In the wake of Lee Clark’s dismissal at Huddersfield, despite his outstanding record of just three defeats in 55 games, I have decided to compile my top ten strangest decisions in football.
The ‘beautiful’ game we all know and love sometimes lets its hair down, downing bottle after bottle of champagne until it loses its inhabitations and evolves into a ‘funny old’ game.
The examples below are a combination of the obscure, the bewildering and the damn right absurd decisions that have lodged themselves in my memory. It goes without saying that human error forms a large part of footballs entertainment factor, but that doesn’t stop us fans cursing the high heavens when our superstar striker falls arse over elbow when clean through on goal.
Click on Leroy Rosenior to unveil the top 10
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Got an example that you think should have made the Top 10? Send me a message on Twitter @theunusedsub
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Surely the number one candidate for the England job and his recent comments should have sent alarm bells ringing among most when he suggested bringing Paul Scholes out of international retirement and persisting with the ‘golden generation’ that has failed so spectacularly in the past. Well not for the media’s favourite son Harry Redknapp, who at this moment can do or say no wrong. But is this what the country really want, and should the upcoming Euros be seen as more of a preparation for the next World Cup rather than the extremely unlikely chance of winning an international tournament this year?
Is was pleasant to see Harry Redknapp in high spirits during his pre-game press conference last week after his “nightmarish” previous two weeks. The suggestion that the media were already trying to get him out of the England job before he’d even got it raised a pleasant reaction from all in attendance. But when one of the world’s best coaches could not turn England’s fortunes around, even after he’d kept to his word and lowered the average age of the England squad, why are there not raised eyebrows and question marks over Redknapp’s early talk of who he’d bring in or keep in the England set up. The media, fans and whoever else decided to jump on the anti-Capello bandwagon, chased the Italian manager out of the job with pitchforks and torches raised over the heads because he was seemingly inadequate for the job—a total disregard for his previous successes abroad. Well what exactly does Redknapp bring to the table that Capello couldn’t—other than being best mates with all the players.
Even though Capello also tried to venture down this avenue in the past, do we really need to see Paul Scholes in an England shirt again? Michel Salgado commented in his recent column in FourFourTwo that this country likes to bring in former players when they’ve moved on from their clubs for one reason or another. Along with their qualities, they also bring a sense of nostalgia and a little bit of hope; but something like that would never be done in Spain. And that is the fundamental difference: other nations are not afraid of moving on into new eras and possibly establishing new ways of playing that suits their current squads. Instead the nation and it’s managers are desperately clinging onto something that is safe and familiar, even though it didn’t always work.
The failings of Fabio Capello are not attributed to his lack of ability as a manager, even if his methods were unpopular. He failed, in the eyes of most, because the England squad is poor. So what hope does Harry Redknapp have? Even though he might add something a little different to what Capello brought to the table, there’s no guarantee that his arm-around-the-shoulder approach will be a success with this group of players. Harry Redknapp has done exceptionally well to get his Tottenham side playing good football while racking up the points; but importantly he has also got them working. How much work ethic will there be from a group of players who are persistently called up to the England squad yet fail to deliver when it matters? The core of the squad that has been in place for so long needs refreshing, just in the same way that fresh ideas were so desperately called for from the managerial position.
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Aside from the man-management aspect of the coaching, should Harry Redknapp not take responsibility in breaking up the poisonous and disruptive atmosphere that has surrounded the England camp for so long? John Terry, arguably, has no place in the England squad for the Euros or beyond following his demotion from captaincy. Not only does it create hostilities between current regulars in the England squad, but it has the chance of spilling over into the next generation of England players who have every chance of doing more for the national side that the current squad have done.
It would be extremely refreshing to see Redknapp—should he get the job—give the squad a much-needed facelift. It’s extremely unlikely that England will win the tournament in the summer, not just because of the quality of other nations, but because of the lack of preparation the manager will have; so why not take this opportunity to give the squad a new look and allow the younger players the chance to experience a big tournament ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. A failure to reach the semi-finals, for example, should not be seen as a poor tournament for a younger squad in the springtime of their careers. But what is vital is that they be given the chance to experience the Euros without the negative input of current members of the squad. It will be a positive learning experience that will only strengthen England’s ambitions for a successful World Cup.
