It's always a strange old week when the Premier League has a full programme, but it certainly wasn't lacking in drama.
On Tuesday, Emile Heskey's debut goal saw Aston Villa to their sixth away win on the spin. Portsmouth lost Nadir Belhadj to a fully deserved red card - in fact he should've gone earlier.
Tottenham Hotspur finally won, defeating Stoke City 3-1 at White Hart Lane. Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson netted for Spurs before James Beattie scored a consolation goal with his first for City.
Kenwyne Jones did the business for Sunderland, scoring the only goal in a home win over Fulham.
West Bromwich Albion twat-in-chief Paul Robinson was sent off in the Baggies' home game against Manchester United. United thumped Albion 5-0, the goals coming from Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Nemanja Vidic and a Cristiano Ronaldo brace.
Wednesday was action-packed. Goals from Stephen Warnock and Benni McCarthy helped Blackburn Rovers level after being two down at home to Bolton Wanderers. Matt Taylor and Kevin Davies had put Bolton ahead.
Two second half goals from Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea a 2-0 home win against Middlesbrough.
Everton looked set for a win over Arsenal after Tim Cahill put them ahead at Goodison Park. But Arsenal, who have the bloody bare-faced cheek to call Villa lucky, got a stoppage time equaliser through the brilliant Robin Van Persie.
Shaun Wright-Phillips opened the scoring for Manchester City against Newcastle United before Craig Bellamy added his first goal for another new club. Andy Carroll scored a consolation goal.
Hull City slumped to yet another defeat, falling 2-0 to West Ham United at Upton Park. David Di Michele netted the rebound from Marc Noble's saved penalty and Carlton Cole sealed the victory.
At the JJB, Yossi Benayoun fired Liverpool into a first half lead, but new Wigan Athletic signing Mido equalised from the spot seven minutes from time. Then Fat Crazy Evil Benitez lost the plot.
The week's result put Manchester United top, Chelsea second, Liverpool third and Aston Villa fourth. Just three points separate the top four. Arsenal languish in fifth.
At the bottom, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Middlesbrough are winning the desperate race towards relegation, but remain three points from 13th.
(Photos: BBC Sport)
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As evil as the Premier League is, it's given us the opportunity to see some masterful foreign stars on English pitches. Bergkamp, Zola, Cantona...the list is long and growing.
But who was the most easily forgettable foreign signing? Obviously each of our clubs has several - Najwan Ghrayib and Fabio Ferraresi being two former Aston Villa gems - but here's my top 5 slightly more high profile no-marks.
Let me know yours. Thanks to all the Twitterfolk who sent in their suggestions. You know who you are.
(Photo: Solocalcio)
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Okay, can't really ignore this one. Manchester City's Brazilian forward Robinho has been arrested by police investigating a sexual assault at a Leeds nightclub.
Loads of football folk have sort of known about this for a while now - I had to remove several libellous posts about it from the VillaTalk forum where I occasionally bother my arse to moderate.
With Robinho's slightly random escape from City's training camp in Tenerife strangely coinciding with reports of the incident in Leeds night spot Space, it was really only a matter of time.
Robinho's representative has issued a statement in which the wantaway star has categorically denied any wrongdoing and, presumably, any wrong doing.
It's another kick in the teeth for City fans. Still, given the head-dress party outside CoMS in August it's difficult to say they don't deserve it.
(Photo: BBC Sport)
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...England
Following Spain's victory at Euro 2008, it's now widely considered that England is football's biggest under-achieving nation. We've won only one competition, way back in 1966. It remains English football's defining moment, and the famous photograph of Bobby Moore holding the trophy aloft is iconic.
We English like to consider ourselves as hailing from the home of football, which makes our lack of success even more difficult to swallow.
We've struggled for 'greats' since that moment. Gary Lineker and Michael Owen have impressive scoring records, as did David Pl*tt. David Beckham probably came close, but generally we've been pretty short on world class players, while Ronaldo, Romario, Batistuta, Del Piero and Zidane have strutted heir way through successful World Cup campaigns.
We've recently passed through the supposed heyday of the so-called 'Golden Generation', featuring the likes of Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand an John Terry. What a disappointment it was.
...European Nights
When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to support a team which regularly competed (in one sense only) in the UEFA Cup. Every season, I'd have one or two trips to Villa Park that were that little bit more special than the rest.
There's something magical about strolling up to the stadium when the opponents are Inter Milan, or Celta Vigo, or Steaua Bucharest - even Slovan Bratislava. It's Europe, it matters. And it's a knockout round.
Every European night was special because the result was vital and the atmosphere electric. It was noisy, different and exciting.
Sadly, UEFA's restructuring has made both European tournaments a bit less thrilling. Some European nights are meaningless because of group stages, and it starts to feel like an early League Cup game against lower league opponents.
Still, I'm sure the latter stages are gripping...hopefully I'll find out.
...Eric Cantona
Frenchman Eric Cantona is the perfect example of the enigmatic footballer. He was the greatest player of the Premier League era in my opinion, but also had an artistically suspect temper.
Cantona's flicks and tricks were legendary, but his goalscoring prowess should not be underestimated. His ability to be in the right place at the right time was matched only by his wonderful opportunism and delicate chips.
He scored some seriously important goals in the league, and downed white-suited Liverpool with a clever finish in the 1996 FA Cup Final.
Of course the infamous kung-fu kick and fight with a Crystal Palace thug, but Cantona's brilliance helped define both Manchester United and the Premier League.
Since retiring, Cantona has worked in film, done some cracking advertising and managed the French beach football team. And grown a beard of epic proportions.
Don't forget - the twofootedtackle A to Z of Football is a weekly feature, and your contributions would be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like a football term discussed, feel free to leave a comment and I'll look into it.
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Way back in August, I watched on as the Serie A season got underway with Internazionale's visit to Stadio Luigi Ferraris to face Sampdoria. The game ended 1-1, though Samp just about shaded it.
Fast forward to game week 20, and the Blucerchiati travelled to the San Siro this evening to face an Inter side desperate to re-take top spot from Juventus after defeat to Atalanta last weekend.
They would have to do so without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in the form of his life but suspended for tonight's match. Mancini started up front for Inter with Adriano.
The game was physical, scrappy and ridden with fouls and injuries - quite how it ended with 11 versus 11 is something of a mystery. That said, it was decent enough entertainment, though not much of an advert for the technique of Serie A.
The opening 20 minutes were punctuated only by a series of Inter corners and the inability of Samp winger Marius Stankevicius to get to grips with teenager Davide Santon in any way but literally, eventually picking up a caution for his efforts.
In the 20th Stankevicius raced into the area and looked to have been brought down by Sulley Muntari. Perhaps it was his over-zealous swan dive which caused the referee to wave away the Lithuanian's protests.
The first real chance of the game came shortly afterwards. Gennaro Delvecchio found the ball at his feet during a goalmouth scramble and cleverly laid the ball back to Paolo Sammarco, who fired over disappointingly when he should have put the Blucerchiati ahead.
