"Show de Neymar!" The title says it all. Four goals for the Brazilian wonderkid last night; Two penalties (first was in off the post), a opportunist strike and a wonderful solo goal.
Last March, for a reason that escapes me, John Terry said; "I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea", which was a nice way to say "A lot of people think I'm a huge, filthy bastard."If these racism allegations surrounding him turn out to be true, he won't be anyone's cup of tea and it'll be confirmed that he's not only a huge, filthy bastard but also a racist one too. I'm not exactly a fan of Anton Ferdinand, I see him as a extremely poor version of his completely overrated brother Rio, however racism allegations can never simply be ignored if you don't like the player involved. I'm just disappointed that the player firing these alleged racial slurs out is a player I used to love watching.
Way back when Terry wasn't a racist or a teammate-wife-shagger, he was an incredible defender. He was never the quickest, but made up for it by reading the game well and positioning himself perfectly to cut out the cross/make the tackle. He still does all that stuff occasionally, but let's face it, he's a shadow of his former self. What little pace he had disappeared rapidly as he aged, and subsequently, so did his positioning. This is all natural stuff though; Alessandro Nesta isn't exactly a whippet, and look at Rio's positional play now. What's really worrying for Terry and everyone involved around him though is that his concentration looks absolutely shot to pieces.
Now, he's forever making mistakes. Mistakes that may have gone unnoticed had he not been partnered with David Luiz, who's attitude toward defending is akin to a toddler's on vegetables. Terry has looked incredibly unreliable since the departure of Ricardo Carvalho - who was an brilliantly subtle defender at Chelsea - in 2010. Gradually, his frailties - on and off the pitch - have came to the fore hand-in-hand, and his latest one threatens to completely ruin his reputation and standing in the game. Racism is a moronic, intolerable and detestable thing, and if Terry is guilty of calling Ferdinand "a fucking black bastard", thena fine or a ban as punishment simply won't suffice.
I want to see some unprecedented punishments rolled out. I want to see him handed such a severe wage cap, he might as well be living on Job Seeker's Allowance money. I want to see him forced to coach black kids. I want to see him broken down. I want to see him striving to clear his name and rebuild his career. I want to see him humiliated, exposed and full of regret. But most of all, I want to see him look Drogba, Sturridge, Anelka, Cole, Mikel, Essien, Kalou, Malouda, Lukaku et al, directly in the eyes and tell them, individually; "I am a racist." See how he handles that.
The problem is, none of this will happen. He won't be punished severely enough because I doubt anything will be proven.
Ashley Cole says he didn't hear anything. Clint Hill will testify against Terry (apparently). The FA want to hear from Branislav Ivanovic. A nigh-unsolvable mess. It's essentially one man's word against another with a collection of people chipping in - which isn't exactly conducive. The only positive thing to come out from the entire situation is that everybody seems united on just how despicable racism is.
And that's surely got to scare the shit out of John Terry.
As the Carling Cup fixtures were being played down in England on Tuesday night, some equally unimportant cup fixtures were being played out in Scotland. Unimportant if your team's not involved, imperative if they are, but in general - nobody really cares.
There were a couple of upsets on Tuesday; nobody really expected Ayr United to knock out St. Mirren or for Falkirk to bump Dundee United out either, but everyone's in agreement that they were both joyous results. Ayr have now put three SPL teams out of the competition - which is undeniably great - however, with an attendance of just 4,570 at St. Mirren last night, just how much are fans valuing this competition? To further show just how low that is for a Cup quarter-final; Shrewsbury played at home to Accrington Stanley in the English Npower League Two on Tuesday. Their attendance was 5,076. Their were just 4,188 at Dundee and a very disheartening 4,029 at the Kilmarnock - East Fife game.
Low attendances aside, the Cup's been pretty entertaining. There's been plenty of upsets; Falkirk knocking out Rangers, Ayr knocking out St. Mirren etc. There's been a healthy number of lovely goals scored; two of The Side Netting attended the Killie - QOS tie in which Paul Heffernan scored a wonderful hat-trick. However the League Cup will always be seen as the ugly, moronic brother of the attractive and talented Scottish Cup. Much like how Anton Ferdinand is seen in comparison to Rio. Now that only four teams remain in contention to lift the Anton Cup; Ayr United, Celtic, Falkirk, and Kilmarnock, I'm sure everyone is bursting to know the answers to these three vital questions:
Somebody must care about this competition?
