Chris Coleman is widely expected to be named as the new Wales manager on Thursday, as their Football Association have called a press conference.
The Celtic nation are looking for a new boss after the tragic suicide of Gary Speed, and Coleman has admitted that he would feel guilty should he be given the job.
“It’d be a stupid man who goes in there and takes the job, whether it’s me or anyone else, and changes everything. If it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it,” he told Sky Sports.
“But it’s a very sensitive situation. If I’m offered the job and accept, I will have mixed emotions. I don’t think you turn down Wales, and it would be the pinnacle for me.
“In another situation, I’d probably be on cloud nine. But, ideally, Gary, who was a close friend of mine for many years, would still be sitting here doing a great job for the country.
“I almost feel a little bit guilty even talking about the job because Gary is no longer with us,” he concluded.
Coleman has recently stepped down from his post as coach of Greek side Larissa.
By Gareth McKnight
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As a Leeds United fan I’ve been subjected to the constant moaning of Ken Bates about the “greedy agents” ruining our beloved game for too many years now. A rant about agents has become as much a part of his programme notes and weekly Yorkshire Radio interviews as his narcissistic ramblings about how football, and indeed the entire world would be a better place if only everyone would listen to his wisdom.
But it’s not just the outspoken Leeds United chairman who constantly attempts to vilify football agents. Listen to any manager or chairman from any division on the planet for long enough and sooner or later they’ll be blaming agents for everything that is wrong with the modern game of football. Complaining about their fees, whilst pocketing millions of pounds a year themselves from the “broken game” they so love to whinge about is an irony lost on them all it seems.
The truth is that modern football is run by ruthless businessmen who are in it solely for the money. There’s the odd exception to the rule of course, but very few clubs are a plaything for bored billionaires with too much spare time on their hands and a desperate need for attention. And even they are motivated by their own narcissism and vanity, as opposed to the almost religious love for our clubs supporters like you and I share.
From the players, to the coaches, to the executives, to the owners and beyond. There are very few people at any football club who are there because they love the club and want to selflessly give their time and effort to see it succeed.
But fans know all this. They know they are the only people who care more about the football club than what the football club can do for them. Every fan reading this will be able to identify at least one ex or current chairman, manager or player they consider to be a greedy, money-sucking leech. Mention Harry Kewell for example within earshot of a Leeds United supporter and you better be braced for a total onslaught.
But chairman, managers and players are just doing a job we reason. They’re no different from a plumber or an electrician really. Supporters of clubs on the brink of financial ruin will still defend a players right to draw a wage whilst the administrators are auctioning off pieces of their stadium.
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So why then, in an era where our beloved game is so rife with overpaid individuals do we have such a problem with football agents? Why are they the one evil that ourselves and our football club unanimously agree on? It’s simple really, it’s because we don’t see them as necessary.
Chairman are necessary as they’re the ones who pay everyone else. The management and coaches are necessary because they bring in the players and deal with the team.
And the team? They’re the reason we turn up to Oldham on an indescribably cold Tuesday night in the middle of winter when a combination of ice and rain is being smashed into your face by gale force winds. Why else would you stand in a three-sided stadium, protected from the elements by nothing more than a replica shirt and a scarf, screaming anthems out at the top of your voice constantly aware that your toes may drop off at any moment?
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The agents meanwhile are portrayed as the shady characters lurking in the background, waiting to suck every penny they can from our poor defenceless football clubs. They don’t pay our heroes to run around chasing an air-filled piece of leather. They don’t decide which players will be charged with leading our teams to success, and they certainly don’t contribute anything to our fortunes on the pitch.
What agents do is unforgivable. They demand wages for their clients our clubs can’t afford and then tout their players in the press to try and find them more money elsewhere. More unforgivable still is that they then take a healthy percentage of all this money for themselves!
And this is what the fans find so hard to stomach. No-one has a problem with paying their star winger twice what everyone else in the team earns so long as he commits his future to the club. No-one minds paying several million pounds to capture a new striker. No-one really minds that chairmen and executives profit heavily from our clubs regardless of how well we do on the pitch. But when a third party comes in and tries to take a slice of the action, that’s where we draw the line.
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Agents earn a very healthy living from football, there’s no denying that. But they are as essential to professional footballers as lawyers are to your football club.
A footballer’s contract is a legally binding document drawn up by the club’s lawyers to secure their services. It’s a document that in this day and age can be worth millions, sometimes tens of millions of pounds. In it, is everything from how a player is expected to conduct themselves in public, to how much they’ll earn/lose if circumstances at the club change (promotion/relegation for example).
