Football FRIENDS
F R E E FOOTBALL MAGAZINE
L FANS PRODUCED BY FOOTBALL FANS, FOR FOOTBAL FF_Cover3.indd 7
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The question is, would you write a letter on your friend’s back side?
What Kind Of Fan Are you?
How much do you love your club, would you be prepared to get frost bite?
Are there any better fans in the world than us?
How big is this guy’s belly button?
What is this guy on? What a legend!
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N A F L L A B T O O F A G IN E B . .. R E T T E B E L T IT L A T JUST GO Here’s your opportunity to see the world’s greatest
football’s more serious issues, such as the grass roots
football stars, and also get a FREE monthly football
challenges facing the FA, as well as a good old pub
magazine, that’s right free!!!
quiz. But watch out, because if you don’t score enough points, you won’t like your prize…
At Football Friends we felt something had to be done for you die hard football fans. With almost everything
Unfortunately, we can’t promise you a victory today,
going up in price these days: match day tickets, petrol,
but we can damn sure guarantee you a laugh: win, lose
even the simple luxury of a half-time burger, we’re here
or draw!
to ease your match-day financial woes. Football Friends is created by a fan for the fans, so this You can pick up your free copy of Football Friends
is your magazine – what do you want in it? Let us know!!
once a month, and visit www.footballfriends.org.uk
Visit www.footballfriends.org.uk and tell us what has
to find out all our latest news and developments.
to go, and what you want in YOUR magazine.
Inside the magazine there’s a contrast to your normal football reading, with a combination of some of
Happy reading…
LOOKING GOOD BOYS! ISSUE 1 FOOTBALL FRIENDS 3
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PROFILE
David Beckham: A LEGEND IN HIS OWN LIFETIME
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ALMOST EVERYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN FOOTBALL HAS AN OPINION ON DAVID BECKHAM AND WHETHER YOU LOVE HIM, LOATHE HIM OR FALL SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, THERE CAN BE NO DENYING THE ICONIC STATUS THE MAN HAS HAD ACROSS THE WORLD OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO.
D
avid inherited his love for Manchester United from his dad Ted and it was his driving ambition to play for the club of his dreams. As a youngster he attended Bobby Charlton’s soccer schools and signed for the Red Devils on his 14th birthday. Beckham’s talents were nurtured through the club’s youth ranks and alongside the likes of Scholes, the Neville’s and Nicky Butt he triumphed in the F.A. Youth Cup in 1992. He gained league experience on loan at Preston during the 1994/95 season and made his Manchester United league debut towards the end of the season. The following season saw Beckham score in the opening game for United, a 3-1 away defeat to Aston Villa. The result prompted a certain Scottish pundit to infamously state “you’ll never win anything with kids”. The rest of course is history as the Red Devils went on to clinch a League and Cup double with a host of names that graduated from the youth team, including Beckham who scored 7 times in 33 league games as well as scoring in the F.A. Cup semi-final. On the back of this great first full season Beckham really shot to fame at the start of the 1996-97 campaign. With United 2-0 up on the first day of the season Beckham spotted Dons keeper Neil Sullivan off his line and beat him with a sublime chip-from beyond the halfway line. Another Premier League title was wrapped up that season and Beckham broke into the England squad, making his debut against Moldova in September 1996. It was in early 1997 that David first met his future Wife, Victoria or Posh Spice as she
was more famously known. Posh, part of the most famous pop group in the world at the time, founders of girl power-the Spice Girls met David after a match at Chelsea and the pair started dating not long after. The press soon picked up on this and dubbed the couple Posh & Becks. Beckham proposed in August of that year in a Cheshire hotel.
LIVING THE DREAM At this stage Becks was living his dream, playing for the club of his dreams, enjoying great success, becoming an international regular and being engaged to a pop star to boot. At this stage the press were becoming almost as interested in his fashion as his football and took much delight in snapping
him out wearing a dress (sarong) in the summer of 1998. He has since been portrayed as a gay icon through various photo shoots and for many years was front page news every time he did so much as have a haircut. 1997-98 was a disappointing season at club level with United tipped to the title by Arsenal but Beckham played in every England qualifier for World Cup 98 and he had the finals in France to look forward to. Despite being a regular throughout qualifying Beckham found himself on the bench for the first two games with manager Glenn Hoddle questioning his focus. I fired up Beckham was chosen for the final group game against Columbia. Having won one and lost one England needed a result and the poster boy didn’t disappoint, scoring his first England goal with a superb free-kick in a 2-0 win. The second round saw England face old rivals Argentina, it was a match that would rock Beckham’s career and standing like never before. After a frenetic first half the two sides came out at 2-2 but within minutes the game had turned in Argentina’s favour. Beckham was fouled near the halfway line by Diego Simeone, this caused him to aim a petulant kick at his opponent from the ground and Simeone promptly went down as if he had been shot by a sniper. Beckham instantly went from hero to zero as he was sent off and England were beaten on penalties. The media were quick to chastise the fallen idol and whipped the nation into a frenzy of hatred amongst non-Man Utd fans with headlines like “ten brave lions, one stupid boy”.