Seeing as the league's already pretty much over - Neil Lennon will. He's two wins away from his second piece of managerial silverware here, and a Cup win might just stop the bulk of Scottish media talking of the pressure, that they invented, enveloping him.
What might happen?
We might get an Ayrshire derby final.
What will happen?
We'll all grudgingly watch Celtic glide to the trophy at nothing more than a canter.
Prove me wrong Scottish Communities League Cup. Prove me wrong.
The FIFA Ballon d'Or short list isn't officially announced until the 1st of November, however, Mundo Deportivo somehow managed to get a hold of, and release, 34 names today. If true, one fifth of the players (TEN!) on the list play for one club; the imperious FC Barcelona. Bayern Munich have six players nominated, and Barcelona's rivals Real Madrid have five on the list. Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman named (so far), but this might be because the paper that released the names is Spanish, hence the heavy Spanish focus.
Here's the list (so far);
------------ Barcelona
- Lionel Messi
- Cesc Fabregas
- Xavi Hernandez
- Andres Iniesta
- Gerard Pique
- Carles Puyol
- David Villa
- Dani Alves
- Alexis Sanchez
- Eric Abidal
------------ Real Madrid
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Mesut Ozil
- Iker Casillas
- Xabi Alonso
- Sami Khedira
------------ Bayern Munich
- Philipp Lahm
- Arjen Robben
- Mario Gomez
- Bastien Schweinsteiger
- Thomas Muller
- Franck Ribery
------------ Inter Milan
- Wesley Sneijder
- Diego Forlan
------------ Manchester City
- Sergio Aguero
- David Silva
------------ Manchester United
- Javier Hernandez
- Wayne Rooney
------------ Arsenal
- Robin van Persie
------------ Lazio
- Miroslav Klose
------------ Tottenham Hotspur
- Rafael van der Vaart
------------ Anzhi
- Samuel Eto'o
------------ Liverpool
- Luis Suarez
------------ Udinese
- Antonio Di Natale
------------ Santos
- Neymar
My immediate thoughts?
Delighted there's a lack of Englishmen in there, just shows how far behind they are internationally, despite what those crazy FIFA rankings say.
Thrilled Neymar is included, without a doubt the most exciting player on the ball on the planet (excluding Messi of course).
Completely convinced Messi will win again; he's just way too good.
Dark horse? Antonio Di Natale. The only Italian on the list is scoring goals for fun right now.
Little bit overwhelmed by the amount of players from Barca in the list. Not too sure Abidal, Puyol, Sanchez, Fabregas and Villa should be in there.
Very confused at how Sami Khedira got his name on the list. Very confused.
There's still 16 more spaces that need to be filled on the list though. Speculation surrounding who should fill the slots is swirling around on Twitter and fans' blogs, with people suggesting names like nobody's business. With that in mind, we'll be no different and join right in! Below are fifteen names that I sort of, wishfully, expect to see and one name that I'm certain won't, but I'd love if he was there:
Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) - He's almost timeless. Had an excellent season with AC Milan then was snapped up by Juve in the Summer for free,where he's started flawlessly.
Mario Balotelli (Manchester City) - Admittedly, he shouldn't really be crowned the "best player in the world", but he's absolutely hilarious and actually starting to play incredibly well of late. This won't be his year, but if he continues to improve like he has been then maybe, just maybe, he'll be in with a shout soon.
Eden Hazard (Lille) - After the season he's just had with Lille, he's got to be on the final list. His wonderful close control and marvellous vision have been a vital catalyst for Lille for the past year and a half and at only 20 he's only going to get better.
Javier Pastore (PSG) - Bought for a huge amount in the Summer from Palermo after a strong season for the Italians, and he's continued playing well in France. Very comfortable on the ball and starting to get a bit of playing time internationally, I think it's only a matter of time before he leaves PSG (they've got money, so what?) for a bigger club.
Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund) - Dubbed by many as the "German Messi", Gotze's creativity, ball control and passing were all vital to Dortmund's success last season. At just 19, he's maybe a little too young to win the award ahead of the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, but in a few years he'll be fighting for it.
Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid) - Had an superb season for Porto last term, and caught the attention of the World with his performances in the Europa League. In the air, he's the best striker on the planet and I'd love for anyone to try and disprove that.
