FOOTY FAIR

The Players Arsene Wenger Could Have Signed Select XI

2016-08-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

As Paul Pogba completed his massive £89 million move to Manchester United this week, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was probably telling a disinterested Starbucks barista that the French international was yet another of the countless players he could have signed.

Yes, even the tracksuit battling Arsenal boss himself is quick to admit that he's missed out on a few stars over the years.

With that said, the following is an 'Arsene Wenger Could Signed Select XI':

Keeper: Petr Cech

Petr Cech may have made it to Arsenal eventually, but they had a chance to get him at 18 for next to nothing, when he was playing in the Czech Republic for Škoda Plzen. Unable to secure a work permit for the player, Cech slipped through Arsenal fingers. He would later move to Rennes before finding his way to Chelsea at age 21. There he would play a massive part in four Premier League title wins and a slew of other honours.

Defence: Gerard Pique

In the summer of 2003, Wenger pulled off a coup when he managed to pry Cesc Fàbregas away from Barcelona's youth team. He almost managed to bring another La Masia product by the name of Gerard Pique, as well as a certain Argentine we'll get to in a moment, over to North London as well. Wenger opted to sign Philippe Senderos instead of Pique and the rest is history. Not one of his better decisions.

Defence: Vincent Kompany

Looking to replace Sol Campbell in the summer of 2006, Wenger had the chance to sign 20-year old Anderlecht defender Vincent Kompany but passed on him as he believed that the £5 million fee the Belgian side had put on him was too high.

Defence: Raphael Varane

Wenger claims that he spotted Raphael Varane at Lens before his move to Real Madrid in 2011, but didn't put a bid in for the talented defender.

Midfield: Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was given a tour of Arsenal's London Colney training base in the summer of 2003 and seemed to be poised for a move to North London before Manchester United swept in.

Midfield: Yaya Toure

Like his brother Kolo, who did play for the Gunners for several seasons, Yaya Toure had been on the club's radar for a few years. Despite playing in a friendly for the club against Barnet in 2003 a work permit didn't materialize and Wenger lost patience, so the move fell apart.

Midfield: Paul Pogba

Manchester United's latest signing almost ended up at the Emirates after first leaving Old Trafford in 2012, according to Wenger. But Juventus moved in to fast and secured his signature.

Midfield: Claude Makele

Presented with a chance to sign a then 23-year-old Claude Makele from Nantes in 1996, Wenger chose to pass on the player who would go on to redefine the holding midfield role.

Forward: Lionel Messi

When scooping up Cesc Fàbregas from La Masia in 2003, besides Gerard Pique, Wenger also had the chance to bring in a 15-year-old named Lionel Messi. Apparently the Gunners offered him a contract, but the Argentine decided to stay at Barcelona.

Forward: Zlatan Ibrahimović

In 2000, a 19-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimović was on the verge of a £3 million move from Malmo, until Wenger asked him to play in a trial match. The Swedish striker responded with: "Zlatan doesn't do auditions", and the move broke down.

Forward: Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba, a man who had a knack for destroying Arsenal while playing for Chelsea, could have saved Wenger a lot of grief if the Gunners boss would have acted on his scout's advice and signed the Ivorian for next to nothing when he was playing for Le Mans.

The Ultimate MLS 5-a-Side Squad

2015-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Ultimate MLS 5-a-Side Squad

With the MLS regular season done and dusted, journalists who cover the MLS have been picking their players of the year and first XI based on player's average match ratings.

While I could jump in and do the same, I'm much to lazy for that sort of research and besides this is an unpaid gig for me anyway.

So instead I thought I'd have a little bit of fun with my end of season wrap up and present the players I think would make up a terrific five a side team to tear up even the toughest beer league down at the local Rec Centre.

Keeper - Bill Hamid

Although he missed a stretch of games through injury this past summer, the 24 year old Bill Hamid is still hands down the best keeper in the MLS. In his 25 matches he kept 8 clean sheets and pulled off several marvellous saves. In my attack minded squad, we will need him.

Defender - Omar Gonzalez

What can you say about the powerful LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez? He turned in another solid season the same as he has since being drafted 3rd overall in 2009. As strong on the ground as he is in the air, Gonzalez made more interceptions than any player in the MLS this season.

