Rio Ferdinand has been in the headlines this week after being recalled to the England squad, only to pull out citing a ‘pre-planned fitness programme’ at Manchester United.
The fact that he’s now off to Qatar to appear as a pundit for al-Jazeera has only fanned the flames as people question how good a seven hour flight will be for his bad back.
The animosity between Ferdinand and his country has been brewing for a while now after the defender first wouldn’t play with Chelsea’s John Terry and then Roy Hodgson was filmed telling members of the public that his international career was over.
This wasn’t always the case in the England camp however, and above, Ferdinand shares a few jokes with his Premier League rivals and international team mates John Terry and Steven Gerrard. The question is, just what are they laughing about?
Come up with a caption for this image and you can win a copy of ‘Inside the Divide: One City, Two Teams… The Old Firm’ by Richard Wilson. Click here to enter
Since 1888, Rangers and Celtic football clubs have been locked into an intense and frequently explosive rivalry: Rangers the product of West Scotland’s Protestant establishment, Celtic the team founded to raise money for the Catholic underclass of Glasgow.
On 2 January 2010 the two teams met in the Old Firm’s New Year Derby, a fixture that had been banned for ten years because of the trouble it brought with it.
Richard Wilson puts that game at the centre of a book which delves into the history and widens out to the cultural resonance of the fixture within Scotland.
It is a potent mix of close-up observation and big-picture thinking, with insight, understanding and depth.
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Not much has been able to dampen Liverpool fans’ spirits due to the team’s impressive form, which has led them to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
However, at the weekend, the Reds’ following came down with a thud when a 2-0 lead against West Bromwich Albion was thrown away at The Hawthorns.
Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah put the visitors ahead inside 71 minutes, but the team slipped up in the final 10 minutes by conceding goals from Jake Livermore and Salomon Rondon.
Many felt that the Baggies should have been down to 10 men following an off-the-ball incident involving Ings and Ahmed Hegazi.
In the first half, following a tussle between the pair, TV cameras picked up footage of the West Brom defender appearing to punch Ings’s chest while the striker was on the ground.
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The referee did not see the incident at the time, and an FA three-person panel reviewed the footage but could not unanimously agree that it was worthy of a red card.
As a result, Hegazi escaped punishment, which has left Liverpool fans feeling furious.
Transfer deadline day. Traditionally chaos. In the fancy north London pub I was sitting in, it was no different.
A free bar is flowing as fans, journalists and ex-players collide in a maddening constant whirl of energy, chewing the fat over every last morsel of speculation and gossip.
It is a delight to pull myself away from this and get the chance too, in a quieter corner, talk to a man who has seen it all far too many times before. Someone who is too experienced to get too shocked, surprised or disappointed by it all.
Peter Reid. An England international midfielder and a man with 40 years of experience in football.
Two decades playing with over 500 first-team games, most notably winning the FA Cup with Everton in 1984. Two decades in management have followed including spells at Manchester City and Sunderland. Both longer than my entire lifespan. Not bad.
Now long established as prominent figure in British football, we got to know Peter at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.
Ladbrokes invited Ian Wright, Chris Kamara, Peter Reid, Jason McAteer and 50 fans to a north London pub to take part in the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party, fans were treated to free bets, the latest reaction to transfer moves and news by our panel of legends, a singing Kammy and a free bar to keep the night flowing.
Naturally, given that Peter’s playing and managerial careers have both individually been longer than my entire life, I ask which one are you more proud of?
PR: That’s always difficult because first and foremost playing is the best – you go into management when you can’t play. The brain’s still there but the legs go. Even though I had ups and downs in my playing career with injuries where I was out for longer periods of time, I would give a million pounds to go back and be fit enough to play 90 mins on a football pitch. Playing for me was the ultimate – I still try and knock about in 5 a side – it’s hard work!
FFC: Would Everton be the number 1 club you would want to go back to if you had the choice?
PR: I think when you have success, I started at Bolton Wanderers and played for some really big clubs like Man City but at Everton I had a lot of a success. That’s my team if you like yes.
