Football may be known as the beautiful game but when it comes to some players that is clearly not the case. For every pin-up like David Beckham there is a few more fellas who just don’t cut it in the glamorous footie world.
The most talented stars have the ability to drive fear into their opponents – but the guys on our list have the extra bonus of looking scary too! In the spirit of Halloween we’ve thrown together a list of 15 players that are so scary, perhaps supermarkets should consider offering costumes of them rather than vampires or skeletons. Sometimes it’s their appearance, sometimes it’s their tendency to lose their heads, or sometimes its something even more sinister…
Click on Iain Dowie to unveil the 15
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Are there any footballers out there that you think should have made the list? I’ve been scared enough putting these 15 together, but let me know on Twitter @dudeyoungy where I’ll be nervously waiting…
Everton boss David Moyes is hopeful that Marouane Fellaini will not be sold in the upcoming January transfer window, but admits he isn’t 100% sure of that.
Fellaini has been the stand out player for the Toffee’s so far this season and with help from his six goals from midfield, the Merseyside club are sitting pretty in fourth place going into today’s clash away at relegation threatened Reading.
Moyes has seen top players such as Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell sold when big offers come in and the Scot believes Fellaini will require a similar sort of price tag.
“We’re going to be very expensive because he’s such a good player,” Moyes told Sky Sports.
“We don’t want to lose him – that’s for definite. I don’t think we will – certainly not in the short term.
“I can understand. I’ve been here over 10 years, I’ve always worked hard and will continue to do so.
“I’ve got a great relationship with the chairman Bill Kenwright – I speak to him every day – and when the time’s right we’ll sit down and see where we’re going to go.”
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If you dust off the history books or simply tune into The Premiership Years during those long summer evenings, you will see great goals, former heroes and the dodgy haircuts of yesteryear. However, what else you will find are the names of some of the personnel that make you cringe with embarrassment. Yes, those players whom were signed with great anticipation yet fell at the first hurdle to bring any sort of progression to your football club. Some transfers are doomed from the start; plain and simple.
Whether suffering from a big fee or simply knowing they aren’t good enough in their new surroundings, the following players might be reaching for the ‘Tip Ex’ to erase their stints at their respective clubs off their CV. Their ill-fated moves will be remembered not for prolific goal scoring, wonder strikes and man of the match performances but instead for all the wrong reasons. Arriving against the wishes of the gaffer, errors of massive proportions and even mistaken identity all have their place amongst the following ten transfers.
Let us take a look at the ten Premier League transfers that were indeed; doomed from the start.
Click on Tevez and Mascherano to unveil the top 10
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Football seems to have become more and more about how much money a club has.
Many clubs now have owners varying from American billionaires to sheiks and more. And with January approaching, it is probable that many of these clubs will be preparing to go on spending sprees, with a great likelihood that more expensive deals will be done.
However, is the new fashion for spending to get success really the right way to go, or would it be better for teams in the long run to make an effort to develop the team over a longer period and working to improve the group of players they already have?
It does seem from results of the last few years that spending large amounts of money has led to footballing success. Look at Chelsea and Manchester City. The huge takeovers of these two clubs seemed to kick off the trend to spend huge amounts of money on bringing in new players.
It could be said that both of those takeovers have helped them to have huge turnarounds. It was back in 2003 when Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea for £140 million. Before he came in, Chelsea had not had not had a top-flight title since 1955. However, after buying players including Didier Drogba, Petr Čech and Arjen Robben, they ended up winning the Premier League title, and managed to win it for two seasons in a row.
Additionally, when Manchester City was taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited for £210 million in 2008, they had not won a top-flight title since 1968, and had lagged behind rivals Manchester United in terms of footballing achievements. However, since the takeover, they became one of the richest clubs in the world, enabling them to buy players like Robinho and Sergio Agüero, and have won titles including their dramatic Premier League win last season.
So, could it be said that this is evidence that clubs have to spend big if they want to win titles nowadays?
For example, Arséne Wenger has stuck by his philosophy of not spending big and concentrating on developing the team through factors like hard work and development of youth players. However, the team has not won a trophy in seven years.