Defender - Kendall Waston

No one won more aerial duels (121) than Vancouver's Kendall Waston. The physical presence of the Costa Rican international was a key part of the BC club's second place finish in the Western Conference.

Forward - Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovinco was by some distance the best player in the MLS this season. His 22 goals and 13 assists don't even begin to tell the full story of how he carried Toronto FC on his back to their first ever appearance in the MLS playoffs.

Forward - Kei Kamara

Scorer of more headed goals than anyone in the league with nine, on his way to sharing the league lead in goals with Giovinco with 22, the Columbus Crew's Kei Kamara would provide the aerial strength besides the Toronto man's on the ground, jet heel approach.

Sub - Didier Drogba

Need a goal? Who better to throw on for ten minutes than the legendary Didier Drogba whose late season arrival helped drag Montreal into the playoffs. His two terrific backheeled goals this past Sunday against Toronto reminded us that there's still a lot left in the tank of the Ivorian icon.

Is Signing Drogba a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

2015-07-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the news on Monday that Chelsea legend Didier Drogba had signed a deal with MLS club Montreal Impact the reaction from fans was decidedly split.

On one hand admirers of the player himself are excited to see the Ivorian striker in the league and shared the opinion of Impact president Joey Saputo who said the signing made it "one of the biggest days in club history".

He added: "It's an honour to welcome Didier Drogba to the Impact."

After a terrific career in Europe, where he captured four league titles and a Champions League crown across two stints at Stamford Bridge, the 37 year old comes into a Montreal side that finished in the basement last season and will hope to fire then back up the table.

On the negative side are skeptics who bemoan another big name star in his twilight years dropping into the league to collect a massive pay cheque with limited return other than shirt sales.

Although it's exciting to see players like Drogba in the flesh, their best years are certainly behind them once they hit their mid-30s. Despite that the league will likely treat them with special preference, as we saw this year when Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, also deep into their 30s, joined the league and made the All Star game despite not having kicked a ball in league play yet.

Are these really the types of signings that will drive the league forward, rather than simply one that repeats some of the mistakes of the old NASL?

Didier Drogba's 5 Greatest Chelsea Moments

2015-05-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Chelsea's 3-1 win over Sunderland on Sunday marked the final appearance of Didier Drogba's second coming for the Stamford Bridge club.

Already well established as a legend in West London the Ivorian striker signed off with another league title medal to add to his bursting trophy cabinet.

The following are Drogba's five greatest moments for Chelsea:

5 - Wins His First League Premier League Title

Chelsea had not won a top division league title in fifty years, but with the considerable help of Roman Abramovich the club were financially able to compete against the likes of Manchester United and bolstered by a number of signings, including the explosive Drogba, the club captured the 2004/2005 league championship at a canter. Although Drogba struggling to initially find form after his move to the club from Marseilles, he still managed 16 goals and also scored in extra time during the club's 3-2 win over Liverpool in the League Cup Final.

4 - Wins the FA Cup and Scores the First FA Cup Final Goal at the New Wembley

Always a man for the big occasion, Drogba had an incredible record when it came to finals and the 2007 FA Cup Final between his Chelsea side and Manchester United at the brand new Wembley Stadium was no different. With the sides locked at 0-0 in extra time and the match heading to penalty kicks, Drogba struck and denied United a league and cup double.

3 - Hits a Hattrick and Wins Another League Title

Needing a victory over Wigan on the last day of the 2009/2010 season to secure the league title, Drogba fired in a blistering hat trick to help Chelsea to an emphatic 8-0 victory to wrap up another championship.

2 - Drogba Scores His 150th Goal for Chelsea

One of the most dominant strikers to have ever played in the Premier League, Drogba celebrated New Years 2011 by putting away his 150th goal for Chelsea.

1 - Chelsea Win the 2012 Champions League Final

Was there any doubt about number one on this list? Cementing his reputation as a big match player, Drogba dragged Chelsea back to level terms with Bayern Munich, after falling behind to a late goal by Thomas Muller, and then stepped up to score the decisive Champions League winning goal in the shootout in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final in Munich. It was Chelsea's first win in the greatest club competition in Europe.

