The Guardian says after Manchester United bought back Paul Pogba, the club will “continue their policy of spending vast amounts of money on players they previously had on their books” with a winter window move for Drinkwater, who only recently signed a new five-year deal at Leicester.
Back pages Category
Premier League news. Stories from the newspapers and BBC sport – sports news from tabloids Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Star, the Guardian, Daily Mirror, the times, daily telegraph
Manchester City balls: ‘Obscene’ Raheem Sterling v The Sun
Manchester CIty’s Raheem Sterling is “THE HATED ONE” So says the Sun ,which says the Manchester City “star”, a player “reborn under Pep Guardiola despite coming under attack from fans this summer”. The paper laments the “torrent of abuse” heaped upon Sterling, who says the attacks “hurt”.
Under attack from fans? What about attacks from the Press. Guess which paper called Sterling “Obscene” after he showed his social medial followers around the house the “failure” bought his dear old mum?
Such are the facts.
Posted: 2nd, October 2016 | In: Back pages, Manchester City, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Manchester United Balls: Toni Kroos ‘joins’ but will consider offers from Manchester City
Transfer balls – a look at dire football reporting. The BBC says Manchester City and Manchester United are chasing Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, 26. Spanish TV show El Chiringuito and the Metro free newspaper agree.
The Metro ups the ante by saying City and United will go to “War” over Kroos. War was declared by Spanish journalist Pipe Estrada on El Chiringuito. “A war of two great coaches of international prestige, Guardiola and Mourinho, for a player, a player of Real Madrid: Toni Kroos,” says Estrada. “The two managers believe that he may be key to their future because of his tactical position on the field and because he is vital for the continuity of their projects.”
The Manchester Evening News adds: “Manchester United and Man City to go to war over Real Madrid midfielder Kroos.”
The Sun thunders: “ROOSING FOR A BRUISING Manchester United transfer news: Jose Mourinho and Manchester City boss to battle it out for Real Madrid star Toni Kroos.”
One Spanish journalist speaks and the British Press repeat his claim verbatim.
But how right is he?
In June 2016, the Express said: “Jose Mourinho has reportedly told the board to do whatever it takes to bring the German World Cup winner to Old Trafford.”
In March 2016, the Metro told its readers: “Manchester United transfer news: Gonzalo Higuain deal agreed, Toni Kroos available…”
Higuain never did agree to join Man United. He joined Juventus.
And neither did Kroos. In May 2014, the Daily Mail said Kroos had joined Man United.
Other news sources also agree that Kroos had signed for Manchester United.
In other transfer news, the BBC says Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been told “he must sell a player before moving for Southampton’s £10m-rated defender Jose Fonte, 32.”
Such are the facts.
Posted: 2nd, October 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Transfer balls: Mesut Ozil signs new Arsenal deal and gets replaced by Marco Reus
Transfer balls: Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is heading back to Real Madrid, says the BBC. Well, maybe. Maybe not.
The Beeb’s source is TuttoMercatoWeb.com, which says Ozil to Real will trigger a bid from Arsenal for Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus.
Meanwhile, over in Ozil’s native Germany, Bild reports that the player has signed a lucrative new contract at Arsenal and will take Jack Wilshere’s number 10 shirt.
The Sun agrees.
And disagrees.
They haven’t got a clue.
Such are the facts.
Posted: 1st, October 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Arsenal balls: Wenger wants the England job, a new Arsenal contract and to quit
Is Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger to become the next England saviour? The Mirror says Wenger has “admitted” that he wants the job.
John Cross’ report begins: “Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits interest in England job after Sam Allardyce departure.”
The trouble is that more we read the more that headline admittance reduces in potency. Cross adds: “The Gunners boss had admitted it could interest him to take over the Three Lions once his work at the Emirates is done.”
Can you admit something that could not happen?
Of course we know when Wenger’s Arsenal work will be done because John Cross told us the man will leave the Gunners at this end of this season:
Wenger will quit on June 30 2017, said John Cross in the Mirror.
Or as John Cross tells us today in the third Wenger admittance of a short story: “Wenger admitted his priority is to stay at Arsenal and get a new contract as his current £8m-a-year deal expires this summer.”
Such are the facts.
Posted: 30th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Media balls: Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovich beats Zorya Luhansk on his holiday
Yesterday the Mirror reported that Zlatan Ibrahimovich had left Manchester United for a holiday. The Mirror said the “holiday” would mean Ibrahimovich missing Manchester United’s Europa League match with the mighty Zorya Luhansk.