The game heated up when Mancini claimed Giampaolo Pazzini's hand had caught him on the touchline. It hadn't, and I'd have had him thrashed roundly before giving him a pink card for wimpishness.
The next Nerazzurro to pretend he'd been struck in the face was fat cheating Brazilian Adriano, who promptly followed up with two very obviously pre-meditated fouls which should have been punished with a yellow card.
On the half hour Sammarco was very lucky to escape dismissal when he put in the first real elbow of the match, cutting former Portsmouth man Muntari above the eye with a nasty challenge 20 yards from the Doria goal. Yellow sufficed, in the eyes of the referee, who was threatening to lose control of an increasingly hostile match.
Adriano fired the resultant free kick over the crossbar.
In the 39th minute Adriano should have been sent off for a none-too-subtle punch to the gut of Sampdoria defender Daniele Gastaldello as the two fought for space from a corner.
Less than 60 seconds later Inter boss Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands for his reaction to a decision given against Dejan Stankovic. The referee really looked out of his depth throughout the first half - not that the players helped, deservedly earning a large number of bookings.
Late on in the first period, Mancini and Muntari both wasted opportunities to put in a telling cross, preferring to shoot into the side-netting. Adriano was similarly wasteful, opting for and failing to execute a spectucular volley when he received a cross in space at the far post.
But the Brazilian earned Inter the lead a minute into stoppage time. Maicon beat his man too easily on the right wing and delivered a delicious cross to the back post, where Adriano was able to tap in for 1-0.
It was only Adriano's second of the season, and I was on him for first goalscorer. Lovely stuff.
Sampdoria started the second period brightly. Stankevicius was forced to switch to right back following an injury to Gastaldello and did a great job, and Samp were promising without really being incisive.
Amazingly, another defensive injury befell Sampdoria, Andrea Raggi pulling up with what looked like a groin strain. Raggi and Gastaldello had been the only defenders in the Sampdoria side, and Reto Ziegler's introduction meant the entire back four were midfielders.
Stankovic came within a coat of paint of killing the game off on the hour. Blucerchiati goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi was well beaten from 25 yards as Stankovic launched a stinging drive which thumped the crossbar.
Stankovic was unlucky again with 12 minutes left on the clock. He was nicely set up by Muntari, but his attempt was superbly blocked by the Sampdoria defence.
In the following minute, Samp should have had a penalty. With Pazzini running in to meet a cross, he appeared to be wrestled to the ground six yards out by substitute Ivan Cordoba. Again, a red card might have been the outcome.
Sampdoria almost levelled five and a half minutes into stoppage time. Julio Cesar palmed away a vicious 25-yard drive by Daniele Dessena, but it was all Samp could muster.
With maximum points won tonight, Inter go three clear of Juventus at the top of Serie A.
Goals: Adriano, 45+1 (Inter)
twofootedtackle Man of the Match: Marius Stankevicius (Sampdoria)
Read moreRegular twofootedtackle readers will know that despite the poor reaction to ITV's FA Cup coverage after the third round, I'm very impressed with the way they're treating the Cup this season.
They've been supporting the tournament since day one, even taking me to Vale Farm to watch Wembley v Royston Town way back at the beginning of the season.
Allowing them to provide highlights, of course, is the internet - and they're using it well. So I'm more than happy to recommend a bunch of great upcoming fourth round content at ITV.com/football which the good people at ITV pinged me earlier.
Tonight's match between Nottingham Forest and Derby County was marked with some classic moments from the late great Brian Clough, ex-manager of both and father of new County boss Nigel.
Tomorrow, there will be a number of interviews featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Redknapp (I can't condone viewing that particular interview, of course - that would be hypocrisy, and I can't match Harry in that respect), and the weekend's ITV games will be previewed with a 'Player to Watch' feature.
From midnight on Sunday, the website will be carrying extended highlights of every game from the weekend. But my favourite bit is the exclusive extra 15 minutes of analysis after Spurs' game with Manchester United which will only be available on ITV.com and via the dreaded red button
Nice touch. I know ITV's been criticised, but they're giving the Cup admirable support.
Read moreI love that people take the time to read what I write about football, tolerate my rants and have patience with my more outlandish opinions - it really wasn't expected when I started my journey along Blogger Boulevard.
There are plenty of ways for you to get in touch, and believe me I'd be delighted if you did. For the first time, I've listed below all the different places through which I can be contacted. Please feel free to use them, because I don't want twofootedtackle to be a broadcast medium and interactivity is important to all (good) bloggers.
So, in the interests of this admittedly desperate appeal for human contact, here's what you can do:
Premier League football supporters are increasingly being treated badly by the top flight's governing body, and Bastard-in-Chief Richard Scudamore has seen fit to add another chapter to the Portfolio of Supporter Rights Offences he keeps under his desk, just next to the button for the trapdoor on his office floor.
Don't get me wrong, piracy - on the web or the sea-based variety - is not good. But two stories at Guardian.co.uk yesterday provide the Premier League with a chance to get something right for once.
Scudamore is going to war with pirates, and wants to clamp down on rogue websites and pub landlords showing illegal feeds of Premier League games.
That's not surprising, and he's not wrong. But he could be a little cleverer, as I'll discuss later.
Here's one of the quotes from that article - the words of a Premier League lawyer/lackey:
"We have sent over 700 cease-and-desist letters and had an 87% success rate this season. [But] one of our problems is that often the sites reregister a domain name, using false names and addresses, and sign up with an ISP in a less protected country - 60% of peer-to-peer activity has been coming out of China. ISPs have to take on a stronger role and have a better enforcement policy."
The thing is, we don't get to watch enough Premier League football on the television in this country.
With ticket prices at ludicrous levels, the limited opportunities to watch our teams on the tellybox really grates with football supporters, particularly when we know those games are being watched for free abroad.
Yes, there are rules and deals to be obeyed - but they can be changed. If Scudamore and his money-grabbing minions can lobby Parliament, it can lobby the lawmakers governing football coverage (I believe UEFA is involved in these restrictions in some way).
Changing the TV deals brings me neatly on to The Guardian's second story, which discusses the approaching negotiations for Premier League television rights.
Now it strikes me that this is a real opportunity to integrate a better situation for domestic fans into the forthcoming television deal. Foreign supporters are already A-list customers for the Premier League, being shown more games and receiving more focus (Game 39 being the prime example) than the humble English fan.
So I urge the Premier League to think about providing us with coverage - maybe online, in selected pubs or on big screens - of more games. It's a chance to do some good for once. Make it happen.
(Photo: Sky Sports)
Read moreIn honour of Troy Archibald-Henville's mighty debut for Exeter City last night, witnessed by yours truly from behind the goal, here is twofootedtackle's five favourite double-barreled football names.
Honourable mentions go to the late Marc-Vivien Foe, who had a magnificent first name linkage, and Forbes Phillipson-Masters, who manages to add a third surname as his Christian name and has had the honour of meeting me. He was doing some decorating at an old friend's house, the lucky old devil.
Following all the Kaka nonsense over the last week, I was pleased to have the chance last night to go and stand on a bloody freezing cold terrace in the darkest reaches of Zone 5.
