Yesterday I ran through my all-time Premier League dream team. Today, it only makes sense to have a look at the worst possible Premier League XI. The Premier League team from hell! There’s lots to consider when making the worst possible team. All players must be examined to see if they show any traces of talent (in which case they are exempt from this list). Furthermore, you must consider which players would cost the most and thus provide the worst value for money. You could also go deeper and chuck in a few players that are sure to cause an awkward changing room dynamic. I’d love to see your picks for the worst possible Premier League XI, but without further ado, here are mine.
Click on image below to see the Premiership team from HELL
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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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Liverpool had a bid of £8 million rejected for Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, according to the Independent.
The 18-year old first shot to fame at last year’s under-17 European Championships and has often been compared to a young Alan Shearer. Despite growing up in Essex, the 6ft 3in striker is said to be a boyhood Liverpool fan.
The 2011 Football League Young Player of the Year has regularly been linked with moves to Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham but signed two contract extensions last season, first in January and then in April until 2014. However, the contract reportedly contains a £15 million release clause but whether Liverpool would meet it remains to be seen.
Since becoming the club’s youngest player in April 2009 Wickham has gone on to make 72 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals. He also made his England Under-21 debut in November of last year.
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Liverpool looked at Wickham in January but instead spent over £50 million on the signings of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, largely funded by the sale of Fernando Torres. New owners Fenway Sports Group have money to spend and are keen to invest in young talent.
Arsene Wenger has sparked the latest row in the club versus country debate over the decision by Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk to go against his wishes by selecting Robin van Persie in the Dutch squad the upcoming friendly against Turkey. As he will only be returning to full training at the end of the week after recovering from an ankle injury incurred against Blackburn which has kept him out since August. Clearly he will therefore not be back to full fitness and ready to undertake a full 90 minutes on the 17th November when the friendly is scheduled. But if he is returning to match fitness and this was an Arsenal game it is safe to say that this could be targeted as a return date. So why is it so frowned upon when the Dutch national team makes the same decision? Couldn’t it even be beneficial to Arsenal to have van Persie eased back into action with say a half in an international friendly? In order to get some match time under his belt, rather than being thrown straight into the hectic pace of the Premiership where Arsenal are obviously required to be consistently picking up points?
It is commonly perceived that club managers do not care much for the international game, seeing it as a hindrance to their club to be negotiated, an inconvenience to their preparations.
The season is set out in a way that when international breaks occur players are allowed to be called up to the national teams. So then during periods when a player is at the disposal of the national team, surely any decision regarding their injury and/or fitness should be taken by the national coaching team. Just as the national coaching team would have no input if a player were to play for their club, so it should work the other way.
The arguments from clubs appear to come from a general distrust of how the national team will handle a prized asset. Although there are obvious risks of injury when on international duty these are no greater than when playing domestically. You could even argue they are less so, as the Premiership prides itself on having the most fast paced football in the world, compared to the slower pace of the European and International game which offers players greater protection from the referees. Also it is in the interest of the international team to look after a player as much as the club. A player who is fit and playing well for his club can carry this into his national side. Where as a player who remains injured say due to the national side being too eager to rush him into the team, could take time to regain form and fitness, which would obviously be to the detriment of the national team in the long run.
There is a sense of hypocrisy in this argument as if towards the end of the season a player is injured playing for his club and say therefore misses the World Cup the following summer. There are never any arguments that the national side has been hard done by the club. Another argument offered by clubs and supporters is that the clubs should take precedence as they pay the players’ wages. In my min this places too much focus on money over football matters and forgets that national sides also pay their players for turning out for the country. Added to this it assumes a precedence of club football over international football, which I believe just isn’t there as the World Cup is still the biggest and most important competition any player can win.
Generally an atmosphere of mistrust has developed between the clubs and national teams with regard to injuries. With so many players recalled from international duty these days by their club it is hardly surprising national coaches do not trust these diagnosis and wish to have their own people look over the players before deciding whether to play them or not. However this obviously adds to the tension which is not helpful for either camp and involves endless trips back and forth to different physiotherapists and doctors for the player. These in turn are not beneficial to the player and exacerbate the whole situation. Yet with no clear solution only one thing is sure this latest chapter indicates the club versus country row will not die down any time soon.
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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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Arsenal need a win to ensure that they qualify automatically for the Champions’ League group stages and not fall into the lottery that is the qualifiers. Arsene Wenger couldn’t understand the reasons behind last week’s limp performance and he will be hoping for a positive response tomorrow afternoon.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Arsenal blogs that includes Ivan should ignore ticket farce at his peril; Wilshere makes a new acquaintance, while the real reason Walcott hasn’t hit the heights.
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week.
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Caption Competition: Jack Wilshere makes a new acquaintance
Would Arsenal welcome back old boy with open arms?
Would anyone care if Wenger were to cash in?
Arsenal should ignore this ticket farce at their peril
The real reason why Walcott hasn’t hit the heights… yet
Arsenal’s NEW No.2?
Starting to realise what Wenger has been on about all these years
Harry and Arsene on transfer alert as a fire sale looks likely
An ideology that the likes of Wilshere and Carroll would be key to
Ramsey proving that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
Arsene Wenger weighs up double swoop
Arsenal braced for £9m Cham bid
*Best of WEB*
Why Arsenal don’t need a Plan B just two Plan A’s – Gunnersphere
It’s not us, Arsene. It’s you…It’s definitely you – Online Gooner
Arsène, It’s Easy. Sign & Motivate – Just Get On With It – A Cultured Left Foot
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Is Arsene Wenger a bad manager? – Le Grove
Diaby is to blame! Two young keepers have a great future!…… – Highbury House
On Sunday, the news finally came that Sven-Goran Eriksson had been appointed as manager of Leicester City. It was not a shock, the papers and media had been circulating the story soon after the unfortunate Paulo Sousa lost his job, but you certainly would not have predicted the former England manager would be taking over the Foxes at the beginning of the season. Since leaving the England job, Eriksson has not experienced a great deal of success as a manager, so is it a good appointment by the Leicester City board, and is having Sven back in English football a good thing?
