At every Premier League team, there are players and managers who divide opinion, among fans, press and pundits. But there are those who so often flatter to deceive, and yet are still held in high esteem.
There are some who can fail to provide a goal, an assist, or any sort of consistent performance levels, and still escape criticism on Match of the Day. It leaves you wondering why this is?
Possibly because they have demanded a large transfer fee in the past? Perhaps they are a select few of media darlings? Or possibly because they are living off past reputations? No matter what the reasons, there is a large number who remain playing and managing at the highest level, despite being highly overrated.
Click on Nani for the countdown of the top 15 most overrated players in the Premier League today
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
There was a feeling that last weeks antagonistic contest with the Blues was an early title decider despite the season being only eight games old. Coming away with all three points was a massive boost to United as they closed the gap on the West London club at the top and finally worked themselves into some sort of stride that has eluded them thus far. Defensively there is still some work to do with goals being shipped thick and fast, but with Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand the only two fit centre backs available to Sir Alex Ferguson at the moment there is not a lot the Red Devils boss can do to correct those problems until his options are boosted by players returning from long spells on the sidelines. That will certainly hinder Ferguson’s hopes of taking charge at the top of the table during the exhaustive winter period and ultimately thwart his ambition of finishing the campaign at the top-flight’s apex.
This week on FFC is Wayne Rooney being wasted in his new position and which veteran Uruguay defender is Ferguson targeting for a January move.
[divider]
Best of FFC
FIVE transfers who would improve Manchester United
Simply counter-productive for Tottenham and Manchester United?
League Cup: A breeding ground for success
Gerard Pique – From Crewe to Catalonia
Is Wayne Rooney simply wasted?
David Beckham – From the Goldstone Ground to Galactico
Diamonds aren’t forever at Old Trafford
Manchester United and Arsenal braced for Juve bid
Manchester United target PSG ace
Sir Alex chases £16m Spanish wonderkid
[divider]
Best of WEB
[divider]
Ole, Jose, Pep & Moyes: The Battle To Replace Sir Alex – Red Flag Flying High
The Greenhoff Column : A Crucial Run – 7Cantonas
Reds’ slice of luck Bridges a decade of ill fortune – United Rant
Will Fergie Act On This Former Star’s Recommendation? – The Busby Way
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Five Things We Learned – Chelsea vs. Manchester United (Capital One Cup) – Red Flag Flying High
[divider]
Quote of the Week
[divider]
I don’t believe Mark Clattenburg would make any comments like that. I refuse to believe it. I think it is unthinkable in the modern climate. I just don’t believe it – simple as that. There is no way a referee would stoop to that, I am convinced of that. I think in the modern game, the way we see the game today rather than how it was 25 years ago, it has completely changed.” Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t believe Mark Clattenburg was racist towards Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has insisted that he sees his long term future lying in the Premier League at the DW Stadium.
There was intense speculation in the summer that the Spaniard was set to move to this weekend’s opposition, before he decided to commit to the Wigan project.
The 41 year old insists that it is natural for a manager to consider their prospects at a football club, from time to time, but now he believes a bright future lies ahead for him with the Latics.
“Everyone has to consider their future and assess the direction of the football club. I am very honoured to be the manager of this football club. With the new facilities and training ground we are in a very good place.” Martinez told talkSPORT.
“I believe in building football clubs. You can only leave a football club when it is right for the football club for you to leave it
“I can never break that loyalty with my chairman, when I leave he will make that decision for me”
The former Swansea boss was also questioned upon what the key to his side’s late rally was at the end of last season and the Spaniard was keen to hail the successful change in formation.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
He added “You need to get the right balance with enough bodies forward and enough to defence whether it is 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1”.
Athletico Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente has declared that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A host of Premier League clubs including Arsenal are believed to be keen, and are free to discuss terms with the forward next month.
The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour in Spain after attempting to force a move away from Bilbao during the summer.
His current contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he announced in a press conference that once his deal is finished he will be moving on:
“I am going to leave on June 30,
“I want to develop as a player and try something new.”