FFC: People often seem to forget given the razzmatazz of the Premier League that there is life outside it. Do you think more needs to be done to protect clubs in the Football League and below financially?
PR: For me, yes. It’s the lifeblood, clubs like Plymouth, Bury, Oldham. When you look through the history of football, these clubs are the lifeblood, and the community. Besides the football part of it, it’s the community side of it.
I think there should be a further spread of the money down there, I know MK Dons are getting a few quid for selling a player now (Delle Ali) and that will keep them going for a while. Certainly I think the gap is always widening between the Premier League and the Football League.
FFC: Speaking of the lower Leagues as the lifeblood of football you must be pleased to see your old club Plymouth somewhat solid?
PR: Yes they are, it was a precarious time (when Reid was there), it looked like the club might go to the wall, which for a club like that… I played there for Bolton Wanderers I went there many a time and it was always a passionate club. It’s way down there (Reidy takes us on a geography lesson) I think it’s the A38 you get off the M5 that goes on for ages (cheers Reidy) and the Plymouth fans, I’ve got to say, are fantastic.
The away support they get with the amount they have to travel so, so long so many miles and I think they’re a credit to football. When you talk about a fairer share of the (TV) money I think Plymouth Argyle are a great example because it keeps football going down in Devon and Cornwall, in that area. Obviously Exeter and Torquay are down there too so I don’t wanna upset everyone so it’s just a great part of the country, and a great football part of the country.
FFC: On this topic do you feel enough of the Premier League TV deal goes to the grassroots, it is currently 5%, as I have seen you campaigning about this on twitter?
PR: I have yes. Patently it is not enough. I understand that football clubs are big business and the model of the Premier League works commercially but has the Bundesliga got it right where fans own 50% of clubs and it get passed down, that’s open for debate. One thing that isn’t is that we’ve got to get good facilities for our kids to play on week in and week out.
FFC: Going back to lower League clubs as an FA Cup winner did you enjoy seeing the recent spate of cup upsets?
PR: Well I was in India doing the Super League and my brother (Shaun), who is manager of Warrington Town, who beat Exeter. Nothing against Exeter but I thought that was the magic of the FA Cup. When you get results like (Middles)’borough going to Man City and getting a result and Chelsea getting beat at home by Bradford I think that’s what the FA Cup is about.
I know the Premier League clubs are strong and big clubs but I just think there’s a magic about the FA Cup and long may it continue. (Amen to that, we are disrupted by a fan behind me shouting, and it’s hard to disagree)
FFC: I suppose surprise results like this recently are important in reminding the younger generation of that magic of the FA Cup so it doesn’t get lost?
PR: Well yes, I was at the game when Wigan beat Manchester City in the final and it’s still that belief, that a team that’s not one of the big ones can go in and win a major final. Not matter what anyone says about the FA Cup and I know certain teams don’t put their best sides out it’s still an absolutely fantastic competition.
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FFC: Do you think when people say things like ‘oh well Wigan would much rather have stayed in the Premier League’ that’s a disrespect to the FA Cup?
PR: Yes without a doubt because whilst they failed to stay up at the end of the day they’ve won the FA Cup. I just think you take what you have – in football there are winners and losers. That day, I tell you now you go and ask Wigan Athletic fans what they think of that day and it will be the best days of their lives.
FFC: Finally you won the FA Cup with Everton and they are probably the club you are most closely associated with, what do you make of their season at the moment?
PR: I think they’ve had a couple of injuries to influential players – McCarthy has been a miss. I think Besic has been a good buy, looks a decent player. Lukaku – I still think he’ll get better. It hasn’t been a great season, whether it’s being in the Europa League some people will say, I’m not one of them. I think as many competitions as you want, get in there. Come on you Blues!
FFC: Kevin Mirallas – a man much discussed through the transfer speculation, what did you make of that infamous penalty incident?
PR: Well listen I was at the West Brom game when this (the penalty incident) happened, but if I was Leighton Baines I’d have said ‘give me it’. I don’t mind players having an argument about things like that, I think it’s good. I know there’s all this stuff written by journalists and on the TV about ‘oh no, he shouldn’t have done it’ – he took the ball, he was confident, he missed it, move on.
