Following on from the ‘Most Hated XI’ is another team but this time made up of some of our favourite cult heroes.
The first question is ‘what is a cult hero?’ Well for starters, here’s what it isn’t- a truly great player that’s admired by everyone both inside and outside his club. Someone like Eric Cantona could never be a ‘cult hero’ because all United fans love him while fans from other clubs may at least have a grudging respect- I stress the word ‘may’ and obviously Crystal Palace fans are not among them.
No, a cult hero is the sort of player that not all fans love but the ones who do, adore with a passion. They’re the players that many of the opposition fans hate, or the strikers who’ve turned out for you team and scored one goal in twenty games which happens to be a winner against your arch-rivals. They’re sometimes the comical figures that we love to hate, the panto villain types that a core of us actually admire.
Then there’s that other type of cult hero, the genuine, decent talented player that for some reason never gets the respect of admiration of the mainstream media, so its left up to us fans to let the world know just how great they are. Cult heroes more often than not play the game we imagine the way we would for our club- what they lack in skill they make up for in effort, never giving up and always leaving the pitch having given 100%.
Most of these players may only play a handful of games for your club, others may be there for their for slightly longer, but they will always be admired for making supporting our team that little bit better. All of the players have played in the Premier League but some made their ‘cult hero’ status assured in Division One.
Click on the late Les Sealey to see the Premier League’s ‘Cult XI’
With Steve Kean’s future at Blackburn Rovers looking unlikely to reach the weekend, speculation has already begun as to who will be taking over Ewood Park as the Venkys-owned outfit look to gain promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Former player Tim Sherwood has been installed as the early favourite for the role, and the captain of the 1995 Premier League winning team would certainly be a popular selection with the supporters.
Almost every available manager would be more popular than the much maligned Kean, but with Sherwood’s history with Rovers the fans would be happy to see the ex-midfielder in the dugout and attempting to lead them back to where they feel they belong.
Sherwood is currently on the coaching staff at another of his former clubs, Tottenham Hotspur, and has regularly been seen on scouting missions for the White Hart Lane side when they are looking to sign a new player or keep an eye on an upcoming opponent.
The trust that has been shown in him by Harry Redknapp and now Andre Villas-Boas despite having no previous coaching experience shows how highly thought of he was by those successful managers, and if he does move back to Lancashire then that will please the Blackburn fans.
He obviously has an eye for a good player, something Kean couldn’t claim to have after admitting he hadn’t seen some of the new signings that he brought to the club in the summer, and that will help, especially if they do get promoted and need to bolster their squad ahead of a fight for survival.
Sherwood also knows the supporters and may well understand their worries after a turbulent few years instead of being in the apparent conflict that Kean has been in ever since he replaced Sam Allardyce.
The question of whether Kean remains as manager has yet to be answered, but if Sherwood is brought in as his replacement, it may help Venkys get the fans off their backs and in turn help the on-field fortunes of a team that has been in free-fall in recent years.
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Denmark International midfielder Christian Eriksen has been flattered with reports linking him with a move to Liverpool, but admits the move is unlikely.
The Ajax midfielder is rated as one of the brightest young prospects in Europe at the moment and the club are aware they will have to fend off a lot of interest in him in January.
Despite having several Premier League suitors lined up, the Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Danish Footballer of the Year in 2011, remains calm about his future.
He stated that it is great to have such interest but was unsure as to what the future holds for him.
“We don’t really know right now. It all depends on how the season unfolds,” he told the Metro.
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The star will be able to display his talents to an English audience when Ajax play Manchester City on 24th October in the Champions League.
On Sunday Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he now regrets selling Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross to the Potters. This is not the first time the Red Devils boss has made a transfer mishap in defence as he has also revealed in the past to be remorseful about Gerard Pique’s departure to Barcelona.
However, transfer regrets are not just limited to players who have gone on to do well for their following clubs. Arguably the biggest regrets come from clubs who have splashed the cash on expensive flops.
So here is a list of the 15 greatest Premier League transfer regrets. Some transfers have made managers cringe as to how disgracefully poor they have turned down, others have made managers gaze into the distance pondering the question ‘if only I’d kept that one?’
Click on Gerald Pique to unveil the 15 great regrets
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After being starved of Premier League action during the international break, England’s top flight could hardly return with a more compelling match-up.
Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in Saturday’s early kick off, with much of the action centred on the young Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas as he meets his former employers for the first time. The Portuguese gaffer travelled to Stamford Bridge last year keen to exercise his project and footballing philosophy at one of the nation’s biggest clubs, after a year of unprecedented success at FC Porto.
However circumstances worked against the 35-year-old who appeared naive at times in his man-management and team selection. Whether, not given enough control by the board, enough respect by the players or enough time to reshape Chelsea’s team, Villas-Boas’s reputation was tarred by his spell at the Bridge and he is fighting for redemption with Tottenham Hotspur.
A tough start at Tottenham could have proved fatal to the former Porto boss’s chances of ever proving his critics wrong on these isles. Draws at home to West Brom and Norwich were worsened due to an opening day loss against Newcastle United. Some were already keen to write off the Jose Mourinho’s protégé, who had replaced the extremely popular Harry Redknapp who may well have found the London club’s ceiling, in reaching the top four of the Premier League twice and mastering a quarter final appearance in the Champions League.
With the vultures circling, cue a turnaround, which was unexpected and perhaps unwanted in some circles. Since his outburst against the media last term when Chelsea beat Valencia, Villas-Boas has been unpopular on Fleet Street where many find him cold and prickly. Many journalists snarled and smirked on Twitter when this supposed tactical genius used 4-4-2 to save the day against Queens Park Rangers.
Even in victory at Old Trafford, a historic result for the North London team, many still focused on the failings of Rio Ferdinand and co, instead of Spurs’ memorable triumph. Tottenham enter this season-defining, perhaps career-defining match for AVB, off the back of four straight wins in the Premier League and with genuine momentum. The technically sublime Moussa Dembele has transitioned effortlessly into Tottenham’s side and certainly deserves some credit for their recent up-turn, while Villas-Boas’ faith in Jermain Defoe has been repaid with four league goals. Under Redknapp, Defoe played the role of impact sub, with Emanuel Adebayor preferred.
One of the main criticisms launched at Villas-Boas at Chelsea was that he tried to change too much and equally didn’t play to the strengths of the players he had at his disposal. Playing out from the back sometimes had fatal consequences – a John Obi Mikel error against Liverpool quickly comes to mind, while insistence on a pressing game and high defensive line didn’t suit the slowing John Terry.
This doesn’t appear to be the case at Tottenham, where the fast paced attacks that served them so well last year are still a big part of their approach. Their attacking threat still often comes out-wide with the at times unplayable, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon featuring regularly, Clint Dempsey also appears to suit a high-tempo attack. However such is the fine-line between success and failure, in the over-scrutinised Premier League.
It would not be fair to ignore the transformation under-took at Chelsea since they sacked their youthful manager in March. Under then interim manager Roberto Di Matteo, they achieved an unlikely turnaround against Napoli, after poor team selection and defensive errors had them at a 3-1 deficit before a memorable evening clash at Stamford Bridge.
Even five months removed from Chelsea’s Champions League victory it still seems more fantasy then reality. A mixture of defensive fortitude and great fortune saw Chelsea become champions of Europe a title that owner Roman Abramovich had long been craving. Buoyed by success in Europe’s best competition the Russian once again opened his chequebook and finally Chelsea appear to have overcome the shadow of Mourinho.
The defensively rigid winning machine that twice lifted the Premier League title, is now replaced with a team full of dynamism and flair, as Chelsea seek their fourth Premier League trophy. Summer additions Eden Hazard and Oscar have added pace creativity and sublime skill and along with Villas-Boas’ most successful signing, Juan Mata they form the most exciting attacking midfield in the division.
While Chelsea’s defence in the past 12 months has often resembled an unorganised mess in the absence of their much-maligned captain and the protection John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard offer it, is often sub-standard. More and more people are tipping the Blues to top the league after a superb start. Outside of a tough assignment away at Arsenal, tomorrow’s game could be considered the first real test for Di Matteo’s men.
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After Saturday’s clash we should learn much more about two of the division’s better teams and also their rookie managers.
Five months have passed since Brendan Rodgers left the Liberty Stadium for Liverpool and the Northern Irishman welcomes his former side to Anfield for a fourth round Capital One Cup clash tomorrow night.
Joe Allen will also face his old club if picked, but Rodgers is set to rest the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard in favour of starting unused first team players Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing.
Michael Laudrup has played down the return of Rodgers and Allen but there is certain to be no love lost between the two sides as they both strive to make it through to the fifth round.