5 African Players That Have Won the UEFA Champions League

2015-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

As the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off this past weekend in Equatorial Guinea, many club sides around the world gritted their teeth and hoped that their players taking part in tournament would come back healthy.

Although it is certainly an inconvenience to some clubs, particularly in Europe, that the biannual tournament falls in the middle of club season, it's a wonderful competition that pits the best African players against each other. It also provides a showcase for lessor known players that are hoping to capture the eye of one of Europe's big clubs.

Several players that have taken part in this tournament have also good on to great success in Europe and have helped their clubs to win what is still arguably the greatest prize in club, the UEFA Champions League. The following are five of the best African players who played for sides who won European Football's greatest prize.

Didier Drogba

One of the greatest African footballers ever, the Ivory Coast superstar Didier Drogba was the hero in the 2012 Champions League final as he scored a late equalizer to cancel Thomas Müller’s opener and send the game into extra time and eventually penalties. During the penalty shootout, Drogba scored the final spot kick to secure 4-3 win for the Blues. His countryman Salomon Kalou was also in the starting lineup in that 2012 final, alongside Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel.

Samuel Kuffour

Despite playing a terrific match for Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League Final and keeping Manchester United's potent attack of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke off the scoresheet, the former Ghanaian star is largely remembered from that final for letting Ole Gunnar Solskjær score the winner deep into stoppage time. The pain of that last minute defeat would be washed away two seasons later for Kuffour and Bayern though, as they surged to victory in the 2001 final with a win over Valencia.

Yaya Toure

On his day, Manchester City's Yaya Toure can be the most dominant player in the Premier League, but it with injuries affecting his former club Barcelona's backline heading into the 2009 Champions League Final against Manchester United, Toure was asked to fill the role of a centre back. The Ivorian filled the role superbly, as his side went on to a comfortable 2-0 victory in Rome.

Abedi Pele

Considered to be one of Ghana's finest ever players, Abedi Pele starred for the controversial Marseilles side of the late 1980's and early 1990's that upset AC Milan in the 1993 Champions League Final. Pele, the three time African Footballer of the Year, provided the cross to Basil Boli for the lone goal against the favoured Italian side.

Samuel Eto'o

The record four time African Footballer of the Year, and one of the finest strikers that has taken part in the Champions League over the past decade. Samuel Eto'o levelled the scores in the 2006 final against Arsenal for his former club Barcelona, in a match that the Catalan giants would go on to win 2-1. The Cameroonian legend, again opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 2009 final, which they would go on to win 2-0 against Manchester United. He was later a key player for Jose Mourinho's Inter side that downed Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 final.

The 5 Greatest African Players of All Time

2014-12-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

Whenever you compile a list with the title of "greatest x of all time" you're most certainly welcoming a lot of debate.

Most reasonable football fans can roughly agree on irrefutable facts like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi being the most dominant footballers on the planet for the past five years, but ask them to name who is the better player of the two and debates will rage. Open the debate up to having people name the top five players in the world right now and you're guaranteeing yourself a long night of arguing.

So with much trepidation I've put together a list of the five greatest African footballers of all time. The one stipulation I set for myself is that I had to have seen the players in my lifetime. So in fairness to African greats of the past, I suppose this list could have been more fairly labelled 'The 5 Greatest African Players of the Past Twenty Five Years", but regardless of that the five players I've selected were definitely World Class footballers and would presumably make most people's top five or top ten lists.

Let the debates begin.

5 - Hossam Hassan

Although Hossam Hassan didn't make much of an impact away from North Africa, the Egyptian striker supreme is rightly lauded for his remarkable success with the Pharaohs, which whom he won African Cup of Nations titles in 1986, 1998, and 2006. Hassan scored 68 goals in 176 appearances for his country and led Egypt to a World Cup appearance in 1990 where they narrowly missed out on progressing out of the group stages.

Hassan also enjoyed a successful career in Egyptian club football where he won thirteen league titles, five Egyptian Cups and one African Champions League with Cairo based giants Al-Ahly. He would later move to Al-Ahly's bitter rivals Zamalek, where he would win another three Egyptian league titles, an Egyptian Cup, and another African Champions League title.

