There were many things that we could have featured in the week in brief. Chelsea going down to nine men against QPR, still almost picking up a point and a certain John Terry. Newcastle continuing their unbeaten run, Arsenal’s crisis seemingly being over or Liverpool’s inability to put teams to bed. However, only one man is worth talking about: Mario Balotelli!
Manchester City beating Man United 6-1 at Old Trafford was big news, but even that has been overshadowed by Balotelli, fireworks and a t-shirt. Because Mario Balotelli accidentally set fire to his own house. Yes. He was innocently setting off some fireworks from his bathroom, but against all the odds, something went wrong. With the entire 1st floor ablaze, he then rushed back into his house to retrieve a suitcase full of money (this story may not be entirely accurate).
We have a look at the antics of Mario Balotelli in the Week in Brief…
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Football fans’ willingness to show their dedication comes in all shapes and sizes. One such way is to splay their dedication over their body in the form of a tattoo. I can understand why somebody might choose to tattoo their footballing allegiance onto their body. Whilst women come and go, a football team is for life. It’s the manly man’s equivalent of getting “I love mom’ yet a tattoo is a big commitment, so it’s important to get it right. As you can imagine, this process isn’t always a success.
Below are the top 10 Liverpool tattoo’s to be found on the net – the good, the bad and the plain ugly – click on image below to unveil gallery:
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Have you got a better Liverpool tattoo? Football FanCast would like to invite the readers to submit their own entry via our Facebook Page. The winning entries will go forward to our grand competition to find the best tattoo in the Premier League.
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Win tickets to Legends Lounge to see the titanic clash at Anfield
Dig deeper into the world of football and you will discover a lot. Many international footballers aren’t native to the country they represent, some of which have extremely loose ties and choose their national side only to be in with a higher chance of playing international football. FIFA rules were altered in 2008 in order to help secure Sepp Blatter’s plan to reduce the number of foreign footballers playing abroad. Under these laws, uncapped footballers are allowed to switch allegiances after 5 years of being native to a country. You are also eligible to represent a country if a parent or grandparent was a native.
All very well it seems, I’m of the belief that your nationality lies with your place of birth. However, I can understand this clause. There is a major problem though; this rule is being exploited for the advantages of larger countries on the international stage. Leaving the smaller countries without what could be a historic player for them or that could bring them closer to the dream of playing in a international competition such as the World Cup or European Championships.
It doesn’t take long to find an example of this, Germany’s second all time goalscorer Miroslav Klose was born in Poland and was 7 when his family moved to Germany. He himself has said it’s better for him not to be called German or Polish, but European. Another example is his old Bayern Munich strike partner Lukas Podolski , although this is more understandable as he moved to Germany when he was 2.
Maybe I’m being a bit harsh here, they might both claim themselves to be German Nationals and yes, technically they are. The real issue is when a player is able to represent a country when he himself would not class himself as being of that nationality. Two examples of this are Manuel Almunia and Mikel Arteta, both Spanish footballers and both uncapped, due to how long they have lived in England for they are both eligible to represent the three lions. However, they themselves will never claim to be English.
This is not a new issue, Alfredo Di Stefano is classed as a legend of the game but did you know he represented 3 countries at the top level? He scored 6 goals in 6 games for his native Argentina between 1947 and 1949, following this came 4 appearances for Columbia, where he scored 0 goals. He gained Spanish citizenship while playing for Real Madrid and went on to score 23 goals in 31 games for Spain. Ridiculous isn’t it? Ok, the law has been cleared up since then meaning you can only represent 1 country at full level but this should never have been allowed to happen.
Owen Hargreaves was born in Canada and went on, as we know, to represent England. However, he also gained German citizenship while playing for Bayern Munich and was close to playing for Wales at U-21 level before pulling out at the last minute. Paulo Di Canio was also eligible to play for England. Ryan Giggs represented England at schoolboy level under the name Ryan Wilson, before opting for his country of birth. As he should.
Many, many footballers fall under this issue and there will be alot more in the future, unless the rules are altered. Zinedine Zidane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eduardo, Giuseppe Rossi. Have a look into the background of football and you will learn alot and begin to question the work of FIFA.
It needs a simple law to clear up and it won’t cause FIFA much hassle to organise. It begs the question, are FIFA ignoring the issue or are they under the influence of the bigger nations who benefit from these players?
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Article courtesy of Josh Challies from This is Futbol
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has admitted that Gareth Bale will need to get used to tough tackling from opponents, as the flying winger is targeted by opposing defenders.
The Wales international has impressed with stunning performances over the last 18 months, and sides facing Spurs are wary of the attacker’s threat.