The Sun agreed: “Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks set to miss Thursday night match vs Zorya as he holidays in Milan.”
So what did Zlatan do on his holiday? Well, he played for Manchester United in the Europa League and scored the winner.
Update: The Mirror has now changed its story to read: “Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns for Manchester United’s clash with Zorya Luhansk after holiday in Italy.”
Update 2: When the big media speaks the websites follow. Get a load of this terrible reporting on Sports Mole.
Such are the facts.
Posted: 29th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, Key Posts, manchester united, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Gareth Southgate wants the England job he says he’s unqualified for
With greedy Sam Allardyce defenestrated, new England manager Gareth Southgate has four matches to prove himself. If he does well, the England job could be his for keeps. And he wants it. In today’s Times, we read: “Southgate eyes England job full time.”
Gareth Southgate wants to be the next permanent England manager and is viewing his four matches in temporary charge as an opportunity to stake a claim for the job on a full-time basis.
This is the same Gareth Southgate who opined on September 5:
“I can see the logic in terms of the odds but it wasn’t a route I felt I was ready to take. I’m pretty clear on what I’m comfortable with but also I know to take that role wasn’t something I think I’ve got the experience for. I think it’s one of the ultimate jobs and you want every skill set possible when you go into it. Sam obviously has years and years of experience. I think with England there are one or two other things that I would want to have had experience of before I took that role”
One new thing he experienced is Sam Allardyce getting caught in a newspaper sting. What else Southgate’s experienced in the past 24 days is for him and his priest.
Posted: 29th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, Sports | Comment
Arsenal Wenger ‘sets the date’ for Arsenal departure but keeps everyone guessing
How do you follow Sam Allardyce? With a broom, perhaps. The Football Association has a better idea: wait for caretaker boss Gareth Southgate to fail and then appoint Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The BBC says that’s the plan. The London Evening Standard agrees. It’s Wenger for England.
Wenger’s current Arsenal contract expires at the end of this season. Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke and the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis want him to sign a new deal.
The FA has chased Wenger for some time. The Telegraph says Wenger was the FA’s first choice to succeed Roy Hodgson after the European Championship. But they failed to get him.
The Daily Star says Wenger will say ‘yes’ if the FA ask him again: “EXCLUSIVE: Arsene Wenger open to becoming England boss.” The exclusive is anything but. While “Starsport understands the Arsenal boss is interested in taking charge in the build-up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia”, Wenger tells Sky Sports: “My priority is always Arsenal and I have to assess how well I do until the end of the season.”
Mentions of England by Wenger: nil.
Put that through the headline generator and the Mail delivers: “Arsene Wenger keeps door open for England job.”
The apogee of no-news is in the Independent, which declares, “Arsenal could be poised to extend Arsene Wenger’s contract with the club after the Frenchman was linked to the new England job.”
The media has no idea what Wenger will do next. Well, all apart from the Mirror:
Such are the facts.
Posted: 29th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports | Comment
Manchester United balls: Zlatan’s finger food
Are footballers indulged? The Daily Mirror says Manchester United have allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to go on “holiday”. Six Premier League matches into the season and Zlatan is off to work on his tattoos.
Ibrahimovic has travelled to Milan. The Mirror repeats a Gazzetta story. The Italian organ says that on September 25th Zlatan ate at the city’s Finger’s Garden restaurant. The Mirror says this ‘holiday’ (aka meal) means Zlatan will miss Man United’s Europa League match against Zorya Luhansk.
Two things about this story stand out. Who calls their restaurant Fingers Garden? It sounds like a Buzzfeed-style website. A quick look around the internet reveals it to be a Japanese restaurant. Do the Japanese eat fingers? The Yakuza engage in Yubitsume – amputating bits of fingers to atone for indiscretions.
Secondly, is Zlatan really on holiday? The Sun wonders, “Why does the 34-year-old need a rest with the upcoming international break coming up?”
You can fly to Milan in a few hours from Manchester. What a man who earns over £200,000-a-week did was go out for dinner in a foreign country. It’s the kind of thing minted footballers do.
Now stop biting your nails, Zlatan, the main course is coming…
Posted: 28th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls: what Manchester United understand about selling Juan Mata
Transfer Ball – Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is “desperate” to stay at Old Trafford, says the BBC.