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PROFILE In the build up to the 1998/99 season an effigies of Beckham were being hung and burnt by irate fans and he was booed and barracked with every touch of the ball by supporters at grounds the length and breadth of the country. Despite this he received great supported from within, Posh and his family stuck by him, as did his boss Alex Ferguson, his Manchester United team mates and the Man Utd fans. This inspired him to produce some of the best football of his career culminating in an unprecedented League, F.A. Cup and Champions League treble on the unforgettable night in Barcelona. His performances that year saw him named the 2nd best player in the world by FIFA. 1999 was also a happy year for Becks, with his first son born in March. Brooklyn was allegedly named after the place he was conceived; thank goodness for him it wasn’t Peckham! Posh and Becks married later that year in Ireland in a wedding costing over half a million pounds and moved into the £8M ‘Beckingham Palace’. The following two seasons brought more title success at Old Trafford but his relationship with the club was showing signs of strain. He was dropped from the team and fined in 2000 for missing a training session on the grounds that his son was ill. A reasonable excuse you might think, that is until the press pictured his wife out shopping that very same day. That same year England were dumped out of the European Championship finals at the first stage but the tournament perhaps represented a turning point with the fans. Having been personally abused throughout the game, Beckham reacted with a middle finger gesture towards his hecklers. His manager Kevin Keegan having heard the level of abuse stood up for Beckham and even the press, who had previously vilified him, stated it was time to lay off the man.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC Following Keegans’ resignation as England boss Peter Taylor took over for one game, away against Italy and made Beckham Captain for the first time, the proudest moment in his career. Sven Goran Eriksson was then appointed as manager and Beckham remained as skipper, enjoying a close relationship with the Swede. It was during a 2002 World Cup qualifier that Beckham’s turnaround from hero to zero and back again was complete. England needed just a point at home to Greece to qualify for the finals but trailed 2-1 in injury time. The team had produced a lacklustre display with Beckham seemingly the only one on form. He had set up England’s first equaliser and now stood over a free-kick 25yards out. His perfect strike clipped the bar on the way in and sent Old Trafford and the nation into raptures. At the end of the year he was named as the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year and was again runner up in FIFA’s world player of the year. Prior to the 2002 finals in Japan Becks
suffered an injury which put his participation in doubt and brought the metatarsal bone to the forefront of everyone’s attention. He may not have been fully fit but did make the tournament and in Sapporo in June he exorcised many of his own personal demons by scoring the only goal from the penalty spot against Argentina. Later that year Victoria gave birth to the couple’s 2nd child Romeo. 2002-03 became the final season in his Manchester United career. With his relationship with Ferguson not what it used to be the issue wasn’t helped when a furious Fergie kicked a boot in the dressing room following a defeat to Arsenal. The boot hit Beckham, leaving him with a cut above the eye and although the boss stated he would never have managed it had he actually been aiming for Beckham it certainly didn’t help matters. Beckham found himself on the bench for big games against the likes of Real Madrid and in the summer of 2003 moved on to the Spanish giants for £25M. His first 3 seasons at Madrid were disappointing as the club failed to secure any honours and his private life was again brought to the forefront as he was alleged to have an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. The Beckham’s have since denied this happened and have said the incident made their relationship stronger. In January 2007 Beckham announced he had agreed a pre-contract deal to join the Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer and this prompted Madrid coach Fabio Capello to state Beckham had played his last game for the club. Capello, a tough taskmaster was attempting to bring success to Madrid by breaking up the Galactico team of superstars that had failed so miserably in recent seasons. However, after proving his commitment in training Becks returned to the team in
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February and helped the team to win the title and so left the club on a high. It was almost inevitable that Becks would end up in Hollywood, lauding it with the likes of Tom Cruise and co but many thought it was a bad move for his football career due to the lack of competition in the league.
OUT IN THE COLD This certainly seemed the case when England coach Steve McLaren left Becks out of his squad for the early Euro 2008 qualifying games but a poor run of results saw Becks return and although England failed to qualify his inclusion did improve results. Fabio Capello replaced McLaren as England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and Beckhams former Madrid coach has continued to include him in the England fold. Beckham has certainly had his critics throughout his career and since England’s disappointing display at World Cup 2006 many have questioned his place in the side. Since then however a number of players have been tried in his position without producing the goods and until someone can come in and perform for the three lions his place is still justified as his assists in recent games have proved. Many state the hype and media attention has enabled him to get more caps than he deserves and he has rarely played well for his country, however his stats in relational to goal assists belittle this belief. He may not be the most skilful player and doesn’t have the ability to glide past players like a Kaka or a Ronaldinho but his commitment has always been evident and there has not been and still isn’t a better crosser of the ball in the game. For the most part he has been a consummate professional and unlike many of his fellow England international’s at present he has had a positive influence on the sport on and off the field.
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SO NOW YOU KNOW...
NAME: Ian Holloway AGE: 45 HEIGHT: 5”8 POSITION: Sky Pundit VALUE: His jokes are priceless! PREVIOUS CLUBS: Bristol Rovers / QPR / Plymouth Argyle / Leicester City GREATEST MOMENT: Type in Ian Holloway into youtube and check out his comments for a lucky win whilst in charge at QPR…hilarious EGG ON YOUR FACE: Being relegated as Leicester City manager FF PREDICATION: Will become a manager of a League One club possibly a Championship side
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LATE STARTERS FOR SOME PEOPLE, SUCCESS COMES EASY. JUST ASK MESSI AND RONALDO. TORMENTING DEFENCES BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN OUT OF NAPPIES, THEY ARE ARGUABLY THE TWO FINEST FOOTBALL TALENTS ON THE PLANET. EVEN SCARIER THAN THAT, THEIR BEST YEARS ARE STILL AHEAD OF THEM.
Running late... Luckily, for those of us without superhuman abilities, players of their ilk tend to be the exception rather than the rule. In fact, there are players who were on the verge of giving up before their talent was recognised. Ian Wright is an Arsenal legend, and yet he didn’t sign a professional contract until just before his 22nd birthday. He’d had trials at both Southend and Brighton, but didn’t impress enough to get offered a contract. It wasn’t until he was on the verge of becoming a full-time plasterer and abandoning his football-playing dreams altogether that he was scouted by Crystal Palace. Playing amateur and non-league football at 21, Wright looked like he’d never make it. Given that he wasn’t recognised until so late, the fact that he scored 185 goals in 279 starts for one of the best teams in the country is even more of an incredible feat. A prolific goalscorer, Wright will be Dave - scoring not stacking
Ian made the Wright Wright Wright choice!
remembered as a Gunners hero, despite the fact that he could easily have given up in his late teens when success and recognition were so hard for him to come by. Stoke’s David Kitson has a similar story to tell, almost giving up entirely on a footballing career to focus on his job as a frozen food stacker in Sainsbury’s. Playing for the likes of Hitchin Town and Arlesey Town, his early years don’t exactly scream ‘Premier League player in the making.’ As a youngster, Kitson was largely overlooked, only arriving on the scene relatively late in his life. The phenomenon isn’t limited to English footballers either. Luca Toni, who has only gained recognition and played for his country in recent seasons, is already 31. For someone who has come to people’s attention so recently, it seems incredible that he’s already entering the final years of his footballing career. These and other tales of late success should comfort us mere mortals, who aren’t playing for Man United or Real Madrid by the time we’re 17. There’s a lot to be said for determination and bloody-minded persistence. After all, it only takes one lucky break for someone to make it.
Luca: better late than never...
‘FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS COME TO PEOPLE’S ATTENTION SO RECENTLY, IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT TONI IS ALREADY ENTERING THE FINAL YEARS OF HIS FOOTBALLING CAREER.’ ISSUE 1 FOOTBALL FRIENDS 9
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GRASSROOTS
WHAT’S WRONG WITH
ENGLISH FOOTBALL? FOLLOWING ENGLAND’S FAILURE TO QUALIFY FOR EURO 2008 THE F.A. PROMISED A ROOT AND BRANCH INVESTIGATION INTO THE STATE OF THE GAME.