Similar to leading dribblers in the game, Redknapp feels that Bale will continue to be targeted for rough treatment.
“The last tackle (from Simon Cox) at the end of the West Brom game, that was bad and from behind when he was running away, that was cynical,” the tactician told The Daily Mail.
“But he is so quick and can just move the ball away, people lunge in and suddenly the ball is not there and they catch him. I suppose when you are that good a player you are going that.
“The top players in the world – [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi – who can run at people with the ball and beat people all get that.
“He has got quick feet and is maybe a little bit too quick for the people he is playing against,” he concluded.
By Gareth McKnight
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Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has admitted that his side will not be happy with finishing second in the Premier League this season, even if they get more points than last term.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have more points on the board now than at the same stage last season, but are trailing rivals Manchester City by three points in the race for the title.
Smalling has stated that criticism over the side’s performances are expected if The Red Devils are not at the top of the pile.
“I can understand the criticism. We’re second in the league and the expectations of this club – from both inside and out – are massive,” he told Mirror Football.
“If we’re not on top, then everybody’s asking why. Rightly so, too. Finishing second with more points than we collected last season won’t make us feel any better about ourselves.
“The only objective is to win the league. We knew the Christmas period was going to be tough and we did well against QPR, Fulham and Wigan.
“But we were gutted to get beaten by Blackburn on New Year’s Eve, and then by Newcastle a few days later.
“The win over City in the FA Cup has given us a lift, so we hope now we can kick on, because there are some big games to come,” he concluded.
United travel to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in a mouth-watering clash on Sunday.
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Vincent Kompany will serve a four-match ban, after the FA dismissed Manchester City’s appeal against his red card in the FA Cup on Sunday.
The Etihad Stadium captain was given a straight red card for a sprawling challenge on Nani in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, but the Premier League leaders challenged Chris Foy’s decision.
However, the governing body stood by the referee’s ruling, and the Belgium international will now add to Roberto Mancini’s defensive worries.
“An Independent Regulatory Commission has today dismissed a claim of wrongful dismissal from Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany following his red card for Serious Foul Play in the FA Cup Third Round tie between Manchester City v Manchester United on 8 January 2012,” the statement reads.
“Kompany will serve a four-match suspension with immediate effect. The suspension consists of a statutory three-match suspension for Serious Foul Play plus one additional game given this is Kompany’s second dismissal of the season.”
The talismanic centre half will miss both legs of the Carling Cup semi final against Liverpool, along with Premier League games against Wigan and Tottenham.
With Kolo Toure away on African Cup of Nations duty for at least the next month, Mancini now has limited options at the heart of his defence.
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The men who broadcast our football through the TV are almost as famous as the players themselves these days. Think John Motson, Clive Tyldesley or more controversially, Andy Gray and Richard Keys. But you always get the impression you’ve heard everything they say before. Well, that’s because you probably have. The commentator is the king of the cliché, using the same phrases to sum up most situations! Here is the A to Z of Commentators Clichés:
A- “All to Play for” – The phrase always issued after a dramatic goal is scored to get the losing team back in the match. I’m fairly sure there was all to play for before, it’s just they hadn’t managed to score then.
B- “Beckham Territory” – Anytime a team that old Goldenballs played for won a free kick in the opposition half, out came the familiar phrase. The ball inevitably hit the wall.
C- “Mark of True Champions” – Manchester United play dreadfully, they fail to break down Wigan all game long, defend like a bunch of strangers, yet sneak a late goal to pick up a vital win. Lucky? No that’s the mark of true champions.
D- “Schoolboy Defending” – Alan Hansen’s favourite saying on Match of the Day. Said defender makes first mistake of the season, yet needs to return to his youth to relearn the art of tackling.
E- “End to End stuff” – Normally used to describe a frantic game. Very overused, the action usually isn’t literally end to end, more like a few shots in a short space of time. Always heard whenever the Big Four play each other.
F- “Best Form of Defence is Attack” – Is it? Counter-attacking may be OK, but ask Ian Holloway and Blackpool how many goals they conceded when they tried abandoning defending altogether. I’d say the best form of defence is defending properly. (Sorry Mr Wenger)
G- “Game of Two Halves” – Whenever any side takes a big lead in the first half, the commentator has to keep the viewing public interested by reminding them anyone can mount a comeback. Well, in reality, this never happens and we get conned into watching 45 more minutes of one-sidedness. Unless it’s Istanbul 2005.
H- “He had to go” – Shocking challenge, red card given. Commentator shakes his head disappointedly, judging the naughty red carded player, “he had to go.” Well yes, that’s generally what a red card means.
