It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the Sky Sports news ticker has transformed into that eerily seductive yellow. Jim White interrupts proceedings, you’ve edged to the very cliff face of your seat in anticipation and then your dreams materialise right in front of you. After months of speculation, weeks of negotiations and hours of medicals, YOUR club has finally signed THAT player.
It’s a momentous day; this is the man who can transform the fortunes of your beloved team. He arrives with a big reputation, he might even bag a debut goal but somewhere down the line the wheels of your shiny new superstar begin to fall off. He’s fallen out with the manager or started using the physio’s room as his new living quarters. Whatever the reason, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and is now likely to wallow in the reserves until being ushered out the back door, the minute that transfer window opens.
It would be easy to include Fernando ‘cow’s arse with a banjo’ Torres or Andy ‘cow’s arse’ Carroll in this list of faltering superstars but at least they are enjoying first team football at present. These ten players find themselves making impressive bottom indentations on the dugout bench or have been hastily shipped out on loan when no one was looking.
Click on Delph below to unveil the top 10 wasted talents in English football
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Post your suggestions @theunusedsub and I’ll make sure I lament their ability in a future article.
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Glenn Hoddle has put his hat in the ring for the vacant England manager’s position.
Hoddle was the head coach of the Three Lions between 1996 and 1999, before being sacked for making controversial comments about disabled people.
He has largely been out of work since then, but has admitted he would love another chance to lead the nation.
“If I were to die tomorrow, my life would be incomplete,” he told The Daily Mail.
“Would I get that opportunity (to manage England again)? Probably not. But I don’t dwell on the past and, if we fast-forward to the present, I think we have a batch of players capable of going to the Euros and doing well. I find it a very interesting moment.
“Because Stuart Pearce, Harry Redknapp, Roy Hodgson, myself – anyone – who went to the tournament with the status of a caretaker would have the pressure off him and the players would be liberated too, not least those who have been on the fringes and are accustomed to thinking that the manager doesn’t fancy them.
“Look at how a caretaker has worked for the England rugby team in the 6 Nations – they’ve done fantastically.
“Everyone’s got an edge. No-one’s sure of a place and everyone has an incentive. So I’d back the FA if they decided not to go for a full-time manager yet,” he explained.
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It has been a tough time for Arsene Wenger this season with pundits, ex-players and the press doing everything to stick the knife into the Arsenal manager this season. The decision to take off Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier this year against United caused more headaches than the Frenchman could have imagined and scrutiny over his management like he has never received before.
One aspect that is often overlooked is the very fact that he lost arguably his two best players this summer in Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas; therefore it is slightly harsh (especially with Jack Wilshere being injured all season) to start questioning Arsenal’s performances this season. It wouldn’t have been the first transfer mistake that the Gunners’ boss has made during his time at N5 and it will undoubtedly be his last.
This top 10 highlights the players that Wenger should have retained (with the exception of Nasri and Cesc) over the years and were perhaps moved on before their sell-by date.
Click on the Gunners badge below to unveil the list
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A major problem for Dagenham and Redbridge is having to repeatedly sell our best players.
The club’s brilliant reputation for signing rough non-league diamonds and making them better is a huge part in our success, yet also the biggest downfall.
Over the years the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith, Sam Saunders, Paul Benson, Romain Vincelot and Danny Green have all left the Daggers for clubs in the higher echelons of the Football League.
Take last season for example, the clubs highest ever League finish of 21st in League One, one point away from safety. This wouldn’t have been achieved without a squad effort, but yet again it was a couple of the rough diamonds who shined when given the chance to play at a higher level.
Danny Green and Romain Vincelot were pivotal performers in giving us hope of survival against the pundit’s predictions. Scoring 23 goals between them in a side battling against relegation is likely to attract many potential suitors, and it did. From the start of next season they will both be plying their trade in the Championship, Green having been one of the mainstays in a Charlton side that has finished with 101 points in League One. Add to these two the sale of prolific striker Paul Benson (who incidentally this season has done wonders for League 2 winners Swindon) leaves me wondering if Dagenham weren’t a ‘small, selling club’ where it would actually be.