Cheers Peter, you have brought a voice of calm, reason and experience to a scene of bedlam.
Peter Reid speaking at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.
There aren’t many sub-plots left to wrap up in the extraordinary tale of Cristiano Ronaldo, but with a date against the club who set him on his path to greatness awaiting tomorrow evening, the Champions League ties between Real Madrid and Manchester United will prove to be seminal moments in an already illustrious career.
It is a career that has of course seen the 28-year-old win just about everything there is to win within the pastures of European football. Sure, success on the international stage has perhaps proven a step too far even for his mercurial talents and he’s made no secret about his frustration at picking up just the one Ballon d’Or award.
But from his 2008 World Player of the Year award to the Uefa Champions League winners medal he picked up during the same season, there is very little indeed that the Madeira-born forward hasn’t achieved since he first arrived at Old Trafford in 2003.
Yet beneath the pomp, poignancy and sense of occasion that the sight of Ronaldo lining up against Manchester United will bring, the two-legged tie could also prove as something of a landmark occasion for all the wrong reasons should Madrid crash out at the hands of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
The prospect of facing Fergie, Wayne Rooney and the rest of the staff that Ronaldo achieved so much under during his time in Manchester creates a wonderful narrative, but make no mistake about it, the nostalgia of the occasion will make very little difference to just how desperately the Portuguese will want to go through.
Because should Jose Mourinho’s side fail to beat Manchester United over two legs, with La Liga already looking virtually unattainable and success in the Copa del Rey hanging on a second-leg semifinal tie against Barcelona, Ronaldo could find himself with a lot to contemplate at the end of his fourth season with Los Blancos.
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This isn’t to speculate that Ronaldo would consider leaving the Santiago Bernabeu nor is it to say that the ex-Sporting man is necessarily unhappy with the way things have gone since he switched the Premier League for La Liga. But while his résumé may well have overflowed with goalscoring records and personal accolades since he made his world-record switch in 2008, one thing that’s not sizeably increased is his medal count.
The looming spectre of Lionel Messi and Barcelona has certainly played its part in ensuring that Ronaldo has just the three honours to his name since joining Real Madrid for £80million. And after racking up 182 goals in 179 games, there’s hardly more Ronaldo could have physically done to try and change the course of recent history.
But although his name will forever sit in the pantheon of footballing greats, defeat to Manchester United in the last 16 of this season’s Uefa Champions League could perhaps leave a very small asterisk next to the side of Real Madrid career.
With Jose Mourinho widely tipped to leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season, this current Madrid side are facing something of a defining period. Despite success in the form of last season’s record-breaking La Liga triumph, the remit for both squad and manager has always been to end what is now over a decade’s long wait to end the club’s European Cup drought.
For Ronaldo, his individual performances might make it impossible to deem his time in Madrid as anything short of an astounding success. But a failure to add to his 2008 Champions League triumph with Manchester United during his spell with Real Madrid so far must leave a bitter taste in the mouth for a man so ruthless in his quest for perfection.
At still only 28-years of age, there is plenty of time for Ronaldo to rectify that statistic and surely it can’t be much longer before Madrid eventually win that record tenth European Cup. After all, as Pep Guardiola – the man who Ronaldo can attribute a fair proportion of the blame for his lack of medals to – once mused, all cycles must come to an end. Soon it will be Madrid’s turn to dominate Spain and Europe for a sustained period once more.
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But regardless of why Ronaldo hasn’t achieved more than the one league title, one domestic cup and one Supercopa de Espana, you can’t help but feel the Portuguese’s time in Madrid represents something of a frustrating paradox. It’s within the Santiago Bernabeu that Ronaldo has elevated his game into a gear that few in history have been able to attain; yet in three-and-a-half years there, he has relatively very little in terms of silverware to show for it.
There’s been bad luck, misfortune, penalty shoot-out misses and a certain Messi-shaped shadow that’s hindered him along the way. But perhaps in one of the greatest individuals to have played for the club in Ronaldo, we’re given the greatest reminder that success is built around a team, rather than a solitary presence.