The Sun says the likeable 28-year-old, who has two years left on his “£130,000-a-week contract”, wants Jose Mourinho to sanction a new deal. We know this because an unnamed “United source” says “Juan is still in the dark over his future at the club”.
Why would a source at the club speak up on behalf of one player? this story has the player’s agent’s fingers all over it.
It was only back in July, we read: “Daley Blind and Juan Mata will be high-profile victims of Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United this summer, Sky Sports News HQ understands.”
Sky Sports was wrong. It understood nothing. Blind is key part of Mourinho’s team. Mata is playing well. But it went on. Sky “understood Mourinho would approve the sale of both players this summer”.
Also in July, the Sun told its readers: “ose Mourinho tells ex-Chelsea outcast Juan Mata he can stay at Manchester United – but will only play one in three matches.” The paper said Mata would be sold to Spain but “La Liga sides do not have the money to match his £150,000- a-week wages”.
As the Sun works out how much Mata earns and listens to understanding sources, the player took a moment to explain what’s going on to a young Untied fan. His advice: “Don’t believe the media.”
"Don't Allways listen to the media " 👏🏼🏆 @juanmata8 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/YEFdyetELe
— OurUnitedStory (@OurUnitedStory) July 17, 2016
Posted: 27th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Media balls: Spurs concede 6 goals all season, Chelsea beat Manchester United and Liverpool are pipped by Arsenal
Filling in the dull bits between transfer windows when the Daily Express’ clickbait bots can link Arsenal to every striker over 10 years of age, the ‘World’s Greatest Newspaper’ has created a Premier League predictor. Using the technical marvel of guessology and powerful maths, the Express makes some bold statements.
Bournemouth, Sunderland and Stoke are all relegated – Stoke scoring 6 times all season.
In the world of the Express, The Cherries are worse than Hull City – who are better than Southampton – and West Ham. Everton, who Bournemouth just beat 1-10, finish runners up. Chelsea finish above Manchester United.
Spurs finish third, conceding – get this – 3 goals.
Manchester City win the title.
Oh, yeah – Arsenal finish fourth, naturally. Even robots can be right some of the time.
Posted: 26th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports, Spurs, Tabloids | Comment (1)
Billionaire planning to buy Arsenal tweets: I am alive
Africa’s richest man is Nigerian Aliko Dangote, says the Sun. He wants to use some of his £8.3billion fortune to buy Arsenal football club within four years.
Dangote, described by Newsweek as “a lifelong Arsenal fan”, tells Bloomberg: “Maybe three to four years. The issue is that we have more challenging headwinds. I need to get those out the way first and start having tailwinds. Then I’ll focus on this.”
As Arsenal fans lick a collective finger and hold it in the air, Dangote adds: “It’s not about buying Arsenal and just continuing with business as usual. It’s about buying Arsenal and turning it around. I’ve run a very successful business and I think I can also run a very successful team. Right now, with what we’re facing, over $20 billion of projects, I cannot do both.”
Turning it around? According to Forbes, Arsenal are doing ok:
Here are the top 10 with profits (using June, 2015 exchange rates):
1. Manchester United: $190 million
2. Real Madrid: $162 million
3. Manchester City: $131 million
4. Arsenal: $122 million
5. Liverpool: $115 million
Looking around for more news on Dangote, the top story right now is: “Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote is not dead.”
Is he resting? No. He’s tweeting: “I am hale, hearty and alive. Please disregard malicious report saying otherwise. Thank you.”
Arsenal fans – what can go wrong?
Posted: 26th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Media balls: Ozil flukes Arsenal’s third, Chelsea have no shots all game and Coquelin hurts his what?
Media Balls: a look at bad and monocular football reporting. Today we look at Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
Mesut Ozil scored Arsenal’s third goal. Was it lucky?
The Guardian says it was a fluke: “Ozil watched it carefully onto his left foot, mishit his sidefoot volley completely – and saw it bounce over Courtois and in off the far post.”
The official Arsenal website has an alternative version of events. That shot was deliberate: “The World Cup winner ran on to the ball and met it on the volley, smashing it into the ground, beyond Courtois and in off the far post.”
The BBC agrees, saying, “Mesut Ozil then left N’Golo Kante trailing to expose Chelsea on the counter-attack and steer home Arsenal’s third“.
Was it smashed in? No, says the Times: “Ozil obliged, his goal creeping in off Courtois’ left-hand upright.”
Were Chelsea any good?
