a lot of shirts to recoup that kind of outlay, and he’s not the sort of glamorous player that football fans typically have emblazoned on their backs. That honour normally goes to strikers and fancy-Dans. Yaya Toure is not a fancy-Dan. Besides, the likes of Balotelli and Aguero have their own transfer fees and wages to pay for.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yaya Toure was perhaps the least highly regarded of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city>’s all conquering midfield. Having won everything at club level in 2009 with <city w:st="on">Barcelona</city> – La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, European Supercup, Spanish Supercup; Yaya Toure stated that he was moving to <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Manchester</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place> “to make history”. No Yaya, you were already making history at <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city>, you moved for £220,000 a week – don’t fuck about man! I guess being made the highest earner in British football is making history of a kind. There were other reasons for wanting to leave, to be fair. The emergence of Sergio Busquets at the club, an academy product who was often preferred in the defensive midfield role to Yaya was a factor. He was also mooted as a make-weight in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city>’s never-ending quest to sign Fabregas. I say never-ending, it’s just ended hasn’t it? Once you’ve been touted about like that, you’ve got to leave. The only positive about becoming a make-weight in a transfer deal is <a href="http://frustratedfootballer.blogspot.com/p/make-weights_18.html">you might get an interesting article written about you one day</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yaya Toure still managed to feature in plenty of games for <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> since Busquets came on the scene in the 2008-9 season, but he didn’t score many goals. Pep Guardiola’s midfield trios rely on one player shielding the defence (Toure/Busquets) allowing Xavi and Iniesta to perform their artistry without having to contribute too much to ball winning and all that boring, dirty work. It works very well!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Once Mancini had prised the man away from the Best Team Ever in the World™, he played him out of position. Or did he? What is Yaya Toure’s best position? He was used in a holding midfield role at <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> by Rijkaard and Guardiola, also filling in at centre-back in emergency. But earlier in his career he played as a more attacking midfielder for <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Monaco</place></country-region>, but you would not go so far as to say an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">attacking midfielder</i>. Often sitting deep in a 4-3-2-1, or as one of the central pair in a 4-4-2; some attacking duties there, but Mancini was chucking him well up the field, aside from wingers he was their most advanced midfielder. Mancini often came into criticism for his defensive style of play – a midfield three of Barry, De Jong and Toure certainly sounds defensive, but Toure was advanced enough to bag ten goals in his first season for the Sky Blues, and four assists. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It seems that Mancini views Yaya Toure differently to how he was used at <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city>. By using him higher up the pitch, Mancini makes use of his ball-playing skills, poise and athleticism in a different way. He’s far more involved with attacking play, and often makes marauding runs into the opposition box. Mancini likes his teams to have possession (Yeah I guess every manager does) high up the pitch. Yaya Toure is a player that seems to have reversed the trend for deep-lying playmakers – players such as Charlie Adam, Xabi Alonso, Michael Carrick who are withdrawn but offer creativity from deep. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Instead of being a deep-lying attacking player, he’s a ball winner who has pushed up. This pressurises possession when the opposition have the ball, and means that <placename w:st="on">Man</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype> win the ball in dangerous positions, Yaya Toure will either try and create something himself, or give the ball to one of <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Manchester</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place>’s genuine, dedicated attackers. When Manchester City line up against a 4-2-3-1, as they iwll more and more often, Yaya Toure will be high up the middle with two midfielders to deal with. One is likely to be a ball-winner, and the other might be a deep lying playmaker. Yaya Toure, with support from his two midfield colleagues can get between these two, stop the supply route to the 'quarter-back' player, and stop the team from creating attacks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Against a team that sets up like Barcelona, Arsenal, or perhaps Chelsea who play variations of 4-3-3 /4-1-2-3 Yaya will be in direct contact with the opposition holding midfielder - Busquets, Song/Other and Mikel. As any person who watches much football can tell you, the importance of these players cannot be underestimated. Players employed in these roles are the beating hearts of teams, doing the dirty unglamourous jobs so that the attacking players can do their thing. Yaya Toure knows the job inside out, he used to do it for Barcelona himself. With someone like Yaya Toure bearing down on them, if they don't have the game of their lives, they'll be snuffed out at every turn. </span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-87724415214075031422011-08-20T13:31:00.001+01:002011-08-20T13:33:23.009+01:00Zlatan Ibrahimovic / Samuel Eto'o + £45 million<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The big one. The confusing one!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In the summer of 2009 Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved from Serie A Champions Internazionale of Milan to FC Barcelona. The fee, including a £20 million valuation of Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o was around £70 million. It was all done in Euros (They do that over there) but the exchange rate was 1=1.08 or something like that, so a rough figure in Pounds Stirling will suffice here. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Samuel Eto’o had been at Barca for five seasons, playing 200 goals in all competitions and scoring 130 goals. Not bad, not bad at all you might think. Especially when considered next to Ibra’s goals over the same period of 2004-9 – he scored 92 goals in 207 games for Juventus and Inter, still a very respectable ratio for the more defensively minded Italian League. But £45 million more for a guy with a poorer goals per game history, who had not played in that league before? Wow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">However, not everything in football happens on the pitch. Samuel Eto’o, one of the most famous African players of all time – 3 times African footballer of the year at this point (His fourth award came in 2010 whilst at Inter) had not always had a smooth ride in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Spain</place></country-region>. Sadly, Spainish football appears to still be blighted by the social disease of racism. Eto’o had been the target of monkey chants, most notably on two separate occasions at <place w:st="on">Zaragoza</place>. He had to be persuaded to remain on the pitch by his team-mates, and stopped bringing his family to matches. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Eto’o had also had problems of his own making. He had been fined in 2005 for abusive chants about Real Madrid fans, and had once refused to come on as a substitute. His defence was that he was coming back form a long injury lay-off and wasn’t given enough time to warm up properly. Team mate Ronaldinho criticised him saying the he was putting himself before the team. Ronaldinho and Eto’o both garnered reputations as disruptive dressing-room influences. So, perhaps this was the reason to swap Eto’o plus a bundle of cash (More than the British transfer record at the time) for Ibrahimovic. Eto’o was a toxic dressing-room influence?