Harry Redknapp may be the right candidate for the job from a very small pool of likely candidates, but it is so important that he doesn’t just come in and continue with what has failed the team over the past decade. Talk of Paul Scholes’ ability in comparison to current Spanish internationals is not a positive move and will only be used as a stick to beat the manager when the team fails this summer. Move on from the stale and predictable players that have done very little over the years and introduce a foundation of younger, hungrier players that will take this opportunity with both hands.
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The obsession to change the manager when things aren’t going well for England starts to become a tired exercise when the real problem is identified in the squad. Fresh ideas and changes in the dugout should be complemented by fresh faces and changes in the starting XI. Until that happens, the national side is likely to carry on the cycle of continued failure.
Premier League leaders Manchester United host newly promoted Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday intent on getting back to winning ways after dropping their first points of the season last week.
The Red Devil’s storming start to the season came to an abrupt halt as they failed make it six consecutive wins at Stoke City last week with Peter Crouch’s second half header securing a 1-1 draw for the Potters. As invincible as United looked in the opening weeks of the campaign they now look decidedly vulnerable after stuttering to a 3-3 draw in the Champions League against Basle with Ashley Young saving their blushes with a late header. They have been hindered by the absence of Wayne Rooney who missed both games although Sir Alex Ferguson will hate to rely solely on the England man to inspire his side. Defensively they were poor on Tuesday with Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand struggling to operate in tandem although it’s likely they’ll be paired together again on Saturday with Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling injured along with Tom Cleverley. Danny Welbeck could be given another chance up front after he scored twice against the Swiss side keeping out Javier Hernandez who was forced off at Stoke last week after a class with Asmir Begovic. Jonny Evans should also return to the side and provide backup to Ferdinand and Jones from the bench.
A few weeks ago many people will have written off the Canaries but after two wins on the bounce they go into the game against Ferguson’s side booming with confidence. It’s been a promising few weeks with back-to-back victories over Bolton and Norwich seeing some self belief start to creep into the players at Carrow Road. Paul Lambert has moulded his side into one capable of coping with Premier League life and their performance on Monday against the Black Cats was an accomplished one. The former Colchester boss has proved himself to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market with lower league signings Elliott Bennet, Marc Tierney and Anthony Pilkington excelling in the top flight so far this season. Taking maximum points at Old Trafford could be a task too far for Lamberts’ side with United unbeaten in 36 games at home. He suffered a blow in mid-week with the news James Vaughan will be out for four months joining Zak Whitbread, Elliott Ward and Dani Ayala on the sidelines. Lambert will also have to do without Ritchie De Laet who is unable to play against his parent club.
Key Players
Ashley Young – After scoring his first Champions League goal against Basel on Tuesday the winger will be hungry to inflict some pain on Norwich this weekend. He’ll be tasked by Ferguson with providing Rooney with the bullets and also getting in some shots of his own.
Bradley Johnson – Since signing from Leeds in the summer Johnson has been a real presence in the Canaries midfield with his energy making him a fans favourite already. Scored his first goal for the club at Bolton two weeks ago and will relish the opportunity to play at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Verdict: 3-0
Ashley Young is currently third in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, behind only his teammate Wayne Rooney and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero Young has also completed the most dribbles (30) of all players in the Barclays Premier League this season, one completed dribble ahead of his teammate Nani. Bradley Johnson had an average speed while the ball was in play against Sunderland of 6.64MPH. This was over 1MPH more than any other Norwich City player during the game. The Norwich City players covered a total of 125,306m (77.86miles) in Monday night’s 2-1 win against Sunderland
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Roberto Mancini has stated that Liverpool have made mistakes over their handling of the Luis Suarez racial abuse incident, but feels the Reds’ striker is not a racist.
The Uruguay international has been given an eight-match ban from the FA after he was found guilty of insulting Manchester United defender Patrice Evra due to his ethnicity.
The Anfield club have been widely criticised due to their unrelenting support of Suarez, and an incident of racism against Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi by a club fan.