I- “I’ve seen them given” – Another one for the pundit. A penalty gets turned down. It’s controversial. Knowledgeable pundit announces he’s seen them given. Well congratulations. You’re a pundit because you’ve meant to have seen everything in football anyway!
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J- “Just enough to put him off” – Used just after the lumbering centre-back clatters into the striker with a desperate challenge after being beaten all ends up.
K- “Killer Ball” – Normally heard when the team’s playmaker plays a majestic pass. Sounds painful…
L- “Lost the Dressing Room” – That was careless. Where on earth did you put it?
M- “Magic of the FA Cup” – Lower league team beats bigger league team. Why? Not because bigger team put out reserves due to fixture congestion. Nope, it’s definitely the magic of the cup.
N- “Needs a Goal” –Most games do need a goal, yes. I cant ever remember enjoying a 0-0 draw.
O- “On Paper” – Yes we all know Manchester United have a stronger squad on paper than Torquay United. Thanks for bringing that to our attention.
P- “Park the Bus” – One of Jose Mourinho’s favourites after a Spurs side went all defensive at Stamford Bridge. The commentator recognises the negative attitude (usually from the away side) and out comes the big double decker of a cliché.
Q- “Can’t Question his Commitment” – Means said player is terrible and the only thing he can do is run around like a headless chicken.
R- “Rub of the Green” – Having watched one team miss two open nets, have three penalty appeals turned down and see a goal chalked off for offside, the commentator usually ruefully decides the other team had all the luck.
S- “Six Pointer” – Big clashes between teams (usually at the bottom of the division) are referred to as six pointers. Which is rather ‘pointless’ as they still only carry the standard three.
T- “Too Good to go Down” – The pundits always know best. They always predict whose squad isn’t good enough to keep them in the division and who’s got the quality to stay in the league. Errmm, think again. Ask Leeds fans in 2004,Newcastle fans in 2009 or West Ham fans last year if they were “too good to go down.” Didn’t think so…
U- “Unbelievable Jeff!” – Enough said.
V- “Virtually Unmarked” – I wouldn’t say he was virtually unmarked. More like literally unmarked. Hence why he scored.
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W- “Worked his Socks off” – Always used to describe a player with an exceptional work rate. Every time Park Ji Sung plays for Manchester United or Dirk Kuyt turns out for Liverpool, you can guarantee hearing this phrase at least once during the game. Can’t say I’ve ever actually seen those workhorses without said sock though.
X- “X-Rated Challenge” – Alright, it was a fairly bad two footed tackle. But that’s what the fans come for right?
Y- “Yard of Pace” – When a player gets old, according to our friends with the microphones, they always lose that yard of pace. I’d still back any said player in a foot race against Per Mertesacker though.
Z- “Row Z” – The words a commentator reserves specifically for Emile Heskey. Even though most grounds don’t have a Row Z.
Something I thought would never happen again occurred on Wednesday – Carlos Tevez pulled on a Manchester City shirt.
The Argentina striker was exiled by Man City manager Roberto Mancini after refusing to come off the bench in a Champions League match earlier in the season and it was thought he would never play for City again, especially after some of the comments he made in regards to the way the Italian treated him.
However, Tevez did come off the bench at The Eithad Stadium on Wednesday in the Premier League match against Chelsea and even set up Samir Nasri’s winning goal for City, which keeps them hot on the heels of Manchester United in the title race.
Here is Mancini giving instructions to Tevez, but what is the Italian saying?
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This week you can win a copy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
Blockbuster continues its assault on rivals with announcement of exclusive downloadable content for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR (R) 13, available to all Blockbuster customers who pre-order the classic title, out 30th March.
Fans who pre-order their copy of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR (R) 13 will receive two bonus golfer foursome downloads.
The first will allow gamers to take to the tee with legends of the Premier League – Wayne Rooney, James Milner, Theo Walcott and Petr Cech – in the Football Fourball.
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For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here
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Last week’s winner: Braithy – click here to see all entries
The FA have charged Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic with violent conduct, after he was caught punching Wigan forward Shaun Maloney in Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Television footage captured the Serbian full back striking out at the Scottish attacker, which was not picked up by the match officials.
The governing body has confirmed that Ivanovic is set to be punished, and has set the date for appeal.
“Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has today [Tuesday 10 April 2012] been charged by the FA with violent conduct following an incident in his side’s game against Wigan Athletic,” an official statement reads.
“Ivanovic was involved in an incident with Wigan’s Shaun Maloney, which was not seen by the match officials, but caught on video, during his side’s 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 7 April 2012.
“Ivanovic has until 6pm on 11 April 2012 to respond to the charge,” it concludes.