However, and this is the most crucial part-the special nature of the club would not be the same if we had 10,000 supporters through the gates every game like the Swindon’s and Bradford’s of this world. The family atmosphere that a Dagenham and Redbridge home game provides for home supporters and neutrals alike is something I have not come across elsewhere in the Football League. Of course having a relatively small fanbase means the club simply can’t compete on wages even with the so-called bigger clubs in League 2.
So, when players eventually do move on to bigger and better things no one is surprised and no one begrudges them the move. The reality is without a clause written into their contract allowing them to move on if the opportunity arises the fans may not have seen them bring the club established Football League status.
We are Dagenham, and we know that John Still and co. will be working their socks off to find the next group of Dagenham diamonds to develop give the club success on the pitch and then sell on for profit.
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Whilst Euro 2012 may be the highlight of the year for many football fans, I for one am anticipating that start of something much more pivotal, far more crucial later in the year. Something that has taken meticulous levels of preparation and leaves football fans across the country frothing with anticipation. The Olympics you may ask? Perhaps the resumption of the Champions League? Neither. I can’t wait for the NPower League Two 2012/2013 season to get underway in August.
It’s a perennial question which flitters through the minds of many a football follower come the summer of an international tournament: club or country? A widely debated dilemma on the pitch, yet the wider assumption is that if you are English, and if you like football, you are obliged to spend a month of your life every two years pledging blind loyalty to your country by drinking yourself silly and waving a flag around. For many, however, national obedience is secondary.
From a personal perspective, I am English, and I am proud of it. I am also an Oxford United supporter, and of that I am a thousand times prouder. I cried when Oxford were relegated from the Football League, when we lost in a play-off semi-final, when we were promoted back into the Football League. I have never once shed a tear for England. I have visited over fifty different grounds following Oxford, yet have only ever been to one England game. Oxford United take up my days and weeks, always there ready to lift me up or drop me down accordingly; England pop up every couple of years like a distant parent and expect me to shower love upon them after years of absence. I’ll be proud as punch if England were to gain success this summer, but promotion from League Two is a far more pressing matter.
On a broader scale, there are numerous socio-cultural factors which dictate greater affiliation to clubs rather than country. Despite being a small, compact island, England still harnesses wildly varying regional differences. From Cornish Nationalism to the often seen ‘Republic of Mancunia’ banners, each English region displays assured signs of divergent cultural traditions, rituals and a shared history. Ask someone Liverpool whether they are English or Scouse and you’ll mostly hear the latter. Newcastle is often referred to as a ‘Geordie nation’.
Whilst regional differences in England are significantly less fervent than those of Spain or Italy, there still remain tangible contrasts which result in local loyalty supplanting that of the nation. England shares a great deal of cultural traits and our heritage is one which we can all engage with. Myths and legends of English victories in the face of adversity define us. But there’s just something inexplicable which commands that pride in your club overrides this.
Part of my reluctance in fully engaging with support of the national team is the element of falseness it brings, a certain plastic quality which resonates throughout. Just witness this weekend’s Jubilee events: what was the ratio of true patriotism to forced, collective gushing of flag-waving madness? This is not to say that genuine patriotic sentiment is not present during international tournaments, but it all seems predominantly imposed. The cheap adverts spouting nationalist drivel, the tacky poundland merchandise, bunting strewn outside pubs. There’s all too little substance to it. Within a week of England’s elimination it will all have vanquished. Those who do not follow football will become experts for two weeks, shout at Roy Hodgson for a bit and then waddle back to their office jobs. It’s not sustainable.
There are undoubtedly thousands of people who pour endless resources into following England home and away, true patriots who should be commended for their commitment. Yet there are also millions who are coerced into a nationalist frenzy by the companies intent on milking the England brand as far as possible every two years. This, of course, also happens at club level but only with the richest, most influential clubs. Below the elite, there are a large number of people who commit themselves for life to their local club, week in, week out, regardless of success. They do not need a Carlsberg advert or a cheap charity single to arouse their loyalties.
Euro 2012 will be a great feast of football, one which I am anticipating greatly. As an Englishman I will take great honour in watching our boys play. At the back of my mind, however, will be a nagging voice of expectancy longing for the patriotic carnival to come to an end so we can finally get back to what really matters.
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Do you think club or country comes first? Let me know @acherrie1
As the final whistle of this season was blown this weekend at Wembley and now everybody knows who they will be up against next campaign, managers and fans will turn their attentions to assembling their team’s squads for August and the season that awaits them.
