FOOTY FAIR

5 Premier League Players With Something to Prove

2016-08-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 2016-2017 English Premier League season kicks off this weekend and the following are five players who have something to prove:

5.) Jamie Vardy

Last season, Jamie Vardy's astonishing 24 goal return helped Leicester City to the most unlikely league title in modern history. But can he, and Leicester, prove that last season wasn't just a one off?

4.) Wayne Rooney

There are few topics as divisive among Manchester United supporters than the current merits of captain Wayne Rooney. He has undoubtedly been a great player for the club, but his form over the past two seasons has been patchy to say the least. With new manager Jose Mourinho preferring to play him back in a forward position, rather than in midfield, it'll be interesting to see if Rooney can recapture his form of past years.

3.) John Stones

With Manchester City completing a £47.5 million deal for the highly rated John Stones, the now former Everton defender will certainly come in for some increased scrutiny this season. Like the rest of his former teammates Stones faded badly in the second half of last season, with many claiming that he tends to attempt risky maneuvers in the box, when a similar option would suffice. It'll be interesting to see how he does under new City boss Pep Guardiola.

2.) Eden Hazard

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard, who had been instrumental in the Blues title winning campaign in 2014-2015, ranged between anonymous and disastrous last season. He'll need to find his form again if he is going to impress new manager Antonio Conte.

1.) Raheem Sterling

It seems staggering now that Manchester City paid £50 million for former Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling a year ago. To say that the England international struggled last season, and again at Euro 2016 with his country, is the football understatement of the decade. Sterling's fee was always much too high, and he'll likely never quite fulfill it, but if he can recapture his Liverpool form he may just become a valuable player once again for club and country.

Join Our EPL Fantasy Football League for 2016-2017

2016-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well folks, it's time for you to take on each other and the staff here at FootyFair in this year's EPL fantasy football.

We have created a footyfair.com league within the official EPL fantasy site, and we would like our readers to join us to see who can top our league come May.

You are welcome to invite your friends by liking and sharing this post.

(New entries will be closed before match-day 2)

TO JOIN OUR LEAGUE:
https://fantasy.premierleague.com?autojoin-code=1350909-337373

LEAGUE CODE:
1350909-337373

How Brexit Might Affect the Premier League

2016-06-24T11:25:00.001-04:00

The world woke up today to a very different political landscape in Europe as the citizens of the United Kingdom voted in favour yesterday of leaving the European Union by a 51.9 to 48.1 percent margin.

This in turn led to UK Prime Minister David Cameron announcing that he will resign by October.

While the pound and the markets predictably took a hit, Premier League chiefs were scrambling to assure followers of the English game that either the league wouldn't suffer any ill effects or that it was simply too early to tell.

But what are the possible ramifications of a Premier League outside of the EU?

Last season saw 432 European players registered in the top tier of English football and although those players will not necessarily have to leave their status of being able to live and work in the UK may be in question over the next two years.

Under the EU's free movement of labour laws, players can move between countries that are part of the Union, including the United Kingdom, without a work permit but with "Brexit" these players will now essentially have the same status as players from non-EU countries.

Currently, non-EU players hoping to sign for Premier League clubs have to have played in at least 30 percent of their countries international matches in the two years prior to applying for a work permit. The FIFA rankings of the countries these players are coming from can also determine whether or not their permit will be approved.

The other impact will be felt in the recruitment of young players from abroad. FIFA currently has a restriction in place that forbids players under the age of 18 from being transferred across borders.

The exception to that is that within the EU, where the age is reduced to 16. This has been beneficial to clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal who have stocked up their youth and reserve sides with 16 to 18 year olds from across Europe for often cut-rate fees.

This may very much be at an end.

The 25 English Clubs That Have Spent the Most Seasons in the Top Division

2015-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Supporters of every professional football club in England outside of the top flight, from the Championship all the way down to League Two, dream of one day seeing their sides rub shoulders with the giants of the Premier League.
But with the gap between the wealthy 'haves' and the struggling 'have nots' growing larger each season, it has become even more difficult to obtain a place at the top table for smaller clubs and next to impossible to maintain that place if they do somehow manage to crack into the top flight.

Looking at a list this week of the teams that have spent the most number of seasons in the top division of English football, from the start of the old First Division in 1888 to its restructuring as the Premier League in 1992* and onto today, I saw a few familiar names.

(*Yes, English football did exist prior to 1992, before you ask.)