I travelled out to Victoria Road in Dagenham, where Dagenham & Redbridge played fellow Football League Two promotion hopefuls Exeter City at the second attempt (the floodlights, as you can see, worked fine this time). For one night only, I was an Exeter fan - they didn't disappoint.
City switched to a wing-back system following the loan signing of Troy Archibald-Henville from Tottenham Hotspur, and in truth it took them 45 minutes to get used to it.
Daggers had the better of the opening exchanges, playing plenty of expansive passing football and exposing Exeter's left hand side. Goalkeeper Paul Jones had to be on good form.
The Grecians began to get a grip of the game and began to match Dagenham's game.
It paid off in the 27th minute when an almighty goalmouth scramble resulted in striker Craig McAllister being tripped in the penalty area. McAllister's penalty was saved by veteran goalkeeper Tony Roberts, but he eventually bundled in the rebound to put Exeter in front.
They looked decent value for the lead, but there was an air of inevitability when Dagenham's equaliser arrived on the stroke of half time. After so much action down Exeter's left, it was a cross from the opposite side which found Ben Strevens with enough space to poke home the leveller.
At the break, 1-1 was about right, though I thought Dagenham had just shaded the half.
No such trouble for Exeter in the second. Paul Tisdale's side launched themselves out of the block and were rewarded with an early goal. It resulted from the best move of the game and it was a real beauty.
Slick passing found Steve Tully wide right and, having worked room for a cross, found a pinpoint centre which McAllister deftly turned into Roberts' bottom right corner.
From that point on, Exeter played the better football and looked reasonably comfortable, though Jones again had to be on top of his game, particularly from a few Dagenham corners. But City did more than just hold out and eventually picked up a fully-deserved three points to propel them into the League Two play-off positions.
While the quality of football (as if that really matters) was a distance short of, say, the Championship, a few players caught my eye. City goalkeeper Paul Jones looked neat and tidy, and McAllister held the ball up well in the second half to give Exeter some breathing room.
I was also very impressed with little Matt Ritchie, a clever creative midfielder on loan at Victoria Road from Portsmouth, but I think he might be a bit lightweight for the top two divisions.
Man of the Match was, by a country mile, Archibald-Henville. He played as one of three central defenders at a new club playing a new system, and put in a remarkable performance. A last-ditch tackle in each half went a long way to the three points, and he looked assured and comfortable on the ball. Good signing.
A special mention must also go to Tony Roberts, in goal for Dagenham. The former QPR and Millwall man was great value in the second half, taking plenty of stick from the Exeter fans behind the goal in good humour and giving a bit back too. There are ways to deal with opposition supporters, and Roberts has one that works.
He received a much-deserved round of applause from the away fans at the end. Well done Tone.
All in all, a cracking night out at the football. Sod Manchester City - football will be alive and well for as long as clubs like these two survive.
Read more...Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona is, depending on who you ask, the greatest player or the biggest cheat in the history of world football. As a fan of Boca Juniors and Napoli, and having no great affection for Terry Butcher, I think you can guess which category I fall into.
For me, Maradoo is nothing short of a footballing demigod. He was the greatest of all time - but he was also one of the most controversial. Drugs, guns, barrabravas, Diego Maradona Junior, a handball and Naples' notorious Camorra were all allegedly features of his career.
But for me, Maradona is defined by a Primera Division win for Boca and two Serie A wins for Napoli. On top of that, Maradona featured in a successful season for Barcelona and won a World Cup.
Maradona will always divide opinion - particularly among the English. But as far as I'm concerned, no player has ever or will ever come close.
Nowadays, of course, the great Maradoo is head coach of the Argentine national team and the subject of the 100,000 strong Iglesia Maradoniana - the Maradonian Church.
...Drugs
Recreational drugs sadly played a part in the Maradona story, and in the stories of countless other professional footballers. The most high-profile incident of recent years was the banning and subsequent fining of twofootedtackle favourite Adrian Mutu. Mark Bosnich and Abel Xavier have also fallen foul of the rules.
Of course drugs are involved in football in other ways too. Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a hefty ban for missing a drugs test, for example.
But while individual players are always going to be stupid enough to get involved, there are more concerning incidents.
Italian football is said to have had a serious problem during with systematic use of EPO, a drug which increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. It is alleged in some cases that the decision to administer EPO was, shall we say, taken above player level. In the "Juventus on Trial" chapter of his excellent book Forza Italia, Paddy Agnew provides a wonderfully enlightened account of the affair.
...Diving
Diving, one of the long-held folk devils of English football, is fast becoming part and parcel of our game. Way back when, it was considered the territory of the Italians, before Jurgen Klinsmann became the true master of the art. When he arrived in England, the criticism Klinsmann received for diving prompted his famous goal celebration at Tottenham Hotspur.
As the foreign contingent in Premier League football has grown, diving has crept into our game and is, I think, becoming considered acceptable. It is certainly as firmly in the domain of the native English player now as the foreigner.
The Premier League's biggest divers are, without doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrew Johnson and Steven Gerrard - both of whom get away with absolute murder.
But these days diving is becoming more and more common, and it's mostly a result of the shocking quality of refereeing in English football. The situation is simple: a yellow card should be issued for a dive. Yet English referees refuse to caution divers nine times out of ten. A guaranteed yellow every time would quickly stamp out a good portion of the diving we have to put up with.
...Dissent
Ah, dissent. My first sight of the word 'dissent' came while thumbing through the match reports in Match magazine as a kid. Obviously I had no concept of what it actually was, being such the little cherub.Upon discovering its meaning, I was always surprised to see it next to a player's name in the bookings list. But of course I came to an age where, as a player, I began to see its appeal. I picked up one or two yellow cards for dissent in my time, but I bloody enjoyed getting them. I was particularly fond, as a striker, of shouting across at a dopey linesman.
Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole, thanks to one or two incidents, have become the poster boys for dissent in the Premier League. But my favourite piece of dissent came at Villa Park, when Leicester City came to visit. Les Ferdinand (perhaps out of character) felt aggrieved at a decision and was booked for dissent. But he kept talking. And talking. And talking. And got a second yellow moments later, before the ball went live again.
Magnificent.
Don't forget - the twofootedtackle A to Z of Football is a weekly feature, and your contributions would be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like a football term discussed, feel free to leave a comment and I'll look into it.
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Kaká. Offered silly money by a silly club, and opted to stay at AC Milan, one of the greatest clubs in the world.
Football is in intensive care, but it's alive. Big respect, man.
(Photo: The Offside)
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We're now entering the business end of the Premier League season and the title race is taking shape.
I'm going to put my neck on the line and state outright that the championship will be won by one of three teams. While close on points, Arsenal and Aston Villa would be requiring a three-pronged collapse from above - it ain't gonna happen.
That leaves us with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, and it could be a fascinating run-in.
The momentum would appear to be with Sir Alex Ferguson's men. United returned from Japan and hit the ground running. The failure of Liverpool and Chelsea to pull away during their absence must have been a real confidence boost.