Scouring forums, checking retained lists and reading local newspapers fast becomes a part of the football fans daily routine as they scout out potential signings for a club and follow the ins and outs of the clubs around them.
Now every club will have released their retained lists fan focus will turn to replacing those players who have either been released or turned down a contract offer. So far at Shrewsbury we have witnessed seven players depart, four of which were released and the other three leaving for other clubs and two players come in.
This leaves us with a lot of gaps in our squad that need filling and Turner will no doubt already be talking to potential signings with him confirming this week that the arrival of new faces were imminent.
So what positions need covering and who could be the men to cover them? With the release of Ben Smith and with Chris Neal still not having put pen to paper for next season (though it seems likely he will) bringing in a new goalkeeper should be our first priority. The release of Steve Simonsen after his heartbreaking penalty miss this past weekend at Wembley will no doubt have caught the attention of many managers in league one and I for one would be more than happy to see him arrive at our club. An experienced player and one who has just had a fantastic season at arguably the biggest side in the division would be a more than welcome addition to the side. Another name that is doing the rounds at the minute is transfer listed Paul Rachubka the Leeds United stopper was listed at the end of the season by manager Neil Warnock after a string of high profile mistakes for the Yorkshire club earlier in the season had seen him sent on loan to Leyton Orient and Tranmere. A lot of Shrewsbury fans don’t seem too happy about this so fingers crossed it is nothing more than idle speculation.
With the recent departures of Ian Sharps and Shane Sherriff we have lost our central defensive pairing which was so pivotal in keeping our unbeaten home record and sealing our promotion to League one. Whilst I feel Sharps will be replaceable Shane will not be so easy to replace. A name which seemed to be appearing on a lot of message boards and in Newspapers was that of Rory McArdle. The former Rochdale centre back has just been released by Scottish premier league side Aberdeen and in my opinion would be a fantastic signing. Another possible signing that has reared its head in the last few days is Huddersfield Town’s Nathan Clarke. A defensive pairing of Clarke and McArdle could certainly be a solid back two next season and with the return of Reuben Hazzell to fitness we would once again look very good at the back.
The big rumour going around Shrewsbury Town’s message board is our supposed interest in Ryan Hall of Southend United. The midfielder would require quite the transfer fee I Imagine and there appears to be no real substance behind the rumours. Hall would be a fantastic addition to the side but if the transfer fee is too high I’m sure Turner could find us better value for money somewhere else.
That just leaves up with the strikers. We have managed to keep hold of three strikers from last season in Bradshaw, Morgan and Gornell and we are now playing the waiting game for James Collins. The only name going around for us at the moment is that of James Brown from Hartlepool. Some fans were hoping for a bid for Lewis Grabban but to no avail and it would appear there are very few other rumours going around at the moment.
So who will our new signings be and more importantly when will they be announced? I for one hate waiting around and can’t wait to see us get some new signings in. Patience is a virtue though and I trust in Turner to bring together a great squad for next year.
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Rarely has the statement ‘you don’t now what you have until it’s gone’ been more applicable to a Liverpool player than with Lucas Leiva. The 25-year-old Brazilian was in excellent form before his unfortunate injury at the end of November last year. Following the departures of Xabi Alonso and then Javier Mascherano to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, Liverpool were in dire need of a player to plug the gap. Lucas did more than that.
Initially, many believed that Lucas was of a similar calibre to Arsenal’s Brazilian experiment – Denilson. The 2010/11 campaign proved that to be a fallacy, the point was emphasised as Lucas began 2011/12 in a similar fashion. Before his injury at the end of November, Lucas had the highest tackle success rate in the league. He appeared the perfect linking player between midfield and defence, there to break up attacks before passing the ball on to more attacking team-mates.
Before Lucas was injured Liverpool were, in the Premier League, conceding on average 0.9 goals per game. They were also earning 1.76 goals per game and were sixth in the table.
After his injury Liverpool conceded an average of 1.11 goals per game an earned around 1.2 points per game, they finished eighth in the league.
Now, clearly there were other factors that contributed towards Liverpool’s slide in form, such as the suspension of Luis Suarez. However, due to the club’s fixtures in the Carling and FA Cup Suarez’s ban don’t impede on the league as much as it could have done.