The Sun says: “Chelsea improved in the second half but rarely threatened a comeback – and couldn’t even muster a shot on target.”
Maybe the Sun’s man in the know went home early. The BBC says, “Chelsea’s first shot on target came in the 82nd minute.”
That’s right. Chelsea had two shots on target.
Ouch! Where does it hurt, Francis?
The Indy: “Coquelin put in another 100 per cent effort to block N’Golo Kante’s effort shortly after the half hour mark, and an ankle injury sustained in the clash forced him off two minutes later.”
The Standard looks at Coquelin’s injury: “Arsene Wenger admits he is ‘worried’ by Arsenal midfielder’s knee injury.”
The Star says Coquelin and Kante “had a nasty collision of knees“.
Such are the facts.
Posted: 24th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Chelsea, Sports | Comment
Manchester United balls: Jose Mourinho’s deconstructive criticism
Compare and contrast Jose Mourinho’s views on criticism. The Manchester United manager says critics have hurt Wayne Rooney. Mourinho says Rooney has been damaged by reactions to England’s 1-0 victory in Slovakia on September 4.
“I think there was a Wayne before the Slovakia, and a Wayne after the Slovakia,” says Mourinho. “I am not blaming Sam [Allardyce, the England manager], not at all. I am blaming the people that after the Slovakia game were, in my opinion, too strong with somebody that is a very important player in the history of English football, is the captain of England, has the record number of goals and almost has the record of matches.”
Criticism can hurt a player. So says Mourinho, the United manager who has this season publicly criticised Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Of that he has a different view.
“It’s a learning process,” Mourinho says. “You make a mistake, especially the kind of individual mistake, you have to learn with what that means for the team, a team that works during the week on a gameplan. The critique is part of the evolution, the critique is part of the process, the critique helps people to learn how to cope with critics. It’s their life.”
And so today’s United match: Mourinho has dropped Rooney. And it’s your fault.
Posted: 24th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United drop ‘rubbish’ Rooney
How rubbish is Manchester and England captain Wayne Rooney? Rooney has heard the barbs. The 30-year-old player (where does he play?) is on the front foot. “I listen to my coaches and my teammates, the people around me, and I don’t really listen to what a lot of people out there are saying because a lot of it is rubbish.”
He’s bullish. But the Mirror hears those words and says he’s “broken” by his critics:
In the Times, Tony Cascarino says Wayne Rooney “may want to be dropped… It would be a relief for him to be taken out of the firing line.”
Balls. Rooney’s the captain. He;s been a battler his entire career. If Rooney’s not up for it then he should quit the game not breathe a sigh of relief at not having to face Leicester.
So what next? Rooney said of Jose Mourinho’s view of him: “I feel I can play in all positions but I think the manager has made it clear either I’ll play up front or in the No. 10 role and that’s where he sees me playing.”
But not now.
In today’s Daily Mirror we also read that Mourinho says he is “prepared to drop captain Wayne Rooney to the substitutes bench”.
Prepared to. And done. Today’s Manchester United v Leicester City match features Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard either side of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with Juan Mata in the number 10 role.
Is Rooney on the slide? Yes. Is he better than Rashford and Lingard? Yes. He’ll be back.
Posted: 24th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Arsenal’s Wenger puts Mourinho in his place
Having piggybacked on Arsene Wenger’s 20th anniversary as Arsenal manager to promote a new book on Jose Mourinho by Rob Beasley, the Daily Mail has triggered a news flurry.
You can read how, while working at Chelsea, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho threatened Wenger – a pensioner! – and told Beasley that he would break Wenger’s face. Now the BBC reports: “Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss ‘will not read’ book about Jose Mourinho.”
What did Wenger say? Sky Sports reports he said nothing: “Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refuses to comment on Jose Mourinho book claims.”
Nonsense. No comment is always a comment. Wenger responded. “I talk about football – that’s all I do,” he said. “I’m not in a destructive mode, never. I’m more constructive. I am focused on Saturday’s game against Chelsea.”
The Guardian is more circumspect, telling its readers that “Arsène Wenger refuses to enter into war of words with José Mourinho”. And that’s about right. But will Mourinho like being dismissed by the man the Mail says he ‘hates’? Will his “bitterness (Times) be abated by Wenger saying Mourinho is unworthy of attention? The Times says Wenger “shrugged” off the nastiness.
