This week the Football FanCast Video Show takes a look at Joey Barton going into politics, Scott Carson being lost in translation and the worst footy fads of all time in this sideways look at football.
After another beating being handed out by Manchester United over their title rivals, Arsenal and Liverpool seem to be taking a different approach and seeing how much embarrassment each can cause. Fernando Torres forgot he was rubbish for a minute, then quickly remembered.
We give you an update on the ‘Owen Hargreaves how many minutes have I spent on the pitch’ totaliser, as well as pitching Wayne Rooney against Sergio Aguero. Then of course there’s the question of how long will it take Emmanuel Adebayor to win the Spurs faithful over, if he hasn’t done it already.
That’s not to mention the weekly Twitter Report, Caption Competition, TriviaCast and our 188BET giveaway, where you have the opportunity to watch your Premier League team play in style as a VIP; all on the Football FanCast Video Show presented by Anthony Richardson. Enjoy…
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Darren Bent is on the verge of returning to fitness after almost a month on the sidelines, and should feature for Aston Villa against Wigan on Saturday.
The England international striker limped off against Newcastle in early September, and has been on the treatment table due to a groin strain.
However, Villa boss Alex McLeish has confirmed that the attacker has been back in training and is likely to play against the Latics.
“Darren has been back in training this week which is good news. The injury wasn’t as bad as feared,” the manager told Mirror Football.
“It will be good to get him back into the action and unleash him,” he continued.
The Midlands club threw away a 1-0 lead against QPR in their last fixture to draw 1-1, and McLeish was not happy with only a point.
“We should be winning those games, no doubt about it, after dominating so much of the second half.
“Whatever was affecting them, we released the shackles. They started to do what we asked of them to make runs forward, get support to the strikers and it was the tactic that change the game for us,” he concluded.
Villa are one of only four unbeaten teams in the Premier League this season, but have drawn five out of their six games to date.
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Controversial Manchester City attacker Mario Balotelli has stated that he has put his wild antics behind him, and he is now focussed on playing well for his team.
The Italy international has shown indiscipline and petulance since his move to the Premier League, but has been in good form of late, without any controversy following him on or off the pitch.
The striker feels that he has matured, and has told City fans that his crazy days are over.
“This is down to me, because it’s me that has changed my life,” Balotelli told Mirror Football.
“Well, I didn’t change my life, but things like, I don’t live in town anymore. I’m outside now [in the country] so it’s more quiet. I try to stay at home more. Maybe I’ll stay in now with my family, my brother or my girlfriend.
“They weren’t here last year, they came sometimes but they were not based here. That’s definitely helped.
“It’s quieter now but also I am growing up. If, last year, I missed home so much, maybe now I miss it a little bit less. I’m OK now, I’m good. I’m happy – the only problem is the weather. Everything is getting better,” he concluded.
Balotelli has scored four goals in his last four games, and will look to continue this record in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
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There doesn’t seem to be any shortage of interest in taking part in the British Olympic football team. Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale have already posed in the GB shirt whilst Beckham and recently Jack Rodwell have said they’re keen to play too. The problem for the Welsh FA is that they don’t really want their players taking part in the Olympics for a number of reasons. Not only do they see the British team, which they have been opposed to since the start, as detracting from their national identity but they are also worried about the effects the competition will have on their chances in the qualifiers for the 2014 World cup which start shortly after the Olympics.
As far as preserving their identity as a football nation goes I think pettiness doesn’t even begins to describe the situation. Reports coming out of the WFA has seem to suggest that, in playing for Britain, their players will be the catalyst for some Welsh footballing apocalypse. I understand the concerns of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish authorities that it is damaging to their international status but considering that we have always competed in the Olympics as Great Britain I don’t see why the football should be any different. I also understand that they are concerned about their positions as independent countries on the International Football Association Board. However considering the weight that this competition has on the rest of the football community I really don’t see how forming a British team for a couple of weeks is going to change anything.
The slightly more pressing issue for the Welsh FA is the fact that they have to play their World Cup 2014 qualifiers after the summer and they’re understandably worried about burnout for Ramsey and Bale who won’t miss many games for their respective clubs this season either. This is a worry; we all know what happens when players are overplayed. Jack Wilshere is the perfect example of that. However every other nation will be in a similar position they will have either played in the European Championships or the Olympics, or both. Moreover, it’s likely to only be two of Wales’ players that make it in to the GB team the rest will be well rested. I understand that Ramsey and Bale carry the burden of the Welsh team but they cannot be denied this opportunity. The Welsh FA might suggest that to take part in the Olympics would hinder their chances of playing the world cup, which is undoubtedly more important, but ultimately there is no guarantee they would make it to the World Cup even if their stars were rested. Bale and Ramsey have never played in an international competition before and, with all possible respect to Wales, they may not get many more chances to do so.
The reviews have been mixed from managers too. Whilst Arsene Wenger is against it Redknapp has said that he thinks it is an opportunity that must be taken by the young players: “I think it’s a great honour for anyone to play in the Olympic games. It must be fantastic, something to look back on for years to come.”