The Swans boss will be without keeper Michael Vorm, who is out for eight weeks with a groin injury, while Nathan Dyer and Danny Graham will be hoping for a recall after warming the bench during the last two Premier League games.
Swansea currently sit one place above Liverpool in the Premier League, but Rodgers will be hoping that an electric atmosphere at Anfield will help him get one over on his former employers, despite his side’s stuttering start to the season.
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We’ll be following the encounter in our LIVE Blog tomorrow and have all the news, views, goals and reactions to the Capital One Cup fourth round.
If you’re a Liverpool or Swansea fan and interested in representing your club by Tweeting your support tomorrow, then send an email to [email protected] and get involved!
West Brom moved up to third in the Premier League after beating Sunderland 4-2 at the Stadium of Light.
The Baggies have enjoyed a superb start to the season and another accomplished display brought their fourth successive Premier League win – the first time they’ve achieved such a feat in the top-flight since 1980.
For Martin O’Neill the problems continue to mount on Wearside as his side failed to build on last weeks impressive away victory at Fulham last Sunday, although he will feel the Black Cats deserved more for their efforts in bright first half.
Stephane Sessegnon, who scored a stunning goal at Craven Cottage last week, looked the most likely candidate to break the deadlock in the opening stages but was kept out on two occasions by Albion keeper Boaz Myhill.
It wasn’t until the half hour mark that first blood was drawn as the visitors took the lead against the run of play. Adam Johnson sacrificed possession to Peter Odemwingie and he played in Zoltan Gera, who composed himself before lashing a superb 20-yard drive into the top corner.
And right on the stroke of half time a horrendous error from Simon Mignolet gifted West Brom a second, the Belgian keeper allowing a routine loose ball to slip from his grasp, with Shane Long taking full advantage to tap into an empty net. Sunderland struggled to create much after the break as the away side looked prepared to sit on their lead, but they were handed a lifeline in the 73rd minute as substitute Craig Gardner saw his deflected free kick sail into the top corner.
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But eight minutes later Clarkes men restored their two goal advantage as Romelu Lukaku confidently scored from the penalty spot after Johnson had fouled Liam Ridgewell. That wasn’t the end of the drama as the home side gave themselves more hope of snatching a point, Sessegnon slamming home from two-yards after Myhill kept out Steven Fletchers header.
Sadly there would be no comeback and Marc Antoine-Fortune came off the bench to wrap up the win, calmly slotting the ball past Mignolet after being fed by Lukaku to leave West Brom just two points off the top.
We’re in the festive spirit here at Football FanCast and we think you should be, too. And what better way to get us in the mood for a bit of gift giving, than by lapping up 15 of the all time great transfer presents we’ve had the joy of receiving?
The purse strings might be tight for many of us, but for these teams, the Christmas feeling lasts all year long. In this gallery, form, value and anything resembling common sense, have been turfed out for the Yuletide goodwill that’s come with flogging these superb players.
The end of the year is often a time of nostalgia too and considering the pain that many of you might have to endure in the hyperinflation of the January transfer market next month, you should be savouring the gifts of yesteryear.
So click on Van der Vaart below, sift through and rejoice in our top 15 ‘Transfer Gifts’ of all time
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Newcastle striker Demba Ba has been attracting widespread interest in his signature over the past few months and he could be set to leave the club during the January transfer window, but after talks over a switch to Chelsea were labelled ‘unproductive’, Arsenal look to be right at the front of the queue, but does the move add up?
In a way, it’s astounding that no club showed any concrete interest in the 27-year-old at the end of last season and all through the summer considering he had just scored 16 league goals in 36 games, but a slump in the second half of the campaign which saw him add just one goal to his mid-season tally of 15 during the 2-1 victory at home over Aston Villa on the 5th February, which proved to be his last of the season, saw him not only live in Papiss Cisse’s shadow, but put off any potential suitors.
There were clearly suspicions that Ba was little more than a flash in the pan and that he would struggle to replicate his fantastic early season form at a bigger club, but 13 league goals in 20 appearances this term have shown him to be a player of real substance and along with his record at West Ham, he now has 36 in 66 league games in the top flight. Amir Zaki, he is not.
Before the 7-3 game between the two sides at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger responded to a reporters question with the following: “I like Demba Ba, yes. I don’t think [this] is the right place to speak about that, because he plays against us tomorrow. I wouldn’t like to put Newcastle or us or him in an uncomfortable position. If you ask me ‘do we sign Demba Ba?’ I say no.”