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Sorry – did someone say toxic dressing room influence?? Step forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. This is that man whose swift exit from Ajax was precipitated by the allegedly deliberate injury of club team mate Rafael Van der Vaart whilst on international duty for Sweden against The Netherlands. The same man who threatened legal action unless he was sold by the scandal-hit Juventus. The same man who would go on to spend 5 months of his solitary year with the Catalan club not speaking to coach Pep Guardiola. Barcelona might have thought that they were getting rid of a bad apple, albeit a very talented apple, but they were getting one straight back too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In his first season at Samuel Eto’o scored 16 goals including 12 in the league, and Inter recorded a historic treble of domestic league and cup, and Champions League wins. On their way to the final in Madrid they beat Barcelona in the semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate. Neither Ibrahimovic nor Eto’o scored in either game.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Ibrahimovic made up in part for missing out on Champions League glory by helping Barcelona to a points record La Liga win – continuing his remarkable run which now stands (With the addition of another Serie A title on loan at Milan last season) at 8 successive league wins in three different countries with 5 separate clubs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Zlatan spent only one full season at Camp Nou before being loaned out to Milan, with a view to a £24 million permanent move. That’s right, £24 million. It doesn’t sound like good business to anyone, but once you factor in Ibrahimovic’s wages at £15 million a year, and also consider the striker-less system currently employed by Pep Guardiola in his sweep-all-aside Barca team, it begins to make sense. Still not much sense though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Ibrahimovic scored 21 goals in his full season at Barcelona, including 16 in the league, before moving to Milan.</span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-68160482071808456822011-08-18T11:04:00.001+01:002011-08-18T11:05:04.060+01:00Why Arsenal fans are wrong about Samir Nasri<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Samir Nasri will be missed…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Many Arsenal fans are stating on twitter, or in the more traditional discussion forums such as the pub, that Samir Nasri only had 6 good months with them out of three years, and they’ll be selling at a profit – so good riddance. Add an unhealthy dose of abusive chanting at a <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Newcastle</place></city> away game, and you’d start to think that Nasri was the worst player ever to have pulled on a red and white shirt. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">He’s certainly not that. He scored 4 minutes into his debut in 2008, and in November that year displayed his technical ability by scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester United. Seven goals and five assists in a season isn’t prolific by any means, but for a young winger/attacking midfielder adapting to the English game, it’s quite impressive, and hinted at greater things to come. A bad leg break in pre-season scuppered the start to his second term at the <place w:st="on">North London</place> club, but he still managed to score 5 goals. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last season was his make or break year at Arsenal, after being left out of the French World Cup squad (Probably no bad thing in retrospect) his form improved and he scored 15 goals including a brace against North London rivals Tottenham. Not a bad return for a midfielder. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Nasri is still only 24, not yet at his peak, and had his best season last year. So, is it a case that he’s only had 6 good months in three years, and the club are right to take big money from <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Manchester</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place>? Or is it the case that his breakthrough last term has propelled him beyond Arsenal’s level? – Let’s not forget that Arsenal haven’t won a trophy in 6 years, and whilst not exactly spend-thrift, have not strengthened their squad in the way that the clubs above and just below them have. Like the already departed Fabregas, has he grown weary of underachievement in terms of silverware, or is he a greedy bastard who wants the ludicrous wages Manchester City are sure to offer him?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Arsenal fans might be saying that the last 3 years of Nasri aren’t worth crying over, but at 24 it’s the next 3 or 4 that will matter in his career. He’s a gifted footballer, technically excellent dribbler or the ball, with an eye for a great pass, good strength, and a fearsome and accurate shot. And the best way for Nasri to hit back at the Arsenal fans belittling his contribution to their club, or singing abusive chants about him, is to look back on those events in 3 years time whilst polishing his medals and smiling.</span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-22605807267695284072011-08-18T10:20:00.001+01:002011-08-18T10:21:29.041+01:00Death, taxes... and hatred in football<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Death, taxes, and hatred in football.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Nanana nanananana-nana Sami you’re a cunt, you’re a cunt, Sami you’re cunt!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">KC and the sunshine Band certainly didn’t have that in mind when they sang Give It Up back in 1983. Football fans have a lovely way of high-jacking popular melodies to suit their needs. Most of them are sung in praise of heroes, along with many variations of Walking in a Winter/Shearer/Whoever Wonderland, there’s a cracker sung by Manchester United fans about Ji-Sung Park based on Lord of the Dance, and my favourite which was started up at Newcastle (to the tune of the Happy Days theme tune) Monday Tuesday Habib Beye… that’s just pure and simply genius. However, if there’s only three things that are certain in life, it’s death, taxes, and hatred in football. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Any footballer peeping his head above the parapet, with by choice or by way of landing himself on the front pages after misdemeanours (Also his choice) or even as the victim of false allegations (It does happen a lot) can find themselves the target of ridicule at their club’s next away game, where a crowd will have someone turn within it turning their witty hand at a bit of character assassination.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Graham Rix was accused, rightly or wrongly, as was Arsene Wenger (as far as we know with no truthful basis whatsoever) of paedophilia. Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson described his own fans behaviour as disgusting after that incident with Wenger when he was sent to the stands and verbally abused by hundreds or thousands. Sol Campbell is the victim of horrific abuse at the hands of Tottenham fans (among others), and whilst he was a Portsmouth there was such vileness that the Hampshire Police considered large-scale arrests in the ground – they only didn’t wade in because of the large number of people chanting, they feared a riot. Using the same song as that sung by United fans to honour <placename w:st="on">Ji-Sung</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Park</placetype> (Honour by poking fun at his country’s rather different cuisine) <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Campbell</place></city> was abused on many levels:</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Sol, Sol, wherever you may be, Not long now till lunacy, And we won’t give a fuck when you’re hanging from a tree, You Judas cunt with HIV” Delightful. Whilst utterly horrible, I must admit that to crowbar taunts about mental illness, suicide, betrayal, slurs on sexuality and blood-born viruses into ONE VERSE takes some skill – and maybe even more worryingly, quite a lot of thought and time. Not that Tottenham Hotspur fans are the worst offenders, often the target of anti-Semitic chanting due to the large Jewish population in <place w:st="on">North London</place>. It’s sickening to think of how a Jewish supporter of another club might feel when fans of their team are chanting about gas chambers. Would they join in? Would they speak out? Or would they look the other way and try to imagine that it wasn’t happening?