Typical punishments for offences such as this generally carry a three-match ban, and if this was upheld Ivanovic would miss this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham and London derby fixtures with QPR and Arsenal.
Also, Mirror Football have indicated that Ivanovic has emerged as a transfer target for Real Madrid.
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The Serb’s versatility is reportedly an asset that would be appreciated at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Jose Mourinho is a fan of the Chelsea man.
It takes more than physical skill to be a winner at the highest level of professional sports. It needs grit, determination, focus and confidence. Chelsea have shown that in spades in their last three Champions’ League games. In both legs against Barcelona in the semi finals, the Blues were pinned to the proverbial wall from start to finish; tonight, in the main, was more of the same.
Home-town favourites Bayern Munich had more of the ball, four times as many opportunities on goal, and a plethora of chances to kill the 2012 Champions’ League Final both in regular time and extra time. Arjen Robben’s missed penalty, chances squandered by Mario Gomes and Thomas Muller, the botched pass from Ivica Olic which rolled past Daniel van Buyten before an open goal…
And yet Chelsea were the victors, courtesy of defying all the odds over 270 minutes. Even after John Terry’s moment of insanity in the Nou Camp, Roberto Di Matteo’s ten men clung grimly on, finding the mental strength to recover from 2-0 down and advance with an astonishing display of bloody-mindedness and sheer willpower.
Several of Chelsea’s staff embody this mental capacity. Di Matteo’s composure, level-headedness and humility in the face of all the pressures and plaudits he has encountered of late have been incredibly eye-catching. He refuses to let the incessant speculation over his future cloud the importance of the present, and has cajoled a squad which was at breaking point into an impenetrable, cohesive unit.
Didier Drogba’s selfless energy and work ethic have shone out over Chelsea’s run to the Champions’ League trophy. The Ivorian’s commitment to covering his teammates is outstanding. Chelsea fans will have noticed it long ago, I’m sure, but it’s only really dawned on me watching the semi-finals and tonight’s game that whenever Ashley Cole or Jose Bosingwa is caught out of position, it’s almost invariably Drogba who busts a gut to get back there and plug the gap. Yes, he conceded a penalty in extra time – but doesn’t that tell you something? How many strikers would have been in the position to concede it?
Veteran striker Drogba may have just played his final game for Chelsea – but between his effort defensively, the bullet header to equalise in the dying moments and the title-clinching penalty conversion, surely he has done enough to extend his eight-year stay in London. And even in the jubilant scenes which followed the shoot-out, the Ivorian found time to console not only Bastien Schweinstaiger, but his former Chelsea teammate Robben, with whom he talked and hugged for some time while his teammates celebrated.
Depleted in midfield, Di Matteo leaned heavily on Frank Lampard to anchor his team, and the Chelsea stalwart did not disappoint. This was not a night for Lampard to showcase his attacking talents, but he covered as much ground as he could in shadowing Muller and Toni Kroos and harrassing Bayern’s creative talents when they came within shooting range.
Ashley Cole rolled back the years to produce one of the finest defensive displays of his Chelsea career (Image | Sky Sports)
And then there was the back four. Many – me, for a start – believed that the absence of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic would be decisive. Although Bosingwa and David Luiz weren’t perfect in their performance – Luiz committed so many fouls it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him sent to an early bath – their work rate was outstanding. Gary Cahill played through the pain barrier in extra time.
Cole, meanwhile, personifies the siege-defence mentality Chelsea have been forced to adopt in the latter stages of this tournament, the England left-back producing one of the most memorable displays of his career in timing every tackle to perfection and getting in block after block as Munich threatened to overcome their ‘visitors’.
Many in red showed that they had what it takes to win tonight, too. Manuel Neuer, barely tested in two hours of football, stood up to save Juan Mata’s penalty and then convert his own in the shoot-out. Philipp Lahm exorcised his shoot-out demons of the semi-final; Muller recovered from a couple of poor misses to score the opening goal seven minutes from the end of normal time.
In the end, however, Bayern didn’t get enough from their front three tonight. Robben, Gomes and Frank Ribery combined to blaze shot after shot over the bar or round the post, and on several occasions missed the target when it should have been easier to hit it. And after Robben’s penalty miss in extra time seemed to herald a shoot-out, it was Schweinstaiger, the archetypal Munich hero, whose stuttering run-up backfired so spectacularly in the final moment of the competition.
There will, naturally, be endless questions over the next couple of months about the futures of Di Matteo, Drogba and others in the Chelsea squad. For now, at least, they have proven their worth – mentally, as well as in terms of results – to Roman Abramovich and Chelsea.
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Article courtesy of Rob Schatten from his excellent blog ‘The Armchair Pundits’