The Manchester City boss has stated that things can happen in the heat of the moment, but must be apologised for in the aftermath.
“I think that sometimes it can happen on the pitch, a situation like this. It is important to apologise for what you did,” he told The Telegraph.
“Sometimes on the pitch you can do something you don’t want to do, because you are nervous, you don’t think on the pitch. I don’t think Suarez is a racist. I think he made a mistake, probably, yes.
“Everyone can make a mistake sometimes, everyone. It is impossible that we are always perfect. It is important to say ‘I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this’ and accept the charge.
“Everything was said to me during my 20 years as a player, but I understand. I didn’t cry for this on the pitch because, I repeat, I have my opinion that on the pitch everything can happen because you don’t think, because you are tired, because you are stupid, you are young, for many reasons,” he concluded.
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A football fan always becomes excited by a big name signing or a new look team taking shape at their club, but there is one new addition that always creates a unique buzz around a stadium. I am obviously talking about the introduction of a youngster from the youth academy that you have heard a lot about but have not really seen him play. The under 18’s and the reserve’s have become easy work for him and he is compared to a former legend at the club depending on what position he plays. The cheer that he receives when he comes on from the bench is unrivalled and when he notches that first professional goal, he seems to share the moment with thousands of fans who already adore the 17-year-old.
But it is not always a fairytale ending when youngsters are thrown in at the deep end; unable to make an impact in men’s football and after all the hype they are loaned out to a side two divisions below and seem to be forgotten just as quickly as they were introduced. Admittedly the pressure on any professional footballer is high and some newcomers can’t handle that but sometimes they simply aren’t good enough. Everyone will have a player at their club that has not lived up to their hype as a youngster so here are the top ten youngsters who haven’t fulfilled their hype.
Click on Freddie Sears to unveil the top 10
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Have I missed one out from your club? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard
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Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has admitted that his side have had a tough run of fixtures in the last two months, but is confident that his team will come good and finish well in the Premier League.
Games against both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea have seen The Toffees struggle for points in recent times, and a two-match winning streak was put to an end by defeat to Stoke on Sunday.
Despite the Merseysiders not maybe living up to their fans’ high expectations for the team, Cahill is not worried about the rest of the season.
“The run of games was always going to be difficult,” The Australia international told Press Association Sport.
“You can see how well teams like Swansea have stepped up but it is such a long season and there is still 30 games to go. I’m pretty sure there is going to be loads more to talk about from now until the end of the season.
“For me and the club it is about being consistent and maintaining that and trying to see where we finish.
“We nearly always come good all the time so it is more about taking it one game at a time and making sure we stay focused on what it important and that is basically getting results – whether it is a draw or a win.
“With our squad and the team we have got we are doing pretty well,” he concluded.
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Everton are currently in 10th place in the Premier League standings, but their fixture list does not get any easier as they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Saturday.
Bolton welcome Sunderland to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season whilst the Wearsiders will be hoping to bounce back from last week’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
The Trotters finally ended a sequence of six consecutive defeats with a morale boosting 3-1 win away at Wigan relieving the pressure that was growing boss Owen Coyle’s shoulders with every loss. They’ll need to stop the rot at home though where they’ve failed to pick up a point and are in danger of equalling a record set by this week’s opponents should their poor form at the Reebok continue. They’ve lost the last six on home soil and if they’re not careful they will reach Sunderland’s Premier League record of 10 consecutive defeats on home. The omens aren’t good though with the Black Cats doing the double over them in the last two seasons and coupled with Bolton’s poor form it could be a recipe for disaster. Fans have yet to voice their frustrations about results after tough opening which included playing five of the top six but defeat against the Wearsiders who are only above them in the table on goal difference won’t go down too well in the stands. Goalscoring has been a problem and despite having the highest shooting accuracy in the division at 55% they’ve scored only four goals at home. The loss of Lee Chung-Yong to injury and Daniel Sturridge in pre-season have taken away a large chunk of creativity and potentness in the final third. Summer signings Chris Eagles, Gael Kakuta, Tuncay and David N’Gog have yet to fully make an impact and Coyle will need to get them firing if Bolton are to climb up the table.