Hulk (Porto) - Much like Falcao, he had a phenomenal season last term. However unlike his former teammate, much to a lot of people's surprise, he never left. Extremely talented and should be involved in the final 50.
Juan Mata (Chelsea) - After an amazing Summer captaining Spain's U-21's World Cup winning side, he arrived at Chelsea for what seemed like a subdued amount. Brilliant on the ball and is now offering his new club a completely different style of attack; a more attractive and effective style.
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United) - Not a huge fan of him, but next to Rio Ferdinand he looks like Franco Baresi and United really miss him when he's not around.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan) - Personally, I don't see much in him (I've only seen him play well once), but plenty of people absolutely adore him. For that reason alone I reckon he'll be involved.
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) - Hummels is something of a pioneer in a time where this new libero-esque centerback is all the rage. He's got an exceptional passing ability but his defensive atributes aren't compromised in any way; still makes big challenges and is imperious in the air. Dare I say he's the best defender in this entire post? Yes. Yes I do.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) - Amongst a very shaky (JOLEON FUCKING LESCOTT) defence Kompany has been very consistent for City. He's cut out his mistakes (or maybe they're just outshone by Lescott's) and taken up the captaincy after the Tevez-debacle. Safe bet (to be nominated, not win)?
Edinson Cavani (Napoli) - The most complete striker in Europe. Great in the air, brilliant with both feet and gives Napoli such a lethal striking threat. Scored 26 goals last season and already has three in six this season.
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) - Went on an incredible run of eight Bundesliga games without conceding a goal this season and was inspired at Schalke in the last half of last season. With a severe lack of goalkeepers mentioned in here, I'd like to think Neuer will get a nod.
Thiago Silva (AC Milan) - Had a superb 2010/2011 season in Milan in which he and centerback partner Alessandro Nesta conceded just 24 goals in 38 games. Hasn't started the season particularly strongly but should definitely be considered.
-------------
And finally, here's my not-going-to-happen-but-I'd-love-to-see-him-nominated name...
Rivaldo (Sao Paulo) - Currently enjoying a wonderful pre-retirement stint at Sao Paulo in Brazil where he's playing both frequently and strongly. It would be amazing to see the legend nominated for the Ballon d'Or twelve years after he winning his first (and only).
-------------
There we have it. 50 of the best names in football. Obviously there's some missing names; Gareth Bale doesn't make my grade. Luka Modric is undeniably great, but he's made to look much better by the poor, stagnant players that surround him. There's an almost endless list of names that could have been named, but we all know that it's practically pointless in the end as long as Messi is involved. As a sign-off, and a way to back up my claim about Neymar being the most exciting player in the world on the ball, here's six minutes of the man himself earning his nomination for football's most prestigious award.
A combination of luck (I happened to produce this for A Different League) and a willingness to post something/anything relevant (we've not posted on here for a while now) has led to this. As most seem to be aware of Barcelona and Real Madrid, thus claim to love Spanish football, I've decided to post 600ish words previewing this weekend's Spanish Primera Division action. I hope that this will enlighten you a little, and show that there are more than two teams in Spain to watch and admire. Real Betis, with their incredible interesting forwards, are a joy to watch. Sergio Garcia of Espanyol has been very impressive in the early stages and Levante's 36-year-old captain, Sergio Ballesteros (above), recently beat Cristiano Ronaldo in a sprint in the last minute of the game.
I understand that you might read some names here that you don't care about, but remember, a couple of years ago Charlie "LOOK AT ME NOW" Adam was playing for St. Mirren where I can guarantee very few people gave a shit about him. As a final incentive/plea to read this, there's a brilliant stat that could happen this weekend in Spain, and I've mentioned it. If it does happen, it'll get repeatedly pummelled into your ears by everyone. Shoot them down by telling them that you knew about it BEFORE it happened. Anyway, enjoy (all times are UK).
Racing Santander - Espanyol (Saturday 17.00)
Racing Santander host Espanyol on Saturday in the weekend’s first game. Hector Cuper has already used 24 Racing players in his search for his ideal eleven, and Gonzalo Colsa could add to the already high number as he returns to full fitness after his ankle injury. Striker Thievy Bifouma was dropped to reserves this week, so he might not be available for Espanyol, who are looking for their first win over Racing in over two years.