4 - Abedi Pele

The three time African footballer of the year is widely regarded as Ghana's greatest ever player and one of the finest footballers to come out of Africa. Born with the name Abedi Ayew, after his football career began to take off he was given the moniker of the famous Brazilian and the name stuck. Abedi Pele was a skillful attacking midfielder who first came to prominence with Ghana after winning the 1982 African Cup of Nations.

After beginning his club career in Ghana with Real Tamale United, Pele moved around between several clubs at home and abroad before finding success with the dominant Olympic Marseilles side of the late '80s and early '90s. With the French side he won three Ligue 1 titles and the 1993 UEFA Champions League crown. A key part of that all conquering side, the later controversy and scandal that plagued the club shouldn't diminish the accomplishments of this pioneering African footballer who found great success in Europe.

3 - George Weah

Although the great George Weah didn't enjoy much international success with the small footballing nation of Liberia, the explosive striker had a major impact on club football. After being brought to Europe by then Monaco manager Arsene Wenger, Weah flourished in Ligue 1, scoring 47 goals in 103 appearances for the club on his way to winning the 1989 African Footballer of the Year award, as well as helping the club to the 1991 French Cup.

Subsequent moves to Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan brought further success as he secured a Ligue 1 title and two Serie A titles respectively. He also won two more African Footballer of the Year awards in 1994 and 1995, and became the first African player to win the coveted Ballon d'Or in 1995.

There's also the small matter of THIS famous goal he scored against Verona for AC Milan.

2 - Samuel Eto'o

The four time African Footballer of the Year could undoubtedly top this list, and perhaps many feel he should do, after a brilliant career for club and country. Samuel Eto'o helped his country, Cameroon to three World Cup appearances, one Olympic title and two African Cup of Nations wins.

He was perhaps even more successful at club level though, with three league titles and two Champions League wins at Barcelona which he followed up with a Serie A title and another Champions League win for Inter Milan. Eto'o scored an incredible 108 goals in 145 appearances for the Catalan giants, before bagging 33 goals in 67 matches for Inter.

The Cameroon international is still going strong for Everton in the English Premier League at the tail end of what has been a wonderful career.

1 - Didier Drogba

Ivory Coast's all time top scorer with 65 goals in 104 appearances, besides being his countries greatest player, Didier Drogba could also stake a claim at club level to be the greatest Chelsea player ever as well. Known for his physical strength, powerful presence in the air and his ability to bully defenders, Drogba is the prototypical 'lone striker'.

Scoring 101 goals in 233 appearances for Chelsea, who he initially joined after a successful season with Marseilles, none of his goals were more important than his late equalizer against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League Final and his final successful penalty that handed the West London club their first win the top European competition. To go along with that win, he also played a key role in the club winning three Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two League Cups.

At international level, despite not winning any silverware with his country, he did lead his nation to two African Cup of Nations Finals that they subsequently lost on penalty kicks, and he also helped the Ivory Coast to qualification for the last three World Cup tournaments.

5 Highest Paid African Footballers of 2014

2014-09-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

I am going to take a look at the five highest paid African footballers of 2014; the names will perhaps not surprise you since they are well known names and players that have played at the highest level for club and country.

Here are the 5 highest paid African football players of 2014, including a calculation of their respective net worth, according to Football Money site.

Michael Essien - $25 million

He was Africa’s wealthiest player in 2005 when he transferred from Lyon to Chelsea. That was a signing that gained the Ghanaian international midfielder around $40.5 million. After playing with Chelsea and a loan spell at Real Madrid, Essien signed with AC Milan in January of 2014.

Emmanuel Adebayor - $27 million

He is Togo’s top scorer of all time and he was reported to be earning $268,000 a week when he joined Manchester City. He is currently representing Tottenham Hotspurs of the Premier League. He has also donated large sums of money to charities over the years, giving back some of what he has earned to help the ones in need.

Yaya Touré - $65 million

The Ivorian international and Manchester City midfielder signed a five year deal with City reportedly around the amount of $40 million. His combined earnings for his international performances amount to around $15 million annually. He is one of Africa’s best players and it isn’t a surprise that he is the third best paid African player.