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Going back to Arsenal, the chant quoted at the top of the page was recorded at a <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Newcastle</place></city> game – being sung by Arsenal supporters, and is currently doing the rounds on youtube (You’ll have to sign in though)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">People spewing hatred and bile at former players isn’t new, it’s shameful but it isn’t new. Any player leaving a club will either be remembered fondly as a great servant of the club, or as a Judas Iscariot figure. But chanting abuse about a player who is still on the payroll is new, to me at least – I’ve not heard of it before.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Sectarian violence, racism, homophobia and pure blind fury should have no place in football, after all it’s the beautiful game isn’t it? It’s not new, this hatred thing, it’s been going on probably as long as football has been around. And it’ll probably never go away, at least not until football does.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-84651331390158892512011-08-16T23:06:00.001+01:002011-08-16T23:11:09.264+01:00Sergio Aguero is... Diego Maradona<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“So Sergio! How are you lad? Tell us a little bit about who you’re going to be performing as tonight”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Well, I’m keeping it in the family tonight Matthew.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Oh yes? You’re from the rural part of Argentina are you?” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, I’m from Quilmes. What’re you trying to say? I’m from Bueno Aires” Sergio Aguero stands up, sees that he’s even shorter, and jumps back on his stool.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Ok keep rolling chaps. Sergio, Sergio! Camera two – over there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sergio follows the finger and smiles at the camera. “You know what Sergio, you look like that cartoon character.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Oh, Kun? Yeah I get that a lot” Aguero keeps smiling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Sergio. Who are tell us about who you’re going to be”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Diego Maradona”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“OH for fuck’s sake boy! You’re supposed to give us clues! We’re supposed to guess who you’re going to be. Don’t just blurt it out man, you’ve ruined it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“But you already knew who I was going to be. What’s the big idea here, you trying to make me look stupid?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Don’t get bloody shirty with me son – oh you’re doing the face again! You look like a cartoon when you get angry. Awww”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sergio Aguero flinches as a hand extends and pats him on the head. He relaxes and smiles again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, do the angry face. I like the angry cartoon face.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Kun”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Well fuck you then – no need to be rude.” The host flashes a prissy look at a runner. He straightens his jacket and faces the camera. “Never work with children or animals they told me. Mmm. I’ll do it myself then shall I? Tonight ladies and gentlemen, Sergio Aguero is…. Romario!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sergio Aguero jerks his head in surprise as the stage smoke envelopes him, he emerges wearing a Brazilian national team shirt. He looks angrily into the camera. The host nods his head.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“There it is.” </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8M2f4MphKgYF1bUt9DqB71vQlZrHCr8Cu0GfIE2eLB5XrqWeh5bs9djqeoajuunxoVi9hviyVlen98u7GQyiZdS7DIFD-CGZ72Bzztpg2qN54mLxC5g43HoVquro9INft8ijN9EcHSLy6/s1600/Sergio-Aguero-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8M2f4MphKgYF1bUt9DqB71vQlZrHCr8Cu0GfIE2eLB5XrqWeh5bs9djqeoajuunxoVi9hviyVlen98u7GQyiZdS7DIFD-CGZ72Bzztpg2qN54mLxC5g43HoVquro9INft8ijN9EcHSLy6/s320/Sergio-Aguero-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The new Maradona, the new Romario, the new Tevez even. Sergio Aguero is the latest in a long line of young talents to find himself compared to some of the greats of the game. He was born in Quilmes, a province of Buenos Aires not for from Lanus, where Diego Maradona was created by scientists. He’s short, stocky, a great dribbler and Argentine – must be the new Maradona! I actually think that the Romario comparison is perhaps the closest. Romario was never particularly fussed with build-up play, tracking back were two dirty words in his opinion. A clinical finisher, Selfish and gifted. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aguero actually took a record way from Maradona – that of youngest ever player in the argentine top division, aged just 15 years and 35 days. He was probably at full height back then. A low centre of gravity and good strength on the ball are characteristics shared by the two. The relationship gets personal once you consider that Aguero is married to Maradona’s daughter. I’m guessing that when Maradona was national coach, Aguero kept the domestic rows to a minimum – might have made things a bit awkward.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To put it shortly, he’s a very very good player. Thirty eight million Euros shows Mancini’s faith in him, as he continues to assemble what he hopes to be an invincible squad. Aguero has got City really pumping early on in his career. For most of the summer City fans worried themselves sick about how big a loss Tevez would be, given that the other remaining strikers would be the pedestrian Dzenko and the downright insane Balotelli. Now it looks as though Tevez might be staying, and they’ve got this little beaut to combine with him.</span></div></span>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-69105284481827668652011-08-06T22:50:00.001+01:002011-08-07T00:44:52.689+01:00Romelu Lukaku is..... Didier Drogba"Tell us about the person you're going to be tonight Romelu."<br />
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"The person I'm going to be tonight Matthew, was originally born in Adijan, Cote d'Ivoire. He made his name in the French league, but was a relatively late bloomer. He moved to Chelsea in July 2004 for £24 million, after winning Player of the Year as a Marseille player. He's a bit of a battering ram, but he falls over quite a fair bit. His biggest claim to fame is that he's scored more goals than any other foreign player for Chelsea, and he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influental people for his peacemaking efforts in his home country."<br />
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"Well Romelu, he's quite well known isn't he? Bit of a superstar isn't he? We're all guessing. Go on then, put us all out of our misery. Tell us who you're going to be tonight."<br />
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"Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be.... Didier Drobga!<br />
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"Didier Drogba!!! Well he's got the build hasn't he? Let's hope he can score some great goals without ever screaming at the camera whilst wearing flip-flops after a contentious European defeat. Tonight, playing live - Romelu Lukaku is... Didier Drogba!"<br />
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The frame and musculature of a middle-weight boxer, searing pace, immense power, great in the air, and not bad at hitting the old onion bag. It's fair to say that there are several similarities between Romelu Lukaku and Didier Drogba. Now there's one more - they both play for Chelsea.<br />
