Fernando Torres’ move to Chelsea caused much annimosity at Anfield, as the Spaniard went from being a club hero to a villain in the flash of an eye.
Glancing through player transfers over the last fifteen years, it is clear that Torres is not the first to endure the wrath of a particular set of fans after claiming love for his club, however, this season has seen a particular rise in players risking the wrath of their supporters by asking for high profile transfers to clubs with bigger ambitions or simply to sides providing a higher wage packet.
Ambition is not a bad thing in football, but some of the players on this list may have wished they hadn’t chosen their local rivals as a destination on leaving their previous employers.
Honourable, or rather dis-honourable mentions must go out to Gareth Barry, Nick Barmby, Javier Mascherano and Darren Bent, but each member of this top 10 have found a way to rub their club’s supporters up the wrong way.
Click on the image of a young Wayne Rooney scoring for Everton to see the Top TEN
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Amidst some dirty tactics from Burnley (kick Vicente), and some dodgey officiating (they were allowed get away with it), there was something that annoyed me far more at Turf Moor; Casper the friendly ghost upfront. In my previous blog I pleaded for Gus to play Craig Mackail-Smith and Sam Vokes up top together, two strikers, that was what we needed. Well the truth, we only played with one at Burnley. CMS was hardly involved in the game and I for one was gutted. Even when Vicente was breaking forward from midfield I waited for CMS to dart into space and outpace the centre back… But it didn’t happen; CMS just didn’t look interested, no run, no movement, no spark.
Don’t get me wrong, CMS isn’t lazy. Not even I am that stupid. But I think it has now got to the stage that the club need to reassess the whole situation and ask themselves ‘is this working?’ Back at Leicester away I laughed in a man’s face when he screamed that CMS was ‘a complete waste of money’. Unfortunately I am starting to agree with him.
However, I refuse to apologise for laughing in his face, not only because it was a ridiculous comment to make at the time but mainly because I am as stubborn as anything! In the man’s defence CMS had just managed to spoon the ball over the bar from about a yard out. That takes some doing! But of course, at the time, CMS was ‘just going through a blip’ and he was ‘a quality striker’ and would soon find his way out of it. This is by no means an attack on CMS, I just simply feel it hasn’t worked out. I am also aware that lots of people reading this blog will say ‘yeah but he works hard’ and quite frankly that is a ridiculous argument.
If Gus wanted someone that worked hard he could have signed a Golden Retriever to close down the opposition back four! That’s not the striker Gus wanted, Gus wanted a goal scorer, we need a goal scorer. And, as I said before, for CMS it hasn’t worked out. He is by no means a bad striker, far from it; I just don’t think the club and player match. Gus has a very specific style of play, one that in my eyes he isn’t willing to adapt to fit in CMS. As much as I hate to say it, my mind is slowly starting to see CMS’s name along the same lines as those with Carroll and Torres.
The big question for Gus is what does he do? Does he cut his losses and get rid of CMS at the end of this season? Surely he must still hold some value. Or, does he give him another season and hope it works out? For me, it’s time for him to go. From what I have seen of CMS I can’t envisage him being our 20+ man next season and I am genuinely gutted for him that it hasn’t worked out, especially considering all the interest we fought off to sign him.
All this said, I can’t bring myself to have any sort of anger or resentment towards CMS, his hard working ethic and honest approach to the game is refreshing for any fan to see. He reminds me of a classier Gary Hart and originally seemed as if he would become a real favourite of mine. If he is to leave, which I think is best for player and club; I wish him all the best and hope he finds the success he deserves elsewhere. But, for the time being, I think Gus should get on the phone to Germany and start perusing the whereabouts of a certain Dirk Lehman.
In Gus we trust.
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If you haven’t had enough of my over opinionated, Brighton related, verbal diarrhoea then please follow me on Twitter – @GeoMart92
The thing about obituaries is that it is better to publish them after the subject has died. Two weeks ago, Manchester United were the champions in all but name. T-shirts had been printed to celebrate their 20th title, a United-supporting bookmakers had paid out on them, endless articles were being written about Roberto Mancini’s future, and the season was fizzling out, as City blew their unassailable five-point lead (eight if you write for a tabloid, ten if you’re Mark Lawrenson on Football Focus. Five if you like to deal in facts). There were rumours that when the two teams met on 30th April, City players would have to form a guard of honour for the United team. At the very least, United could clinch the title at their neighbour’s ground.