He went on to claim that his decision is not motivated by the financial benefits of joining a big club:
“It isn’t about money because the offer the club made was irresistible. The media have not helped with the negotiations and it is one of the things that has generated the bad atmosphere around me out on the pitch.
“This has encouraged me not to renew my contract; this and many other things.
“I took the decision when I went out for the first Europa League game at San Mames (in August).
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Llorente also hit back at rumours that he has acted in an unprofessional manner to force a transfer:
“Most of what has come out in the press is lies and this has turned people against me. This has meant when I run out on to the pitch people whistle at me.
“There is a sector of the crowd who do not want me but I feel loved by the majority.”
Manchester United have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowsi, after the clubs chief executive admits ‘economical factors’ will decide his future, the Telegraph reports.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long term admirer of the towering Polish striker and even personally went to scout him at the Etihad Stadium in October while he was in action against Manchester City in the Champions League.
Dortmund reportedly rejected an offer for the 24-year-old from United in August, the same month that Ferguson landed Robin van Persie from Arsenal. However the United chief still seems interested in bringing the striker to Old Trafford.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With Lewandowsi rejecting Dortmund’s offers of extending his current contract which expires in 2014, the clubs chief executive has admitted that the right fee could prize their star forward away from the club.
“We will have to make decisions in this case at the end of the season. We may decide on economical factors.” Watzke said.The Polish international has a prolific record for Dortmund scoring 39 goals in 82 league games and it is understood that he is keen to move to the Premier League, with United his favoured destination. The Red Devils also signed currently injured Japanese international Shinji Kagawa from the German club in the last transfer window.A deal for Lewandowski in the summer looks most likely and if he was to join, he would add to an array of talented forwards at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Wellbeck, and Javier Hernandez already at the club.
Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out any big money signings in January as he is happy with his talented squad.
The former Chelsea manager has been able to splash the cash since he arrived at the French capital in the summer but new signings are not currently at the forefront of his mind.
The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva were bought in the summer and despite the club being back by mega rich foreign owners; it is unlikely that they will throw money around in this transfer window.
Chelsea left back Ashley Cole and England legend David Beckham have both been linked with a free move to the club which is something that Ancelotti is refusing to rule out.
Ancelotti has not dismissed the chance that PSG will do business in the January transfer window but he is delighted with his current squad and despite losing a few fringe players, he doesn’t see January as a busy time.
“We will not refuse (new signings) but we do not need other player,” Ancelotti told French paper Sport Style
“We have very good players back, middle and front.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Managing over 30 players is not easy.
“I already said that if players want to leave the club, we can think but today there is nothing official. Some players were asked to leave, but there is nothing official.
Chelsea and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head in the race for Marouane Fellaini, according to reports from The Metro.
The Belgian has a reported £22m escape clause in his contract with Everton, which is available to teams competing in European competition.
It’s believed that this was written into his deal when it was extended in 2011, with the player keen to perform on the biggest stage in club football.
Chelsea are said to be highly interested in the 25-year-old and see him as the ideal long-term replacement for Frank Lampard, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Arsenal are also thought to be in the race, after being impressed by Fellaini’s recent performances.
The ex-Standard Liege man has been in fine form this term, with manager David Moyes utilising him in a position just behind the striker.
He has weighed in with nine goals in 18 league games, attracting the attention of many top clubs.
Fellaini arrived at Goodison Park in 2008 from his homeland in a £15m deal.
He has gradually improved season-by-season, but has really evolved during the start of the current campaign.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Despite his level of ability there are concerns regarding his temperament after he received a three-match ban for head-butting Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross.
Theo Walcott wants his Arsenal team mates to try and ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger as he believes it is their responsibility to start winning, reports Sky Sports.
Arsenal were knocked out of the FA and Capital One Cup by lower division sides this season and face the possibility of finishing an eighth season without a trophy especially if they fail to turn around the defeat against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League.
Despite being unbeaten in their last five games and moving slightly up the table, it hasn’t silenced Wenger’s critics and the manager is still very much under-fire.