However, could it be said that he has a point? Though I personally believe that he needs to buy a star name or two, a viewpoint which many other fans agree with, in the long term I would say it is important to develop a team and develop young players as well as spending on famous expensive players.
For example, Southampton who were promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season, have a vision of having a squad of which 50% have come up through the youth system, despite Nigel Adkins spending big in the summer.
So, could it be said that clubs should try and combine spending big and developing teams? While clubs may need to spend big to reinforce the team, could it be said that clubs should make sure they develop the players they already have, to continue success without spending huge amounts of money in each transfer window?
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Could it also be said that youth players in academies would benefit more if clubs worked hard to make sure many of them ended up in the first team?
Big spending clearly seems to have helped some clubs to major success in recent years. However, could it also be said that giving teams time to develop is also important to make sure that teams stay successful in the long run, to help the club to keep being successful without having to spend large amounts of money during every transfer window?
This season, Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe has been in incredible form, and has already nearly matched his Premier League goal tally from the year previous. For once at White Hart Lane, the England international has been given the credit his talent and track record deserves, with Andre Villas-boas clearly viewing Defoe as his main man and even left the club’s new signing Emmanuel Adebayor dwelling miserably on the bench for the first stretch of league games at the beginning of the campaign.
The Portuguese gaffer has played down talks of a January spending spree, telling reporters before in the days before Christmas: “[Levy and I] spoke about the January situation and the eventuality that we could look to strengthen the squad to be better. What came out of those conversations was that our level of focus is not to do a lot in January. We feel comfortable at the moment. Our squad will become big even in terms of numbers with the return of injured players. I believe that they will give us an extra edge. I am not ruling out any situation in the market, but at the moment it looks unlikely.”
Despite the hesitant attitude towards bringing in new recruits, Spurs have been linked by the tabloids with a number of the January bargains, including Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wesley Sneijder, Willian, Christian Eriksen, Fernando Llorente and David Villa. The gossip begs the question – would a new arrival who plays upfront unsettle the in-form Defoe?
Well, it of course depends how AVB is planning to set-up his team. The Tottenham coach has favoured playing Defoe alone up top for the majority of games so far this season, but more recently he has succumbed to the wishes of fans who want to see Adebayor playing either next to or just behind him. Ever the tactician, AVB’s tinkering largely depends on his opponents and who’s available to him. But going forward, Tottenham strike me as a 4-5-1 team due to the fact that their main assets are their wingers – Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. So should another front man be brought in come the New Year, it is likely Defoe will have to accept becoming part of the rotation or at the least will not feature in every game as he has so far this season, bar a single fixture.
It would be hardly a new experience for Defoe. In fact, being rather unjustly considered as a third or fourth choice striker has bizarrely been a common feature of his career, especially during his time in a Spurs jersey. Despite often appearing as a substitute, the 30-year-old has managed to consistently score at least ten goals a season in the league for the majority of his career, and has also hit the onion bag on a regular basis in the cup competitions. Should Tottenham sign a new striker, it is unlikely Defoe would suffer in terms of scoring goals. Whenever he plays his potential to score is obvious, and if his role in the first team diminished it would be safe to assume he would return to his old ways of providing a strong contribution of goals for a cameo player.
But this season especially makes you wonder just why the former Spurs bosses have never given Defoe a prominent role in the Starting line-up and assured the England man he is an important part of first-team plans. Well, Defoe’s physicality, or lack of it, makes him tactically less advantageous than many of his counter-parts. Similarly, he is a goal poacher and nothing more. Especially in his earlier career whilst he was still learning his trade, if Defoe failed to score his inclusion seemed somewhat pointless. His natural greed, which I do not judge him for considering his ability to finish, also mean’s the 30-year-old’s game can be somewhat direct and one-dimensional, and he’s certainly not known for his assists.
Should Tottenham even be in the market for a new striker anyway? As a strike force, Defoe and Adebayor rate highly compared to many of the other Premier League clubs competing for fourth spot, and even Chelsea, who are considered to be part of the title race or at the least a dead cert for third place, would probably swap their lackluster pair of Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres for the two Spurs front men. But apart from Defoe and Adebayor, there are no out-and-out strikers in the Tottenham squad. Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele are both capable of playing there, but should there be an injury crisis it would be difficult to rely on either for regular goals and the latter footballer has a crucial rule in the Spurs midfield. Similarly, Defoe, Adebayor and Dempsey are all into their peak years now, and bringing in a younger forward and keeping the future in mind would not be the worst move from AVB.