And should Real Madrid fail to beat Manchester United over two legs, there’s every chance that Cristiano Ronaldo could finish his fourth season in Madrid with the status quo remaining on his medal count. There may well be more chapters to come in his Bernabeu tale and maybe history will be the truest judge of this final question, but what will rank higher for the Portuguese – record breaking personal dominance in white or collective trophy attaining glory in red?
Everton fans are applauding the form of veteran defender Phil Jagielka after the 35 year-old helped keep a clean sheet against Liverpool.
Jagielka has made over 300 league appearances for Everton since his move from Sheffield United back in 2007, and fans are delighted with his return to the team.
The England international missed some time with injury after Christmas, and since his return the Toffees have kept two clean sheets in four games and picked up seven points.
Of course, the veteran centre back’s return coincided with the returns of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, so the improvement in the defensive displays isn’t just down to Jagielka, but his presence in the heart of defence has certainly helped.
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Most of all, his experience and composure seems to have made a positive impact on young defender Michael Keane, who has struggled at times this season.
Ashley Williams took plenty of flak from fans during his spell in the team, and it’s clear fans are much happier now “Jags” is back in the side.
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Fans have been discussing who is to thank for the improved defensive displays, and the overriding majority are opting for the former Sheffield United man.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
“It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United. I would like to thank Louis van Gaal and the club for allowing me to do my rehabilitation and to train with the team at the Aon Training Complex. From my short time here I can already see this is a very special club. I worked with Louis van Gaal during my time at FC Barcelona and to have the opportunity to work with him here at Manchester United is a dream come true.”
These were the words of Victor Valdes as he signed for Manchester United after Liverpool had chased him for months. The Reds were after the free agent goalkeeper for some time, but eventually failed to get a deal done amid claims that the Spaniard was not happy with the offer out forward by the Merseysiders.
However, Valdes has signed for United… where he will be backup to David de Gea. A 32-year-old, arguably in his peak years, has rejected guaranteed first-team action at Anfield to warm the bench at Old Trafford. Ouch!
And it gets worse with these quotes from Andy Mitten writing for ESPN: Liverpool wanted Valdes and there was an offer from Juventus, too. He didn’t feel right about either club, especially Liverpool even though their goalkeeping situation is far more fraught than United’s and he could have been a realistic first-choice custodian.”
Such a move is indicative of the troubles at Liverpool, with Brendan Rodgers having already confessed that attracting top players to the club is an issue. This is further backed up by Alexis Sanchez’s decision to join Arsenal, despite more money being on the table from the North West side.
Tottenham will revive their bid to sign Leandro Damiao in the summer after failing to land the Internacional striker on Deadline Day, the Daily Mail understand.
Spurs have made a habit of leaving it late to conduct deals during the transfer window’s final furlong but weren’t even close to getting the Brazil international. over the line before the 11pm cut-off point.
Chairman Daniel Levy decided that manager Andre Villas-Boas needed a forward to strengthen the clubs challenge for Champions League qualification in the second half of the season and lodged an £18 million offer for Damiao.
But with 30 per cent of the player’s economic rights being held by third-party investments, the complicated nature of the transfer was enough to convince Levy, who has chased the player for over two-years, to put his plans on ice until the summer.
Internacional director Marcelo Medeiros also claims that the North London club didn’t offer enough money with the Brazilian club demanding £20 million to release the 23-year-old.
“Leandro Damiao won’t leave, the offer was below what we wanted,” he told Globo Esporte.
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That now leaves Jermain Defoe as the only fit senior striker at White Hart Lane, with Emmanuel Adebayor at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Villas-Boas will now have to wait until the summer before freshening up his attack.
Nottingham Forest announced on Thursday that defender Danny Fox has signed a new one-year contract with the club, extending his stay at the City Ground to the end of the 2018/19 season.
Fans are pleased to see him sign on for another year, on one condition – he doesn’t play left-back ever, ever again.
Fox has shown a big improvement in his game since Aitor Karanka came into the club, excelling at centre-back after showing poor form earlier this season in the left-back slot.