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The club’s lawyers and advisors will draw up this contract ensuring everything is in the best interests of the club, whilst at the same time trying to keep the amount paid to said player to an absolute minimum. These people are hired by the clubs to look out for the club’s best interests – the player is simply a pawn in their little game.
Meanwhile, the agent will be there to act on behalf of our often dim-witted yet loveable footballers. This is a man with vast experience of contract negotiations who knows exactly what kind of fee the player can command elsewhere and will do everything in his power to ensure the club don’t underpay him. If that means he has to instruct his client to go elsewhere, then why shouldn’t he? The player after all is simply doing a job, and the agent’s job is to ensure he gets paid as much for doing that job as possible.
Of course, the agent isn’t doing all this out of the goodness of his own heart. He’d be a rubbish businessman if that was the case. It all comes down to money. The club, owners and chairmen are all doing their utmost to ensure they get their slice of the pie and so too are the players. We’ve all come to accept money is all that matters in football these days. Agents are simply the stockbrokers of the beautiful game.
Read more of David’s articles at www.thescratchingshed.com
Chelsea and Manchester United’s interest in Serbian winger Milos Krasic may have to be put on hold for now, according to talkSPORT.
Juventus Director Giuseppe Marotta has vowed Krasic will be staying at the club.
“We will not let him leave Juventus in January but there has been interest from other clubs.”
He continued, “He is our player and is not going to be transfer listed or sold – he is our future and there is no reason to think otherwise.”
Krasic has been monitored closely by last season’s top two Premier League clubs. The 26-year-old moved to Juve last summer for a fee believed to be around £13 million from CSKA Moscow.
However, there were suggestions that he might want to leave “The Old Lady” after a disagreement with manager Antonio Conte.
This looks unlikely after Marotta’s comments.
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The impressive Serbian was on the scoresheet seven times in Serie A last season. He only missed five league games for Juventus last season as they finished in seventh place.
Juventus signing Mirko Vucinic said his new employers’ reputation as a Serie A powerhouse lured him to Turin.The Montenegro international joined from Italian top-flight rivals Roma for a fee of 15 million euros, and the 27-year-old striker said his mind was made up as soon as he found out about Juve’s interest.
“Roma was at the end of a cycle and now I’m here (at Juventus), in the most loved and best-known Italian team throughout the whole world,” Vucinic said.
“The name of the team is enough, as I’ve already said before. Juventus is the most famous team, the best known and the one Italians love most, so when my agent said the word, ‘Juventus’, I had no doubts about it.”
Despite finish last season in seventh spot – some 24 points from champions AC Milan – and not having won a domestic title since 2003, Vucinic said Juventus should always be considered a threat to win the Scudetto.
“Our position in the championship is the Juventus position: we are a great team and I’m not saying anything new, you already know that very well. We are a great team, made to win,” he said.
Vucinic also expressed his delight at getting to work with Juventus boss Antonio Conte at the Juventus Arena.
“I already know my team-mates, I’ve played against them many times, so let’s say they are kind of friends already,” he said.
“Antonio Conte didn’t call me until I had signed the contract. He phoned me after the signature and the impression he gave me was excellent.”
Reports gathering pace from both The Daily Mail and the Mirror suggest that Robbie Keane will become a Leicester City player within the next 48 hours.
If Keane signs for the Championship club, it will represent Sven-Goran Eriksson’s biggest capture of the summer at the club, and is hoping to convince the Republic of Ireland international to take a step down in division by offering a lucrative salary in order to get his man.
Leicester have now targeted Keane in response to their failure to sign another Republic of Ireland international striker, Shane Long, who instead chose to join West Brom earlier this week in a £7 million deal. They have also had three bids rejected by Bristol City for their forward, Nicky Maynard. Eriksson, who has already signed 11 players during this close-season, still feels they need to bring in a proven goalscorer: ‘I always said if we can get a striker with a good goal-scoring record, we are going to try. If there is a proven striker who can score 20 goals, then we will work hard to bring him in’.
Robbie Keane is now thought to be that man and an initial bid of around £3 million has been made. Although the transfer fee seems low, Tottenham are looking to reduce their already high wage bill and allowing Keane to leave would reduce that figure significantly.
If Keane moves, Leicester represent his 9th professional club – alongside Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan, Tottenham, Liverpool, Celtic (loan) and West Ham (loan), amassing nearly £80 million in total transfer fees paid for his signature.
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Charlie Adam missed a penalty as Liverpool’s hopes of reaching the Premier League top four took a hit after they were held to a goalless draw by Wigan.
