Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini voiced his frustrations after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham effectively ended his side’s title hopes.Mario Balotelli gave City the lead in the 26th minute before Damian Duff secured a deserved point for the Cottagers with an equaliser just after the interval. City are now 10 points behind arch rivals and Premier League leaders Manchester United, and when asked if Sunday’s result put his side out of title contention, Mancini told Sky Sports: “Now for us it is difficult in this moment I think.”Speaking of the stalemate against Mark Hughes’ side, the Italian manager said: “The performance was so, so. I think that we didn’t play well but in the first half we scored one goal.” “It is normal but when you score one goal, you finish the first half one-nil and you should start better the second half but it is possible that when you play every day – and at this moment we have a lot of players injured – we have some problems.”The final whistle was followed by some drama between the two managers, as Mancini failed to lean into his handshake or make eye contact with Hughes, which caught the ire of the Fulham boss.Mancini, despite seemingly being the protagonist, said it was not the first time he met with an angry Hughes.”Always I think, I don’t know. He seemed (angry in) the first game in London but I don’t know,” Mancini said.Hughes said he was disappointed with Mancini’s behaviour.”Well I was a little bit disappointed at the end,” he said.”Listen, I was disappointed with the performance of my team when we last played Man City, we lost 4-1, but I acknowledged that Man City on the day were the better team and I acknowledged that with my handshake and I just felt maybe Man City’s manager just didn’t really offer his hand with any sincerity so that’s why I reacted a little bit. So I apologise if I upset anybody.”
It is widely expected that Joe Cole will leave Chelsea this summer with bitter rivals Tottenham and Arsenal racing for his signature. A move to a London rival could be unpopular amongst Chelsea’s supporters even though they may understand the players need for first team football (or more money, if you believe the papers), but who are the real turncoats in football?
10. Roberto Baggio: First up is Baggio, who transferred to Juventus from bitter rivals Fiorentina in 1990 for a then world record £8 million fee. His inclusion is a little harsh as he insists he was “compelled to accept” the offer and he said: “deep in my heart I am always Purple (the colour of Fiorentina).” However, the deal wasn’t well received in Florence and two days of full scale riots broke out in which fifty people were injured.
9. Jermain Defoe: (Charlton, West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and back to Tottenham) Loyalty does not seem to be Defoe’s strong point as he handed a transfer request in the day after West Ham went down in 2003 and ended up going to London rivals Tottenham the next season. After falling out of favour with Spurs he went to Portsmouth for a season only to jump that sinking ship to return to White Hart Lane. Also, Charlton fans were not impressed when Defoe snubbed a professional contract at the Charlton to go to West Ham and subsequently he is booed at the Valley.
8. Paul Ince: The former Blackburn manager is another who didn’t exactly endear himself to the Upton Park faithful during his time as a player. In 1989 Ince was photographed in a Man United shirt long before his eventual £1 million switch to Old Trafford and has received some stick from West Ham fans for it ever since. The player also played for United’s hated rivals Liverpool (1997-99) after spending a couple of seasons at Inter Milan.
7. Nick Barmby: He became the first player to be transferred from Everton to Liverpool since Dave Hickson in 1959. His move from relegation battlers Everton to Gerard Houllier’s trophy chasing Liverpool side in 2000 made him a hated figure at Goodison Park and one of the biggest turncoats in Premier League history.
6. Ashley Cole: Just about everyone hates Ashley Cole, not just for footballing reasons either as the tabloids have dogged the defender for cheating on one of the nation’s most popular women Cheryl Cole? Or is it Tweedy again? (bah, who cares, right?).
Nicknamed ‘Cashley’ the Chelsea left-back was caught up in a tapping up storm whilst at Arsenal after meeting Chelsea officials in a hotel. He also angered his fans moaning about wages and released a controversial autobiography. The troubled player has sort of justified his switch (William Gallas going the other way and also something of a Judas) to Arsenal’s bitter rivals Chelsea after winning a league and FA Cup double, but he will remain hated by many fans.
Continue to page 2 for the top five
5. Alan Smith: Smith is just one of a few players to make controversial moves across the Pennines from Leeds to Manchester United in 2004 following the Elland Road club’s relegation from the Premier League. Before him both Eric Cantona (1992) and Rio Ferdinand (2002) had previously made the same switch.
However, Smith must be considered a traitor as he was one of those annoying badge kissers, he was a local Leeds lad and although it was expected that he would leave following the club’s demise in the Premier League many Leeds fans were hurt when he opted to go to their hated rivals at Old Trafford.