R
ecent developments suggest this is beginning to take place but are the most important issues being tackled? Certainly the new respect campaign which aims to tackle referee abuse and promote encouragement rather than abuse from the sidelines is a step in the right direction. By starting at the top and imposing strict rules on Premier Clubs with regards to the way players address officials the hope is that this will filter down. In Sheffield last season around a third of all league games were played without a referee and this is a fair reflection of the country as a whole. Players like Rooney are idolised by kids and they copy the traits of the stars, including the abuse, if they are shown that this will not be tolerated then in time attitudes may change. But it’s not just the players that abuse the officials; in youth matches it’s the parents that are the main cause for concern. There is often a win at all costs attitude that puts pressure on the kids, the coaches and the officials. At some levels this approach is adopted by managers and coaches and this can often be detrimental to the development of the players. Technique can be put aside in the quest for victory and the enjoyment is lost. In Holland kids don’t play in competitive leagues in the same way that they do here. Right up until their mid-teens training is skills based
and any competitive tournaments are played on small-sided pitches. A similar approach is evident when youngsters join the top clubs in Spain. Evidence that this approach works can be seen within the Euro 2008 winning squad, a fair number of whom graduated from Barcelona’s highly acclaimed academy. Just by glancing at a few of the names to come Puyol - home grown
through the famed La Masia youth system include Puyol, Fabregas, Iniesta, Reina, Xavi, Arteta, Bojan and of Lionel Messi. Technically it is hard to deny that on the whole, Dutch and Spanish players possess greater skill and ability based attributes than our own. The lack of success that they have enjoyed at international level is often attributed to poor attitude or a lack of commitment when the going gets tough. The way forward must be to find a balance. Much has been said about the need to limit foreign players in England’s professional leagues for the sake of the national team. A review by the telegraph last season highlighted the problems in this area with an average of less than 3 Englishmen per team starting Premier League matches including just 7 goalkeepers and 11 strikers. World Champions Italy are able to pick from double the amount home grown players in Serie A and although the top clubs in Spain are full of overseas stars a good number of clubs in La Liga often field teams consisting of over 50% Spanish nationality. There are plenty of top class foreign players that improve the standard of our domestic league and enhance some of our players through this. However there are also a high number of players that may not be better than young English players but they
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Deco: Followed Big Phil to Stamford Bridge
Berbs: Old Trafford too big a stage?
are cheaper to buy from abroad and it is cheaper to look abroad for proven players that can make an instant impact than it is to spend money on nurturing home grown players with potential through academies. This needs to be addressed if our national team is to makes strides in future tournaments. In addition to this, now more than ever the influx of foreign money into the Premier League is attracting the big name players as well as the cheaper imports. Clubs like Chelsea and now Manchester City want to attract the world renowned stars in order to try to gain instant success as well as capitalise on footballs global market appeal and this is what they will spend their money on rather than nurturing young English players from academies or the lower leagues. The Premier League is the place to be at the moment as regards to the best players on the planet but this may not be helping the national team. Had England managed to scrape through to the Euro 2008 finals then maybe this would have papered over the cracks. The best thing to come out of England’s abject failure is that action is now going to be taken to address the faults and the opportunity for change has to be grasped with both hands and embraced by everybody involved in the sport.
Robinho: Premiership’s most expensive
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MANAGEMENT
DIRECTORS OF FOOTBALL DOES IT WORK? Mike Ashley
THE DIRECTORS OF FOOTBALL DEBATE RAISED ITS CONFUSED HEAD ONCE AGAIN WITH THE FIASCO AT NEWCASTLE UNITED, WHERE KEVIN KEEGAN WALKED OUT IN PROTEST AT THE WAY HIS BELOVED CLUB WAS BEING RUN. HIS PRIMARY BUGBEAR, WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE, WAS THE APPOINTMENT OF DENNIS WISE TO OVERSEE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITMENT AT ST JAMES’ PARK, AND THE DILUTION OF INFLUENCE HE SUFFERED AS A RESULT. BY WILL TIDEY
A
S THE BATTLE played out publicly, the media cast Keegan and Wise as representatives of good and evil in the modern game. Keegan was portrayed as a purist, shackled by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley’s over-zealous meddling, while Wise was the spoiler intent on undermining him and stealing his thrown. It was a (fittingly) black and white take which played into Keegan’s hands, but one that ultimately served to misinform the club’s legions of adoring fans. To make sense of the trouble on Tyneside, it essential to recognise the primary function of a director of football is to
make the life of his manager easier – to handle the background player dealings and developments that threaten to distract a man from his team. Whatever you might think, Ashley’s wont in appointing Wise was not to tie Keegan’s hands, but to free the Geordie Messiah to do what he does best. This two-tiered system of management has been preferred throughout Europe since the professional leagues began, and garnered clubs like Real Madrid and AC Milan myriad success in domestic and European competitions. Though the concept alters subtlety from club to club, the basic principle is that a
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The ‘Special One’
Avram Grant
Ashley’s commitment to such a structure makes complete sense. King Kev has never been renowned for his business acumen, nor as a particularly shrewd operator in the transfer market. His stock is as a bold tactician and motivator, a man who can galvanise a football club and breathe life into its players. Dennis Wise
club’s manager deals with the day-to-day tasks of running the team, and is wholly responsible for training, tactics and selection. At Real Madrid this role is performed by German Bernd Schuster. Occupying the director of football role at the Bernabeu is former Serbian international Predrag MijatoviÐ, who oversees all scouting, liaises with Schuster on potential transfer targets and acts as the buffer between the changing room and the boardroom. For any transactions to go through, however, the approval of the club’s owner, Ramon Calderon, is required. When you consider Keegan’s credentials,
FIERCE COMPETITION Moreover, with such fierce competition in the increasingly global transfer market, Ashley recognised Newcastle could no longer stand on a financial footing with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. In bringing in Wise he hoped to improve the club’s capacity to discover and develop young players, saving money and investing in Newcastle’s future in the process. This is the model that has served Arsenal so successfully in recent years, bringing through players such as Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, David Bentley and Nicklas Bendtner and saving the club a fortune. But it did little to help Keegan in the short term. He had envisaged a return with swift returns, not a drawn-out grind to glory, and Ashley’s failure to deliver funds for players did little to quell his frustration. Neither did the presence of Wise, in a role Keegan found at odds to his old-fashioned perspective on how the game should be run. In truth, Wise’s appointment as ‘executive director of football’ in January was nothing new to the English game. In 1969 Sir Matt Busby “moved upstairs” at Old Trafford and took on the position of general manager, allowing Wilf McGuinness to manage the side. The plan was for Busby to operate in an overseeing capacity, while the manager dealt with the day-to-day issues of team selection
and training – a director of football in all but name. The new wave of directors of football truly began in 1993, however, with the return of Lawrie McMenemy to Southampton under that specific title. Since then a host of clubs have adopted the system, including West Ham, Chelsea, Reading, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Stoke. Like any system of management, it is not without its problems. When Avram Grant was appointed director of football at Chelsea in July last year, Jose Mourinho was so incensed he upped and left. It seems the bigger the ego of the manager; the harder it is to accept a director of football operating over your shoulder. In such a precarious business, a sense of being undermined does not a happy manager make. At Newcastle, Wise had reportedly begun to act without Keegan’s consultation. It wasn’t the system that flawed, more the way it was being operated. And Keegan, knowing that the results of the team would reflect on him, was not prepared to stand by and allow a man with considerably less experience shape his team. Ashley’s moves to sell Joey Barton, Michael Owen and Alan Smith simply exasperated the problem. Like many a doomed marriage, the relationship between Wise and Keegan fell down on a lack of communication, as it did between Ashley and Keegan. Ashley knew that had he been open about the club’s financial clout he would never have lured the Geordie Messiah out of retirement, but he failed to figure into the equation Keegan’s huge sense of pride and what his reaction would be when, as it inevitably did, the true depth of his pockets became clear. As for Wise, he has simply been vilified for doing the job he was asked to – albeit without keeping Keegan fully informed (if you believe what you read). His only mistake was assuming a man like Keegan would tolerate his presence at all.