The summer signing from Blackpool saw his spot kick saved by Latic’s goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi after Luis Suarez saw his acrobatic effort blocked by the hand of Gary Caldwell. The fact the Uruguayan was even on the field irked many in the football sphere after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. However despite that being the main talking point before kick off and Liverpool showing their solidarity by wearing t-shirts bearing Suarez’s image it failed to overshadow a pulsating encounter in the North West. Wigan played their part as well and manager Roberto Martinez will be delighted that his side have now held two of the leagues biggest clubs in consecutive games as they look to escape the relegation zone before the new year.
It was the visitors who started the opening half the brightest although without the usual vim and vigour from Suarez who appeared uncharacteristically subdued amidst a sea of jeers from the Wigan supporters. Still, the Reds looked the more likely to score and manager Kenny Dalglish will be disappointed that his side failed to convert the chances the created with Jordan Henderson, Martin Skrtel, Dirk Kuyt and Glen Johnson all seeing efforts saved by the impressive Al Habsi. That seemed to wake the hosts up and they soon settled into the slick passing routine that has become their hallmark under Martinez. Mohamed Diame lashed a shot into the side netting from 40-yards before Pepe Reina had to be at his best to keep out Victor Moses swerving effort after the winger’s mazy run from the half way line.
Liverpool regained their momentum in the second half and were presented with a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock when Caldwell blocked Suarez’s over head kick with his arm leaving referee Michael Oliver with no option but to point to the spot. Adam stepped up but could only to Al Habsi claw the ball asway as Dalglish’s men missed from 12-yards for the fourth time this season. It seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Reds although they should have taken the lead just minutes after their penalty miss with Dirk Kuyt hooking over from six yards when it looked easier to score. Wigan had one more chance left in them and it was Moses who came close to snatching three points but could only stab the ball wide from close range as they moved to within one point of safety.
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After their excellent few months at the end of last season, Liverpool fans could be forgiven for feeling overly optimistic about the new season. Liverpool haven’t made a terrible start to this season, although they are yet to begin playing with the same spark and dynamism that characterised Dalglish’s first few months in the managerial hot seat. Despite the fact that they have yet to find their best form, they have picked up a steady stream of points. This ability to ‘win ugly’ is the hallmark of the great sides and it is something that Liverpool haven’t shown for a while.
Over the last decade or so Liverpool have rarely shown this ability to win ugly. The only season they perhaps did show it in abundance was 2008-2009, under Rafael Benitez, when they pushed Manchester United close for the title. Over the course of the campaign they showed an amazing fighting quality, with late goals and comebacks galore, and it is this character and spirit that is the mark of champions and contenders, which was reflected in their high league position at the end of that season. Since then Liverpool have struggled with playing below par and picking up points. Although they suffered a heavy defeat to Tottenham when playing poorly, they have picked up points so far this season against the likes of Everton, Arsenal and Wolves when they haven’t really looked at their best.
Picking up points when you aren’t playing well is certainly a positive sign for the reds, as at this time of the season results are far more important than the performance. There is plenty of time for the squad to gel, and to regain the fluidity of last season and that will surely come with more games. The fact that they had so many new signings to bed in, has obviously had an impact over the performances of the team, but it is a good sign that they have picked up points despite this. At this early stage of the season grinding out results is a necessity, and it seems that Liverpool are starting to do this.
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Winning ugly is the key that sets apart the champions and the rest. Manchester United and Chelsea have shown that it is a vital quality for success over the years, and it has characterised United throughout Sir Alex’s two decades in charge of the club. United’s game against Norwich last weekend epitomized this. They were nowhere near their best for large stretches of the game, and it looked like it would end as a draw, but they came up with the goods and took all three points away. A lot of their performances last season were less than inspiring, yet they still managed to gain points from games when they weren’t at their best, which is a true sign of champions. The ability to grind out results, come from behind, and come up with late winners, is a mentality that simply cannot be bought, and it is something that the Liverpool players are starting to develop, and will need to master if they are to progress further under Dalglish.
On too many occasions over recent seasons, Liverpool have played well and failed to get rewards, so for them to be winning, or at least picking up points when they aren’t at their best is a promising sign. There is plenty of room for improvement, and it is an encouraging start for the reds, as they can only get better. They are still tweaking their side, and finding what works best, in terms of personnel and formation, so keeping the points ticking over during this period is a positive sign. Ultimately, a win is a win, and if Liverpool manage to do it the ugly way, then that certainly bodes well for them for the rest of the season ahead and for the future.
Do you think Liverpool are starting to get the hang of winning ugly? Let me know your thoughts below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.
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After Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez refused to warm up in the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in September, City found the Argentinean guilty of five breaches of his contract and decided the maximum four week fine was appropriate.