4. Luis Figo: The Portuguese midfielder made a highly controversial move back in 2000 from Barcelona to Real Madrid for a then world record fee of £37 million. Although he wasn’t the only one to make the move as Michael Laudrup (1994) and Luis Enrique (1996) did also, but I bet he was the only one to have a pig’s head thrown at him whilst taking a corner. On his return to the Nou Camp with Madrid in November 2002 the Barcelona fans also showered Figo with lighters, cans, bottles and smoke bombs erupted all around the ground, which added to an atmosphere which was already heated and violent.
3. Harry Redknapp: ‘Arry comes across as a slightly dodgy character with all the tax evasion charges that have been levelled at him in the past and his seemingly fickle nature when it comes to football management.
After spending two years at Portsmouth he angered the Fratton Park faithful when he went to South Coast rivals Southampton, who he relegated from the Premier League to the Championship and left them peeved when he moved back to bitter rivals Portsmouth….was he a double agent or something? He also claimed he would end his career on the South Coast, then he went to Tottenham in 2008, which makes him a Judas and a liar.
2. Maurice ‘Mo’ Johnston: You would have to be a little bit crazy to pour fuel on the fire that is the Glasgow rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, but that is exactly what Johnston did and he infuriated both sets of fans in the process.
After a spell at French club Nantes the former Celtic man issued a desire to rejoin the Hoops, but made a U-turn on his decision and joined the Gers instead.
As Mo is a Roman Catholic, who went to a protestant club he became equally hated by both sets of fans and has to be considered as one of the biggest Judases in football history.
1. Sol Campbell: The biggest Judas in football has to be Campbell, who made the most controversial moves in Premier League history when he signed for Arsenal from their most hated rivals Tottenham on a free transfer in 2001.
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Ever since he has been labelled a ‘Judas scum’ and although that song (you know the one) is uncalled for the Spurs fans have every reason to be upset with the player who had been with them since he was 15, he was also there idol and captain.
Since then he has also walked out on Notts County after just one appearance and has been trying to sue former club Portsmouth over unpaid image rights, fees and bonuses. Sure he may be entitled to the money, but does he really need it and is it fair to kick a cash-strapped club when they are down? What a traitor.
Who do you think is football’s biggest traitor?
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Tottenham are ready to make a move for Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, with negotiations over a transfer underway according to Mirror Football.
Andre Villas-Boas is eager to bolster his Spurs squad this summer, with a new goalkeeper on his wishlist as a long-term replacement to the ageing Brad Friedel.
With Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen already been signed, Daniel Levy has flown to France to talk to the Ligue 1 side over a possible move.
Lyon have stated that they want £16 million for their star man, but Spurs are trying to bring that price down to around £12 million.
Lloris captained France at Euro 2012 and is widely-regarded as one of the most exciting goalkeepers to shoot onto the scene in recent years.
Villas-Boas was keen to sign Lloris last season for Chelsea, and will try again this summer as Tottenham boss.
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Ivory Coast international Seydou Doumbia has never made a secret of his desire to play in the Premier League, and the CSKA Moscow striker may find his dream coming true sooner rather than later with reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
German media 4-4-2 have claimed that the striker is high on Harry Redknapp ’s wish list, as he continues to tinker with and rejuvenate his attacking options. Spurs were believed to be keen on adding new attacking threats to their squad this summer, following the departure of both Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane , but due to the ongoing transfer saga involving Luka Modric , they were limited to just bringing in Emmanuel Adebayor on loan.
Should Spurs follow up their interest in Doumbia, a fee in the region of €20M is believed to be needed in order to convince CSKA to sell their star striker. Although Spurs fans will be hoping that Redknapp is backed financially and allowed to bring in Doumbia without having to offload any players in the meantime, there is a cheaper option reportedly available to the North Londoners.
Ander Herrera of Athletic Bilbao is also thought to be in Redknapp’s sights, and would likely cost slightly less, somewhere in the region of €15M. At only 22, Herrera offers tremendous potential, and should Redknapp be able to convince Bilbao, a club notorious for keeping hold their talented youngsters, to sell, he may well have procured himself a real star of the future.
Article courtesy of Alex Shaw from the excellent Transfer Tavern
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Italy coach Cesare Prandelli could hand caps to several new faces to in Wednesday’s friendly against Germany in Dortmund.
Prandelli’s squad includes Juventus loan signing Alessandro Matri, Parma midfielder Sebastian Giovinco and former Brazilian under-23 representative Thiago Motta, with all three set to make their international debuts if called upon.
Matri returned to haunt parent club Cagliari in Serie A on Saturday, scoring twice to help Juventus earn a 3-1 win away from home.
The 26-year-old, who has now scored 13 league goals this season, said he was prepared to be flexible in order to make his bow for the national team.
“It is quite strange how much my life has changed in a week. I’ve gone from Cagliari to Torino and now from Torino I’m here. This is aim of all players. I’ve always wished to be in the national team,” he said.