Conceding no goals in ten games (and counting) won't have done any harm either.
Chelsea might just have weathered a storm. Their points haul at home this season has been appalling, but they're still in touch.
Since slumping to a horrible defeat at Old Trafford, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side has shown impressive resilience to avoid crumbling away.
Behind at Southend in the FA Cup, Chelsea faced up to the problem and powered through. And when Rory Delap's delicious chip found the net at Stamford Bridge, they had to really dig deep to come from behind to beat Stoke City.
Their celebration of Frank Lampard's stoppage time winner sent out a real message of unity - just don't tell Didier Drogba.
Liverpool are their own worst enemy. Their usual deluded 'title race' has finally made way for a very real attempt - but they're doing everything they possibly can to blow it.
A pair of goalless draws against Stoke showcased their lack of teeth, while talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard will soon appear in court charged with assault and affray.
Helping Gerrard depress the self-destruct button is barmy boss Rafael Benitez. In the summer, Mad Rafa was the picture of smug, self-satisfied tranquillity as he used the media to tap up Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.
But the pressure of a proper title challenge and the boredom of illness combined to spark Benitez into a telling rant about Ferguson. In the following days, Liverpool drew with Stoke and United hammered Chelsea.
Ferguson must have been laughing his bollocks off.
It promises to be an exciting race, and United currently look to be in the strongest position, Chelsea weakest.
I think United will sew this season up without too much trouble. They invariably storm through the second half of the season and they have plenty of title-winning experience. If mind games come into it, the master of masters is on the United bench.
Don't be surprised, though, if Chelsea make a real fist of it.
Under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea's number one characteristic was not the expensively-assembled nature of the squad, or the ability to shut opponents out at 2-0. It was the unifying effect of a siege mentality - a siege mentality that seems to have returned after weeks of being told they're going to fall away.
I think Liverpool's inexperience will tell. Benitez will continue to make errors as the pressure mounts and Ferguson will be looking to wind him up at every opportunity. Unless the goals start to flow, Liverpool could easily find themselves finishing outside of the top two.
So, my updated prediction for this season is Manchester United. What about yours?
(Photo: The Footie)
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If you're a regular twofootedtackle reader, you'll know that I view the imminent Manchester City spendathon as something of a coffin nail. While most of the fans I've spoken to are concerned, I've heard and read some total bollocks in the media.
SKY is loving the whole affair. It's a big news story, and their main aims are to plasticise football, make it clean for all the new generation armchair supporters - they're sucking the life out of football. World's fourth best player joining a middling club? Perfect for SKY.
One of those new generation fans, Mr Tim Lovejoy of Soccer AM, 6-0-6 and Channelbee fame, successfully got right on my nerves on Wednesday night's 6-0-6 on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Not only did he think that Kaka signing for Manchester City would be a good thing, he ridiculed the possibility that it might not be.
Disappointingly, Andy Townsend expressed similar sentiments during ITV's coverage of Chelsea's win over Southend.
In my opinion, the football industry is deluded. It's working to simple logic: Kaka = world class = money. That's so painfully simplistic that it hurts my brain to think about it.
Now, leaving aside the very real and dangerous possibilities (like City being relegated, the owners losing interest, the inflated market for everyone else, the ripping out of football's soul, the dominance of marketing and money men etc etc etc), the figures involved in the Kaka move have tipped some kind of balance in my brain.
A relegation-threatened club should not be able to attract, from AC Milan no less, one of the very best players on the planet. It would be a major move based solely on money - City all but forcing Milan to sell and then forcing Kaka to move. With money. I hope he resists.
The ludicrous amounts of money involved are just sickening. I've heard people say it's morally wrong when children are dying and so on. While I'm not entirely on board with that, the response makes me angry as hell:
"It's just the same as Chelsea with bigger money. They're still buying success, and still buying top players they couldn't have attracted before. ALL football money is ridiculous."
Bullshit. The Roman Abramovich takeover at Chelsea was not good for football, but it wasn't the death knell many thought. This time, I can definitely see a time when I pack in league football for good.
Here's why City's move for Kaka is a different kettle of rotten fish:
Sorry for the negativity, and for the slightly ranty and random nature of this post. It's just been a bit of a brain dump. I'd love to know what everyone thinks about this.
City fans will probably be on here in their droves telling me I'm jealous. I'm not - look at the table, at the positivity around my club compared to the almighty stink surrounding yours. There's no jealousy involved, I wouldn't swap positions if you paid me half a million every week.
You should be ashamed of your club. This ain't football.
(Photo: Metro)
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Life & Times is back and it's also monthly again. This month the subject is unique: he will be the only ex-Birmingham City player to feature in this column.
Aside from that small but horrific career oversight, this month's Premier League star provided some great memories, from a fresh-faced FA Cup run with Portsmouth all the way to a vital winning goal in his last ever match. Ladies and gentleman...Darren Anderton.
Anderton was born in Southampton and join Hampshire club Portsmouth as a trainee way back in 1990 and, despite my being born in 1984, it is a Portsmouth shirt he is sporting when I cast my mind back as far in his career as I can.
Portsmouth, then in the old Second Division, reached the FA Cup semi-final. But here is where my memory fails me: I remember Anderton's face after Pompey lost the replay to Liverpool on penalties at Villa Park, not his goal in the original 1-1 draw. Sorry Darren.
That summer, Anderton bagged himself a move to the brand spanking new Premier League, joining Tottenham Hotspur in the only Darren Anderton transfer which ever cost the buying club a fee.
There, he made his career. He stayed until 2004, growing into the role of clever-but-a-bit-slow midfield string-puller. In over 300 appearances for Spurs, Anderton grabbed 37 goals. For a player of his ability (and who commanded no little respect), Anderton's trophy haul was meagre - just one League Cup in 1999.
Throughout his time at White Hart Lane, Anderton's reputation as injury prone began to become his defining characteristic. He was sidelined often, and missed out on several international caps as a result. Despite this, he scored 7 international goals in 30 games for England.
The arrival of Jacques Santini at White Hart Lane spelled the beginning of the end for Darren Anderton. He briefly went clinically insane before rocking up at Molineux for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There, he disappointed. In fact according to Eddie, who asked for this article in the first place, he was "shit".
Finally, Anderton headed back south and signed for AFC Bournemouth in September 2006. He played out his final footballing years in the League's bottom two divisions, fighting admirably and playing well as the club dropped towards its current treacherous position.
A popular figure among Bournemouth fans and, I think, football fans in general, Anderton retired in December 2008 - but he went out with a bang. His 88th minute goal secured a much-needed Cherries win against Chester City, almost his last act in a game he served well. When he was fit enough (and not playing at the Sty).
What are your memories of Darren Anderton?
(Photo: Hawley Select)
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Brazilian superstar Kaka looks set to have a bit of a dilemma on his hands sooner rather than later.
Manchester City became the richest club in world football in August, and stories like this were, I suppose, inevitable. A City delegation has been in Milan this week discussing possible moves for AC Milan players Reno Gattuso (who has a Scottish wife), Dida (who is out of favour) and Kaka.