Not any more. United have wobbled twice over the past fortnight, and a door has opened. The lead is down to three points, and if City win the Manchester Derby next week, they will go top of the table. As will be mentioned later, that is only half the story, but it certainly a surprising turn of events.
Elsewhere, Everton’s wholly unexpected comeback against United on Sunday was the greatest news Sky Sports have ever had. Their spring blue riband event, stupidly positioned on a Monday night, had seemingly turned into a damp squib. Now, it’s all systems go. Advertising space will be at a premium, the dollars will roll in, the hype machine has had new batteries put in, and will have seriously overheated by this time next week.
And already Sky have hyped the game beyond comprehension. Think the last days of Rome, couple that with a World Cup Final, mix with the Rumble in the Jungle, add a dash of the last day of the Ryder Cup and garnish with a selection of the greatest penalty shoot outs. Magic Mega Manchester Mash-up Monday is only days away. Or Mancini Meltdown Monday if City lose their nerve, or he waves an imaginary yellow card. New montages are being prepared as we speak, moody images of both managers aligned to a bombastic soundtrack, as two gladiators go to war, to the death, winner takes all, there can be no prisoners, it’s the clash of the titans, the biggest game in Premiership history, the dawning of a new era, it’s a……sorry about that.
A hundred players will be wheeled out to vomit forth endless banalities about the upcoming match. The buzzwords will be experience, pressure, and history. The United players have been gagged (but not the ex-players, sadly), the focus is intense. The announcement of the match referee is headline news. Desperate attempts are made via social media sites to get Yaya Toure banned because he may have raised two fingers at some opposition fans 80 yards away. Either way, I’ve bought some Immodium (Plus), and picked up my beta blockers. It’s going to be a nervy week, and a nerve-shredding night.
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In reality, not THAT much has changed. City are 2/1 for the league now, having been 12/1 just a couple of weeks ago. A couple of weeks before that, they were 1/2. United are still favourites, and rightly so. Whilst many a City fan may now proclaim that the title is now in City’s hands, it is also in United’s, so it’s a pointless cliché. If City should win next Monday, they then have to do it all again, beating Newcastle away, unless United slip up against Swansea or Sunderland, which despite the last fortnight, seems unlikely. City may well have to win two cup finals, and then meet a team fighting for its premiership life, led by their ex-manager, on the last day of the season. At least United will play two teams with little to play for, their summer holidays already booked, their minds already on that lovely beach in Antigua.
Normally, it would be correct to talk now about swings in momentum, in confidence, and balances of power. We were assured that United had the experience, had been there and done it, and would cruise over the finishing line. That’s what I thought too. But there have already been too many swings to know what lies ahead. It only takes a mis-timed tackle or a bad refereeing decision to cause another seismic swing. It becomes harder to call when you consider City’s lengthy troubles away from home, and the fact that even as United accumulated win after win, their performances were distinctly average (at times). Who is in better form now? It’s a grey area.
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Now it is down to the managers as much as the players. Mancini surely knows that a win is vital, and must stick with his two free-scoring Argentineans up front. But then again, a draw leaves a slim chance of title glory, a loss none at all. As for Ferguson, he’d probably be happy with a draw, leaving the title in United’s hands with a good cushion, but can you set up a team to get a draw? He’s unlikely to do that. And for the losers, the ultimate punishment – a Sky interviewer acting like a moron and asking the worst questions possible. Andy Burton thinks nothing of asking Carlos Tevez if he has dived when replays showed he had his ankle stamped on. A Sky interviewer feels no shame in trying to make Terry Connor cry. Geoff Shreeves thinks it’s acceptable to tell Ivanovic live on air he will miss the Champions League final. The stakes are high on Monday – the chance to avoid these buffoons.
Thankfully Chelsea have dug deep in the Camp Nou and out-hyped anything Monday could bring. The attention will rightly be theirs for a good couple of days. Sometimes the hype is justified, sometimes the game gives you amazing nights like Chelsea fans experienced this week. They too were written off, a team on their last legs months ago. Now they could win two trophies. A funny old game indeed. On Monday the game might well be a dour one, the hype more about the consequences of the result rather than the quality of match expected. Either way, the atmosphere will be electric, the footballing world watching on. Let’s hope it at least partly lives up to the billing.
QPR midfielder Joey Barton has stated that his men will be motivated to beat Manchester City on the last day of the season, and that his former club should not celebrate lifting the Premier League title just yet.