Steve Bruce has suffered similar problems at the Stadium of Light as he struggles to get his new recruits gelling and playing the exciting brand of football expected in the North East. Eight games into the season, six points and only one win speaks volumes and the noises coming from the stands are that supporters patience is wearing thin. With everything going right up the road at Newcastle the situation on Wearside couldn’t be any different. Despite that it seems Bruce’s job is safe and he’ll be able to take solace from the fact his side were unlucky against Arsenal last week. The Black Cats battled well and with a bit of composure up front they could have come away from North London with a well earned point. Unfortunately their attack isn’t as razor sharp as it used to be but with the return of Nicklas Bendtner this week will give Bruce more hope of seeing the goals fly in from open play with Sebastian Larsson’s free kicks their only means of scoring lately. A run of only four wins in 22 games isn’t ideal coming into this fixture but they do have a good record against Bolton having conceded only one goal in their last five meetings. The return of Phil Bardsley after suspension will shore up the left side of defence as they seek only their second win of the season.
Key Players
Gary Cahill – It’s been a poor season for the England defender so far with his form dropping in unison with Bolton’s. However he is still a key player at the Reebok and there is no doubting his abilities which will be tested up against Bendtner this weekend. The Dane is a tricky customer when he’s focused and Cahill will need to have his concentration finely tuned to deal with his threat.
Sebastian Larsson – One of Bruce’s more successful summer signings the Swede has looked at home on Wearside and his form belies that of the Black Cats. Three goals and some dynamic performances on the wing have provided a beacon of hope for Sunderland fans. His dead balls will be important this week with Nicklas Bendtner back in the side and hungry for service.
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Chris Eagles also scored for Bolton and make EA SPORTS Player Performance Index team of the week after also covering 11.593km in the game. He is now Bolton’s top ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 62nd place. Bolton covered 119.799km in total, with their other goal scorer Nigel Reo-Coker covering the most ground with 11.965km Sebastian Larsson’s third goal of the season catapulted him to 22nd place in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, making him the highest ranked Sunderland player The Swedish midfielder has also been contributing defensively, winning 84% of tackles
Mario Balotelli has risked the wrath of Manchester City fans after claiming that he does not like the city and is homesick, echoing comments made by teammate Carlos Tevez earlier this year. Balotelli is yet to establish himself as a fan favourite at Eastlands, and these remarks are just the most recent in a chain of controversial events that seem to have dominated his career as a footballer.
Whilst Balotelli insists “everything is fine” with regards to playing for Manchester City, his comments about the city will have undoubtedly upset a vast number of Mancunian’s, both blue and red. Unlike Tevez, Balotelli did not discuss his dislikes in any detail, but merely claimed that the city is not to his “tastes”. Manchester may not have the same culture or weather as say, Milan, but it is still ‘home’ for the City fans, who will almost certainly feel disgruntled over Balotelli’s apparent lack of respect for this.
As if this was not enough, the Italian then went on to discuss his future, and insisted that “one day” he would like to join AC Milan. At 20-years-old it would perhaps be unreasonable to expect the forward to remain a City player for the rest of his career, however it is certainly not unreasonable to expect him to respect his contract and the club by not discussing his future so openly, having only been at the club for a year.
Balotelli seems to insist on presenting himself as the “bad boy” of football, and his apparent arrogance and immaturity both on and off the field has overshadowed the talent that we are led to believe he possesses. In his first year in English football Balotelli managed to score just 6 goals in 17 league appearances, including a hat trick against Aston Villa back in December. This record is hardly prolific, and though we have seen glimpses of brilliance from the Italian, it is fair to say he still has a lot to do to prove himself as one of the best forwards in the league.
Balotelli on the other hand, believes that only Messi “is a little stronger” than him when it comes to ability on the field, and that “all the others are behind”. When he joined City he claimed not to know who Jack Wilshere was, but that he would “show him the Golden Boy trophy and remind him that I won it”. It is these kind of remarks that have made him such an unpopular figure in English football, but Balotelli continues to be seemingly unfazed by what the fans think, even his own.