The bid for Kaka is thought to be worth around £91 million, plus - get this - £500,000 a week in wages. That, friends, is silly money.
It's another test for football's resilience against the filthy lucre. Manchester City can bid for any player in the world, and afford him. The questions sit with the selling club and the player.
AC Milan, along with a few other clubs (like Manchester United, Real Madrid, City and possibly Chelsea, for example), don't have to sell anyone.
With Manchester City struggling in the Premier League and manager Mark Hughes' days looking numbered, any possible deal is thrown into sharp relief. For Kaka, the choice seems a direct one between money and football - at least until City buy success. Why else would he move to a bottom half Premier League club from AC Milan?
I only hope Kaka himself proves an obstacle to the move, because I have little doubt that AC Milan would be a willing seller at that kind of money. Strange as it sounds, I don't think they need Kaka as much as they'd like 91 million squids.
With that money, perfectly adequate replacements could be purchased. And it's not even like Milan would be selling their greatest prospect. Should Kaka stay, he'd be in the shadow of Alexandre Pato within two years - I guarantee it.
Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying Kaka isn't a wonderful player. He is. And I'm certainly not saying AC Milan would actively look to sell him.
I just think that with a bid of £91m on the table, the club could well weigh up its options and decide in favour of a sale. Bring in two players for £35m or so each, keep Pato...no problems, right?
Okay so I'm thinking out loud a little bit, but I think there's a very real possibility that the worst case scenario could see City pull this one off. I really hope they don't, but I can see Milan putting up only minimal resistance.
If that's all they do, who in their right mind turns down £1 million a fortnight?!
(Photo: Pitacodogringo)
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Footballers, eh? Over-paid, under-interested petulant prima-donnas with too much money and not enough respect for society and humanity. Thank god there are a few who drag up the moral average.
Many heartfelt thanks to Jon, Eddie, Chris and Jonathan for some great tip-offs.
If you want to tell me who else fits this category, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
(Photo: Einsteinio)
Read more...Cricket Scores
Every football fan loves last minute winners, beating rivals and winning leagues. But there's something a bit special about watching your team dish out an absolute hiding. That's often referred to as a 'cricket score'.
In 1885, Arbroath beat Bon Accord 36-0 in the first round of the Scottish Cup. It was a world record that stood until 2002. I believe Bon Accord were a cricket club mistakenly invited to play in the Cup, and that several more goals were disallowed. I also heard once that the same Cup on the same day threw up a 35-0.
I'd love to know if that's true.
The record is now held by Madagascan side AS Adema, who beat Stade Olymique L'Emyrne 149-0. According to the Guardian's report, Adema didn't touch the ball between the first and last goals - Stade Olympique scored all 149 in an own-goal festival of protest at a refereeing decision.
...Chilavert
Rene Higuita, Bruce Grobbelaar and Jorge Campos prove that goalkeepers are mentalists. But throughout the nineties, Paraguay's number one José Luis Chilavert put them all to shame.
Chilvart's brilliance between the sticks and his penchant for getting on the scoresheet himself made him a cult figure for the Championship Manager generation. The man took a stone-cold penalty and a mean free kick, but (unless my memory is tricking me) was known to run the length of the pitch to score too.
Nutty Chilavert scored an amazing 24 goals for Velez Sarsfield in Argentina, and notched eight for his country. Chilavert was named World Goalkeeper of the Year three times during the 1990s, but Brazil's Rogerio Ceni has scored 83 times for Sao Paolo - none for his country, however.
...Celebrations
They've been around forever but in the last 15 years or so goal celebrations have become something of an art form. Footballers often use celebrations to send secret or public messages to friends and families, or simply to look gimpish.
For me, the most memorable celebrations include this Bebeto beauty, along with Jurgen Klinsmann's much-imitated dive and a famous FA Cup effort from Aylesbury United.
Et toi?
...Catenaccio
Taken from the Italian for 'door-bolt', Catenaccio is the name of the Italians' famed defensive tactical system. It's highly organised and incredibly miserly - its primary purpose is to prevent the team from conceding goals.
The great Helenio Herrera first introduced Catenaccio football in the 1960s with his La Grande Inter. Originally four defenders were employed to man mark the opposition attackers, and supplemented by a sweeper.
The term is now inaccurately used to describe any defensive formation - particularly when referring to an Italian team - but it was a specific system which worked brilliantly well in its day. Thankfully, it got found out.
Don't forget - the twofootedtackle A to Z of Football is a weekly feature, and your contributions would be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like a football term discussed, feel free to leave a comment and I'll look into it.
Read moreI had a bit of a quiet one this weekend, so I was able to finally get around to a contribution I've been promising Soccerlens for months. I didn't have a particular topic in mind, but in the end I opted for football and technology.
It's back, it's back! The Premier League is back! (With a horrible lack of red cards. Football isn't nearly fighty enough.)
Here's what happened over the weekend.
Portsmouth v Manchester City and Fulham v Blackburn Rovers were both postponed due to the extreme weather conditions. How the Siberian pub league gets games played remains a mystery.
Aston Villa kicked off Saturday's proceedings with a win over local rivals West Bromwich Albion. Ex-Albion skipper Curtis Davies stooped to head Villa into the lead before Scott Carson began repaying the points he lost Villa last season by spilling a harmless shot from Gabriel Agbonlahor into the net. James Morrison grabbed a well-taken consolation goal.
At the Emirates, Arsenal struggled to overcome Bolton Wanderers, eventually emerging as 1-0 victors, as usual. Nicklas Bendtner slid in to bag the late winner.
There was a bit of controversy at Goodison Park, as Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini escaped dismissal for more than one elbow, most notably on Michael Turner, but picked up a suspension for a soft booking. Fellaini scored the first against Hull City, and Mikel Arteta added a brilliant free kick for 2-0.
Afonso Alves and Sir Kenwyne of Jones hit the net in a 1-1 draw between Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Boro fans stuck by wantaway midfielder Stewart Downing and he repaid them with a top class performance, by all accounts.
Newcastle United and West Ham United played out an exciting 2-2 draw. Michael Owen put Newcastle ahead before ex-Magpies striker Craig Bellamy thumped the Hammers level. Carlton Cole put the away team in front ten minutes after the break, and Newcastle had a goal disallowed before Andy Carroll headed in his first senior goal for the club.
After Mad Rafa's nutty rant last week, his Liverpool team promptly made him look like a bit of a tit by failing to score against Stoke City for the second time this season, as the teams drew 0-0. Perhaps winning the game and then playing mindgames would've been wiser.
On Sunday, Wigan Athletic spoiled the Tottenham Hotspur party. Returning star Jermain Defoe failed to live up to his reputation as a debut goalscorer, preferring instead to wait until Maynor Figueroa's 91st minute Wigan winner to watch the net bulge.
Finally, Manchester United demolished a poor Chelsea side at Old Trafford. A brilliant quick corner led to a goal, but it was disallowed (see pic). The retaken corner fell to Nemanja Vidic, who scored. Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov completed the embarrassment.
So, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa remain in the top four, but United are really in the driving seat now (five points off the top with two games in hand). Arsenal sit in fifth.
West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur make up the bottom three.
(Photos: BBC Sport)
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David Beckham, David Beckham, David Beckham. Right, that's the hype out of the way. Here's how he actually fared in his 88-minute Serie A debut for AC Milan, an away game at Roma in which he wasn't expected to start but did.
This was a stunning advert for Italian football. A slow start gave way to an attacking encounter which was hugely entertaining. Beckham was flawlessly efficient, but the evening belonged to two other shining stars.
Roma led 1-0 after an even first half which Milan shaded.
After a woefully dull first 20 minutes, Roma's Mirko Vucinic had the ball past Christian Abbiati. Sadly for him, it was a good ten seconds after the whistle for offside, which I believe I heard all the way from London.
90 seconds later Vucinic did the business for real. A cross came in low from the John Arne Riise on the left wing and found the brilliant Montenegro international lurking near the penalty spot, and he wasted no time in thrashing it past the Milan goalkeeper.
Milan just about edged the rest of the first period, looking more dangerous than Roma in an end-to-end affair - though neither team looked likely to score.
Beckham started to get into the game more as he drifted further right from his initially quite central position. His crossing created plenty of work for the Roma defence, though it was nowhere near its precise best.
Generally, though, his touch was good, his understanding with his colleagues was excellent and he looked sharp and (gasp) quick.
Three minutes after the restart, Kaka turned his man in the area and pinged an irresistable ball across the six-yard box for Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato to tap in for 1-1.
The Duck initially looked offside, but replays showed that Marco Cassetti, the man beaten by Kaka, was playing him on - and it looked to me as if the ball was played horizontally in any case.
Five minutes later the 19-year-old Brazilan made it two. He beat Phillippe Mexes for pace to race into the penalty area and dinked a sublime - and I mean f*cking sublime - chip over the on-rushing goalkeeper. This kid is very, very special.
From there, Milan were briefly majestic. Kaka and Beckham were clever, Pato magical and Clarence Seedorf industrious.
The defending was tidy too - until the 71st minute that is, when Roma had their first gilt-edged chance to equalise. A shot span wildly off a Milan defender and bounced perfectly for Vucinic to place a diving header into Abbiati's far corner.
2-2, then, and Carlo Ancelotti would've been furious that Milan hadn't made their possession pay off.
They say Italian football is boring, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is the passing, skill, temperament and sheer number of goals make it among the most exciting leagues.
Sooner or later, people will wake back up to Serie A. Catenaccio is dead. Long live Attacco.
Read moreMy good pals over at Soccerlens have been working day and night to put together a comprehensive collection of 2008's best goals. And they've done such a good job that I'm delighted to recommend it.
There were some pretty special goals last year, and not just in England. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been on stunning goalscoring form and there were plenty of others from Italy too.
Fear not though, they're all there. If you do look, pop back here and let me know your favourite in the comments.
Enjoy.
Read moreBirmingham City "Football Club" have signed Lee Bowyer until the end of the season. I'm sure they'll be very happy together - they deserve one another.
(Photo: Wsoccer)
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I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I simply have to call out Wayne Bridge as this month's Football Pariah.
Bridge started his career at Southampton, his home town club, and quickly made a name for himself. It was refreshing to see a left back playing for his local team and romping up and down that left wing in a way which made a mockery of his lack of years.
When Roman Abramovich took over at Chelsea it became apparent that silly money was to be paid for and to the hottest talents - initially from England. Bridge was high on the list and signed in July 2003.
Back then, Bridge's move didn't arouse any suspicion. Hotly-tipped left back moves to soon-to-be top club for big money and likely first team football. No surprises or worries there.
Injury, Asier Del Horno and (later) Ashley Cole limited his first team chances at Chelsea eventually, prompting Bridge to go to Fulham on loan in 2006.
That move was three years ago, during which Cole has made Chelsea's left back position his own - not to mention England's.
If, as folklore would have it, Wayne Bridge is the second best English left back, why has he been content to sit on the Chelsea substitutes bench for so long while Cole shows him who's boss week in, week out?
We're all suspicious of players when they're happy to take money and not play. But Wayne Bridge has all but confirmed his motivations by moving to Manchester City, the richest club on planet football. That's right folks, he's signed for Chelsea and then Manchester City, both just weeks after big money takeovers.
Methinks that's a little bit $u$piciou$.
(Photo: NOTW)
Read moreClick. Read. Absorb. Enjoy.
In my brief (but ongoing) stint as The Offside's Villa man, I've revisited the opportunity to blog about a single solitary club. I did it back in the day, and it's bloody hard work. It demands more focus, more insight than blogs like twofootedtackle.
...Beer, Burgers, Bovril and Balti Pies
Without food, English football culture would be a far less nostalgic place. Certain foodstuffs have become intertwined with football fandom, a partnership which will only fade when my generation of football supporters dies.
You see, for supporters who have memories of football matches as very young children, the sights, smells, tastes and sounds are the very stuff of football past.
Sirens, accents and songs fire bring it all back. But food and drink ticks all the boxes. Football isn't right without burger vans, without Bovril tickling the nostrils or without some pissed up nutter sitting atop a phone box doing the truffle shuffle.
Burgers and balti pies are football staples, but you find them in the real world too. But Bovril, the "thick salty beef extract" is definitely football property (and it's making a comeback). As is drunken rowdiness, at least in the football fan way.
...Beckham
The most recognisable footballer of his generation, David Beckham has evolved beyond sport into the realms of marketing, superstardom, fashion and Hollywoodism. Scientology may not be far away.
Leytonstone-born Beckham has, throughout his career, induced idolatry and criticism in equal measure. For my money, he was one of the very best. Few players have the football ability and work ethic of Beckham in his pomp, and if he can match that with a stint in Los Angeles and huge marketability then more power to his elbow.
Major Beckham moments include his lob of Neil Sullivan in 1996, his costly kick out at Diego Simeone in 1998, his performance versus Greece in 2001 and a television interview in which stick-thin pop-pretender Victoria Beckham claimed to call her fella "Goldenballs". There have been many more besides.
For star value, no footballer can match Brand Beckham. But he was one hell of a player in his day, and I think he's easier to like than most of his peers.
...Bundesliga
That's Bundesliga, as in the German top flight to which I pay almost no attention (something I'd love to rectify). More accurately, of course, I mean 1. Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga's big brother.
I don't know as much about German football but I find certain things to be very interesting. I know, for example, that clubs require a license to enter a Bundesliga season and healthy finance is a prerequisite. Nice.
The Bundesliga began in 1963 and has been largely influenced by the might of FC Bayern München, a real powerhouse of European football. Bayern have won 20 Bundesliga titles (21 German titles in total). Recent stories include the staggering rise of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
From a league of 18 teams, the top two teams qualify for the Champions League, the next one down for qualifiers. Fourth and fifth enter different stages of the newly-formed Europa League. The bottom two are automatically relegated to 2. Bundesliga, while the 16th placed team plays off against the third-placed team from the second tier.