Roberto Mancini’s men just need to beat relegation-threatened Rangers to lift their first top-flight crown since 1968, but the Loftus Road outfit need a point to ensure they avoid the drop.
Barton has warned City that they will face a motivated team, who they should not underestimate.
“I can’t wait for the game – I can’t wait to go to Man City,” he told Mirror Football.
“They expect us to turn up and them to probably stuff us and go on and win the league.
“If that is their attitude, they will get a reality check. It’s 11 men against 11 men, there is a lot of pressure out there – I can’t wait for it.
“We have one game to go and we are masters of our own destiny,” he concluded.
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Manchester United and Manchester City are ready to open a bidding war for Newcastle hitman Papiss Cisse, according to Mirror Football.
The Senegal international has been a revelation in Tyneside since moving to the club in January, scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances, along with a number of eye-catching long range efforts.
The African forward joined Alan Pardew’s men from Freiburg for £10 million during the last transfer window, however with Newcastle missing out on Champions League qualification it is believed that some of the side’s stars could be lured away by the top four sides.
The daily newspaper indicate that United in particular are keen on Cisse’s signature, but City will also enter the bidding should any progress be made.
Newcastle will be keen to hang on to their star players, and will not want to lose Cisse after just signing him in January.
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Florent Malouda has reportedly become a target for Brazilian side Botofogo after it was revealed he will be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge next season.
The Chelsea winger saw his form dip last time out after previously enjoying two goal filled seasons and the recent signings of Eden Hazard and Marko Marin have left him way down the pecking order in manager Roberto Di Matteo’s plans.
The £13m signing from Olympique Lyonnais has won a plethora of trophies during his five years at the club including the Premier League title and FA Cup while the Blues UEFA Champions League success last season means he has little left to achieve in West London.
Reports suggest there’s also interest from rivals Vasco da Gama, where Malouda’s ex-Lyon team mate Juninho Pernambucano currently plies his trade, but Botofogo appear to have stolen a march in the race for the Frenchman. According to The Mirror, Malouda is currently considering an offer from the Rio de Janeiro based side, who are looking to attract top quality players after recently signing Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf from AC Milan.
Malouda, whose wife is Brazilian, is in the twilight of his career and, at the age of 32, a move to South America would represent an attractive proposition for a player who scored 45 goals in 220 appearances for Chelsea.
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The hype and interest surrounding Iker Muniain is warranted. At Athletic Bilbao, the young forward has been on the scene for a number of years—making his debut at the age of 16. But as Muniain hopes to prepare himself for another string of eye-catching performances at this summer’s Olympics, should there be any reason for the young Spaniard to leave La Liga in the near future?
Muniain, along with the rest of the Bilbao team, gave an outstanding performance at Old Trafford in the Europa League last season. It was a performance and stage that opened up his talents to a wider audience. Yes, he’s probably Spain’s best young talent among their seemingly endless supply, but Muniain displayed the kind of ability and mentality that is needed in English football. Has was hardly fazed by the occasion and the history of the opposing team, and he looked to force his authority on the game as much as possible.
Manchester United will of course hold an interest in the player, as will a number of the other big clubs in the Premier League. But really, what can English football offer a leading product of the current greatest nation in world football? The exposure will naturally be bigger in England, but there are few doubting that Real Madrid would be leading the race should Bilbao decide to part with their forward.
Despite having a deceptively strong frame, there would be questions raised as to whether Muniain could prevent himself being thrown around in the rough and tumble of English football. He’d be guaranteed success at any of the major clubs who are likely to chase his signature, but as the question has been asked of Lionel Messi; could Muniain do it on a cold Monday night in Stoke? The truth is, he’s done it on the rain-soaked pitch of San Mames. A game that resulted in a 2-2 draw against Barcelona. He’s got the talent and mentality to succeed in difficult conditions, but his potential is better than just a comparison to the difficulties of England’s heaviest hitters.
But why would one of the best young talents in football want to be exposed to a league where Stoke are the benchmark for success? In La Liga, whether he stays at Bilbao for the foreseeable future—which is likely—or he moves to one of big two in the league, he’d be allowed to develop his natural ability, rather than adapt his game to a style that is a little more rough around the edges.
Muniain is naturally capable of playing on either flank, with a great tendency to drift inside. His aggressive style of play would certainly not be lost in English football, and he is more than capable of taking care of himself. But in England, he’d become just another one of those expensive imports.