Moreover, considering that most of the teams Liverpool were competing against were involved in European football you would imagine that Liverpool, having no such distraction, would be less tired towards the end of the season. Subsequently, you would expect them to perform better than their rivals, not worse. It is also important to remember that Steven Gerrard returned from injury for the second half of the season and Liverpool’s form still dipped.
The problem for Liverpool was the lack of an ample replacement for Lucas. Jay Spearing was drafted in to take the mantle yet in his first game as Lucas’ replacement he was sent off for a rash challenge on Moussa Dembele.
Eight months on and Lucas is on the mend. His knee surgery had him crutches for over two months and the midfielder admitted that he was worried he may never be the same again.
“To be honest, in a few moments I thought I couldn’t come back any more,” the Brazil international told the BBC.
“It comes through your head that you might not be at the same level you were before, but at the same time you see big players who had the same injury come back and be even better. There is no need for me to be scared. Rather than stay protecting myself, I need to work on my head as well to come back and play the same way I was playing before. One of the things which made me strong in the team was how aggressive I was in tackles and things like that, so I cannot lose that.”
And Liverpool fans will indeed hope that Lucas not only returns for the beginning of the season, but returns with the same enthusiasm and form that earned him a place in Liverpool’s starting eleven.
The former Gremio man will undoubtedly need time to adjust after such as long period away from the game yet with the mentality depicted in his words he is already on the right path.
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Brendan Rodgers may not have the level of money that was available when the club’s American owners first arrived but in Lucas he has a player returning around which he can build a midfield. Lucas may be understated, but is importance to the team should not be underestimated.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has confirmed that he will not be leaving the club this summer.
The veteran midfielder has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge as a raft of younger midfielders have joined the west London outfit this summer.
Despite a move to the MLS being touted, Lampard has confirmed that he wants to end his career with Chelsea.
“I’m ready to sit down and talk to Chelsea whenever they want to,” The Daily Mail report the England international as saying.
“I’ve had a great time playing for Chelsea and I hope I can prolong it. In an ideal world I’d finish here and keep giving what I have given over the past ten years.
“Though, I wouldn’t want to fade away as a player and be here without performing or producing. I want to always be at a level I know I can play at and give a lot when I play.
“I certainly feel I’ve got more than a year left in me. I feel I’ve got a few more years in terms of top football. I’m fit enough and fresh enough.
“My legs are fine and with experience you can bring something else to the team in terms of off the pitch, helping the young players coming through.
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“I’d love to do that. Chelsea will always be my club regardless of what happens now in terms of my playing days,” he concluded.
Has Sir Alex Ferguson finally killed off the challenge of his oldest adversary? The signing of Robin Van Persie has all but extinguished the title hopes of North London counterpart Arsene Wenger and significantly boosted his own in the process. Two birds with one stone you might. The £24 million capture of Van Persie has certainly added some extra spice with the new Premier League season rapidly emerging on the horizon. With rivals City yet to make significant inroads in the transfer market the 29-year-old is considered the final piece of the jigsaw for United as they begin the long and arduous battle to wrestle the trophy from the grip of their fiercest rivals. The prospect of Wayne Rooney and Van Persie working in tandem is a mouthwatering prospect and if the Dutchman can steer clear of injury there is no telling what the Red Devil’s could accomplish this term especially with Nemanja Vidic and Tom Cleverley returning from injury.
This week on FFC will does David de Gea need to take the bull by the horns in his second season at United and could Dimitar Berbatov leave the club before the transfer window closes?
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Best of FFC
The Full Premier League Season Preview – Manchester United
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FootballFanCast.com interviews Peter Schmeichel LIVE!
Collateral damage or unnecessary casualty at Old Trafford?
Time to grab the bull by the horns at Old Trafford
Why at Old Trafford he must continue where he left off
Is their role in modern football getting out of hand?