If you're interested in German football, Some People Are On The Pitch is wonderfully insightful.
...Brazil
Since the World Cup began in 1930, only Brazil have played every tournament - and they've won it a record five times. That doesn't even begin to tell the story.
Ask a football fan what he thinks of when he thinks about Brazil, and he'll probably come over all glassy-eyed: Pele, 1970, kids playing street football, Roberto Carlos, 1994, Ronaldinho, 1958, Rivelino, Romario, Garrincha...the list is absolutely boundless.
Brazilians, it seems, do it better. They're renowned for their flair and technical ability, and the occasional leap into such outrageous brilliance that the country is afforded a football aura like no other.
With Kaka ruling the world and the likes of Alexandre Pato coming through, the future could be just as bright.
Read moreIf you've not been hiding under a rock, you'll know that AC Milan - including loanee David Beckham - are in Dubai at the moment.
Last night, the Rossoneri teamed up with adidas (a client of my employer, Porter Novelli, in some parts of the world) for a press conference in Dubai, and kindly sent me some photos of Beckham with Kaka and Clarence Seedorf, along with their bored-looking boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Photos courtesy of adidas.
What's been happening in football?
A few weeks ago, 24-7 Football emailed me to offer a free trial of the service over the Christmas football period. Happy days.
As defined by its website, 24-7 football is:
"a mobile video on demand service brought to you jointly by Sky Sports, The Sun and News of the World. It offers highlights from the Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League, Sky Sports news bulletins, the best of Soccer AM plus Gillette Soccer Saturday."
The important bit is that 24-7 Football can be paid for in two ways, by forking out £5 a month (which is sort of what I tried, in a way) or 50p per clip. Unless you're a real mobile bod, I'd recommend the latter.
There's a bunch of stuff from Soccer AM and so on, but think most of my readers are more interested in goals - they're available usually 15 minutes after they're scored (apart from Saturday afternoon 3 o'clock kick-offs, basically, because of UEFA).
I've never really been into the mobile thing, but access to this service was really rather useful over the Christmas period. Family and relationship commitments meant I couldn't pay as much attention to the football as I'd have liked. And I didn't miss a trick.
To sign up, visit the website or text PITCH to 60247. I was impressed.
Read moreNo sooner did I put out an appeal for guest bloggers than Ibracadabra got in touch. Ibra was born in Israel, and raised in Israel and the USA, and has been obsessed with football since picking up a copy of Championship Manager as a kid at a university bookstore in Tel Aviv in 1992.
Ibracadabra is part entrepreneur, part fantasy footie columnist and analyst at Never Captain Nicky Butt, and studied European History and Literature at university.
Chris
So, we have some breaking news from the Middle East today. Israel has launched a ground operation into Gaza. And Manchester City’s billionaire Arabs have signed left back Wayne Bridge from Chelsea.
Sarah Palin and ice hockey notwithstanding, it’s generally accepted that mixing politics with sports can be a recipe for disaster. But I think - as footie fans, and sports fans in general - we’re all just a bit too smart for that cliche. 2008 gave us the Beijing Olympics, the commander of all controversy, and we bring in 2009 with one of our all-time favorites, no, not Chelsea and Manchester United at Old Trafford next week, but Israel and Hamas in Gaza this week.
So regardless of your football or political allegiance, one point we can surely all agree on is that when a rocket lands in the penalty box of your hometown team’s football stadium, it’s obvious that politics and sports are in fact inextricably linked.
And while the UN Security Council says that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is irreversible and the media stays focused off the pitch, it seemed like a logical time to re-acquaint footie fans with the rumor that FIFA, the world's soccer body, is considering a proposal to host the World Cup Finals in the Holy Land in 2018.
While it is quite naïve (and perhaps absurd) to suggest that the beautiful game can have any meaningful affect on short term Israeli-Palestinian relations - and the proposal to host the 2018 World Cup in Israel is just that, a proposal, it is after all a new year and optimism is all around us.
Israeli Yossi Benayoun and Liverpool sit at the top of the Premier League as Chelsea and Manchester United chase. Optimism surrounds us.
The Israeli military looks to win the war on terror by defeating Hamas and putting an end to the rocket fire, suicide attacks, and widespread arms smuggling that have become a staple of that terrorist organization’s regime. Optimism surrounds us.
Perhaps peace will come to the Middle East. Hey, it’s a new year. Israelis and Palestinians may both be three-nil down at halftime, but as Liverpool fans know - anything can happen.
Optimism surrounds us. To a safe and happy 2009.
Read more
twofootedtackle is one year old today, and because I started this here humble blog conveniently close to New Year, it seems rude not to make my anniversary post a quick review of 2008.
Clearly there will be (or have been - I'm writing this on 23rd December, sorry!) many, many 2008 reviews in the football blogosphere. I'm not going to cover anyone else's ground - deliberately at least - and have elected to run through my Top 10 Stories of 2008 instead.
At this point, I'd like to thank you. I thank you if you're Gary, Mat and Kerry, who've taught me plenty about blogging this year and turned me into a fully-fledged social media geek. I thank Mrs Chris for putting up with me being one.
I thank you for reading if you're a reader and commenting if you're a commenter - even if you only came on to slag me off because I hate rugby, or you're one of the mardy Bournemouth fans who got upset because I wrote a controversial post about Harry Redknapp, football's biggest sore. Gotta love it when someone posts a link on a Bournemouth forum and my traffic spikes like nobody's business. Joke's on you.
Circus at Newcastle United
2008 was a difficult year for Newcastle fans. Unhappy with the football served up by Sam Allardyce, now in charge at Blackburn Rovers, United supporters were delighted when Allardyce left the club in January - and positively ecstatic when Kevin Keegan returned to replace him.
But Keegan was unable to manage. Sorry, mis-placed full-stop. I mean Keegan was unable to manage relations with owner Mike Ashley and the newly-dubbed 'Cockney Mafia', completed by Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez. Predictably, Keegan walked. Less predictably, only Joe Kinnear heeded Ashley's advances, kicking his initially short-term Newcastle reign off with a spectacular 50-swear rant at journalists in an early press conference.
Success is unlikely, but Kinnear has done well and Newcastle now look likely to remain safe. The former Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest man has been installed until the end of the season.
Bournemouth, Luton and Rotherham docked points
AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town and Rotherham began the current League Two season at a huge disadvantage - not good when the price of failure is relegation from the football league. Bournemouth and Rotherham were heavily punished for administration and CVA problems, while Luton had an additional deduction - bringing the total to 30 - for financial irregularities of which a previous ownership regime was guilty.
As it stands, all three have made a valiant attempt at making it out of the red. Bournemouth and Rotherham succeeded - Rotherham much faster - and none of the three were relegated before 2009. Word has it that Luton fans have been fantastic this season, and that can only be admired.
Patrice Evra and the Chelsea groundsman
Way back in the 2007/08 season, with Manchester United and Chelsea battling it out for the Premier League title, the fight literally came to blows when United made a late-season visit to Chelsea's Stamford Bridge - but not in the manner you might have expected.