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However, whilst Lukaku top scored in the Belgian Juliper League at age 16 and has made his big club move at age 18, Drogba was still playing youth football at a similar age, and didn't sign professional terms until he was 21. Who knows what Lukaku might achieve over the next three years?<br />
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Drogba is 33, and it's fair to say past his imperious best. He'll still scare the pants off defenders, but these days they'll probably have time to pull them back up and still beat him to that ball over the top. Lukaku is raw. Raw energy, raw power. In Drogba he'll find the perfect mentor. However, that actually depends on whether he finds the Drogba that pleaded with civil-war combatants to lay down their arms, or the Drogba who looked into a television camera at a Champions League game and shouted "It's a fucking disgrace". <br />
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If it's the former, my bet is that Romelu Lukaku could learn a lot from the veteran. Tricks of the trade, where and when to make a run, how his team-mates like to play, and even a few of the dark arts of the centre forward in the English Premier League. Hopefully, diving as if having been shot in the back of the head won't be on the young Belgian's curriculum.<br />
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Lukaku has already made big waves, and with the right guidance and training could go on to become one of the biggest things in football. I hope for his sake that Drogba doesn't go all aging-diva on him, although having won a league winners medal already, scoring 41 goals in 98 games in all competitions, he's way ahead of Drobga's curve - maybe he won't even need him.Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-46069754650923646542011-08-06T15:56:00.002+01:002011-08-06T16:03:09.333+01:00The Empty Room #4 - John TerryEngland's Brave John Terry<br />
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Oh hang on, I've made a mistake here - he's just a COMPLETE CUNTTom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-26840269758004084532011-08-02T17:36:00.001+01:002011-08-02T17:38:36.042+01:00The Empty room #3 - Duncan Ferguson<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Big Man – Duncan Ferguson</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A few words of advice to any budding burglar. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stay the fuck away from Big Dunc’s house.</b> The plush Merseyside residences of many a <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place> and Everton star have been the target for the more scrupulous of the unscrupulous. Rich pickings are there to be had – you could even watch the player in action on one of their plasma screens, safe in the knowledge that it’ll be hours before they get back. There are of course, episodes where crime doesn’t pay. In fact, there are two well documented episodes where crime only results in a trip to casualty on the way to the cop shop.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In 2001 Barry Dawson was beaten up and sat on after being found with an accomplice <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a la chez <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Ferguson</city></place></i>. Two years later, Carl Bishop was meted out the same rough justice at the hands of Big Dunc. This time the would be thief was hospitalised for two days. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seriously – stay the fuck away from Big Dunc’s house.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Every man has the right to defend his property and his family. <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Ferguson</place></city> went far beyond that on the pitch in 1994. Whilst playing for Rangers he tussled with Raith Rovers defender John McStay, Big Dunc felt aggrieved that anyone should even attempt to outmuscle him, and promptly head butted McStay in the face. I believe it’s known as a <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Glasgow</place></city> kiss. The referee bizarrely didn’t even give a yellow, but the courts took a dimmer view and jailed <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Ferguson</place></city> for three months. It was one of four convictions for assault, including another head-butt, to a Policeman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Big Dunc’s fearsome reputation preceded him on the pitch, there is simply no such thing as a 50-50 ball with Duncan Ferguson involved. Nine red cards in total put him high up the all time hall of shame, but he also scored a lot of goals in two spells at Everton, split by a short time at <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Newcastle</place></city>. It was Everton that really took him to heart, as they do for anyone scoring in an Merseyside derby on their full debuts. He first arrived on loan to try and rescue a woeful campaign, and ended up becoming the club’s then record signing that same season for £4 million. He became the club’s first choice target man, and later captained the side. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><city w:st="on"><place w:st="on"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Newcastle</span></place></city><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was a less happy place for Big Dunc. Arriving for around £8 million, he endured two injury hit campaigns before being sold back to Everton for half the price. During his second stint at Everton, the club whose crest he has tattooed on his arm, he produced one of his more memorable displays of anger and violence, strangled Steffen Freund <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after</i> receiving a second yellow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My favourite Big Dunc tear up was in a Merseyside derby. Paul Ince challenges <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Ferguson</place></city> on a loose ball, and Big Dunc obvsiously didn’t like that very much at all. He grabs him round the body and just slings him to the ground. Paul Ince, eager to preserve his own hard-man rep, bounces straight back up and looks for the culprit –<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ahhhh fuck! It’s Duncan Ferguson – fair challenge then </i>– he gives the big man a pat on the back and jogs off. ~The Guv’nor indeed!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Big Dunc was the hard-man’s hard-man, and not someone to be fucked about with.</span>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-89913378959201850082011-07-21T12:34:00.001+01:002011-07-21T12:36:39.024+01:00Michael Owen / Antonio Nunez + £11M<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An interesting one this… no, bear with me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Michael Owen had been Livepool’s top goalscorer in every season since his debut in 1997-98, when he came on as a sub against <place w:st="on">Wimbledon</place> and scared the living shit out of me and all fellow Dons present. People now see him warming the bench for Manchester United, and perhaps it’s fair enough to criticise him when he’s been quoted (On twitter) saying “</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just to answer some of your tweets. Prefer playing less often in a top team than every game in a poor team. Been there a didn’t enjoy it” – great way to put noses out of joint – but come one, in the late nineties and early noughties HE WAS INCREDIBLE. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fragile, yes; one dimensional, perhaps; but incredible nevertheless. Perhaps because his play was a little predictable, it was even more impressive. Sort of like a Sampras serve, you know it’s coming, but there’s sod all you could do about it. You knew Owen would be lurking, nay preying, on the fringes of off-side, waiting to pounce on a ball into space or over the top. You knew he would be onto it like a hound after a hare and he’s tuck it away with aplomb. He was the best in the business at what he did. Don’t believe it? Two League Golden Boots and a Balon d’Or back me up – what you got? He even had a Cup Final named after him (Yes, that’s the Michael Owen Final)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fact is that Michael Owen was outgrowing Liverpool, and they both knew it. The writing was on the wall when he was left on the bench for Champions League games in August 2004, but he’d been linked away from the club for a number or years. Liverpool decided to avoid another Macca situation and let him go for what seemed like a cut-price deal. Roughly £11 million, plus some chap called Nunez.