Whether Defoe would take it to heart is the real concern. I do not doubt he is a professional and, although confidence is a factor in every player’s game, I don’t believe it would severely affect his performance. But, it would be a difficult blow to take should Spurs bring in a new man, especially if it were a high-profile striker such as Huntelaar. As previously mentioned, Defoe has been dismissed as a first-choice player for years, despite his goal record, and this season appears to be somewhat redemption for the England man. If he were displaced by AVB, it would be further confirmation that there is some mystic underlying flaw to Defoe’s game that mean his positional rivals will always be a better choice than him.
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So would Defoe suffer, in terms of performance and maintaining his prowess in front of goal? Probably not – Defoe has proved throughout his career that given enough game-time, he will score goals. But, to flip the debate on its head, would Tottenham suffer? Most probably – “don’t fix what ain’t broken” as my mother used to say back when she was a plumber.
AZ Almaar manager Gertjan Verbeek has encouraged star midfielder Adam Maher to join Arsenal if he decides to leave the club, Metro reports.
Maher, rated at £8.5million, has been one of the standout performers in the Eredivisie this season and his impressive form was rewarded with a first cap for Holland in the defeat to Belgium last August.
PSV Eindhoven have already registered their interest in acquiring the 19-year-old, who has five goals to his name this season, this month with the Moroccan-born teenager making no secret of his plans to leave the AFAS Stadium.
And Verbeek believes Maher’s potential would be better nurtured under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger and urged him to consider waiting for the Gunners to make an approach.
“I think Arsenal would be a good environment for him,” he said.
“Under Arsene Wenger, these young talents have often improved. I think he [Maher] is very good and can grow there a bit like Robin van Persie.”
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Wenger is apparently looking to do some late business in the Premier League transfer window and has been linked with a surprise bid for Defensor Sporting forward Diego Rolan.
Reports in France claim the North London club have submitted a £6m offer for the 19-year-old, who is also being chased by Bordeaux as a replacement for the recently departed Yoan Gouffran.
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Everton manager David Moyes unexpectedly tried to dip his toes into the January transfer market with two late moves for FC Twente midfielder Leroy Fer and Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo, with both deals ultimately unsuccessful, but above all else, is the side crying out for a new centre-back? And should this be right at the top of the club’s list of priorities when the summer rolls around?
The Merseyside-based club are currently just adrift of Tottenham in fourth place having lost just three league games all season, a total less than Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and local rivals Liverpool. So they can’t be doing that badly, right? The move for Negredo in particular caught the eye as it was a tacit acknowledgement that the club required more firepower to try and secure a top four place this season, with Nikica Jelavic continuing to struggle to build upon his promise last term with a series of profligate displays. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t forget that Everton have kept just four clean sheets all season from 26 games and this little and often approach has held them back just as much, seeing them draw 12 games, equal only to that of Stoke.
The main culprit of this slump is undoubtedly Netherlands international John Heitinga, who looks every inch a jack of all trades trying to master one at the heart of a ropey back four. Of course, the steady presence of Tony Hibbert has been missed at right-back through injury, while Leighton Baines adventure and success down the left can often leave gaps for the opposition to expose, but it’s right through the middle where the team is having its biggest problems, with Phil Jagielka in desperate need of a new long-term partner. If Shane Duffy was ever going to break through, it would have been this season and he simply can’t be counted on to make the step up now.
Following the 3-3 home draw against Aston Villa, during which Heitinga was booed by his own fans for a truly torrid performance in getting the complete runaround from Christian Benteke, he took to Twitter to state: “Played worst game ever in the shirt of Everton. Let teammates and fans down but they never let me down. Will work hard to come back strong.” Now this isn’t a matter of hard work, it’s a matter of quality, or rather lack thereof. It’s truly astonishing that a centre-back like Heitinga, devoid of pace, positional discipline and height has played in a World Cup final. He gives hopes to middling defenders the world over.