Whilst Carlos Tevez’s comments about Manchester and his outspoken desire to leave the club will have upset a number of City fans, his performances and work-rate on the pitch week-in week-out will have gone some way towards their acceptance of his inevitable departure. Mr Baloltelli plays with an air of arrogance about him, rarely displaying any signs of enjoyment, and is so casual at times you would think he had better things to be doing. The only time we really see any emotion from the forward seems to be when he is substituted, and his outburst at Mancini in a friendly against LA Galaxy a week or so ago exemplified this perfectly. Taken off for attempting a back-heel when through on goal, Balotelli reacted as though he had done nothing wrong.
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Whilst it is obvious that he must change his attitude if he is to become a fan favourite at Eastlands, Balotelli seems so uninterested and indifferent when it comes to being ‘liked’, that this “bad boy” attitude is almost certain to continue for the foreseeable future. If (and it is a big ‘if’), the Italian can prove himself to be ‘ahead’ of everyone else in the league, then City fans will almost certainly become less concerned with what he thinks about their city, and English weather. For now, Balotelli should probably watch his tongue a little more carefully – especially whilst the City faithful are the only fans not to have turned on the youngster.
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Agree or disagree? Feel free to continue the discussion either below or on Twitter @sixthofficial
Snipers moan an awful lot about the absence of characters in modern football. They bang on about George Best, Stan Bowles, Frank Worthington and Alan Hudson as if somebody had gone and broken the mould. But let me tell you, I can honestly say that none of the hell-raising characters of yesteryear could hold a candle to Mario Balotelli.
I could tell you stories of boozing, betting and birding – but as for driving into women’s prisons, firing guns, chucking darts at youth-team players and setting off fireworks in your bathroom, nope, that’s where I draw a blank. Then there was the brilliant story of poor old Mother Balotelli sending young Mario out to buy an iron and ironing board – only for the prodigal son to return home followed by a lorry containing two Vespa scooters, a trampoline, a Scalextric and a table tennis set.
Balotelli is becoming something of a national treasure, adding to the gaiety of the nation at a bleak time of recession. We love an eccentric in Britain and Balotelli is certainly that. We also love eye-catching brilliance in our footballers and it is beginning to look as if young Mario has that too.
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The best players often have an imperceptible something in their make-up, a touch of genius bordering on madness. It’s probably the same part of his brain which makes Balotelli act like a lunatic in his home life, as the one which makes him capable of the on-field pyrotechnics that contributed to Manchester City’s historic 6-1 victory at United.
Paul Gascoigne probably came closest to Balotelli when it came to daft pranks. It seems the madcap Italian is, like Gazza at his peak, something of a hyperactive man-child. And just like Gazza, he will infuriate and delight his team-mates in equal measure. I’m not sure Balotelli will ever truly grow up – and perhaps that’s something we should all savour because wayward stars are crucial to teams and the popularity of the game.
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There have been many great ‘establishment’ footballers, players who did it all by the book, such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst (can you see a connection there?). Then there are those like Best, Bowles, Worthington, Hudson, Denis Law and myself who were never likely to end up getting gongs from Buckingham Palace but were determined to make the most of our playing days, both on and off the field. We certainly did manage to enjoy ourselves. Though not, I suspect, quite as much as Mario Balotelli.
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is expected to be sidelined until January after undergoing knee surgery on Monday.The Ghana international, who has a history of knee injuries, ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus in his right knee in pre-season training last week.
The injury is said to have stunned Chelsea officials, who were expecting scans to reveal a simple twisted knee after Essien fell innocuously during a training drill.
Instead, the 28-year-old has had surgery to repair the torn structures and faces up to six months of rehabilitation before he can return to the Blues.
It is Essien’s third serious knee injury in three years. The midfielder missed a large chunk of the 2008/09 campaign due to cruciate ligament damage and was forced out of the 2010 World Cup with a less severe medial ligament injury.
New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said: “Everyone at Chelsea wishes Michael well for his recovery.”
“His team-mates and all the staff and I look forward to helping him return to playing as soon as possible.”