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Detractors of Rafa Benitez’s reign at Liverpool <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>point out the numerous signings of second rate Spaniards as one of the more woeful legacies of the man. Yes, there were good signings, but for every Fernando Torres there was an Albert Riera, for every Sergio Garcia there was a Fernando Morientes. Nunez falls into the latter category I’m afraid. But it wasn’t all complete tosh from the young Spaniard. He holds two distinctions on Merseyside. He’s the only player ever to score his first goal for the club in a major final, and he’s also the unofficial “Most underserved Champions League winners medal” winner. In my book anyway – actually half of that Liverpool 2005 team were gash weren’t they?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The two players acknowledged each other through the windows of the planes as the traded places, Nunez with a deferential nod to the world superstar that was to play for the club of his boyhood dreams, Owen with a wink and a cutting smile at the lad who had been sacrificed from the Real Madrid squad to make way for him. Given that Michael Owen is a betting man, I wonder if he ever considers what the odds might have been on Nunez picking up a Champions League medal the very next year, and not him? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Both stuttered to begin their careers in their new countries. Nunez was injured on his first day of training, whilst Owen got some practice in for his Manchester United spell, sitting on the bench plucking splinters out of his arse. To be fair, Owen found his form, and ended the season with the best goals per minute ratio of any player in the league. Impressive. 18 goals in his only season for Los Merengues, and they even turned a tidy profit on his as they sold him to Newcastle the next summer. Owen left spain with his reputation, but with no medals. Nunez on the other hand, also hit the figure 18, but in total appearances, not goals. His only goal was the consolation goal in the League Cup final of 2005. An unused sub in Istanbul, he picked up a winners medal alongside other such luminaries as Steve Finnan and Djimi Traore. Nunez was also sold back to a club in his homeland after only one season abroad, to Celta de Vigo, for whom he played 96 times in the next three years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Owen is still looking for his Champions League medal, having left Anfield in search of one, only for them to win it the very next year.</span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-67879413281149538212011-07-18T20:08:00.002+01:002011-07-18T22:28:50.882+01:00The Empty Room #2 - Vinnie Jones<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Genius is not a word often used to describe Vinnie Jones. But what else can you call a man who has made a very fruitful career out of football and acting, despite have no appreciable talent for either? He’s got to have something up there, hasn’t he?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Jones built his game on intimidation, fear of violence, and actual violence. By his own admission he was not the most skilful or tactically minded of footballers, but he had physical and mental strength by the bucket-load. Every game he played, he walked the line between good physical contact sport and rule breaking. His 12 red cards proving that he didn’t always get the balance right. In fact, he’s probably very lucky not to have collected more.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Kevin Ratcliffe got himself headbutted, Anders Limpar clearly asked for a punch in the back of the head, and Peter Reid must have said something to Vinnie just before kick-off, as he was clattered to the floor straight after the whistle, earning Vinnie a yellow card in a record 4 seconds. It wasn’t all fun and games though, Gary Stevens was on the receiving end of a horror tackle that seriously injured him, and contributed to his retirement from the game.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Jones is most famous for his two stints at <place w:st="on">Wimbledon</place>, his first earned him his only medal in the game – the 1988 FA Cup Winners medal. The match was only seven minutes old when Vinnie Jones cut through fellow hard-man Steve McMahon, in a tackle that he later admitted was pre-meditated. Vinnie thought that by taking out <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place>’s midfield bite, he’d take the wind out of their sails and give his own team-mates a morale boost. The gamble paid off, Jones wasn’t even booked and the Dons went on to a famous victory.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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He also famously stated in and interview before the final that he was going to rip off Kenny Dalglish's ear, and spit in the hole. If you have a look at the footage of the players lining up i nthe tunnel, Jones amongst other Wimbledon players can be heard yelling "In the hole" as reference to this, and almost all of the Liverpool players look absolutely terrified. He was most definitely the leader of the Crazy Gang.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Jones caused controversy wherever he went. Leeds, Sheffield United, <city w:st="on">Chelsea</city> and <place w:st="on">Wimbledon</place> all remember Jones fondly. His last move to QPR can’t really be considered a success, as he only made nine appearances for the club. A footballing anti-hero from days gone by. It’s fair to say that Jones probably wouldn’t be playing in the top flight if he were to be playing in his prime today. He’d probably have received a life time ban. Even in his own time, Jones was a frequent visitor to the FA’s offices. He was charged with bringing the game into disrepute after starring in a video entitled “Soccer’s Hard Men” which included delightful tips on how to injure opponents and get away with it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Violence and infamy wasn’t just restricted to his professional life. In 1997 he bit a neighbour’s nose during a dispute, and has been involved in two public brawls in the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">USA</place></country-region> in recent years. One with former amateur boxer turned actor Tamer Hussain which he apparently came off worse from (Note to Vinnie: ex-boxers are not to be fucked with) and one with two men in a bar, where he was glassed in the face by one man before launching another attack on his 26 stone friend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Vinnie’s unlikely acting career was launched by his appearance in Guy Ritchie film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. To be fair, the character that Vinnie portrays, Big Chris, is a psychotically violent thug who goes completely over the top, so it wasn’t really a stretch for Vinnie and it’s a good performance.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Further film roles have followed, and Vinnie Jones is now a well-known celebrity. He also came third in Celebrity Bog Brother, but an appearance in that sort of show indicated that perhaps his moon is on the wane. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Nevertheless, Vinnie Jones is one of the few footballer hard-men who is genuinely frightening on and off the pitch, and so earns his place in The Empty Room.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6vm0x8JpBU&feature=related">Vinny Jones Soccer's Hard Men</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-57152512801110744942011-07-18T16:43:00.002+01:002011-07-18T18:28:12.787+01:00Make-weights #1 Ashley Cole to Chelsea in exchange for £5 Million and William GallasThis transfer, completed in the summer of 2006 involves two of the nice-guys of football, Ashley Cole, who had recently been embroiled in a tapping-up scandal the year before, and William Gallas – a player with such a toxic dressing room influence at Chelsea that he had allegedly threatened to score own goals if he was not given a move. So, you could look upon the deal as either win-win in terms of playing personnel, or lose-lose in terms of characters. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ashley Cole famously nearly swerved his supercar into a tree when he first heard about Arsenal’s derisory 55 THOUSAND pounds a week improved contract offer, and had been at the centre of a tapping-up storm a year earlier, with Chelsea, Mourinho and Cole all fined by the Premier League.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">William Gallas, in similar fashion, had refused to sign an improved contract offer from his employers, again stating that there was not enough money on offer. Gallas is a far more versatile defender than Ashley Cole, able to play across the back four, although more comfortable at centre-back. He had formed a formidable partnership with John Terry at the heart of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Chelsea</place></city>’s back to back title winning teams under Jose Mourinho, but relations quickly soured. The two players found themselves facing each other across <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">London</place></city>, both with big frowns and bottom lips pushed out in pitiful scowls. Luckily, the two clubs started talking and agreed a deal to exchange one rotten apple for another bad egg.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvzUUkBQuDsguKqmbvkKXdezTisFsfuvtjgbRTpxeN61_o5gDlFudh2tpL6_X0NBN2cCsf3H2SaurgW5w04tSHZNSuNRideW9uxdZs9YspKUA0Yx4Q7QwyILxdFN2KcZz80NuqsttWECC/s1600/gallas-415x275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvzUUkBQuDsguKqmbvkKXdezTisFsfuvtjgbRTpxeN61_o5gDlFudh2tpL6_X0NBN2cCsf3H2SaurgW5w04tSHZNSuNRideW9uxdZs9YspKUA0Yx4Q7QwyILxdFN2KcZz80NuqsttWECC/s320/gallas-415x275.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Arsenal had an exciting young talent by the name of Gael Clichy as understudy to Ashley Cole, so they felt that they could let him go. <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Clichy</place></city> was a player in Cole’s mould, fast and willing to break forward, but perhaps less defensively sound than Cole. Arsenal also had the need to replace the mentally erratic Sol Campbell, who had disappeared for days during the season and left the club that same summer of 2006 seeking new challenges.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><city w:st="on">Chelsea</city> were in the midst of Abramovic’s first spending spree as <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Chelsea</place></city> owner. To be honest, if Gallas hadn’t have been such a disruptive influence they would probably have been prepared to pay a huge amount of money for Ashley Cole. They already had <placename w:st="on">Wayne</placename> <placename w:st="on">Bridge</placename>, who at the time was in contention with Ashley Cole for an <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">England</place></country-region> spot at left back. <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Chelsea</place></city> had generally preferred the partnership of Terry and Carvalho in central defence, and had Robert Huth as back-up, and the also bought Khalid Boulahrouz just for good measure. Suffice to say, they weren’t especially going to miss him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpYj5ZRfT2vQnB7WM-FLGxNZW-xENRgVIs2hiP8g-BNgRazcl1-pl2xEEW-ECG7soOz5Eyo7zw8UwhdwCk8aPDy94JuQ5-wvpBuVzStM5q_sZmny6x0U0OJXz1syd33hZ_X5Xkw1pQy-G/s1600/ashleyCole_1551137c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpYj5ZRfT2vQnB7WM-FLGxNZW-xENRgVIs2hiP8g-BNgRazcl1-pl2xEEW-ECG7soOz5Eyo7zw8UwhdwCk8aPDy94JuQ5-wvpBuVzStM5q_sZmny6x0U0OJXz1syd33hZ_X5Xkw1pQy-G/s200/ashleyCole_1551137c.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ashley Cole’s 2006-7 season was interrupted by a bad knee injury, not before he’d had fake bank notes with his face on them waved at him during a league match against Arsenal. Having won the league twice with Arsenal, including the invincibles season (During which Robert Pires kicked a Portsmouth defender and fell over to win a penalty, thus saving Arsenal from a defeat) he was made to wait until the 2009-10 season before picking up a Premier League medal, his only whilst at Chelsea, but he has also won two FA Cups and one League Cup during his time there. Perhaps he didn’t perform well enough at a mere £90,000 a week, and must have tried a lot harder after securing £130,000 a week at the start of Chelsea’s title winning 2009-10 season – who knows?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAj-Uy__Olv4WGgNEEcIiBm5xgkOG8knTmXFu2BA-DCpgzlb3PoGbk2GDeVE1YdxEHW3hZ9EVpbVIZSIIcHhNN3T_31uluhmd21XKPpcfw4KO_M9QFmDKIZNlPLHWetcRxHMJrIvhjs5u/s1600/ashleymoney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAj-Uy__Olv4WGgNEEcIiBm5xgkOG8knTmXFu2BA-DCpgzlb3PoGbk2GDeVE1YdxEHW3hZ9EVpbVIZSIIcHhNN3T_31uluhmd21XKPpcfw4KO_M9QFmDKIZNlPLHWetcRxHMJrIvhjs5u/s320/ashleymoney.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">William Gallas on the other hand, doesn’t have any medals to show from his time at Arsenal. He’s formed great central defensive partnerships with Kolo Toure and latterly Thomas Vermaelen, but at the end of the day, won nothing. In his second season at the club he was given the captaincy, perhaps an effort to improve Gallas’ attitude. It worked for a while, and Gallas was able to enjoy getting one over his old team, when he headed the only goal of a closely fought league match. However, things started unravelling again a few months later, after Eduardo da Silva’s leg was horrifically broken in a challenge with <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Birmingham</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place>’s Martin Taylor. In layman’s terms, he totally lost it. He wandered into the <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Birmingham</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place> half, remonstrated with the crowd, then camped out in the centre circle after the final whistle, having to be consoled by Arsene Wenger before he would leave the pitch. Gallas somehow retained the captaincy for the next season, but then began playing his old tricks again. In many people’s view, a club captain should be an example on and off the pitch, a motivator or colleagues, and inspiration to junior squad members. Perhaps that was what he had in mind when he said “We are not brave enough in battle. I think we need to be soldiers. To be champions, you have to play big matches every weekend and fight”. It certainly could be seen as a battle cry – a call to arms. He calls upon team mates to be warrior for goodness sake. However, in the British media, you’re once a nutjob, always a nutjob, and there were calls for Gallas to be stripped of the captaincy. Fan forums went mental, accusing the Frenchman of being disharmonious, when it could be argues that he was trying to… ah sod it – he’s a nutjob.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r0opfWf4ELfMwFlsChyW8nzJT6ssReXOksp8AVP48BzYg6-Y4jXPROwwSgkzTClUo_HbDvQjGlR608B82bJg5rtX1u7RQ6bG_Xf0F2BEarmmsCQnIsuHVvObe2EThM1DJBasJqtfKgUl/s1600/william-gallassulk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r0opfWf4ELfMwFlsChyW8nzJT6ssReXOksp8AVP48BzYg6-Y4jXPROwwSgkzTClUo_HbDvQjGlR608B82bJg5rtX1u7RQ6bG_Xf0F2BEarmmsCQnIsuHVvObe2EThM1DJBasJqtfKgUl/s320/william-gallassulk.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Gallas left Arsenal after failing to agree a new contract. He was accused by the chairman of making unreasonable demands and acting in a way not conducive to the good of the team (Sound familiar?). He moved to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur – mirroring the move of fellow crazy centre-back Sol Campbell, again playing well at the heart of defence. Again he’s proving to be a good player, but surely only retirement will withhold him from another acrimonious departure.