“For me it was always just a big game and the personal rivalry was never a big concern,” the Arsenal manger told the Press. “I have no personal problem with anyone, I respect everyone in the game.”
No word from Mourinho yet, but the dark part of the street by Wenger’s home has bad phone reception.
PS: For those who missed it, Mourinho apparently said of Wenger: “I will find him one day outside a football pitch and I will break his face.” The spoils go to the agonist who keeps his cool. Wenger wins.
Posted: 23rd, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Jose Mourinho invited Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger to fight him in the street and ‘break his face’
Manchester United’s unlikeable manager Jose Mourinho says he would “break” Arsene Wenger’s face. So claims the Daily Mail, which says the Portuguese was so angered with the Arsenal manager he vowed to “break his face”.
The Daily Mail has an extract from JOSE MOURINHO: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL by Robert Beasley. The story goes:
When you publicly denounce someone as a ‘specialist in failure’ and a ‘voyeur’, it is abundantly clear you don’t like them much.
What must Jose Mourinho’s views on Arsene Wenger be like away from the cameras and microphones? Unsurprisingly, they’re even more damning and the gloves have been well and truly off whenever the matter of Monsieur Wenger has been raised. A couple of times Jose even talked about wanting to physically fight the Frenchman. That’s how bitter and basic their rivalry has become over the years.
Jose Mourinho in a physical fight? Would the opponent be allowed to see him coming?
The book continues, focusing on the managers’ tiff when the sides met on October 5, 2014.
I asked Jose what had happened and he revealed: ‘He was asking for a red card and pressing the ref in my technical area. I told him to go back to his area. He pushed me.
‘I told him, “Here you do that, you know I can’t react, but I will meet you one day in the street”.’
Just you watch it, Arsene, next time he’ll get you. If Jose ever sees you wandering about his Belgravia manor, it’ll be the worst for you.
You can call Jose sexist but he’s not ageist. He will break a pensioner’s face.
Keep up the charm offensive, Jose.
Posted: 23rd, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls: Manchester Untied swoop for another reject
Transfer balls: Manchester United are waiting to spend £30m on Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater in January, reports the Sun.
Manchester-born Drinkwater could be making a return to the club that sold him for a nominal fee in 2012, following loan spells with Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Watford and Barnsley.
“I’m very surprised because it often happens a month before the open of the market, not now,” said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri. “He signed a new contract and everything is normal. “But it’s good for him, for us, when I have players who a lot of big teams want. It means we’re working very well. Sometimes I think, maybe the newspapers don’t have enough news and they write some. It’s okay. One year ago, nobody was asking about our players.”
In other United news, the BBC says The Red Devils will compete with AC Milan for Real Madrid midfielder Isco, 24.
Posted: 23rd, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)
When Arsenal picked Arsene Wenger the British Press mocked them
Arsène Wenger has been manger of Arsenal for 20 years. The 66-year-old manager joined the club on this day 1996.
The Sunday Mirror took the rise out of this new foreign manager, rolling it eyes and wishing the club the best of luck “persuading us that the lanky M’sieur Wenger, despite sounding like Rory Bremner auditioning for ‘Allo ‘Allo, is ‘ow you say fantastique!”. That the British media had not heard of Wenger was a sign of their parochialism. “Arsene who?” quipped the Standard, a new take on “Dr Who?”, the question asked by the Press when Aston Villa hired Dr Josef Venglos in 1990.
George Weah had explained who Wenger was one year earlier at the Fifa World Footballer of the Year award, stating: “Arsène Wenger made me not just the player I am today, but also the man I am.”
WEnger was far from unfazed. “I felt quite a lot of scepticism,” he said. “That’s normal, especially on an island. This phenomenon is more emphasised on an island because people have historically lived more isolated. They are more cautious about foreign influences.”
In Wenger’s first full season, Arsenal on The Double.
And then? Well, his Arsenal side has never finished outside the top 4. But after a decade of success, recent years have hardly been filled with glory:
And now? Well, Arsenal fans will miss him when he’s gone.
Posted: 22nd, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports | Comment
Liverpool balls: ‘pyschotic coward’ Joey Barton, Xabi Alsono and the red mist
Liverpool fans will be gutted. They could have had Joey Barton and not Xabi Alonso in the side. Alsono is a terrific player. Barton has long been underrated as a result of a querulous attitude and pugnacious demeanour. This week he has been banned by his current club Glasgow Rangers following a training ground altercation with Andy Halliday, his team-mate.