Sven-Goran Eriksson has an enviable CV. After winning a host of trophies across Europe, Eriksson became manager of Rome giants Lazio in 1997, and this was where he established himself as one of top managers in the European game. Eriksson’s greatest glory came in 2000, where he ended Lazio’s 26 year wait for a Serie A title, and it had made the FA’s ears prick up. In January 2001, Eriksson became the first foreign manager of the English national team, and although by the end of his reign at England he was widely derided, the subsequent woes of other England managers have made Sven’s achievement of three consecutive quarter-finals look pretty good.
Eriksson’s career since his departure from the England job has not gone the way he would have wanted. I felt he was harshly treated at Manchester City, he enjoyed a sensational start to the season and inflicted two defeats on arch-rivals Manchester United, but the club faded in the second half of the season and this seemed to condemn him to losing his job. An unsuccessful spell as manager of Mexico followed, after which we saw a bizarre move to Notts County where he was installed as director of football. In the World Cup he managed Ivory Coast, and whilst they were in a tough group, it was a disappointing result that they were not able to make it beyond the group stage.
The last few years of Eriksson’s career may not have been his most glorious, but he has also not been given very much time in any of his last three managerial roles, and it would be harsh to judge him too negatively. I actually think Eriksson is a good manager, he may not wear his heart on his sleave but he is tactically astute, a calming presence and a good operator in the transfer market. I thought Paulo Sousa’s sacking was ridiculously premature but I also think Eriksson will prove to be a good appointment by Leicester’s board, so long as they give him enough time.
One huge positive for Leicester City is that Eriksson will be able to attract some very good players to the club. His reputation and name is such that footballers will want to play under him, and in the transfer market he will increase the attractiveness of joining Leicester massively. He is also simply a good manager, and whilst automatic promotion may now be too much to ask, the play-offs are still a distinct possibility, and how often have we seen the sides making a late run into the top six be the team that triumphs and gets promoted.
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Eriksson obviously believes Leicester City have the ambition and the capability to make it to the Premier League, and the board have made a big statement of their intent by signing up the Swede. Sven’s return to English football is in my opinion a good thing, and the main beneficiaries will be those involved at Leicester City.
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Patrick Vieria has stated that he feels that Premier League referees are singling out Manchester City players for punishment, and believes his side are getting short shrift from the officials.
The former France midfielder is now a football development executive at the Etihad Stadium outfit, and has complained about the standard of refereeing.
“It felt like that anything that City will do will be amplified and we get punished, compared to the other teams and the other players” Vieria stated to Mirror Football.
“I don’t want to think about it because I don’t want to say everyone is against City or anything like that.
“But when you look at the last few decisions, you are asking yourself if something is wrong here, if people don’t want us to win the league,” he continued.
Vieria was also quick to point out Frank Lampard’s tackle on Adam Hammill and Peter Crouch’s eye gouging of Jonas Olsson both were punished not as severely as Vincent Kompany’s red card against Manchester United.
“Lampard’s tackle looked dangerous compared to Vincent’s. Crouch, when he put his finger in the eye of another player, looked bad as well.
“We try our best to win the league, we accept our punishment. But when you look what is happening to the other ones, that makes us as a football club really frustrated.
“It seems like if you have one referee you get one decision but if you have a different referee the decision may also be different.
“It’s difficult to understand some decisions compared to the decisions we had. I think this is what brings the confusion. The confusion is dangerous for our game.
“Players are saying that they don’t know what the rules mean and if they are likely to be sent off or not.
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“Confusion is really dangerous, especially for the referee and the refereeing body. I believe that they’re making the referee’s job more and more difficult.
“A good referee is someone who referees with his personality and with common sense, to make the decision he thinks is right at the moment, not because he’s afraid of the consequences,” he concluded.
Juventus gave up a two-goal lead as their hopes of claiming a European spot took a blow after a 2-2 draw with Chievo in the Serie A.Luigi Del Neri’s team had gone 2-0 up in Turin on Monday when striker Alessandro Matri found the net 10 minutes into the second half, only to concede twice in as many minutes to settle for a point.
Veteran forward Alessandro Del Piero opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 13 minutes, days after signing a one-year contract extension with the club.
He set up Matri for the second as Juventus looked set to narrow the gap on sixth-placed Lazio to one point.
But goals from Colombian striker Fernando Uribe and defender Gennaro Sardo had Chievo level after 69 minutes.
Juventus could not find a winner, leaving them three points adrift of Lazio and five from fourth-placed Udinese with two games remaining.
The point means Chievo are guaranteed to be in the top flight next season after shooting seven points clear of the drop zone.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed that injuries and fitness concerns surrounding his strikers have forced him to play Carlos Tevez every game. The Argentinean striker has featured 9 times so far this season and Mancini has concerns about overworking his club captain.
Roberto Mancini has seen his striking options diminished through injury. Summer signing Mario Balotelli picked up a knee injury during his City debut against FC Timisoara and won’t be fully fit until November.
Emmanuel Adebayor has struggled for both form and fitness this season and was unimpressive on his first start since recovering from a knee problem against Juventus last night.
Brazilian striker Jo has also been struggling for match fitness and only made the substitute’s bench for last night’s game.
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Despite Mancini’s problems upfront, Tevez has been in an excellent run of form. He is the club’s leading scorer with 4 goals in all competitions and will look to carry on his goalscoring exploits in City’s next game against Newcastle United on Sunday.