Didier Drogba - $70 million

A member of Ivory Coast’s golden generation, Didier Drogba hit the big time at the age of 26 when he moved to Chelsea to earn $170,000 a week. He is the club’s fourth highest goal scorer of all-time, and it wasn’t a surprise that after a spell with Turkey’s Galatasaray where he earned $5.2 million annually, that he would move back to Chelsea during this summer’s transfer market.

Samuel Eto’o - $90 million

The wealthiest player in the African continent is the Cameroonian international Samuel Eto’o. When he played for Anzhi during 2011-2013 seasons he earned around $25 million annually. He has represented Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and as of August 2014 Everton. He has been able to help his country and Africa by starting his own charity, Fundacion Privada Samuel Eto’o, which has helped people in Cameroon obtain basic health care.

5 World Cup Stars Call it Quits in 2014

2014-08-10T21:00:00.001-04:00

Didier Drogba has announced this week that he is retiring from international play. He is the 5th World Cup star to call it quits on his international career, in 2014.

Let us take a moment to look at these five wonderful players and what they have given their countries over the years.

Steven Gerrard (England)

The Liverpool captain has been a main staple with the English national team for a better half of a decade. During that time he earned 114 caps and scored 21 goals. He has never managed to win any major trophy for his country but he helped them qualify for 3 Euro Cups and 4 World Cups. His first World Cup experience was in 2006 and he scored two goals, both during group stage, against Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden. He managed to be England’s top scorer in that tournament with his two goals. 2010 World Cup was the first time he was given direct captaincy of the national team, not because someone else was injured or unavailable. He had been captain before but not under these new circumstances. When he retired from international duty on the 21st of July 2014 his 114 caps put him in third most capped English player ever. He will go down in history as one of England greatest players, leaders and captains.

Philipp Lahm (Germany)

The Bayern Munich player represented his country for a decade, and in that time period he earned 113 caps and scored 5 goals. His first international tournament was the Euro 2004 in Portugal, where he played all 90 minutes of Germany’s group stage games. Then didn’t advance out of the group stage but his performances showed the world his talent and what was to come in years ahead. From that point on he became an integral part of the Germany national team, which unless due to injury or suspension would play nearly every game for his country. He reached his 100th cap on the 6th of September 2013 in a 3-0 win over Austria. The game was part of the qualification matches for the upcoming 2014 World Cup. The 2014 World Cup would be his last tournament with Germany, but considering that he and his country won the tournament, I believe it was his way to leave on top.

Xavi Hernandez (Spain)

Xavi has been representing Spain since 2000, in what can only be considered 14 glorious years. During that time frame he earned 133 caps and scored 13 goals, not to mention that he won 2 Euro Cups and 1 World Cup, and all in back to back to back years. His first major tournament was the 2002 World Cup, but his true value and importance in the Spanish national side wasn’t obvious to most observers until the Euro 2008, where he was voted player of the tournament and he helped Spain win their first major international trophy. He absolutely dominated that tournament and became a household name in world football. On August 5th 2014, following Spain’s early exit of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Xavi announced his retirement from international football. Spain lost one of its best players and the fans lost a true magician in the art of football.

David Villa (Spain)

David Villa represented Spain from 2005 to 2014, earning 97 caps and scoring 59 goals during that time period. His first major tournament was the 2006 World Cup, which saw him partner up with Fernando Torres in the attack of the team and earning both 3 goals each as they lead their team in scoring. The only tournament he would not play for Spain was the Euro 2012, after breaking his leg playing for Barcelona he wasn’t able to recuperate on time to be able to represent his country that summer. He won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, but would miss out on winning the Euro 2012, a small blemish in what is an incredible international career. He is currently the all-time leading scorer for his country, surpassing the enigmatic Raul on that list. It is an incredible mark for an incredible player.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Drogba announced yesterday that he would no longer be representing his country in international play. He represented Ivory Coast from 2002 to 2014, earning him 104 caps and he scored 65 goals during that time. His first World Cup was in 2006 in Germany, and up until this summer he was the main weapon in Ivory Coast’s arsenal when looking at scoring goals in the opposing net. He earned his 100th cap in a friendly with Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring a penalty kick in a 2-1 loss. His limited play at the 2014 World Cup started to signal to him that perhaps his time was coming to an end, so his retirement news is not coming as a shock to anyone, having said that he is one of the most prolific goals scorers of his generation.