</div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-53968848157394985872011-07-18T16:41:00.006+01:002011-07-18T18:29:15.266+01:00The Empty Room #1 - Joey Barton<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This Charming Man</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There aren’t many footballers whose very mention polarises opinion as much as Joey Barton. Barton made his reputation at <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Manchester</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place>, under the tutelage of manager Kevin Keegan, who brought him into the first team in the 2002-3 season. The following season, Barton established himself as a first team regular, playing 39 games and scoring one goal. He was voted fans’ Young Player of the Year in 2004. It was off the pitch that Barton really began to make a name for himself. The well documented incidents of ill-discipline including stubbing a cigar out in a youth player’s eye (To be fair, Jamie Tandy had been trying to set fire to Barton’s shirt) and then attacking a 15 year old fan in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Thailand</place></country-region> (To be fair, oh no – that’s inexcusable). Around this time, Joey Barton to his credit had a good hard look at himself. He’s been involved with Tony Adams’ Sporting Chance Clinic, and admitted that he’s an alcoholic. Heaven knows, he was miserable then. He resolved to turn himself around, and again started making the news in terms of being a footballer, rather than a thug. Sadly, it seems that Joey was having a hard time putting the behavioural tools learnt at the sporting Chance clinic into action. He believed that he was able to control himself, and in that regard he’s proven himself wrong time and time again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Since his big money move to <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Newcastle</city></place>, if anything Joey Barton’s off-field problems have escalated. A drunken assault in <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place> town centre led to the talented midfielder serving some time at Her Majesty’s pleasure, and during his time inside, he was charged by the FA for a training ground bust-up that led to Ousmane Dabo needing hospital treatment. He was banned for six games, with another six game suspended sentence. A suspended suspension, if you will (To be fair, Dabo had probably really really upset him, and he’s just got one of those faces, you know?). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw-jx44iUVnnO7u8fCR0a6M05d92bpMrGAQAJJTOc2FPUJa4wIrxeddgt8ut6D8kciakYkLFX1w-IqU0mzvlAEdh3fYAhZ_pn0jGSKCpGdMhoVCUEbugSl_18wK2ggLalS-5-if0tLny_/s1600/_42888655_dabo_injury_men203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw-jx44iUVnnO7u8fCR0a6M05d92bpMrGAQAJJTOc2FPUJa4wIrxeddgt8ut6D8kciakYkLFX1w-IqU0mzvlAEdh3fYAhZ_pn0jGSKCpGdMhoVCUEbugSl_18wK2ggLalS-5-if0tLny_/s1600/_42888655_dabo_injury_men203.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Barton gave up the drink, and has been teetotal for a number of years now. However, his temper never went away, and during a game against <place w:st="on">Blackburn</place> he was seen on television replays to punch Morten Gamst Pedersen in the chest. Another three game ban duly followed. Clearly alcohol had merely relaxed his inhibitions and allowed his true character to reveal itself. Even having stopped drinking, he couldn’t find a way to stop the violence. He found out that he’s still ill. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Modern footballers enjoy huge wages and high profile lives, Joey Barton realised that his talent at football gave him a responsibility to address his behaviour, and he has spoken candidly about the issue of anger management. It is hard to deny your own nature though, these things take time, and it’s to his credit that he’s stopped drinking and tried to sort out his behaviour. The high wages and profile also offer him opportunities to reform, but so far he’s had trouble making it stick. Perhaps because he is a successful footballer, not in terms of achievements-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his only medal to date being a Championship medal during <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Newcastle</city></place>’s title winning promotion season back into the premiership, but in terms of money earned at least, he’s doing very well. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Never one to shy away from publicity, these days it’s Joey’s mouth which gets him noticed the most. His claim to be the best English midfielder isn’t shared by the national team coach, or many others in the game for that matter. He has since tried to back himself up on that claim, asking who performed better than him in his position last campaign. He plays in central midfield, or on the right side of midfield, but this isn’t an article on Scott Parker, or Ashley Young, or Stewart Downing, or Frank Lampard, or Steven Gerrard, or even James Milner – so there’s no need to mention any of those players.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg083sv2BdDNNULZGlRjUxafegXzF3Yrd1Azi8Hm33eNp22Aa0OFL549IEXNBU16Kp4hubHhvtc71kpufavpbspyw3MfamfNzDDx0eWjvjQ1rThcGccfCqAZdaN373HOSCTM4QtC4fR1Xdc/s1600/jb+eng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg083sv2BdDNNULZGlRjUxafegXzF3Yrd1Azi8Hm33eNp22Aa0OFL549IEXNBU16Kp4hubHhvtc71kpufavpbspyw3MfamfNzDDx0eWjvjQ1rThcGccfCqAZdaN373HOSCTM4QtC4fR1Xdc/s320/jb+eng.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He’s currently in a bit of contract wrangling with <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Newcastle</place></city>, it seems that he’s not impressed with the sale of star players such as Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan. You can’t really blame the <city w:st="on">Newcastle</city> board for accepting such an astronomical fee as that offered by <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place> for Carroll, but the departure of club captain Nolan to a Championship side seems like a very poor decision.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So it’s fair to say that Joey’s certainly not short on self-importance, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in a footballer – perhaps not so much a midfielder, but that’s being unfair – he is a remarkable football player. Perhaps it’s noteworthy to have earned a full <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">England</place></country-region> call up despite himself and the long list of misdemeanours he carries with him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recently, Joey has been busy making re-inventing himself on twitter. Who would’ve thought that such an impulsively violent alcoholic would’ve been a fan of The Smiths? It’s like hearing that Stalin wrote nursery rhymes. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration – it’s like hearing Stalin was quite a nice guy, perhaps.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbS-JfyJZSylLpj-_xcoQlQHb5-v5tq1LFIdGNCCZA3rEFTNRF8ahO-jSjjIClKI_Z0j0q1yodG_30RFi3WNgy2lJoaFL5CYNJXW4r778qXoItl2pyXl_NyWd4qYq0r4h-I-ZEoVEblLY/s1600/jb+haircut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbS-JfyJZSylLpj-_xcoQlQHb5-v5tq1LFIdGNCCZA3rEFTNRF8ahO-jSjjIClKI_Z0j0q1yodG_30RFi3WNgy2lJoaFL5CYNJXW4r778qXoItl2pyXl_NyWd4qYq0r4h-I-ZEoVEblLY/s320/jb+haircut.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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One of the more remarkable transfer rumours was one that linked Barton with a move to Arsenal. People mocked, people scoffed - many Arsenal fans recoiled in terror. But would that be such a bad move? It would give Barton the chance to win a few more medals, and in truth it would probably give Arsenal a better chance of winning something too. One of the main criticisms of Arsenal is that they lack strength, lack a bit of bite in the midfield. However, Joey scotched these rumours himself, there's a fair bit of bad blood (Who would've thought?) between himself and a few Arsenal players, notably Diaby and Nasri. It would actually be a very good signing for the gooners. There's certainly a very strong shout for Barton to be involved in the England squad. The best English midfielder is perhaps pushing it, but if Capello had any balls he's dump Gerrard and Lampard and find a way to have Barton in the midfield alongside Wilshere.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There’s still the bravado, still the anger simmering just beneath the surface. But through the medium of social networking, Joey Barton has confounded critics who thought he was an uncultured thug, kicking his way from one controversy to the next. He’s done a bit of globe-trotting, he’s interested in fashion and music, and he’s managed to get through the whole summer without punching anyone in the face twenty times. Joey Barton is very much a sweet and tender hooligan these days. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But, and stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before, he could still start a fight in an empty room.</span></div>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782888386789166544.post-60748245125501199822011-07-11T19:43:00.004+01:002011-07-19T18:27:22.263+01:00The Dark Arts of FC Barcelona<span style="font-family: Arial;">The devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!<br />