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DIVING
KICK IT OUT
Drog - he flies through the air with the greatest of ease...
IT’S TIME TO KICK-0UT
DIVING W
hen it comes to diving, simulation – whatever you want to call it – we all know who the main culprits are: Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba are right up there, but its not just foreign players. Joe Cole has been known to writhe around like an injured insect, and even ‘King of the Kop’ Stevie G has bought a free-kick or two in his time. The fact is most of the time footballers don’t know their boat race from their backside. Remember Marco Materazzi clutching his face after a head butt to his chest – albeit one with some considerable venom from Zidane. It’s going back a bit, but I also seem to recall Rivaldo going down like a sack of spuds hiding his eyes in the 2002 World Cup, after having a ball kicked into his legs. Bless these footballers’ weak constitutions.
There’s also the issue of gamesmanship: the imaginary waving of the yellow card or feigning injury are pet hates of many fans and commentators. Players also recognise opponents already on a caution, and often ‘act-up’ subsequent challenges to get a player sent off. It’s just not on! So what’s the answer? Well, here at Football Friends we’re going to give retrospective justice a go. An FA-panel already looks at horror challenges on video, handing out suspensions and fines based on its findings. Following this lead, FF is starting a campaign that will highlight the worst offenders, dishing out points based on
the severity of simulation, or the degree of gamesmanship. And you as fans will have your say as well. After watching a game, simply let us know who the biggest girls blouse was, or who tried to con the referee the most. Let’s come together and root out this abhorrent part of the game once and for all. • By Tom Woerndl
SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER? WELL, HERE AT FOOTBALL FRIENDS WE’RE GOING TO GIVE RETROSPECTIVE JUSTICE A GO. AN FA-PANEL ALREADY LOOKS AT HORROR CHALLENGES ON VIDEO, HANDING OUT SUSPENSIONS AND FINES BASED ON ITS FINDINGS.
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PROFILE
ALEX FERGUSON THE IRON MAN OF BRITISH FOOTBALL
MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE SIR ALEX FERGUSON INHERITED RON ATKINSON’S BOOZE-ADDLED, UNDER-ACHIEVING MANCHESTER UNITED SIDE ON 6TH NOVEMBER 1986, WITH NICK BERRY RIDING HIGH IN THE CHARTS, MARGARET THATCHER UNDERMINING THE MINERS AND THE MULLET VERY MUCH OF THE MOMENT. BY WILL TIDEY
H
aving recovered from an opening day 2-0 defeat at Oxford United, the Scot has gone on to add 20 major trophies to the bulging Old Trafford cabinet - including 10 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two prized Champions League crowns –and become the most successful manager in British football history. Along the way he has nurtured some of the finest talent ever seen on these shores. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo have all blossomed under his watchful gaze, and sunset pros like Eric Cantona, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham have been
re-born to produce the best form of their careers. If Old Trafford really is a theatre of dreams, then Ferguson is its BFG. All of which will make his exit stage left from United a huge fork in the road for the club and its legions of fans. Whether Ferguson’s retirement comes at the end of this season or next, or even in the event he reconsiders and stays into his 70s, a monumental decision looms for world’s most famous football club; one that will define a new era in the English game. Who will be the next Manchester United manager? With Ferguson certain to be involved in
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PROFILE choosing his successor there’s a compelling case for backing one of his former players to be given the job. United pride themselves on tradition and such continuity would only build the myth that surrounds the Red Devils legend. Furthermore, placing one of Ferguson’s protégés at the helm would provide a smoother transition than looking elsewhere. Leading the pack in this category on current form is Mark Hughes, conveniently located just a few miles away at the City of Manchester Stadium. Hughes did an impressive job at Blackburn Rovers and appears to have both the intelligence and conviction necessary to succeed at the highest level. Furthermore “Sparky” retains cult status at United for his days as a swashbuckling centre-forward and would be a popular choice with supporters. The same could be said of Sunderland manager Roy Keane, who is surely destined for greater things than mid-table obscurity in the northeast. The Irishman would represent a bold appointment by United at this stage, however, with his managerial career in its infancy and no European experience to speak of. His time will come, but not until he has another club under his belt or unless he is prepared to take an understudy role.