He is also plugging his new autobiography. In it he notes, “My behaviour was occasionally psychotic.” And ridiculous.
Talking about his red card in Newcastle United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in 2009, Barton writes in his new book:
“Had things panned out differently, I could have made the obsessive debate about the mutual suitability of the Gerrard-Lampard axis redundant. From what I gathered, Steven Gerrard agitated to get Liverpool to sign me in 2004, because he felt we had the potential to forge a partnership.
“I met with Gerard Houllier at Melwood, and agreed everything verbally. A deal was close to being concluded but then he was sacked that summer. It was never revived.”
Fast forward to the match. Liverpool have Xabi Alonso in midfield:
“Xabi and I had history. He blamed me for knocking him out in what he thought was a deliberate clash of heads in one of our earliest contests, and I blamed him for stealing my move to Liverpool.”
Which he didn’t.
“All that remained to be agreed with [Manchester] City was the fee, when Rafa Benitez took over from Gerard Houllier. I was in Dubai when I was informed that he had instead decided to sign a kid from Real Sociedad who had just broken into the Spanish national team.”
A kid? Alonso was 22.
“…(In 2009) Thirteen minutes remained. Liverpool were two up, cruising and playing keep ball. The Kop conducted an incessant, infuriating chant of ‘Ole, ole, ole!’ Xabi retained the ball near the corner flag fractionally longer than was prudent. That gave me the opportunity to fly in, and disguise my malicious intent as best as I could. Alonso milked the moment with a barrel roll. I expected a yellow and was shown a red.”
You can read more of this sort of thing in Barton’s book, No Nonsense, including how in the aftermath of this foul, Alan Shearer, Newcastle’s interim manager, called Barton a “f***ing coward” and when Iain Dowie, Shearer’s assistant, stepped in to prevent things from getting out of hand, Barton quipped: “You keep it shut, boxing-glove head.”
You might not like Barton, but he is entertaining.
Posted: 21st, September 2016 | In: Back pages, Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Arsenal: Barcelona rewrite Bellerin’s history as they move to tap him up
Following on from yesterday’s news that Manchester City are looking to sign Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, the Sun says The Citizens are ready to shake the massive wad of cash at Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin.
And that is not all.
Bellerin joined the Gunners from Barcelona in 2011. And Barcelona fixer Jordi Mastre wants him back. He tells SPORT:
“We’ve already seen him as a Cule! He’s a great player, there’s no doubt about that. Wenger convinced him to move [in 2011] and promised him something which we couldn’t. We could not promise him that within two years he would be playing in Dani Alves’ place.”
Er, Alves (now with Juventus) played in defence for Barcelona. When at the club, Bellerin was a winger. “When I was at Barcelona I always used to play on the right wing,” he said.
Bellerin told the Standard: “When I first came to Arsenal, I didn’t know how to defend. If there was a person who I had to identify as helping me a lot, that would have to be Steve Bould. I was a winger but from the under-18s up, I remember him just showing me the basics. Even then, I remember him sometimes holding his head like, ‘What is Hector doing?’ He’s been one of the key people in my career. He’s one of the reasons I’m here now.”
Barcelona could not promise Bellerin he would be the new Dani Alves because they thought he wasn’t good enough to play in their attack.
Such are the facts.
Posted: 21st, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports | Comments (2)
Manchester City War: Guardiola sees off Yaya Toure’s limp attack
Manchester City are at WAR. Have the club’s owners co-opted players into Middle East conflict? Is Pep Guardiola’s mastery of formations and attacks be be employed in Abu Dhabi’s invasion of Saudi Arabia? Don’t be so stupid. It’s bigger than that. It’s football.
The newspapers lead with this war, headlines rooted in Yaya Toure’s apparent declaration: “If Pep wants a war he can have one.”
Toure is upset at being left out of Manchester City first teams – a move not exactly damaging to the club who are playing great football and currently boast a 100% record in all competitions.
It turns out that Toure has said nothing in public. Dimitri Seluk, his agent, is talking. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the agent said:
“If Pep Guardiola wants a war, then he can have one. Pep didn’t like my opinion? But what does he expect me to say when he does this to Yaya? I spoke out because I felt that Pep was being vindictive to Yaya. Unfortunately for Pep, we live in a world where you have the right to free speech. He has reacted to what I have said about him by punishing Yaya again. But I’m not surprised.”