The stance of the Welsh FA remains “unchanged” according to chief executive Jonathan Ford: “We are not for team GB.” The blunt rebuttal of the concept is enough to display the sincerity of their stance but they have stopped short of denying their players the right to take part: “Gareth can make his own choices and make his own decisions. But we are not going to stop anyone playing.”
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Similar sentiments have been echoed by Wales manager Gary Speed and you begin to get the feeling that if the Welsh FA had the power to do so they would ban their players from playing. However, they don’t have the power. And instead of taking it as a depreciation of the national team I think the Welsh FA, and fans, should take it as a compliment that their two players, Bale and Ramsey, are perhaps the players that everyone is looking forward to seeing most pull on the GB shirt. It is the only time in my life that as an English Arsenal supporter I will get the chance to support Gareth Bale and frankly I’m quite looking forward to the prospect. Team GB should be something that unites us as countries, not embitters many as it has done. The Welsh FA may be worried about their chances dampened of participation in a future international competition but as far as I can see they should just be grateful to be taking part in this one.
With Manchester City announcing that they hope to trim their squad in January the image of TK Max style shop of footballers springs to mind. Man City’s wage bill for last season was £174m – the highest in the league and £21m more than their total turnover. High profile players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez are the obvious players for sale but there are other players who could be attracting equal amounts of interest, and rightly so. There haven’t been many other opportunities where such a vast array of talented players are up for sale and what will probably be quite reasonable cost, and I don’t really see it happening again. With that in mind here is a look at the five best players who could be on offer come January.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Not much needs to be said about the Togolese striker. With a proven track record at Monaco, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Spurs the powerful forward will be attracting interest further a field than just north London. With 68 goals in 149 games whilst in England Adebayor has proved he can play at every level. Physically dominant with brilliant passing, touch and the ability to hold up the ball the former Gunner can play up front on his own or as part of a pair. His wages, reported to be around £160,000 per week, are the obvious stumbling block but money but the money saved on his transfer fee could go some way to solving that problem. His inconsistency in front of goal is many people’s criticism of him but with seven goals in ten games at Spurs the Togo forward is out to prove people wrong once again. His future may not be decided in January but by the start of next season it appears unlikely that he will be on City’s books.
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Carlos Tevez
The other obvious option, but obvious because he’s one of the best players in the world. Despite Mancini’s outrageous claims that he won’t be sold for less than the €50m asking price I think we all know he would be sold for about half of that. It’s not in City’s interest to hold out for too much money because every extra month they keep him they have to shell out an extra £1m in wages. With most of the teams linked with the Argentine only willing to take the striker on loan a fee representing just over half of the asking price might be enough to persuade City to sell. And at that price you would still have to consider the striker a bit of a bargain. He has been prolific at every club he has ever played for and offers far more than just goals. On top of that Tevez is approaching his peak years and providing he is mentally stable and happy he would be an excellent buy for any club that could negotiate his wages down.
Kolo Toure
I feel slightly sorry for Toure. His claims that he was forced out of Arsenal by Gallas meant that he couldn’t end his career at the club he wanted to. Playing alongside his brother was the only real attraction for Kolo and since his unfortunate incidents with his wife’s diet pills the Ivorian has lost his place in the team to Lescott. However Toure always was and always will be an excellent defender capable of playing either in the centre or on the right if necessary. Kolo has won the Premier League, making up part of Arsenal’s ‘invincible’ defence, and won the FA Cup twice. He also has huge amounts of Champions League experience and could well be available for a knock down price considering that City recently bought Savic as back up for the first team. Toure’s wages do not match the amount of game time he gets and City will be eager to move him on. Possible destinations include Paris St-Germain.
Roque Santa Cruz
Currently on loan with Real Betis Santa Cruz is another player whose time in Manchester has been slightly unfortunate. After a great spell at Blackburn where he rediscovered his form and When Mark Hughes moved to City he brought Roque with him. However since Hughes’ departure the Paraguayan has seen almost no playing time whatsoever, and with Aguero, Balotelli, Dzeko and Tevez all at the club this doesn’t look likely to change. However, just because he isn’t good enough for City it doesn’t mean he won’t be good enough for other managers who may still be able to get the best out of him. He is only just 30 and with the right team there are still a few years to be had out of the striker yet.
Nedum Onouha
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Whilst Onouha will never be lighting up the world stage he is a useful defender who can play either at centre back or right back and for a lot of teams in the Premier League he will be an attractive option. City have pretty much said that he doesn’t have a future at the club but having only just turned 25 the Nigerian born former England U21 international still has by far his best years ahead of him. Again with City’s main objective of slashing their wage bills it seems unlikely that the defender will be sold for an unreasonable price.
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Aston Villa put a massive dent in Chelsea’s hopes of Premier League glory for this season chalking up an unlikely win at Stamford Bridge to end 2011 in the best possible way.
Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas will now be under increasing scrutiny to get his sides title challenge back on track after Villa inflicted their third home defeat of the campaign scoring two late goals to secure victory. Stephen Ireland, who had courted controversy during the week, a was the man at the heart of the visitors success scoring the equalising goal five minutes after Didier Drogba had put Chelsea ahead. The midfielder then teed up Darren Bent for the crucial third just four minutes from time after Stiliyan Petrov had put them ahead just moments earlier. It was only Alex McLeish’s second away win since taking over as Villa boss and extended the home sides unbeaten run to four games as their title challenge took a serious hit.
As ever the home side started brightly with Juan Mata almost giving them an early side before Daniel Sturridge shot just over as Villa happily sat back and soaked up the pressure. They were made to pay for such a tactic after Drogba was fouled in the penalty area by Richard Dunne before shaking himself off to convert the spot kick for his 150th goal for the Blues. However that lead lasted just five minutes before Ireland popped up to equalise scoring on the second attempt after Charles N’Zogbia’s intelligent run. Drogba than blazed three efforts over the bar as Chelsea tried in vain to regain the lead before Ciaran Clark almost put the ball into his own net. The pace of Gabriel Agbonlahor caused problems for the hosts all afternoon and he should have given Villa the lead but squandered a glorious chance firing straight at Petr Cech despite being one-on-one.
The hosts lifted the tempo during the second half with Drogba dragging a shot wide, Jose Boswinga firing over from distance and Fernando Torres crashing a strike back off the bar just moments after coming off the bench. All those missed chances would certainly comeback to haunt the Blues as Villa staged a late smash and grab to seal a shock victory and send the home side down to fifth in the league. Captain Petrov struck the first hammer blow calmly slotting the ball past Cech after being found by Clarks through ball with seven minutes left before Bent tapped into an empty net from Ireland’s pass to put McLeish’s side back into the top half and increase the pressure on Villas-Boas in the opposite dugout.
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For any wannabe Wenger’s, Mourinho’s or Ferguson’s, Football Manager has been the place to cut their teeth. Over the years millions have sat in front of the computer screens, deciding on their matchday tactics and delving into the transfer market to make their team unbeatable.
Like the managerial greats, we have all made a few bad signings but we have also unearthed a number of gems. Whether we have been fortunate enough to bring them to our club or have seen somebody snatch them from under our noses, their importance has not been missed.
Here are those players that we love, together in a Football Manager XI that would bring guaranteed success in this free-flowing 4-3-3 formation.
Click on Febian Brandy to unveil the Football Manager XI
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It would take a brave (or stupid) man to suggest that Lionel Messi was not the greatest footballer on the planet right now, but is the Argentine the greatest goal scorer?
Taking into account goals scored in all league and European competitions, this article examines which stars have hit the net most consistently over the past four and a half seasons. The contenders are judged not just on how many goals they have scored, but on their goal to games ratio, thus proving just who the world’s greatest goal scorer really is.
The likes of Luis Suarez and Falcao have been omitted, as most of their goals have been scored outside of the big five European leagues, and it’s generally bit easier to score in Holland or Portugal. Just ask Alfonso Alves.
Click on Mario Gomez to unveil the top 10
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Football fans often get caught up on ‘big money’ transfer deals and rightly so, but what about the players that combine their transfer fee’s to build up an incredible amount of money. Most clubs will have had the sort of player that arrives, plays ok, then leaves the following season and will go on to do that throughout their career.
It will nicely line their own pocket and give them another team to claim ‘they supported as a boy’ as well as giving them another set of fans that can adore them for roughly 12 months. Passed around from club to club, it is usually a striker who clubs feel will solve all of their problems based on their passed goalscoring history but they will once again start well and fade, probably claiming home sickness.
Click on Robbie Keane to unveil the top 10
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Be prepared that one of these players has probably played for your club and done the same thing as they usually do but have I missed any of the top ten players that love a transfer out? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has confirmed that Mario Balotelli has been fined one week’s wages for breaking a club curfew ahead of the side’s fixture with Bolton.
The Italy international was seen leaving a strip club in Liverpool in the early hours of Friday morning, and later admitted that he was in the wrong for breaking the rules.
Rumours in the press had stated that the temperamental forward had been fined two week’s wages, but Mancini has confirmed that it was only one week’s pay.
“I spoke with Mario and gave him a fine of one week’s wages for what he did,” Mancini told reporters in Portugal ahead of City’s clash with Sporting Lisbon, documented by Sky Sports.
“This is normal because every player should have good behaviour before the game.”
Mancini also confirmed that Balotelli had accepted the fine without any dispute.
Meanwhile, City defender Stefan Savic believes that the fixture against Manchester United will decide the title race.
The Etihad Stadium outfit are currently two points clear of their rivals at the top of the Premier League, but the Serbian centre back feels that the game between the sides will be critical in the destination of the title.
“We are following their games and results much more in the Premier League rather than in the Europe League,” he told B52, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“We are trying to stay focused on our game in both competitions. Anyway, they are the ones who have to wait for our flop, but with every win we are step closer to the Premier League title.
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“The match between us and them will be the decisive one,” he concluded.