Of course, this is not the first time this campaign that Heitinga has struggled with a physical centre-forward and he was just as abject against Carlton Cole during the 2-1 win back at Upton Park in late December, with Jagielka pushed out to right-back to counter Matt Jarvis’ pace and cover for the injured Seamus Coleman. Prior to recent back-to-back clean sheets against Southampton and Swansea, with Sylvain Distin returning to partner Jagielka in Heitinga’s place, they had failed to keep a single clean sheet in their previous 18 games across all competitions, letting in 24 goals in the process, during which they drew eight games.
Across the same sequence of fixtures from back in late September and the excellent 3-0 away win against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, they scored 32 goals, scoring at least once in every game. Indeed, they’ve only drawn a blank in three games so far this season in the league, a record that only league leaders Manchester United can better. The misconception that a lack of goals is holding them back is a false one and the stats make a compelling case that they’re simply too easy to get through at the back, unable to build up any sort of prolonged form. Their tally of 40 goals this campaign is comparable to Tottenham’s 42 and they look well on course to concede more than last season’s record of 40.
The ageing presence of 35-year-old Distin means he can no longer be a guaranteed first-choice, even if he is a very handy reserve option and they’ve been forced to play the hapless Heitinga more often than is wise. Moyes only has a small squad at his disposal to start with and limited resources, so while adding another strike to their ranks may be a popular move on the terraces, it simply doesn’t address the real problem and would have been harsh on the improving Victor Anichebe, enjoying his finest spell of form in a blue shirt at the moment.
Of course, it is a team game and the collective must remain responsible just as much as one single player, no matter how poor they may be and the lack of a defensive shield is also leaving the back four exposed, while Tim Howard’s deeply average record at keeping out shots from distance is a well known and targeted area of weakness.
With Phil Neville and Leon Osman in the middle of the park, having to make-do through the injury troubles of Darron Gibson, while the side may be more fluid in possession, they have less pressure on the ball and this more expansive approach can best be attributed to pushing Marouane Fellaini further forward and selling back-up option Jack Rodwell to Manchester City in the summer. The deal for Fer would have helped this issue, but right through the spine the club could do with a few fresh faces, which is easier said than done. This is why Moyes will have to priorities but the fact that he didn’t even move for a centre-back in January is worrying, instead choosing only to bring in 18-year-old full-back John Stones from Barnsley.
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The signings of both Kevin Mirallas and Steven Naismith have provided Moyes with more attacking options, but the fine defence the club has been built on in recent years has been forgotten, left unattended by a lack of investment and upkeep. Should they miss out on Champions League football this season and lose Fellaini in the summer to a bigger, altogether rich fish, then the principles on which Moyes has been so successful must be re-established, starting with a new centre-back as the biggest, most pressing priority.
Tim Krul and Fabricio Coloccini could play for Newcastle in the Europa League after stepping up their returns to fitness.
Krul has been on the sidelines since he picked up an ankle ligament injury in the first leg of Newcastle’s Europa League win over Metalist Kharkiv last month but is now closing in on a return and could make the quarter-final clash with Benfica.
The Dutch stopper took to Twitter to break the good news of his return and it will give boss Alan Pardew a big lift ahead of a crucial run-in to the season.
“Completed my first full training session today with the lads,” Krul revealed. “Buzzing to be back on the pitch. Proper freezing out there.”
The game against Manchester City will come too soon this weekend but there is a chance he could make the Benfica game and the same can be said of Coloccini following a back injury.
The Argentina defender returned to his homeland for a spell while he recovered from the injury but is now back on Tyneside and could be fit for the first leg against Benfica in Lisbon.
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“It’s a question of nerves,” Arsene Wenger declared in his pre-match address. Albeit Arsenal are in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League do they possess mental backbone to see it through? On the evidence of Saturday’s victory over Norwich that question has already been answered. Seeing off the Canaries in the dying stages was indicative of the Gunners’ late season surge. Seven wins from their last eight puts them amongst the form teams in the division and, more importantly, heaps the pressure on London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham, who’re now playing catch-up after Wenger’s side leapfrogged them both into third. Now it’s just a case of holding on for dear life.