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Baudelaire knew nothing of FC Barcelona, having breathed his last 32 years before the Catalan club was founded. But his words can be used to describe the victim complex that Les Cules have been trading on for years. Perhaps that’s a little unfair. No-one would deny that the region of <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Catalonia</place></state> was victimised during the reign of Franco from 1936-1974. During those years the club really did symbolise the spirit of resistance, club president Josep Sunyol was executed by Francoist soldiers in 1936, and after the civil war the club was made to change its name into Castilian Spanish, the Catalan flag was removed from the crest and meanwhile Real Madrid romped to domestic and European success.</span><br />
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These days it’s Real Madrid playing catch-up. With <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> dominating on the pitch, flexing equal financial muscle and chasing and aggressive transfer policy, the romance has all but gone form the Catalan stronghold.<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;">But those days have gone. FC Barcelona became the symbol of Catalan resistance because it chose to, and since Johan Cruyff decided to sign for Barca over Real Madrid as he could not associate himself with a club linked to a fascist regime, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> have traded successfully as the club for moralists and romantics. Because since then, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> has not been disadvantaged. Both clubs are now bankrolled by low interest bank loans from Spanish banks. <city w:st="on">Barcelona</city> are no longer the brave rebel peasants, walking down from the hills to whisper in their banned language inside the stronghold of regional pride – the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Camp</placetype> <placename w:st="on">Nou</placename></place>. After winning the Champions League three times since 2005 and La Liga four times since 2004, they are no longer anti-establishment, they are the establishment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Much is made of Real Madrid’s second galactico era, supposedly signalled with the big money signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and others. Real Madrid are unfavourably grouped with teams such as Chelsea and Manchester City, accused of simply buying success, which is is an insult to Real’s own rich historic tapestry. <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> are seen as a club which nurtures it’s own talent, at the fabled La Masia complex. However, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> aren’t afraid to splash the cash themselves. In recent years their transfer spend has been huge – fees for Dani Alves, Ibrahimovic, and David Villa amongst other have all been in the £30 million plus bracket. Even during the first galactico era of the late nineties and early noughties, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> were spending a huge amount of money on players. In the year of the infamous transfer of Luis Figo from Barcelona for £37M, Barcelona signed Marc Overmars for £25M, Gerard for £15M and Spanish international Alfonso for over £10M. Over the last decade, Real Madrid outspent <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> in all but two of the years, but have unfairly earned their reputation as a club that grows its own. With regard to those home-grown players, many of those have simply been sourced at a younger age (Not old enough to sign professional papers and therefore cannot be bought or sold) It’s paid off in dramatic fashion of course, most of the current best players in the world have come through that academy. However, there is something sinister about this strategy. By using their global scouting network, Barca pick the players up as youngster, avoiding huge transfer fees and then popping them in the La Masia greenhouse, to see how they turn out. Lionel Messi signed for Barca as the agreed to pay for the expensive medical treatment he needed to combat a growth deficiency. The wage bill at <city w:st="on">Barcelona</city> is higher than any other football team – even <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Manchester</placename> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype></place> (Although that probably riles the Sheiks somewhat, so don’t count on that lasting too much longer).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Barcalona’s financial acumen has been brought into question many times recently – go to <a href="http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-happening-with-barcelonas.html"><span style="color: navy;">http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-happening-with-barcelonas.html</span></a> for excellent in depth explanation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Even more sinister were the accusations that blood-doping, amongst other illegal medical practices that enhance performance, was going on at La Masia. These accusations were never proved, and in fact <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> successfully sues for libel. But mud sticks, unfairly or not.<br />
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Looking back at that transfer of Figo, it’s understandable that the Catalan people would’ve felt betrayed. This was their emblematic forward, their cult hero, and he had turned his back on them for their most hated rivals. Hard done by? Well you could say that, but nothing justifies throwing bike chains, half-bricks, coins, mobile phones, bottles, and most famously a severed pigs head at the player in his first return to <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Camp</placetype> <placename w:st="on">Nou</placename></place>. Truly disgusting behaviour.<br />
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Fast-forward to last season. Jose Mourinho, well known Barca-hater, led his Real Madrid team out in a remarkable series of games between the great rivals. The master of mind games managed to get Guardiola to snap, but overall, Barca won the series of matches on results. However, if anything, public opinion began to sway against them. Accusations of racist abuse by Sergio Busquets against Marcelo were not fully exonerated, and the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> players were widely criticised, even ridiculed, for the level of play-acting and ref-chasing that went on. Mourinho sensationally claimed that UEFA favoured <city w:st="on">Barcelona</city>, and had rigged the appointment of anti-Real <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Madrid</place></state> match officials – but to be fair, there aren’t many referees that get on with The Special One.<br />
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<city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Barcelona</place></city> are also relentless pursuers of transfer targets. Despite Cesc Fabregas being under contract at Arsenal, and not on the transfer list, yet he’s talked about by Director of football Andoni Zubizarreta as if his arrival is inevitable – and he’s probably right.<br />
“We know what we have and what we need and we have until August 31. Last year, Mascherano arrived in late August, while Adriano came in early July. Our first team is a great one, the best in <place w:st="on">Europe</place>, with great players and coaches … 90% of the signable players in the world are at Barça”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Their pursuit of a player under contract at Arsenal has been nothing short of disgusting. Fabregas has made no secret about his desire to return to the club</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">More than a club? Damn right - it's a bloody evil empire.</span><br />
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</div></span>Tom Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09970574901568150977noreply@blogger.com1