Rounding up the ex-United players with a realistic shot at the big job are Paul Ince, Steve Bruce and Gordon Strachan currently heading things up at Blackburn, Wigan and Celtic respectively. Of this trio you’d have to say Strachan would be the most intelligent choice. The enigmatic Scot has led Celtic to three successive Premier League titles and last season masterminded scalps of AC Milan, Benfica and Shaktar Donesk to take his side into the second round of the Champions League. But when you consider Ferguson and Strachan don’t enjoy the best relationship, his appointment seems unlikely. Moving outside the United stable, there’s the obligatory mentions of Jose Mourinho and Martin O’Neill - whose names come up with every high-profile vacancy these days. Mourinho would relish the challenge at Old Trafford, but his penchant for packing midfield and winning ugly would not sit well with the United ethos. Entertainment is king at the theatre of dreams and for this reason O’Neill has the edge. The man I predict United will go for, however, is neither a former Old Trafford icon,
ALONG THE WAY, FERGIE HAS NURTURED SOME OF THE FINEST TALENT EVER SEEN ON THESE SHORES. RYAN GIGGS, PAUL SCHOLES AND CRISTIANO RONALDO HAVE ALL BLOSSOMED UNDER HIS WATCHFUL GAZE, AND SUNSET PROS LIKE ERIC CANTONA, DWIGHT YORKE AND TEDDY SHERINGHAM HAVE BEEN RE-BORN TO PRODUCE THE BEST FORM OF THEIR CAREERS.
nor named Mourinho or O’Neill - but a man currently plying his trade in the Bundesliga who was once famous for diving. Step forward Jurgen Klinsmann. The Bayern Munich manager is young, charismatic and a purveyor of expansive, attacking football - a perfect fit with the United blueprint. Moreover Klinsmann has the status within the game to draw big players to the club. If the Glazers really are intent on world domination, he’s their man - and don’t be surprised if Cantona brings his immense presence to a coaching role.
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SO NOW YOU KNOW...
NAME: Dean Windass (Deano) AGE: 39 and counting HEIGHT: 5”10 POSITION: Striker VALUE: A generous £100 000 PREVIOUS CLUBS: Hull/Sheffield Wednesday/Bradford / Middlesbrough/Aberdeen/Sheffield United/ Oxford United GREATEST MOMENT: Has to be the 18 yard volley in front of nearly 90,000 spectators, to earn his home town team a £60 million prize (could be worse) EGG ON YOUR FACE: Received 3 Red cards in one game for Aberdeen and before you ask the Referee wasn’t Graham Poll! FF PREDICATION: Will be relegated along with his Hull team mates, but will receive fans player of the year
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YOUNGSTERS
MISS-SPENT YOUTH? FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUBS ARE CONSTANTLY LOSING THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR TO THE BIG NAMES IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND RECENT HIGH PROFILE CASES HAVE BROUGHT HIS ISSUE TO THE FOREFRONT.
C
rystal Palace nurtured youngster John Bostock from the age of just 7. He made his full Eagles debut at the age of just 15 but just last month, following a disagreement on a transfer fee a tribunal declared that Tottenham would have to pay an initial fee of just £700,000 to prise the youngster away from his football roots. Outspoken Palace Chairman Simon Jordan may not be everyone’s cup of tea but on this issue his views are certainly worthy of notice. Jordan described the fee as an outrage, highlighting the years of work that the academy had put into the players development and the fact that he would be far more likely to play regular competitive football and aid his advancement at Palace than with Spurs over the coming seasons. Middlesbrough have one of the most successful youth systems in England at present with a number of academy players graduating to the first team. Chairman Steve Gibson fully endorsed the views of Jordan, highlighting how players such as Bostock come along only rarely and clubs need to be reimbursed adequately for the loss of these players in order to cover the costs of funding Chelsea’s Michael Woods and Ken Bates (below)
the academies. In 2006 Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates reported his former club Chelsea to the authorities when he claimed they tapped up England Uner-16 players Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo. Bates wanted Leeds to be properly reimbursed for the players who had been with them for all their careers previously. Chelsea were said to have initially offered an insulting fee of just £200,000. Bates described this as insulting and you can understand why. If Chelsea believe these players may potentially be good enough to play for a club competing for Premier League and Champions League then how can this be right? A settlement believed to be around £4M caused Leeds to drop their action but not all clubs in the lower leagues may have the legal nous or the financial capabilities to pursue such cases. Much emphasis has been placed on the role of agents and also parents with regards to such transfers. From the outside looking in it is easy to criticise these people closest to the young players for seeing the £ signs and putting their interests first but is this really the case? Most of the players themselves will have dreams and aspirations to play at the top level and when the big clubs do show an interest the temptation must be almost irresistible with the question of what if such an opportunity never arises again doubtless to be playing on the minds of all concerned. Theo Walcott, snapped up by Arsenal at the age of just 16 is another whose career may have been stalled by the bright lights of the big boys. While Southampton did receive a good fee for his transfer the player may have benefitted from gaining more league experience before making his move. This is a tricky one to evaluate given Arsenal’s record
Theo Walcott was snapped up by Arsenal at 16
of nurturing young talent under Arsene Wenger but having joined the Guners in January 2006 he did not make a 1st team appearance for them that season and has only made a total of 16 league starts in the following two seasons. The big four already hold a massive advantage in the transfer market in terms of finances and prestige with the lure of Champions League football to boot, what chance do the rest have of competing if they have no hope of holding onto their own players? Surely our domestic leagues, the players themselves and our national team would benefit more if there was legislation in place to prevent the top clubs from poaching the best young talent. The players would get more competitive matches under their belts, which would aid development, the smaller clubs would benefit from being able to field the youngsters and the national teams at all levels would be able to better assess the youngsters with regards to selection if the are playing competitively. The selection of Theo Walcott in the 2006 World Cup squad was met with shock by the media due to the fact he had not played a competitive game in the 5 months since signing for Arsenal. Had he stayed at Southampton and continued to produce outstanding displays or even joined a smaller
IN 2006 LEEDS UNITED CHAIRMAN KEN BATES REPORTED HIS FORMER CLUB CHELSEA TO THE AUTHORITIES WHEN HE CLAIMED THEY TAPPED UP ENGLAND UNER-16 PLAYERS MICHAEL WOODS AND TOM TAIWO. BATES WANTED LEEDS TO BE PROPERLY REIMBURSED FOR THE PLAYERS WHO HAD BEEN WITH THEM FOR ALL THEIR CAREERS PREVIOUSLY. 20 FOOTBALL FRIENDS ISSUE 1 FF_MisspentYouth.indd 20
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Should he have left or stayed to gain valuable first team experience?