Everton, although rank outsiders, are still very much in the frame for Champions League qualification and lie three points and two spots shy of the top-four. Only the two Manchester sides have been beaten less than the Toffees although 13 draws has hindered them somewhat. That being said they’ve displayed an uncharacteristic consistency from the first kick this season that has kept them amongst the European contenders. Four victories in their last five league games has put them within touching distance and David Moyes will be urging his troops to do all they can to grab a seat at the continents top table. A further incentive is finishing above Merseyside rivals Liverpool for the second year running and a mid-week success in North London would push them eight points above the Reds.
Team News
Thomas Rosicky (hamstring) should return for Arsenal, while Nacho Monreal looks set to play after being rested at Norwich. There are concerns over goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi after he sustained a rib injury on Saturday.
Everton have a number of minor knocks to assess before they arrive at the Emirates Stadium but there no serious injuries for David Moyes to contend with.
What the managers said…
“We have good spirit, good mental strength and desire and we are up for a fight and that’s what we want to show again on Tuesday against Everton. It has strengthened our belief that we can do it (finish in the top four), but we will go with the right focus against Everton and we know what is at stake. We will really go for it.” Arsene Wenger insists Saturday’s victory over Norwich was down to Arsenal’s character, not luck. (Liverpool Echo)
“It’s an opportunity which we will try and take. The players know that this is a chance, and because of that, there is not a great deal, which needs to be said to them. It’s a small chance, maybe a 15% chance, something like that. It’s not a big chance, but there are not many teams who can say they have even got a chance. We are happy to be in that position.” David Moyes quantifies Everton’s Champions League chances (Liverpool Echo)
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Pre-match Statistic: The 18 goals Arsenal have scored in the last 15 minutes of games this season is a Premier League high.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Everton
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This past week in football has offered perspective that was never there before. Arsenal fans especially would have been looking on at the events at Old Trafford and the retirement of Alex Ferguson and wondering whether they’re quite ready for that with Arsene Wenger.
There have been frustrations at the manager and Arsenal as a whole. There has long been a feeling that the club are not really moving forward with regards to football, while recent sponsorships announcements have suggested the club are accelerating forward from a financial and business standpoint. Like so many windows in the past, this summer’s transfer window could be the real opportunity for Wenger to prove to the doubters that his stay should extend beyond next season.
In fact, next season as a whole should determine whether he stays on or not. It’s most certainly not knee-jerk in the way many supporters have resigned themselves to the idea that a new manager is best for the club; considering how long Arsenal have been stagnant in English football, there has been more than enough time for supporters to weigh up their decision. But Wenger does have an excellent opportunity to turn it all around and really makes waves in capturing Arsenal their first league title since 2004.
It will very much be about how convinced supporters are of the manager’s eye for talent in the market. With so many transfer mistakes over the years, most would be forgiven for assuming Wenger has more than lost his touch in the market. But the new sponsorship deals should offer Wenger far more scope in landing the very best players available to Arsenal. For the first time in a long time there really are no excuses for the club seriously getting it wrong.
But it hasn’t just been the transfers that have let people down. The smaller details of the club’s overall shortcomings have often been on the managerial decisions in games and the preparation (or proper lack thereof) of his players. You’d really like to see an overhaul of the approach that has seen Arsenal struggle for much of their time at the Emirates, and more of a return to form that saw so much success during Wenger’s first eight years. The playing personnel may have been incredibly different in terms of natural ability, but the preparation and mentality really seemed to change too.
What can be argued about Wenger is that he hasn’t lost his appetite for success. I’d find it hard to believe that he’d remain at the club this long if he wasn’t driven by the reward of trophies. The problem is that his well-known stubbornness continues to get the better of him, while also handicapping the team. Whatever may come in the way of new players this summer, it could count for very little if Wenger doesn’t learn to adapt in the way other managers have done.
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The transfer window won’t be enough, and some sections of support have already made their mind up that a change is needed regardless of how well Wenger does in his final year with the club. The announcement of Alex Ferguson’s retirement would have naturally brought up questions as to whether Arsenal are quite ready for something similar, but the circumstances for both managers have been greatly different. The success never really stopped for Manchester United and Ferguson, and each time they fell they always picked themselves up and eventually overcame the most immediate hurdle. For many at Arsenal, it’s still a matter of waiting for Wenger to pick himself and the club up from the last few years of disappointment and deliver that first trophy.