Walcott was interviewed for the Arsenal magazine in March and he spoke passionately about repaying Wenger for having faith in him.
“The boss has always had so much belief in me from a young age, but we haven’t won anything for a long time now, so we want to pay him back by winning something,” Walcott said.
“If we don’t perform he always takes it back on himself, but at times it is not fair because we are the players that go out there and do it.
“He definitely lets us know when we are not performing, though, which is the right way to do it.”
The Gunners have sold some of their best players over the last few years and this has had an detrimental effect on the team. Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are just some of the Arsenal greats that have left for other teams so they can achieve their ambitions.
Theo Walcott almost became one of those players to leave after he refused to sign a new contract with the North London Club but he appeared to have a change of heart last month and signed a new deal, stating that he now believes with the other English players that make up the core of the team, they can start to win trophies.
“Once the team wins the first trophy, you will start to see us coming back to where we should be,” he added.
“When your team is playing well it makes your job easier and when you are winning games it is fantastic to be a part of it. However, it is when things aren’t going too well that you need to stand out and get your team back involved.
“We have got players in the dressing room who can create something out of nothing, and I want to be part of that backbone.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“I think we will get to a stage when we win games even when we haven’t dominated.
“We are starting to get there and as soon as we hit that target, I am sure we are going to be flying.”
Former Reading manager Brian McDermott is on the list of candidates to take charge of Championship outfit Leeds, according to Sky Sports.
The Yorkshire outfit are on the lookout for a new boss after Neil Warnock stepped down after a 2-1 defeat at home to Derby.
It was no surprise to see Warnock step-down at Elland Road after making it publically clear that he’d leave if he failed to get them into the Premier League, and although it’s not mathematically impossible to reach the play-offs, it is deemed an unrealistic task.
It now looks as though the Leeds board are setting their sights on potential candidates, with McDermott being one of them.
McDermott was harshly sacked from his job at Premier League strugglers earlier in the year, and was swiftly replaced by former Southampton manager Nigel Adkins.
Leeds are said to be looking for somebody who can lead the Elland Road outfit to the Premier League next season. Meaning that McDermott fits the bill exactly, having led Reading to the Championship title last season.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Brighton and Hove manager Gus Poyet is also linked with the vacant job, however it’d be somewhat of a surprise to see him leave the seaside club when he’s taken Albion to the verge of the play-offs.
The Cardiff City Stadium boasted its largest ever crowd for the Saturday afternoon meeting with Nottingham Forrest who came into the game as the in-form team in the division, having put together a ten match unbeaten run, while all the other teams including Cardiff City had stuttered and faltered.
Even the driving rain couldn’t perturb Cardiff City supporters, who had galvanised together, after ecstasy had turned into agony for them on Tuesday night; when, with the Cardiff City faithful desperately calling for the final whistle after the five minutes of added time were up, Barnsley’s Stephen Foster deflected Tomasz Cywka’s shot past a stranded David Marshall.
The 97th minute goal equalised for Barnsley and denied The Bluebirds the win they richly deserved, it felt cruel and unjust, the old doubts and niggles started to surface, fans from Championship rivals stared the old taunts of Bluebottlers, but the Bluebird supporters and the team took it all in their stride and turned it into the their advantage by using those taunts to fire themselves up.
So with CCS buoyant, the supporters singing all the old songs loudly and proudly; the Bluebirds dressed in red and black kicked off against the blue and white wearing Nottingham Forest. Billy Davies’ side had come ready for a fight, chasing a playoff place and not ready to hand over their undefeated ten game run, but City were snapping at their heels from the off – a handful, bright and determined chasing after every ball, down the right wing Bellamy was full of tricks with able support from Taylor and Kim. The Forest defence were quickly on the back foot, all sixes and sevens after being forced to deal with several early probing and dangerous crosses.