The Reds have kept five clean sheets in the last 10 matches Fox has featured in and while goals have been hard to come by recently, defensively there are signs of progress for the club ahead of next season.
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Can Karanka inspire them to a play-off spot next season? Will Fox play a major role?
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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the contract extension on Thursday…
Chelsea might not win the Premier League this season for various reasons, despite holding a three-point lead heading into 2015 – before capitulating against Tottenham – and an impeccable recent record of finishing the job when top at Christmas.
Manchester City have well and truly made this a two-horse race, managing various injury problems to reduce the gap, which had been eight points – the Citizens recently won nine successive games in all competitions. The Blues have squandered great opportunities to put themselves out of sight, primarily failing to dispatch of City’s 10-men, and conceding a dramatic late equaliser at Old Trafford.
Chelsea have stumbled after an excellent start of 11 unbeaten games, including visits to the Etihad, Old Trafford and Anfield and beating Arsenal at home. This led to Chelsea becoming strong title favourites with bookmakers at just 1/4, yet they have now slipped to 4/6, with City moving from 13/2 into 6/4.
Chelsea may come to suffer from being overdependent on key players in their squad, particularly given they’ve currently been fortunate with injuries. Aside from Diego Costa’s temperamental hamstring disruption, there have been minimal, with their squad depth not truly tested yet. Mourinho has a strong core of players who all start when available: Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and John Terry. Back-up centre-half Kurt Zouma is ultimately unproven for all his talent, whilst Ramires and John Obi Mikel cannot match their midfield colleagues. However, the reserves have rarely been needed, whilst Chelsea have not had to cope without Eden Hazard, who has been outstanding recently.
Chelsea are the only English side left competing across all four competitions, meaning their squad strength will inevitably be more thoroughly examined as the season continues. Third-place chasers Manchester United, who have recently found outstanding form under Louis Van Gaal, have no European distractions whatsoever. This, combined with their superb attacking firepower, mean similarly to Liverpool last season their presence in the title race should not be discounted.
Manchester City, in contrast to Chelsea, have been extremely unfortunate with injuries to key players thus far this season. This has included coping without world-class centre back Vincent Kompany and outstanding striker Sergio Aguero for months amongst various problems.
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The Citizens have managed admirably without an available striker in recent games, reigning in the Blues to being level on points. That they have managed this against a Chelsea side that started so well is of huge credit to them and must concern Blues fans. City are very much accustomed and familiar to winning the title from behind, having hauled into long-term leaders for both of their recent successes. Most famous in 2011-2012 they hold in an eight-point deficit, with just six games remaining, against Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
In summary the likely upcoming tests to Chelsea’s squad depth and managing European football, combined with the challenges of both Manchester clubs, suggest the title race is far from over. Though in Mourinho, Chelsea arguably have the best manager in the world, Manchester City’s ability to handle injuries and remain on their shoulders suggest this may go the wire. It is set to be the battle of the team who likes to win championships by leading from the front, versus the side who likes to win them by chasing from behind. Something has to give, and Chelsea’s thrashing at the hands of Spurs recently strongly suggests they will blink first.
West Ham supremo David Sullivan says a deal has been struck with Liverpool to sign Andy Carroll permanently in the summer, Sky Sports are reporting.
Injuries have restricted the 24-year-old striker to just nine Premier League starts and two substitute appearances for Sam Allardyce’s side since arriving from Anfield on a season-long loan deal in the summer.
Despite that Hammers co-owner Sullivan revealed an agreement is in place for Carroll, who joined the Reds for a record £35 million from Newcastle two years ago, to remain at Upton Park beyond the current season, although the player has yet to agree terms on the switch.
“I am often asked about Andy Carroll’s deal,” he said. “It is a season-long loan. Liverpool
had an option to take him back in January, but he has been injured.
“West Ham have an agreement with Liverpool to sign him at the end of the season, but we have no agreement with the player.
“It was his desire to come to West Ham to prove himself to Liverpool and that hasn’t changed,” Sullivan added.
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“He has had injuries since he came, but he is back to fitness now and we have 15 games left… we need some goals and some points, so let’s see.”