Premier League side and played his part then maybe his selection would have been justified and Eriksson might then have been more inclined to play him as a result.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ALTER THIS SITUATION? One extreme measure would be to prevent the transfer of academy produced players before the age of 18 or even 21, regardless of the contracts held, unless the two clubs involved can agree on the fee. This would prevent the need for tribunals, which nearly always come in for criticism when making such decisions and allow the 1st teams of the clubs that develop the talent to benefit from being able to field these players for a number of years. This would perhaps also help to bring back a feeling of community between clubs and fans which has been all but lost at the top level in these days when footballers are millionaires and are out of touch with those that idolise them. By having local kids staying and playing for the clubs they have grown up
Is Palace’s wonder kid next?
Ryan Giggs early in his United career
with then professional clubs could foster a closer relationship with their fans through this. This would also allow the clubs to maintain the opportunity to sell the youngsters for an agreed price if they so feel. While it is difficult to assess in hindsight whether or not Theo Walcott would have benefitted from playing more competitive football over the past couple of years there is little doubt that Southampton would be in dire financial trouble had they not had the opportunity to sell the likes of Walcott and Gareth Bale at this stage so this option needs to be available. While this is an issue that has been highlighted by some recent moves as discussed, it is by no means a new phenomenon. As a prime example, Robinho: rship’swas Manchester United legend Ryan PremieGiggs expens most level first spotted at a professional inive his early teens by Manchester City but was snapped up by the Red devils just a year later.
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PUB QUIZ
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD...
PUB QUIZ
T ON! E G U O Y W O AND SEE H W O L E B S N QUESTIO E H T R E W AVERAGE S N A QUESTIONS 3 POINTS
EASY QUESTIONS 1 POINT Name the 3 Premiership clubs that where relegated last year? Who did Barcelona sign Ronaldinho from? What nationality is Mark Hughes? Who did Ronaldo play for before Manchester United? Who is currently the world most expensive player?
Who did Real Madrid pay £23 million for in 1998, then a world record? Who did England lose to on their last game at the “Old” Wembley? What club did Peter Crouch sign his first professional contract with? What was the name of Ebbsfleet FC before My Football Club purchased them?
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BONUS ROUND - EXTREMELY DIFFICULT 5 POINTS Which Country won the first Football World Cup in 1930? Who is the only player to be substituted in an international match at Wembley to be replaced by his brother? Which player won league championship winners medals in consecutive seasons with three different clubs?
!
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS 5 POINTS What two clubs did Ian Wright have unsuccessful trials with before signing for Palace? What Championship side did David Beckham go on loan to when starting his career at United? What two clubs did Pele play for in his illustrious career?
how did you score? SEE PAGE 29 FOR ANSWERS
How many games was Arsenal unbeaten for when they where dubbed the “unbeatables”?
0-2 Points = no one
3-8 Points = Minger
9-18 Points = Average
19+ Points = Wag
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SO NOW YOU KNOW...
NAME: Chris Kamara AGE: 51 POSITION: Sky Sports Pundit VALUE: Soccer Saturdays wouldn’t be the same without him PREVIOUS CLUBS: Pompey / Stoke / Bradford GREATEST MOMENT: On 1 April 2007, as an April Fools joke, Kamara announced that his time as presenter of Goals on Sunday had come to an end, and that he had signed a contract to become first-team manager at Bradford City - while not earning as much money as he did with Sky, he claimed that he was doing it for the love, not the money. Legend! EGG ON YOUR FACE: Don’t think he has had one… FF PREDICATION: Will become a sky sports legend, up there with Andy Gray
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WHAT IF?
WHERE WOULD THEY BE NOW IF A CAREER IN FOOTBALL HAD FALLEN THROUGH? BY TOM WOERNDL
ARSENE WENGER
ROY KEANE
CAN YOU SEE KEANO as anything other than a softly-spoken doorman with a bite much worse than his bark? He’d be the kind of bouncer who “says something once and once only”. Any backchat when entering the nightclub and you’d be picking up your teeth from the curb on Keano’s watch. Just remember what he did to Alf-Inge Haland, who barely played again after that infamous tackle in 2001. Keano’s quiet, incomprehensible Irish accent would also be well-suited to some very particular acting roles. The ‘gipsy’ from Guy Ritchie’s film Snatch was a hard-nosed character, but one played by the lessso-hard Brad Pitt. If Keano took the role there would be no need for boxing tutelage or language lessons. Roy is a readymade package of anger, surliness, lighting-fast Irish jibber-jabber, plus a sophisticated knowledge of Romany and Traveller history.
THE ARSENAL BOSS is certainly ‘top dog’ in this list. He most probably commands an IQ higher than the combined intellect of the other three, and as such it would seem realistic to propose that, if he were not in football, Wenger would likely be running some successful business based on his Arsenal model: Don’t spend too much money; invest in youth; have a regimented pay-structure; and produce one of the best products in the country. But, Wenger’s Gallic charm may also predispose him to a more magnificent line of work. As a celebrated poet, Arsene would be famed for his beautiful, fluid prose, with fastidious attention to detail in his work. His most famous piece – ‘Ode to Adebayor’ – would be a lustful portrayal of a giant Togolese striker that comes to save a famous London football team after the death of King Henry. His command of adoring language would also give Wenger a good leg-up into a career as an international playboy. After all, they do say “it’s always the quiet ones”.
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WHAT IF? WAYNE ROONEY
ON THE FACE OF IT WAZZA looks pretty dim. His burly stature and drastically receding hairline most likely suggest that, in another life, Wayne would toil away for little reward. With a heavy Scouse twang, and limited people skills (as demonstrated by verbal tirades at referees, opposing players and even teammates) it’s possible to imagine Rooney carving out his formative years at a McDonald’s outlet in Birkenhead. He’d start off as an abusive upstart with no respect for authority, before mellowing into a treasured employee, and an eventually a franchisee. Then again, let’s not forget this guy’s temper! Perhaps Wayne would be better suited to a job where he’s out in the fresh air, working his fingers to the bone? As a lumberjack, Wayne would be able to cultivate his manly ginger stubble, don his favourite check-shirt, and shout loud obscenities without Allan Whiley issuing him a yellow card. Interestingly, though, in either of these jobs it’s still possible to picture Coleen by his side, as a dutiful (if slightly chavvy) wife.