However the PFA chose to step in and decided that City did not have valid reason for the size of the fine and reduced it to two weeks. This infuriated City and many in the world of football, showing that the PFA were undermining the club and their in-house decisions which surely should be their own business. It is thought that Tevez only refused to warm up and not refuse to play which is a different view to that of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who came out after the game to express his disgust at Tevez’s attitude.
Tevez insists he only refused to warm up and his advisors have said that they believe that none of the five reasons given by City for upholding the charge of misconduct are relevent. The facts are still puzzling to get hold of and neither City nor Tevez seems to be honest in the situation that could rumble on for months.
City could also be in trouble after manager Roberto Mancini’s post-match comments; in which he claimed Tevez had refused to play; couldamount to defamation of character and that legal action against him could be forthcoming. That could just rub salt in the wounds after the player control is clearly dominating football and surely that is the only business in the world where that can happen.
The original fine was thought to be of around £1million, but would not really dent the Argentines bank balance; however it is still though he will not play again for Manchester City under Mancini. In his Champions League press conference ahead of tonight’s clash at Villarreal, the Italian boss did say that all it needed was an apology for Tevez and that it may not come to him leaving the club.
There will no doubt be interest in January for Tevez and the likes of Inter Milan and Corinthians are expected to be the lead runners for his signature. Tevez was on great form for Manchester City last season but caused a stir by demanding a transfer in the summer. When he did not leave after much speculation he was not longer first choice striker, with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko above him the pecking order Tevez’s nose may have been put out of joint.
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Surely the Tevez situation has proved that player power is on the rise and a player can now demand what contract they want, what bonuses they get, when they want to leave a club and apparently how much of a fine they should have. The PFA have the interest of the player as primary but this should not involve undermining the clubs and the way they want to run their business.
Many of us like to think of ourselves as great football managers who could do a better job than a lot of those in the world of football. This is purely down to our exploits in management games like Championship Manager. Being good in the virtual world doesn’t automatically translate to the real world though, just ask some virtual stars who fell by the wayside when it came to stepping on the pitch.
Cited as a decisive factor in over 30 divorce cases, the addictive Championship Manager (later Football Manager) series successfully managed to develop a cult status amongst football fans the world over. Aside from its groundbreaking eschewal of graphics in favour of text, the series gained infamy for its ability to predict the promising futures of top players before they became famous, having foreseen the development of the likes of Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney years before the pair gained widespread notoriety.
However, the series is equally as infamous for its ability to unearth duds. The following cult heroes are indicative of when Championship Manager has gotten it wrong, as all of these virtual sensations have found footballing success elusive…
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Click on the image below to see some of Championship Manager’s cult heroes
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Having brought you some of Football’s most offensive sayings, here are arguably the 25 stupidest quotes to ever grace our game. Footballers aren’t exactly known for their brains, but some of the commentators have no excuse:
25. Phil Neville – The Brazilians were South American, and the Ukranians will be more European.
24. Lawrie McMenemy – When you are 4-0 up you should never lose 7-1.
23. Terry Venables – If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing.
22. Ian Rush – I couldn’t settle in Italy, it was like living in a foreign country.
21. Barry Venison – I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock.
20. Ruud Gullit – We must have had 99 per cent of the match. It was the other three per cent that cost us.
19. Paul Gascoigne – I’ve had 14 bookings this season – 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of which were disputable.
18. Glenn Hoddle – When a player gets to 30, so does his body.
17. Bryan Robson – It wasn’t going to be our day on the night.
16. David Coleman – If that had gone in, it would have been a goal.
15. Alan Green – It was the game that put the Everton ship back on the road.
14. Ugo Ehiogu – I’m as happy as I can be – but I have been happier.
13. Kevin Keegan – Argentina won’t be at Euro 2000 because they’re fromSouth America.
12. Alan Ball – I don’t believe in luck… but I do believe you need it.
11. Mark Viduka – I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.
10. Tom Ferrie – Dumbarton player Steve McCahill has limped off with a badly cut forehead.
9. Vinnie Jones – Winning doesn’t really matter as long as you win.
8. Stuart Pearce – I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.
7. Peter Jones – Sporting Lisbon in their green and white hoops, looking like a team of zebras.
6. Jonathan Woodgate – Leeds is a great club and it’s been my home for years, even though I live in Middlesbrough.
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5. Ron Atkinson – Well, Clive, it’s all about the two M’s – movement and positioning.
4. Metro Radio – Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.
3. Mark Draper – I’d like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.
2. David Beckham – I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don’t know into what religion yet.
1. Ron Greenwood – Playing with wingers is more effective against European sides like Brazil, than English sides like Wales.