This was obviously also in response to Ba’s rather mischievous ‘come and get me plea’ a week previously after being quoted in The Sun: “It is true that Arsenal are among the clubs that are tempting. Journalists are doing their job, they know Arsenal need strikers and they know I have a clause in my contract so they start speculating.”
It’s clear that Arsenal are extremely inconsistent even by their own standards this season, and having just stuck five past Reading and seven past Newcastle, they laboured to a 1-1 draw against a struggling Southampton side last night, a point which they were somewhat fortunate to pick up at all given the sub-standard quality of their overall performance.
Wenger stated in the aftermath of the draw, telling BBC Sport: “Our game lacked purpose, penetration and speed, all qualities we have usually. Maybe we thought we had made enough progress and eased off but that doesn’t work at this level.” They went from having 28 shots in total against Newcastle at home to mustering just four on target against Nigel Adkins’ side – having scored 13 in their last three games, you’d be forgiven for thinking that confidence was a pertinent problem, but with such a mentally fragile squad, it will always be there, just bubbling underneath the surface.
The disparity between chances created does not, as Ba attested to, hint at a lack of striking options, rather a problem with a consistent flow of creativity further behind and once again the midfield triumvirate of Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla only sporadically showed glimpses of their talent. Pushing Cazorla further forward is a necessary move for a start and given Aaron Ramsey struggles and Abou Diaby’s injury problems, a move for another playmaker could be what’s required above all else, with a more direct style compared to the probing presence of Tomas Rosicky the order of the hour.
When you look at the club’s striking talent, while they are obviously missing Robin van Persie from last season, and in all honest, what team in the world wouldn’t? In very basic terms, they let one forward go in the summer and brought in two with Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, so they have the numbers and the depth; the ingredients are all there, but the right mix has eluded Wenger so far.
The Germany international has been decent, if unspectacular and has a modest return of six goals in 18 league outings and nine in 24 across all competitions while Giroud has a very similar record of six in 18 league games and nine across 25 outings including cup competitions and European appearances. Neither have set the pulses racing, but replacing van Persie’s goals was always going to be a difficult and daunting task, particularly as they are both enjoying their first season in England and need time to acclimatise to the style and culture over here.
Nevertheless, one man has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks with a continued spell through the middle in his preferred position and that is Theo Walcott, who has four goals in four starts in a central striking position this month, including a hat-trick against Newcastle in a magnificent individual display full of running and clinical finishing.
The contractual wrangle between the player and club looks likely to hinge on assurances from Wenger that Walcott has a future in a central attacking role. Thierry Henry was roughly the same age when he was converted and utilised there full-time and the England international has made a compelling case in recent games. A move for Ba would surely shift Walcott back out wide, with Wenger unlikely to play two up front and veer away from his 4-3-3 system. The question then is very simply, is Walcott scoring enough through the middle to make a move for Ba anything other than a needles indulgence and expense?
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While he has undoubtedly been impressive, Ba has been equally if not more impressive over a longer period; backing Walcott to deliver what Ba almost certainly would is a gamble which is an even more delicate siuation than usual considering the ongoing contractual negotiations.
Is the Senegalese forward good enough to play up top for a club with Champions League ambitions? Does he fit their style of play? Are his rumoured £75,000-per-week and questionable commitment levels with past employers not troubling issues worth chewing the fat over? These are all salient points to make, but given that he’s available for just £7m, this surely means that even if every single one of aforementioned questions doesn’t have a positive answer that it’s still probably worth pursuing just for the sheer value that you’re getting for your buck.
Nevertheless, while Ba would surely provide a more consistent stream of goals at the club than any of the options available to Wenger at the moment, the knock-on effect it could have on Walcott’s future is worth considering. The Magpies’ frontman would likely be a success, but if it means losing a 23-year-old, versatile and hungry England international at the same time, then the Frenchman may be better off looking to reinforce his squad elsewhere during January.
Last week I wrote an article suggesting Arsene Wenger should leave Arsenal gracefully, before his career in North London comes to a bitter end. At the time, the Gunners were 10th in the table, with their worst Premier League start under Wenger since he took over in 1996. I was labelled by Arsenal fans as an uninformed alarmist, and one commenter compared my opinions to those of Piers Morgan.