“You only get to play for the national team if you are playing well for your club. Maybe I would have had the same chance if I had kept on doing well in Cagliari.”
“This is for sure a dream that has come true. Now I have the pleasure to train with this team and this is extraordinary for me. I don’t know how the coach will be using me. In any case I’m available and I’m ready to play as first, second or third forward.”
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Prandelli backed Antonio Cassano to perform for Italy after his very public issues with Sampdoria. He made his return to the squad following his move to Serie A leaders AC Milan in December.
“He (Cassano) has been capped because as far as I’m concerned he is an important player. I believe it would have been right to cap him not only for his desire but also he has the spirit we are looking for,” Prandelli said.
Leeds United have completed the signing of Lee Peltier from Leicester City, for a reported fee of around £500k.
The former Huddersfield man now becomes Neil Warnock’s 10th signing this summer, signalling a complete revamp from the squad that existed last season.
Neil Warnock said that a new face would be in place for the friendly trip at Preston North End, and yet again the old timer has stuck true to his word. Lee Peltier now fills a void at right back, a position that has lacked any real quality since the days of Gary Kelly.
The former Liverpool trainee is known for his pace, a commodity that is valuable in going forward and of course defending efficiently.
Neil Warnock also stated to fans before the Preston game that a possible move for Jermaine Beckford could work ‘if the fans can round up some money for his wages’ with the playful 63 year old also claiming that Jermaine Beckford would turn down Southampton to re-join Leeds United.
Sadly Mr. Warnock could shed no further light on the mooted takeover that still drags on heading into the early stages of August.
Fans will have their fingers crossed that come August 18th, fans will be able to sing, ‘Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak al-Khalifa give us a wave!’.
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Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has called his side’s 8-2 defeat to Premier League rivals Manchester United ‘humiliating’, and targeted the signing of three new players to ease the club’s injury woes.
The English champions ran riot against their lacklustre opponents on Sunday, and the French coach was hurting after the game.
“After a game like that it’s terribly painful. It hurts, it was humiliating,” the 61-year-old told reporters.
“We were short in some areas, we had eight players out and they had class. They punished us in front of goal.”
The Emirates outfit have recently sold senior players Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, but the former Monaco boss is standing by his decisions.
“I’m in a public job and I have to accept that. I make the right decisions for the club and I will continue to try to do that. The players we have sold I also brought to the club,” he continued.
“It’s difficult when you lose 8-2. It’s better that you don’t talk too much because it hurts and it looks like you’re looking for excuses.
“I feel it was under very special circumstances and what’s important is we’ve played three games of the season. It’s not like it’s the end of the season, when you make a balanced judgement of the season,” he stated.
The Gunners have had a tentative approach to player employment in Wenger’s span as manager, who is reluctant to spend extortion transfer fees, but he has stated that the London club are in the market for three new faces before the window shuts on August 31.
“We’re working very hard on transfers. We’re close to signing a striker at the moment and we want a defender and a midfielder as well,” the Frenchman admitted.
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“I say I’m very open to finding the right players. If we find the right players we will sign them. We have the money to sign the right players – if we find them we’ll do it – we have 20 people working on it, I’m not the only one.
“I know that in England when you lose a game the signing is a solution but we need first to get our players back. We had eight players out today and anybody would suffer with those players out,” he concluded.
A story on the Guardian’s website this week claimed that United youngster Ravel Morrison’s future at the club was “hanging in the balance.”
Morrison who turns 18 in a fortnight, has for the last year or so been touted as one of the most naturally gifted players to emerge from United’s academy in recent memory.
Morrison’s performances for both the academy and more recently the reserves have won him many admirers and even led to a cameo for the first-team in the Carling Cup.
The Wythenshawe-born youngster is a fast-paced strong, skilful winger who doesn’t look too out of place playing just behind who ever’s leading the line.
The reason the young winger’s Old Trafford future isn’t secure has nothing to do with his footballing ability or his desire to play elsewhere. No, like many young players who come from some of the less affluent areas Morrison has found himself with a reputation for shall we say ‘running in certain circles.’
It’s all been a bit ambiguous as to what exactly the young Mancunian midfielder has actually done wrong although there has been rumours of some sort of charge for ‘witness intimidation’ or something along those lines. These are only rumours though and as of yet there is no evidence, at least not in the public domain, to support them.
Morrison had supposedly been suspended from playing by United for ‘off the field issues’ however again there is no real evidence to substantiate what is going on.
I’ve met Morrison a couple of times in my part-time job at the Powerleague and while it’s obvious he is a little rough around the edges, he seems no different from any of the other lads we get in there, who come from certain areas.
Admittedly, occasionally meeting him hardly qualifies me to make a judgement on his character and I like many other Reds would be hard pressed to tell you if he really is a troubled youngster or not.