What Pep said was:
“He must apologise to his team-mates, to the club. If he doesn’t, he won’t play. It was difficult to leave him out of the Champions League squad but [the] day after, his [agent] went to the media. He has not had the courage to call me. From that moment he was out. I know him, I know he’s a good guy, but it was difficult for me as well to put Aleix García out.
“I cannot imagine in my period when I was a football player, my manager going to the media and speaking against Johan Cruyff, about this and about that. If he has a problem call the club, and they can talk. Until he speaks, Yaya is not going to play.”
The issue is with the agent, who antagonised Pep by wondering aloud if Guardiola, who omitted Toure from City’s Champions’ League squad, had “the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya” should City fail to win the Champions League.
So. It is war. And the problem is that Pep has the throne, the high ground, the money and the owners’ and fans’ support. Yaya has his agent, a hole and a big spade. He also has £220,000 per week in wages for not playing. How’s that humiliating?
At 33, and in the final year of his City contract, Yaya needs to play and his agent needs him to shine, as he can when in his pomp. How this spat helps anyone is moot.
Posted: 21st, September 2016 | In: Back pages, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Manchester United balls: Jose Mourinho’s double ‘Red-olution’
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. Of course the Premier League season is just a few weeks old – but in the Sun it’s been a few weeks of shocks and revolutions.
On 6th September 2016, the paper’s Neil Curtis told us about the “RED-OLUTION” at Old Trafford. “Jose Mourinho has turned Manchester United around to become the force of old in just three months,” cooed Curtis. Mourinho has “lifted the clouds” at United. “Mourinho is trusting the players abilities, letting them breathe.”
Adding: “From the moment he arrived, the message has been positive… Nothing on philosophies or things taking time.”
The man has cracked it. He’s no Louis Van Gaal. Mourinho has made United the top club again. No he hasn’t – says the Sun, which has also reported – and these just a few of the paper’s barrage of Mourinho stories:
Sept 18 – Geoff Sweet: “LVG V MOU Fact: Louis Van Gaal was a much better Manchester United manager than Jose Mourinho”
Sept 18: Sam Peoples: “‘EMBARRASSING’ Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho has no idea what his best XI is…and Paul Pogba was very muted yet again”
Sept 19 – Neil Ashton: “The Special One’s story is already unravelling at Old Trafford”
Sept 19 – Danny Higginbotham: “ROUND POGS, SQUARE HOLES Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho’s tactics just aren’t working – but how can he fix them?
Sept 19 – Ian Wright: “LAST CHANCE SALOON Jose Mourinho: Manchester United boss could be facing last chance at a top club, says Arsenal legend Ian Wright”
Sept 20 – Neil Ashton: “MOUR MISERY Jose Mourinho win record: Manchester United manager has a worse win percentage than Slaven Bilic and Francesco Guidolin since start of last season”
Sept 2 – Alec Shilton: “MOUR MISERY Jose Mourinho win record: Manchester United manager has a worse win percentage than Slaven Bilic and Francesco Guidolin since start of last season”
It’s been a revolution – twice!
Posted: 21st, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Transfer balls: Manchester City to move to Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez
Transfer balls: ‘Is Arsenal’s Alexis Sánchez heading to Manchester City,’ asks the Guardian. No. He plays for Arsenal.
But the paper says the “word on the street” is that Sanchez is reluctant to sign a new deal with Arenal because he wants to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. There are no named sources. But the paper adds that Pep will go for Sanchez should he fail to sign Messi or Neymar. ESPN says Sanchez wants to win the European Cup, so the former Barcelona player fancies playing for Manchester City, who have never won it.
The Express says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger “is desperate to keep Sanchez at the Emirates Stadium”. The Chilean wants around £200,000 a week to stay at the club. That would break Arsenal’s wage structure. Mesut Ozil, who earns around £140,000 a week, is Arsenal’s top earner. But he also wants a substantial pay rise.
So it Sanchez batting his eyelids at the Etihad? No. The Express told readers: in August “Gunners forward Alexis Sanchez has told the club he wants to leave to secure a move to Serie A champions Juventus.”
As for the German, the Sun says “Ozil has the look of a player going through the motions, already resigned to the fact that he will have to find a new club if he wants to get his hands on the European Cup.”
Problem with that is that current European Champions Real Madrid sold him. Which super-rich club will he go to? Manchester City? PSG? Manchester United – who aren’t even in Europe’s top club competition.