Sporting Gijon - Granada (Saturday 17.00)
Granada will travel to Sporting Gijon, where Coach Manuel Preciado is still searching for his first win this season, but he has no real selection problems going into this game. Granada, however, are without midfielder Carlos Martins due to a thigh strain and defender David Cortes, who has returned to training, but is still some way off being match fit.
Malaga - Real Madrid (Saturday 19.00)
Malaga are without Willy Caballero and Julio Baptista for their clash against Real Madrid in Saturday’s first evening game. However Duda, Apono and Joris Mathijsen have given Manuel Pellegrini a boost by returning to the squad. Nuri Sahin could feature in Madrid’s midfield for the first time as Lassana Diarra is out with a hamstring problem. Should he score another hat trick, Gonzalo Higuain will equal a 77-year-old record set by Oviedo legend Isidro Langara.
Barcelona - Sevilla (Saturday 21.00)
Current Liga leaders Barcelona will then conclude Saturday’s action as they host Marcelino Garcia Toral’s Sevilla. Gerard Pique is unavailable due to a hamstring injury but, after recovering from his thigh problem, Cesc Fabregas is set to return to the first team, who face a very stern test against the unbeaten Sevilla. However the visitors look like they will be without in-form striker Alvaro Negredo, who has a troublesome hamstring.
Real Betis - Rayo Vallecano (Sunday 11.00)
Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano kick off Sunday’s action in the early fixture. Los Beticos have suffered a massive blow as young talent Alvaro Vadillo has been ruled out for six months with knee ligament damage. After losing three consecutive games, Pepe Mel will be looking for his side to rekindle their excellent starting form. Rayo players Javi Fuego and Raul Bravo both pulled out of training mid week with niggling injuries, so they could be a doubt.
Real Sociedad - Getafe (Sunday 15.00)
Real Sociedad Coach Philippe Montainer faces a selection headache ahead of his side’s clash with Getafe. Asier Illarramendi, Carlos Vela, Diego Ifran and David Zurutuza are all a doubt to start. Getafe midfielder Mehdi Lacen believes this is the start of an important week for his team, and is looking to take all three points.
Atletico Madrid - Mallorca (Sunday 17.00)
Atletico Madrid are suffering from a goal drought, scoring only one in their last five games however Coach Gregorio Manzano is still has full confidence in his team. Defender Gianni Zuiverloon will be unavailable for Mallorca after pulling a muscle in his leg but striker Emillo Nsue will return after a suspension.
Osasuna - Zaragoza (Sunday 17.00)
Osasuna are without Roland Lamah after his dismissal in their 3-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Monday and defender Roversio, who has a hamstring injury. Zaragoza have not beaten Osasuna in a Liga fixture in over four years, and will look to Helder Postiga to fire them to victory after his brace against Sociedad last week.
Valencia - Athletic Bilbao (Sunday 19.00)
Valencia defender Adil Rami will be unavailable for his side’s Sunday evening game against Athletic Bilbao after being sent off against Mallorca. Unai Emery’s side were beaten in Europe but will look to maintain their good league start. Marcelo Bielsa will hope Fernando Llorente carries on where he left off, after scoring a brace against Salzburg on Thursday, and fire Los Leones to victory over Valencia for the first time in six attempts.
Villarreal - Levante (Sunday 21.00)
In the last game of the weekend, Levante will be chasing an impressive sixth consecutive win in La Liga and will be buoyed by the return of Xavi Torres. Villarreal come into the game off the back of a late defeat in Europe at the hands of Manchester City. Having struggled to finish teams off lately, Villareal will face a tough challenge against Juan Ignacio Martinez’s confident side.
This was originally produced for the website "A Different League" and I totally urge you to check it out. It offers an unbelievable amount of coverage and often breaks important news that goes completely unnoticed. Bookmark them.
Content is becoming quite thin here of late. There's a number of factors contributing to this sparcity; Craig now has a job, Andy's returned back to University and is rightly focussing on his studies and even Adam's got a fucking job (starting soon).
Fortunately though, amidst our inactivity, our favourite Brazilian has stayed on top of his game. We came across this video last night and, although it's just 30 seconds long, we deemed it worthy to add to our growing collection;
A new article will be posted within a week. There's a guarantee.