Manchester City—who are sure to exert their power in the transfer market—would snap him up, as they have done with every other flavour of the summer. He’d run out a good season with the club, only to then be cast aside when the next hot thing pops up. At Chelsea, where would he fit in over the long-term? The club have bought ambitiously but also with a great deal of focus on players who play in the same position. Big money awaits Muniain in England, but I’d like to think he’s got a little more integrity than just chasing a weighty pay packet. Most will disagree, unfortunately.
Remaining in Spain, however, would accelerate his progression into the Spanish national team. He’s been selected for the senior squad by Vicente Del Bosque, but his youth and the excellence ahead of him meant there was little chance of a call-up to the Euro squad.
Muniain has admitted to idolising Raul Gonzalez as a youngster—something which could open up another route to the Bernabeu in the future. The likelihood, however, is that Muniain would be greatly appreciated in Spanish football—where he belongs. La Liga’s problems may be rooted to the financial disparity in the league, but Spanish football still holds a large volume of the world’s best players. The quality of football also remains a constant in the league, as well. England may have variety, but Muniain is better suited to the obvious technical aspect that Spain excels in.
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Naturally, however, this is all misguided Spanish propaganda. Because, obviously, all the best players want to play in England, regardless of their nationality and preference.
Does anyone remember a time when Chelsea were not owned by a Russian oligarch, but in fact, a rather unpopular Englishman who has, to put it politely, a very particular way with words. Roman Abramovich is coming up to a decade in charge of the Blues, having gone money crazy after taking over at Stamford Bridge from Ken Bates. Chelsea have changed the face of English football, splashing the cash at every available opportunity and not always wisely either.
Sometimes, they’ve simply thrown big fees at players who never really appeared for the club or merely made up the numbers sitting on the bench. Admittedly, Abramovich’s billions have finally bought the Champions League, but they’ve gone through a serious number of players (and not to mention managers) to find the winning formula. The previous owners aren’t entirely clean in terms of dodgy transfers and there’s certainly been some tripe pull on the blue shirt since the Premier League began. We look back and assess the worst Chelsea signing XI in the modern era of English football:
Click on Tal Ben Haim to unveil the starting XI
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have confirmed that Wally Downes has relinquished current duties as first team coach at Upton Park.
The decision comes as a surprise to both the club and manager Sam Allardyce as the Premier League outfit begin a busy Christmas period. Big Sam has nevertheless allowed Downes, 51, to leave the club almost midway through the season.
The former West Ham first team coach played as a midfielder for Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang, making over 200 appearances between 1979 and 1988. He has been recognised as one of the main characters at the club during the formation of the infamous Crazy Gang spirit.
When Downes’ playing career ended he took up the reins at Brentford for a short spell after Steve Coppell left. He then proceeded to rejoin Coppell at Reading before joining Southampton and then West Ham.
Downes was initially hired in November 2010 serving as the team’s defensive coach under the managerial direction of Avram Grant. Then, when Allardyce was charged with the responsibility of guiding the East London club back into the top flight, Downes was swiftly made first team coach.
His departure signals the end of a successful two-year spell at Upton Park.
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Celtic manager Neil Lennon has jumped to the defence of Rangers midfielder Ian Black after he was jeered playing for Scotland at Easter Road on Wednesday.
The former Hearts man was back in Edinburgh for the first time since joining Rangers and was a late and controversial call up to the national side by Craig Levein.
Lennon said “It was uncalled for. The kid was making his debut. Part of it is probably banter with the Hibs fans but still, it was a very big day for him and a special moment for him.
“I don’t want to make too much of it, I was booed myself but for different reasons obviously, but it is not nice and hopefully that will be the first and last of it.
“I think he is a strong character and listening to his comments after the game he was still very positive.
“With the venue being where it was, there was maybe always a chance that he might take a bit of stick anyway.
“I think if the venue was either Hampden or (elsewhere in) Glasgow, I don’t think that scenario would have popped up.”
Lennon added: “I got booed everywhere – I got booed in the house. We all know the reasons behind that, because he (Black) was a Hearts player for so long and he was a bit of a rascal as it were – and there is nothing wrong with that – and he rubbed people up the wrong way.
“The majority of those fans at the game wouldn’t have been Glasgow Rangers fans, Celtic fans or Inverness fans, the majority of them were probably at Easter Road to give him a bit of stick.”
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