In other Arsenal transfer news, the Sun says Jose Mourinho will offload defender Phil Jones in January. The BBC notes that Liverpool and Arsenal both interested in the 24-year-old.
Posted: 20th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports | Comment
Manchester United: Mourinho publicly slams injured Luke Shaw as fear factor returns to Old Trafford
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho continues to win hearts and minds. The Times says United defender Luke Shaw, 21, was suffering from a groin injury during his side’s defeat at Watford. He was playing through the pain.
Shaw made an error that allowed Watford to score their second goal in a 3-1 victory. Mourinho, as ever, points the finger:
“I knew I had a task. But the first Man City goal [during the 2-1 defeat last weekend] and this second goal, you can find incredible similarity. [Aleksandar] Kolarov has the ball in a difficult situation in the corner and my player instead of going up and pressing decides to give him space. Today for the second goal, [Nordin] Amrabat on the right side, our left back is 25 metres distance from him, instead of five metres.
“But even at 25 metres, then you have to jump and go press. But no, we wait. This is a tactical but also a mental attitude. In a couple of weeks, everything like this becomes perfect. That’s my job.”
The defeat was not Mourinho’s fault. Blame Shaw. But when it is “perfect”, it will be Mourinho’s doing. Got it? When United win a match, Shaw should write his manager a letter of thanks.
Of course, Shaw has history with Mourinho. In 2014, Mourinho, the then Chelsea manager, said Shaw’s excessive wage demands put him off signing the 19-year-old from Southampton. The Star added:
The Special One didn’t make a good impression with Shaw’s family and the player felt intimidated, according to The Sun.
The Sun claimed:
LUKE SHAW felt intimidated by Louis van Gaal and he will be entitled to feel apprehensive about Jose Mourinho’s arrival. The Special One did not leave a favourable impression on Shaw’s family when they met for talks during his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
Shaw, 20, a Chelsea fan as a kid, had his heart set on a move from Southampton. But he changed his mind and opted to join United after meeting with Mourinho.
Two minutes after Watford’s second went in, Shaw was substituted two minutes later by Mourinho. Did the chippy Portuguese manager know Shaw was carrying an injury when he criticised the player to the Press?
The Times recalls that Shaw has already suffered many hamstring and groin-related injuries and suffered an horrific broken leg at the start of last season. Readers learn that he has had “regular sessions with a sports psychologist after admitting to struggling with the pressure of playing for United.”
Cue Mourinho.
Former Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is unimpressed. “He blamed Luke Shaw for the second goal [against Watford],” Pearce told Sky Sports. “You think he’s probably better off not having a pop at the youngsters. What he needs to do is probably pull [Shaw] aside, get him in front of a video and educate him on how to play the game. It’s difficult for me to tell Mourinho how to coach and educate – he’s the best in the world at it.”
He is? If he is, then expect lots of film nights at Old Trafford. United have lost their last three matches.
Movie Night with referee Michael Oliver (Defeat 3): “The referee’s and the linesman’s mistake is not under my control.”
Movie Night with referee Jesus Gil Manzano (Defeat 2): “Feyenoord you know that goal was in an offside position, we are punished by these mistakes.’
Movie Night with Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mhkhitaryan (Manchester City): Mourinho was talking about “some really poor individual performances” after their 2-1 derby defeat.
But with the right money spent and lots of hard work, United will give Mourinho reason to rejoice in his own abilities. The fear factor is back at Old Trafford – the fear of being singled out for blame.
Posted: 19th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Media Balls: Arsenal reject Jack Wilshere was 100% awful
Max Miller has news for Arsenal fans looking to see how Jack Wilshere is getting on during his loan spell at AFC Bournemouth. Well, Bournemouth were thrashed 4-0 by a vibrant Manchester City. Miller tells his Metro readers:
The Arsenal loanee gave the ball away on several occasions, and was caught out numerous times by the speed and creativity of his opponents
Wilshere did not play well. But, then, Bournemouth were overrun in midfield. But that part telling us Wilshere “gave the ball away on several occasions” is odd. Eddie How, the Bournemouth manager, said:
“It was difficult for Jack in the first half, because he’s at his best when he has the ball, and we didn’t have too much of it.”
But he lost it on “several occasions”, right? Wrong. He lost the ball twice. We found another report that tells us:
Wilshere was the only player to complete 100% of his passes…
And where did we read that? Yep, in The Metro.
Posted: 19th, September 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports | Comment