Manchester United braced for Zenit bid
Fergie crowing over quartet
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Best of WEB
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Van Persie Signing: “A Touch Of Desperation” – Red Flag Flying High
Is Van the man? – 7Cantonas
Reds approach campaign with no trepidation – United Rant
Does Signing Van Persie Really Change Anything? – Red Flag Flying High
RVP’s Signing Is The Final Nail In The Coffin- The Busby Way
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The Greenhoff Column: Van Persie Is A Fantastic Signing – 7Cantonas
Spurs Or United To Land £12M Rated Sought After Spanish Star? – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“Everyone knows by now that I’m a lover of football. I’m quite principled in that prospect. It’s always difficult to find a perfect match but I do feel this is the perfect match for me. Manchester United
breathe football. If you look at all players at the club, the stadium and the manager, my choice was made based on those things. When I have to make hard decisions, I always listen to the little boy inside me and what he wants. That little boy was screaming for Manchester United.” Robin Van Persie believes he and Manchester United are the “perfect match”
Corruption is rife in football, it’s a sad fact that few can protest and it’s tainted the beautiful game for far too long. The financial documents of each club can no longer be shrouded in mystery; it’s time to untangle this web of lies, deceit and confusion.
FIFA have sought to rectify this growing issue with the introduction of their new transfer matching system. The scheme requires clubs to submit their financial details with FIFA, including individual payments made whenever they complete an international transfer. They hope that this will help eliminate any illegal or questionable payments that are made on behalf of either club during negotiations.
“We know there is extreme behaviour out there,” said Mark Goddard, general manager of the transfer matching system. “There are still limitations with this system, but we are trying to ensure money is being paid between clubs. We are drawing a line in the sand, that nobody can get in between clubs.”
The report, which does not include transfers from within the same country, revealed that a staggering £82m had been splurged on agents in 2011 and the average payment to an agent during an individual deal worked out at just under £154k. It’s clear that player representatives are making a tidy sum during these deals but I’m struggling to understand how their role justifies such an enormous salary. These figures don’t even take into account the money that’s paid to the agent directly from the player.
The phrase ‘undisclosed fee’ is often the bane of every supporter’s life. The rumour mill continues to churn long after the confirmation of the transfer as the press and fans alike try to uncover the actual fee. The decision not to announce an exact figure usually revolves around a risk of embarrassment, either the buying club want to avoid being mocked for paying over the odds (Johan Elmander to Bolton) or the selling club don’t wish fans to know that the player went for less than his ‘supposed’ valuation (Kaboul to Tottenham).
There is also the stark realisation that no transfers are ever really free. Of course in some instances there will not have been a payment between the two clubs themselves but there will always be the cost of signing on fees, additional add-ons and of course aforementioned agent fees.
In a previous article of mine I eluded to a recent interview in which West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan revealed the intricate details of the move that saw Demba Ba join Newcastle.
“As I say, he was on £35 grand a week and I offered him £45 grand a week to stay, but he went to Newcastle. His agent got £2 million to take him to Newcastle.”
We could easily take these comments with a pinch of salt, the ramblings of a chairman who feels aggrieved by his own mistakes but the truth is we have no idea of the specific implications in any transfer deal that remain undisclosed. Isn’t it about time clubs were more open with their figures, especially when an increasing number of teams are descending into the murky waters of administration.
As a Palace supporter I can fully relate to the trials and tribulations being endured by Portsmouth fans at the moment but it’s difficult to sympathise with a club that has continued to operate outside their means. Trevor Birch, former chief executive of Chelsea and Leeds, who will front the administration for the firm PKF revealed, “I’m used to dealing with clubs in crisis; 30% of the clubs in the Championship are paying wages in excess of 100% of turnover.” A truly worrying statement that highlights the current status and grim outlook of the Football League.
The unyielding pursuit for success is financially crippling clubs. In this past week alone it has been revealed that the cost of the Glazers’ takeover at Manchester United has exceeded £500m. Elsewhere Aston Villa suffered a loss of nearly £54m (for the year ending 31 May 2011) as they struggled to cope with the turmoil following the departure of Martin O’Neill as manager.
In Scotland I don’t think anyone can fully comprehend just how much money Rangers owed the taxman. Every day this summer seemed to deliver another financial blow to Gers fans, who could only sit and watch as the interest on the debt accumulated. The consequence saw the club go out of business and having to start a fresh in the lower reaches of scottish football.
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Is it time for the FA to step in and thrust the account books under a microscope? Perhaps teams should accept the risk of ridicule and be more open with their expenses because one point remains abundantly clear, going out of business is no laughing matter.