The problem many United fans have is two-fold. Firstly : Morrison’s actions remain clouded in mystery, no one really knows what is actually going on and even though you could fill a novel with all the rumours, theories and conjecture surrounding him, it’s all still very murky. Secondly- Morrison seems to be one of the most naturally gifted players the club has produced in the past few years, anyone who seen him play will testify that he has bags of skill and could easily go all the way.
If we were talking about a player who was merely ‘good’ we wouldn’t be talking- if that makes sense to anyone.
Morrison is the type of player who stands out to you, when you’re watching some of the brightest young stars in English football, and that for me speaks volumes.
There’s no doubt that thanks to the Guardian story Sir Alex will feel the need to act one way or the other, either issuing a statement declaring Morrison is fine and staying at United or perhaps issuing a press release saying he’s left the club.
Personally, despite the problems having a troubled player like Morrison at United could potentially cause, I’d like to see the club give him a chance and try and salvage his career.
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I’m hoping someone like Wes Brown, who grew up in Longsight and was once reported to be at loggerheads with Sir Alex over moving out of the area, can put his arm round Morrison – or get him a headlock and talk a bit of sense to him.
It all may depend on Morrison himself, after all we’d all probably give our right arm to play for United but not every supremely talented teenager always feels the same, or has the real sort of foresight.
Ravel Morrison’s career is at a crossroads and although he may only be 17, if he’s not careful he could end up looking back on it with a mixture of regret and anger rather than contentment and pride. I for one certainly hope it’s the latter.
Read more of Justin’s articles at the excellent ‘Red Flag Flying High’
The approaching Financial Fair Play has made many clubs rethink and think once more when it comes to signing outcasts from other clubs. There might be a bargain for one or two; or a player whose career is clearly over might be detrimental to any potential new employer.
The problem is that clubs are no longer in a strong position to take gambles. The financial cloud that has cast it’s shadow over the football world means there might be very little for those who have failed to hit the heights on a regular basis in the recent past. And those looking for a big final payday may be looking for quite some time.
There’s also a number of Arsenal’s players, specifically, who have found themselves in an unenviable position this summer. Like players at other clubs, few have pulled their weight over the past season, and there is unlikely to be a great number of teams willing to invest time and money.
However, that’s not the case for all of these players. Some do have a great deal to offer, but find themselves at a potential crossroad at the current club. Some will undoubtedly have a far easier time finding a new club than others.
Click on Michael Owen to unveil the top 10
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The once great club Liverpool have now failed to win any silverware since the 2006 FA Cup but under Kenny Dalglish, who was the last manager to bring the league title to Anfield, could the five year drought soon be at an end?
Kenny Dalglish himself has not won any trophies since picking up the Scottish League Cup in 2000 during his short spell at Celtic. During his six year tenure at Anfield in the ’80s, he won three league titles and two FA Cups and the Reds never finished outside the top two. People have said that Dalglish took over from Joe Fagan when Liverpool were the best team in Europe and that the team was built for success. However, in his debut season as manager at Anfield he led the club to their only league and cup double and did so while still playing. Now that he has returned, Liverpool fans will be hoping he can replicate this success in the 21st century.
After the new owners New Sports England Ventures offered him the job last season, firstly on a caretaker role and then on a permanent three year contract, I think Dalglish has shown that he is the man for the job. The saviour of Liverpool football club didn’t spend the twelve years previous out of the game; instead he was heavily involved on a variety of levels and didn’t let his level of knowledge drop, regularly being spotted at Anfield, following his team’s progress. Since his appointment he has brought stability back to Anfield with his old-school mentalities that had been lost over the years and it looks like the players have embraced this approach.
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His presence last season lifted disillusioned players and the introduction of the Liverpool youngsters, that he had followed through their development at the club, propelled Liverpool to a sixth place finish in the Premier League. He has now brought in the players he thinks are necessary to bring success back to Anfield, sticking to a transfer policy of picking up young English talents with the potential to sell them on at an even bigger price.
These summer arrivals have certainly given hope to Liverpool fans that silverware could be back at Anfield soon. They now have the right balance of youth and experience at the club. With Luis Suarez leading the line alongside Andy Carroll they appear to have goals in the team and we all know about the huge competition for places in midfield. However, there is room for some strengthening in the defence as the left back position still needs sorting and a new centre back could be brought in before the end of the transfer window.
Kevin Keegan’s fated time at Newcastle proved that former managers should not always return to the club where they are loved. However, it seems that Kenny has managed to find the right balance and with owners, who appear to have the club’s interest at heart, things are looking positive for the new season.
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There is the prospect of ending the last five years without a trophy at Anfield and then maybe one day soon Kenny could be just the man to take Liverpool to that long-awaited 19th league title. It would be fitting.
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