After the game, some of the United players were warming down on the pitch when words were exchanged with a gobby member of the Chelsea ground staff. Said groundsmen can now tell his mates that he had a punch up with United left back Patrice Evra, who served a four-match suspension for the fracas when he was finally punished.
I do believe Rio Ferdinand booted a female steward instead of a wall around the same time.
England miss Euro 2008, Spain win it
By the beginning of the year, England fans were coming to terms with Steve McClaren's total failure as national team manager and the fact that his appointment had cost us a trip to Austria and Switzerland for Euro 2008.
As it turned out, the football was so entertaining and exciting that I almost enjoyed the fact that I wouldn't want to cry after a quarter final. Several teams looked genuine contenders, including Germany, Portugal and Russia, while the Netherlands started at a staggering pace and didn't let up until Russia did for them in the knock-out stages. Turkey played in three of the most incredible European Championships matches of all time, and won plenty of unexpected fans - me included.
In the end, Spain's midfield - built on Marcos Senna and inspired by Xavi and Iniesta - were good enough to win the competition. It supplied the ammo for the excellent David Villa and the final goalscorer, Fernando Torres. What a shame they had a racist old duffer in charge.
Ronaldo, Adebayor and Barry stay put
2008 was the summer of failed transfers. Following Manchester United's Champions League victory in Moscow, Cristiano Ronaldo announced that he wanted to sign for Real Madrid - and they certainly wanted him. Sir Alex Ferguson (who has since suggested he wouldn't even sell Real a virus - top quote) held firm. Ronaldo currently plays for Manchester United.
Even before Ronaldo's sensational strop, Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry had caused problems for himself. Few could begrudge him a move to Liverpool - Champions League regulars - but the manner in which Rafael Benitez and Steven Gerrard tapped him up (a scheme in which I believe Barry to have been complicit) left a sour taste. Only now is Barry returning to favour for some Villa fans. I've covered my thoughts on this in detail once or twice already.
Gareth Barry currently plays for Aston Villa, and Emmanuel Adebayor currently plays for Arsenal. The criminally over-rated striker was linked heavily with a move abroad and quotes were attributed to him suggesting he was all for it. He's still in England. Big up the (non-)selling clubs.
London 0 Hull 4
Hull City's promotion to the Premier League in May was a bit of a fairytale. Dean Windass fired his beloved club to the top flight with a storming volley at Wembley, but few outside Hull would have thought the goal was anything but the end of the fairytale. There was plenty of fairytale to go.
City spent a good portion of the first third of the Premier League season in or around the top four, picking up some mighty impressive results. Being the chipper northerners they are, Hull City took great delight in four wins in particular. Defeating Fulham, Arsenal, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur gave City four wins from four in matches against London clubs.
Goals from Geovanni added some Brazilian magic to that grit and determination, but Hull look a different proposition as 2009 begins. Phil Brown has slightly lost the plot, grabbing the headlines by lecturing his players on the pitch at half time at Eastlands, and complaining to the authorities about a decision against Villa which he feels should have been awarded to Hull - despite all evidence to the contrary - because of the way the decision may or may not have been made.
Portsmouth win the FA Cup
Some say the magic of the FA Cup returned last season, with Sky's four favourite teams finally missing out before the semi finals. Barnsley disposed of Liverpool and Chelsea before finally crumbling against Cardiff City, conquerors of Middlesbrough. Portsmouth's win over Manchester United was rewarded with a semi against West Bromwich Albion.
The final wasn't exactly a cracker, but fans of Portsmouth - who basically clocked off from the Premier League season early to prepare - won't care about that. This season Blyth Spartans, among others, have made sparkling progress, but special recognition must be given to Histon for their second round win over ex-giants Leeds United.
Ibrahimovic turns world-beater
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is generally seen as a remarkable judge of a player. He managed to get plenty of use from Craig Bellamy, he's getting the very best from Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, and has previously helped turned Gareth Barry into an England regular. But I agreed with him many a year ago when he criticised lazy, lumbering Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, currently plying his trade at Serie A champions FC Internazionale.
I still think he was right at the time. But the Inter goal-getter has made 2008 his own. Despite the occasional injury and suspension, Ibrahimovic was instrumental in the second half of the 2007/08 season in Italy, even bagging the vital goal in the title race on the final day, Inter pipping Roma to the honour.
But this season? Well, Ibra has been an absolute revelation. He seems to score goal of the decade every week. We've seen 80mph rockets, kung-fu flicks and the bendiest shot since Roberto Carlos stunned Le Tournoi in 1996. His swagger, intelligence and arrogance have finally harmonised to the benefit of the Inter team, and I genuinely believe Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be the best player in the world at the moment. He's so hot right now.
Leigh Genesis
During the early season I read a fascinating piece by Gary Andrews in When Saturday Comes about Leigh Genesis, formerly Leigh RMI, a Unibond Premier League side from the same egg as Manchester United. Chairman Dominic Speakman renamed the club (epic fail) in honour of its move to a new home (epic fail), shunned shirt sponsorship in favour of a snazzy logo (epic fail) and generally...branded. Eugh.
Sure enough, Genesis are slightly in the shit now. Speakman has pulled out, leaving the club short of cash. I hope they pull through.
Manchester City become world's richest
Transfer deadline day, August 31st 2008. News begins to filter through that Manchester City has been taken over by Abu Dhabi United (basically the royal family, I think). Going by current ownership superlative-creation logic, that makes City the world's richest club, taking over from Queens Park Rangers.
City's new owners mean business. Before the deadline passed, they snaffled Brazilian forward Robinho from under the noses of Chelsea (possibly telling him he was signing for 'Manchester') and were close or not-so-close to snapping up Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, who ended up at neighbours United as expected.
I'm afraid to say that I think this takeover was the beginning of the end of English football. So I'll be delighted if it all goes wrong. Fingers crossed (sorry City fans, I'd say it about any club with such a transfer strategy).
So that was 2008. Rock on 2009. What was your story of 2008?
(Photo: Sporting Life)
Read moreHappy New Year, twofootedtackle readers. 2009 is here, bringing with it promises of exciting finishes in the Premier League and all Football League divisions.
Seems like an opportune moment to put out my occasional appeal for a little extra content for this here humble blog. When it began, 365 fun-filled days ago, I was pretty keen to get some extra writers on board to provide a bit of perspective and stop the blog being a one-man rant-fest. My opinions on football are quite strong - sometimes it doesn't reflect too well on me as a blogger.
Sometime over the summer, I grew to like the idea of being a man on a mission, writing away to my heart's content and not really bothering to enlist any help.
But I now hope 2009 will be the year twofootedtackle, while remaining an individual's blog, can broaden its horizons and be home to a wider and more engaging range of content.
For that reason, I am hereby open to guest posts once again.
Sadly, any guest posts will be unpaid (because I am) but I will happily include any links.
So if you have anything you want to get off your chest at any time, twofootedtackle is the place to do it. Please leave a comment or get in touch if you're interested.
Chris Nee, twofootedtackle
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