The match was being played at a high tempo, though it was to be The Forest who created the first real chance as Chris Cohen broke into space down the left. He passed to Adlène Guedoiura on the edge of the box, who unleashed a low driven shot that brushed the side-netting – this just served to galvanise The City’s efforts and both Helguson and Bellamy fired shots just over the bar, City fans began to fear that the missed chances may prove to be costly, but they need not have worried because in the 25th minute, Kim was brought down and Bellamy stepped up to take the free kick, an in-swinging, whipped in delivery, into the box, which was met by the head of Heidar Helguson. The Iceman coolly nodded the ball down into the bottom corner for Cardiff city to take the lead.
Nerves settled a little, but Forest kept coming and David Marshall was forced to make a superb double save, palming Darius Henderson’s shot away from goal, then scrambling back up quickly to dive at the feet of Dexter Blackstock as he tried to connect with the ball at the back-post. Henderson was then sent off for a raised elbow which on second view may have been a little harsh – a game changer.
The start of the second half saw a change for both sides with Nottingham Forest bringing on Tudgay for Majewski, while Cardiff City brought on Rudy Gestede for Helguson.
However, despite being down to ten men The Forest Reds signalled by their substitution of a midfielder for a replacement striker that they were determined to continue attacking The Bluebirds.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Rudy Gestede with his foot high, caught the stooping Greg Halford in the head a sickening and worrying injury; Halford left the pitch on a stretcher to a round of applause from everyone in CCS, relieved to see he was conscious. Welsh international Danny Collins replaced Halford.
Forest continued to break and cause City problems, but they were finding it harder and harder, the spaces were starting to open up and the Bluebirds were exploiting them at every opportunity – The Forest soon picked up a third and fourth yellow cards of the game, for niggly, silly, panicky fouls outside the box giving Bellamy a free kick which rattled the upright with a curling shot completely bamboozling Karl Darlow. The rebound bounced out wide, where Taylor met it quickly, whipping the ball back in and Rudy Gestede, showing perfect timing, met the ball and planted his header sweetly into the back of the net.
The Bluebirds were now dominant and threatening to cause a rout, a plethora of good chances ensued. First Kim dummied one way, then another on the edge of the box before firing towards the top right hand corner. Somehow Darlow launched himself to his right in an almost acrobatic fashion to palm the ball away, then Leon Barnett (who on Thursday had extended his loan spell with Cardiff from his parent side Norwich until the end of the season) had a far-post header fly just wide, then the impressive Kim then laid the ball off for Tommy Smith, whose powerful strike was deflected wide for a corner. Bellamy swung an excellent delivery into the box and it was Gestede who again rose highest to head the ball his effort hitting the post before going in. The Cardiff City Stadium erupted – a round of The Blues are going up rang out loud.
Then everyone thought that the superb Craig Bellamy had scored, after he latched onto an Aron Gunnarsson drive into the box from the right hand side, drilling the ball across the face of goal to Bellamy, unmarked at the back post, but somehow with a rue smile at the celebrating Bluebird fans he had only found the side netting! Another substitution was made by Cardiff City: Peter Whittingham coming on for Jordon Mutch
City saw the game out dominating possession and keeping Forest at bay – toying with them, giving them a lesson in passing and fancy footwork, but they failed to add to their tally. Craig Noone again came agonisingly close, crashing a shot against the far post; the ball seemed to roll across the goal line and over the goal line, but the goal wasn’t given
The game ended 3-0 and the Bluebirds now just need one point from their remaining games to be promoted to the Promised land of the Top Flight which has eluded them since 1962, and just four points to be promoted as championship leaders, a feat that would see them get one over derby rival Swansea who were promoted via the playoffs two seasons ago
So, in extremely high spirits, Cardiff City and their Blue army of supporters will again pack out CCS on Tuesday night for the game against Charlton, ready to start the promotion party.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Malky Mackay attempted to remain stoic, but allowed himself a little smile saying “I was really pleased with the way we played up until the sending off because we were up against a team who were flying,”
Mackay continued “It can be difficult to play against 10 men, but I thought we were brilliant.” He added ”We will go into the Charlton game in the same way as we did last Tuesday against Barnsley and as we did today.
Obviously we need to see who is ready to go and who has the fresh legs, but we will make sure the players have the best preparation.”