STEVE McCLAREN
UNLIKE WENGER, MACCA IS NO cultural chameleon. While Arsene skilfully commands three languages, FC Twente’s new boss can hardly manage his mother tongue. Anyone who’s winced through his infamous interview with Dutch television – when he adopted a strangely continental accent – will realise that Macca is certainly no academic scholar. More realistic for McClaren would be an honest, northern job – perhaps as a chirpy milkman, always sporting an inane grin at 4.30 in the morning. He’s got the history of a bit of “how’s your father” on the side as well. Hark back to April 2006, and you may remember that, shortly before his appointment as England boss, Macca divulged a string of romantic hotel trysts with his secretary during a threemonth fling. But, try as you might, it’s hard to imagine McClaren as a rampant lover. He’s more suited to the role of a nice guy that always finishes last with the ladies. Macca’s the sort of bloke who’s forever the optimist, but just always fails with women, who go for better-looking, more rock-and-roll guys like Slaven Bilic.
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PROFILE
JOSE FOR
ENGLAND?
IT’S JUNE 2010 AND ENGLAND ARE PREPARING FOR THE WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE MEDIA FRENZY IS IN OVERDRIVE AND MOST OF THE ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON ONE MAN THE MAN THEY USED TO CALL ‘THE SPECIAL ONE’
I
t’s a fantastical premise of course, and having passed up the poisoned chalice last November we will probably never get to see Jose Mourinho as England manager. But if we did, what kind of team would he pick, and could he succeed where so many have failed? Judging by his tactics at Porto and Chelsea, it’s hard to imagine the Portuguese would make England easy on the eye. Mourinho favours a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation, with a deep holding midfielder providing cover to his centre-halves, and a lone striker supported from deep by two wide players. It’s not pretty. He deployed Michael Essien in the holding role at Chelsea, and would probably ask Owen Hargreaves to do the job for his England team. Finding a striker capable of emulating Didier Drogba would pose a greater problem. Michael Owen lacks the physicality to succeed alone, and Wayne Rooney’s creativity would be wasted leading the line. On current form, West Ham’s Dean Ashton would get the nod - with Rooney and Joe Cole deployed as wide midfielders. In central midfield, Mourinho would
Lamps: first on the team sheet
unquestionably pick Frank Lampard - a player he once called the best in the world and may ultimately lure to Internazionale. Judging by his thwarted attempts to link the pair at Stamford Bridge, Steven Gerrard would line up alongside him. The back four picks itself, and until Ben Foster is playing regularly at Manchester United David James would start in goal. Mourinho’s England would be supremely organised, swarming midfield to contain their opposition and getting 10 players behind the ball whenever possible. They would wear teams down and shut down slender leads with ruthless efficiency. In all likelihood, they would win tournaments. The conundrum for England’s longsuffering fans is whether coming first would be worth the sacrifice of flair and adventure. Having said that, when is the last time England played with flair and adventure?
Mourinho’s England team (4-1-4-1): David James, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Owen Hargreaves, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, Dean Ashton
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Got something on your mind that you want to share with the nation? Well here is your opportunity to have your say, send in your pictures, jokes, banter, chants, rants, what ever you want it’s your page! Visit www.footballfriends.org.uk now for details
JENAS HE’S LIKE MARMITE - YOU EITHER LOVE HIM OR YOU HATE HIM.
rd to feel pretty content with AS AN ARSENAL FAN I can affo s youth development team my the setup with the state of all state of this over the h coac a as , ever system, how great concern. me es caus e aspect of our national gam have established to ed ider cons e thos ding Clubs, inclu investment, all discard young infrastructures and sufficient not to have the necessary core individuals who are deemed k being done with them on wor skills without development s. basi l an individua attitude adopted by There is a worrying laissez faire leaves youngsters that ps setu h yout of rity the vast majo r game that thei of cts aspe without any investment in this could be done how on ance guid or d rove could be imp themselves. way in which a raw and A prime example of this is the ased from Spurs for rele was unorthodox Peter Crouch ities did not fall within qual and style his use £60,000 beca easier to cash in than was It cal. what was deemed the typi he had, leaving that ities qual the n upo build and take a risk to others. rid themselves of their Unless the youth academies group of players all having eric current obsession with a gen ally embrace individuals and the same core skill set, and actu maximise potential, a huge to the ability to work with them aturely discarded. This is number of players will be prem rd to happen. affo t can’ something our game just
I like most spurs fans has gone the last 2 or 3 seasons slating Jenas. “What is he doing” and “I’d rather sub him for no one” come to mind when I think about Jenas and the fact he is the worst free kick taker ever goes without saying but from last season onwards I am having a change of heart. He scored two goals in the CC semi finial against arsenal which took us to our first final in years and without his great performance in both games we would not be in Europe now (how I do wish he played like that every week.) I just think that we should lay of Jenas a bit, I admit yes he makes mistakes what spurs player doesn’t everyone still sang Robbo’s name when he was having a mare but yet Jenas gets so much stick. Jenas works hard for us, you do notice when he isn’t playing (not in a good way) and I believe he does try his best for us. So I for one am going to try and be positive about him. Well that probably is until the next game when I’ll be saying every swear word under the sun to do with Jenas. COME ON YOU SPURS!!!
FRANCESCA, SPURS FAN
CRAIG BUDGE, ARSENAL FAN
MAN CITY MUST BE HAVING A LAUGH if they think they can be a big as us, richest club in the world…lol who cares only money grabbers will go there, can’t see the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Fabregas going there, can you? I must admit with Hughes there, they are indeed going places, 4th place is always up for grabs with Arsenal, Chelsea and us securing the top 3, don’t fancy Liverpool’s chances with Benitez in charge. Will be interesting to see what happens in January, but I wouldn’t get to optimistic City, I hope you get a left back in because Ball is shocking!