Perhaps my timing was bad, it was after a 2-0 defeat to Swansea that left Gunners fans slightly sensitive to say the least, and I admit my manner was rather negative, I did not do the French manager much justice considering his many achievements in the Premier League over the years. In total, Wenger and his philosophy has earned the club 11 major trophies.
Last weekend, Arsenal greatly improved to beat West Brom 2-0 in what may prove to be an important fixture come the summer should the Baggies, fuelled by successful management debutant Steve Clarke, continue their good form through to the business end of the season. But I still believe Wenger’s time at the club will eventually end with a nasty and brutal divorce unless he decides to quietly step aside.
It is not necessarily Arsenal’s performance this season, although in many games they have simply been not good enough, but more the long period of slow stagnation that seems to have come over the club. I believe the Frenchman and his philosophy is becoming more and more outdated in the modern era of football.
In defending his transfer policy, Wenger has highlighted some of my concerns: “It is about sweat, thinking, working hard. You have a big tradition of that in England. I am scared all these qualities today have less importance in the game. I don’t say that money doesn’t play a part in it, but it is not only about that. We have to continue to believe that it is not only about that because what is the game about then?”
You have to admire the man’s principles, Wenger never spent big in the past and generated a team that were nicknamed “The Invincibles” because of their successes, including their incredible feat of going a whole season undefeated.
He’s a man who’s bought young talent and slowly developed teenagers into World Class footballers. It is understandable for Wenger to think he can carry on doing that, the likes of Jack Wilshire, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will no doubt develop into top level players, but this process is beginning to work to the detriment of the first team.
There seems to be a constant transitioning at the club, between players who are learning their trade, and those edging on greatness, however the former tends to limit the heights of the latter. Arsenal haven’t won a trophy now since the FA Cup in 2005, however they have made their way to two cup finals since then, including the Champions League in 2006.
The problem is, it is near impossible to have enough young talent at one time to develop into a whole new starting XI of top class players in the future. Consider the sheer amount of youngsters who fail to develop after a certain level and never reach their full potential – there is always an element of luck involved. Other clubs tend to supplement the ones that make it by importing experienced players at the top of their game; however such players come with large transfer fees and wage demands, which are two principles Wenger’s philosophy stands firmly against.
The club’s wage structure severely limits Wenger’s ability to attract top level players, not to mention keep his stars. It is a fair point that money should not be the sole motivation to join a club and there should be an element of loyalty that some Arsenal players have lacked in the past, but unfortunately that is not how football works now days. Players are assets, and made constantly aware of it by their agents. Like any other business, employees need to be offered competitive salaries or they will be constantly lured to other clubs willing to offer them more.
Furthermore, there is another side to this argument that is over-looked by Arsenal fans who label those who leave the club for league rivals as traitors. Players remember winning trophies when their careers are over, and that will always be their overall aim. They will never strive to be a loyal servant to a club or to consistently qualify for the Champions League; they will strive to win accolades through their own skill and hard graft.
I’m a firm believer that you have to spend money to generate success in the Premier League, which has been proved by Chelsea and Man City, and therefore I will always dispute Wenger’s money-pinching transfer policy, but what concerns me more is the manner in which he lets his players leave. Letting Robin Van Persie leave for £24million has essentially handed the title to Manchester United, and ended Arsenal’s chances of making a title bid with one swift transfer. It is hardly the first time Wenger has allowed a player to leave for a bargain fee.
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I get the feeling that to Wenger no player is worth £50million for example, and in many respects that is true. The amount of money in the Premiership is deplorable, but Wenger’s failure to accept the rules of the market place is systematic of how his philosophy has endangered the club he loves.
I agree with many of Wenger’s principles; restriction of players’ wages, the notion that no player should be worth vast sums of money, the idea hard work and talent should outweigh the power of the purse, but I can only agree with them as principles. Pragmatically, Wenger’s philosophy can no longer work. It is impossible to compete with the over £900million spent by City’s Sheik owners, and the money spent by Abramovich at Chelsea. Manchester United still spend around the £20million mark on many of their recruits.
Unless Wenger can move with the times and accept that money is a vital part of the game, he is allowing the club and himself get left behind as the Premier League evolves. It is not that the club is moving backwards necessarily, it’s that its failing to move forward. Eventually, Wenger and Arsenal will have a difficult decision to make. If the fans ever wish to see trophies again, they will have to cast their talisman head coach aside for a fresher perspective of the game.