ADAM SMITH, MAN UTD FAN
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K
APRIL 2008 BOOTHFERRY PAR
BLEY… FROM BOOTHFERRY TO WEM
do! Why? We no S used to sing but oddly still THAT’S WHAT US HULL FAN bley whilst there Wem , we never did play at longer play at Boothferry Park rry Park was home, thfe Boo n whe s time of ful and only won promotion a hand ing ‘Best pitch’, winn was s I was going there the main accolade in the 17 year s. ance aint acqu t n’t grea success and Boothferry were ium Kingston Communications Stad Yet in just over 5 years at the Wembley rst fi our and ns otio prom 3 us to we’ve seen Ian Ashbee captain footballs elite. inal season amongst English appearance securing our sem , that’s not team ing winn a us ght brou ’s My point? A home we love, that ng achieved havi r neve of gorillas off our back just got the monkeys but the still sing about a we e henc s rule t imen Sent tity. either of the above, lacks iden derelict ground… ey your flights ones affected. How do you conv Blatantly we’re not the only what And s’? lker ‘Wa Your hunger for the of passion for the ‘Emirates’? Windows al ‘Cor ed nam ly eful pan r ut thei do Bradford fans compose abo Crescent… to take a break at York’s Kit Kat stadium?’ Still, must be nice and ge chan of cate advo an I’m fan Don’t get me wrong; as a Hull s. But a ground new or old club y man to our savi a been commercialisation’s such. the location and be known as should have a name to embody et may have Celln ). dock a er a river, (well near Middlesbrough’s ground is by . What do Boro The to e rsid Rive The be always tried to muscle in, but it will Locals may once the sponsorship expires? you call the Reebok and JJB on them by d owe best er vene the nd beyo have a name for their grounds is done. the patriarchs, but the damage uitous, what’s to ubiq ent stm inve ign fore With ns and cities tow the even stop team names or ging? Abu chan from play s team the h in whic ball foot a like ds soun Dhabi Utd already confused was inho Rob der won no , team about who he’d signed for. at; the Franchises are already a thre erlining und 4 200 in s dawn of the MK Don clubs to ball foot our t wan ’t don We . this settling become like pub chains and be rs vs. Albion dere Wan ut kabo Wal to n dow Bar One on Match of the Day.
PUB QUIZ ANSWERS EASY ANSWERS 1. Derby, Birmingham, Reading 2. PSG 3. Welsh 4. Sporting Lisbon 5. Zidane
TOTTENHAM TEAM PHOTO
AVERAGE ANSWERS 1. Denilson 2. Germany 3. Spurs 4. Gravesend 5. 49
DIFFICULT ANSWERS 1. Southend United and Brighton 2. Preston North End 3. Santos and New York Cosmos EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ANSWERS 1. Uruguay 2. David O’Leary 3. Eric Cantona: 1991 Ligue 1 with 1. Olympique de Marseille, 1992 1st Division with Leeds United and 1993 Premiership with Manchester United
SFUL TEAM IN LIVERPOOL THE MOST SUCCES tail especially our on hot Utd Man with BRITAIN, , the time has won s title ue in the number of leag this season. He’s title a er deliv to Rafa for e com efully he’s spent it had money to spend and hop eld. Man Utd are Anfi to back title g brin to t righ h games and toug hack t can’ over rated, Arsenal . The most famous lsea Che ut abo ied worr too not ...Liverpool!!!! club in the world for the title
PAUL SIGN, LIVERPOOL FAN
Rafa Benitez was
JOKES
wheeling his shopping trolley across the supermarket car park when he noticed an old lady struggling with her
bags of shopping. He stopped and asked, “Can you manage dear?” to which the old lady replied, “no way you got yourself into this mess, don’t ask me to sort it out!”
Q: What has Old Trafford on a Saturday afternoon at 4.45pm got in common with Wormwood Scrubs Prison? A: They are both full of cockneys trying to get out. Stoke City are being predicted to stay in the Premiership for three seasons. Autumn, Winter, Spring!
A man without a ticket scales the walls of Wembley to watch a cup final, about 5 minutes before the KO he looks around for a spare seat, he sees one next to an old bloke. He asks the old bloke if the seat is taken, ‘no’ says the man, ‘it was my wife’s but she died, we have been watching the cup final every year for the past 35 years, same seats every year, sit down you can have the seat’. After a short while the man says to the old bloke ‘did you not have any friend or relative who would have like your wife’s seat’, ‘Oh yes’ said the old man, ‘but they are all at her funeral’ Richard Branson has been asked to sponsor Spurs, but has declined saying “I can’t have Virgin written on the shirts of a team thats gonna get F*cked every week, now can I??”
CHANTS
Scolari Whoa o, Phil Scolari Whoa o o o o, He’s Blue, he’s Chelsea, he’s blue, And were gonna f**k up Man U. Cesc Fabregas you’re the love of my life, Oh Cesc Fabregas I’d let you sh*g my wife, Oh Cesc Fabregas your Arsenal through and through, And you hate Man U.
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FFX1
FF eleven I F YOU COULD PICK YOUR ULTIMATE PREMIERSHIP TEAM with the current Premiership stars who would you have? Thinking like a manager, you need to consider a team who will complement one another, find a balance and does your team of world beaters have the right blend of youth and experience. You always hear from irritated fans that they don’t like their team’s style of football, so what kind of football would you have them play, efficiency or all out attack? It’s your team, you decided. The question is would they beat the team below…
CLICHY:
Don’t think I have ever seem him be skinned?
RONALDO: Simply world class
FABREGAS: Just oozes quality with his vision and passing
ESSIEN: Every world class team needs a hard man in the middle, Essien fits that bills
CECH: Impossible to beat him on his day, could easily be the best goalie in the world.
J COLE: Maybe he isn’t your nature left winger, but is so creative on the ball
RICHARDS: If he can stay injury free he has the potential to be the best right back England has seen in a long while
ROONEY: I love his passion and commitment
TORRES: RIO: Just such a reliable and classy centre half
TERRY: Every world class team needs there Lion heart and JT would be mine
With Rooney doing all the running he would be free to do what he does best, score! Manager: Wenger Subs: Van Der Sar, Carragher, O’ Shea, Diarra, Gerrard, Young, Adebayor.
With Arsene at the reins this team would gilde pass there opposition as if they wasn’t there. The fast tempo would suit the likes of Ronaldo and Cole Cole,, who would be free to terrorise the opposing full backs, with the comfort they have strong and quick full backs to cover them as they make there surging runs. How many goals would this team concede? Not many! With the all mighty Cech in between the sticks and the deadly duo of Rio and Terry to cover any strike force in the world, I would fancy our chances. Would any wingers in the WORLD fancy their chances against Richards or Clichy? With Fabregas pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Essien will do what he does best and dominate the middle with his pace and strong tackle. With the supply from Fabregas, Cole and Ronaldo, Torres and Rooney would score an absolute bag full of goals. Every team has an off day, so easily could this team of all stars. If such an event would occur we would have a vast array of talents a waiting in the wings. Depending on the type of game, Gerrard, Young or Adebayor would be a worthy replacement. Defending a lead would require the defensive duties of O’Shea or Diarra. An injury to a defender wouldn’t be too much of a scare with Carragher eagerly awaiting on the side who would comfortably slot into any part of the defence. With the ever reliable Van Der Sar awaiting an injury to Cech. I hope for all our sakes that Mark Hughes isn’t reading this!
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BET THEY WOULD LOVE A
FFOROTEBAELL
MAGAZINE!
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F E E R F L L A B T FOO E N I Z A G A M
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