Some of the usual suspects, like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United of course graced the top end of the list, but the team that has spent the most number of seasons in the top flight is in fact Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton.

Of the 117 seasons of top division football, Everton have spent a staggering 113 of those seasons in the highest tier.

Looking further down the list were sides that enjoyed several successful decades in the past, but have struggled in recent years. Clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United not only spent many years in the top division, but were also league champions once upon a time.

Supporters of these clubs will be hoping to one day regularly take on the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea in the league again, but to enjoy some of the glories their clubs experienced in the past it'll almost certainly take some significant investment.

With that said, here are the top 25 clubs in England that have spent the most number of seasons in the top flight, courtesy of myfootballfacts.com:

3 Premier League Managers Who Could Be Facing the Sack

2015-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

We're just over a month into the 2015-2016 Premier League season and already a few managers are skating on thin ice.

With the intense pressure for some clubs to crack the top four and others to simply avoid the drop, club executives seem to get itchy trigger fingers earlier every season.

According betting advice site http://www.thesackrace.com the following managers might be facing the sack unless their club's fortunes change quickly:

Dick Advocaat - Odds: 1/1

Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat performed a minor miracle in keeping the Black Cats up last season and nearly called it a day this summer before being persuaded to stay with the club. He's probably regretting that decision at the moment, as Sunderland are rock bottom at the foot of the Premier League without a win and were just thumped by Manchester City this week in the Capital One Cup.

Brendan Rodgers - Odds: 2/1

After squandering the Luis Suarez money on a collection of duds and a spluttering start to this season's campaign after finishing a disappointing sixth last term Brendan Rodgers in trouble. With only eight points from six matches the Anfield faithful are starting to turn on the man who almost led them to the title two seasons ago. One group of supporters has even thrown around the idea of dressing en-mass like Jurgen Klopp at their next home fixture. That would be something to see.

Steve McClaren - Odds: 11/2

With Newcastle United level with North East rivals Sunderland with a measly two points, and winless themselves, new boss Steve McClaren sees his side ahead of the Black Cats only by virtue of one goal in the goal difference column. It's shocking to think that McClaren could be under this much pressure already, after only coming to St. James' Park in the summer, but the fact that his side are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with only three strikes in six matches and were just dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Sheffield United has him in trouble. Owner Mike Ashley, despite his faults, does typically give his manager's time though.

Can You Name All 22 Original EPL Clubs?

2015-08-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

The 1992-93 season was huge for English football with the birth of the newly reformatted and named English Premier League. But can you remember the 22 clubs that were in England's top tier for the EPL's inaugural season? Well, there's only one way to find out.

Poll Maker

Random Footballer I Idolized: Matthew Le Tissier

2015-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Matthew Le Tissier didn't look anything like the typical professional footballer you see gracing the Premier League nowadays, in fact during his prime in the 1990's he didn't look like many of the players that played then either.

Lacking the slim, muscular physique of many of football's top stars, and without the salon styled haircuts of England's finest, he looked more pub league than Premier League, but then if you saw him with the ball at his feet you understood why Southampton fans and neutrals like me revered him so much.

Born in the channel island of Guernsey in 1968, the player Saints fans would come to call Le God made his debut for the south coast club in 1986.

The one club for life man went on to score 161 goals in 443 appearances for Southampton, but he's remembered more for the quality of his goals than the number of them.

Appearing to glide lazily across the pitch, in a style reminiscent of the great Brazilian midfielder Socrates, Le Tissier could suddenly burst with pace, dribble past a defender or two and then send the ball rocketing towards goal.

When compiling a list of the greatest goals of the Premier League era, several of Le Tissier's strikes would feature highly. In fact, he probably needs a list of his own considering the number of brilliant goals he conjured up.

In 1993 Newcastle United were on the receiving end of two of his moments of genius.

His first resulted from the knock-down of a long ball by Iain Dowie. With the ball dropping behind Le Tissier he exquisitely controlled it with his heel and then volleyed it past defender Barry Venison. Surging into the box, he then lifted the ball over another defender before guiding it beyond keeper Mike Hooper. The supreme skill and effortlessness of the finish almost made it look easy.

Southampton's attacking midfielder extraordinaire wasn't finished there though, with the match later tied, he brought a headed pass 30 yards from goal under control with his thigh, turned and hammered an 88th minute winner for Southampton into the top corner.

Besides these two moments of genius, there were many others including a stunning dribble that culminated in a superlative 40-yard chip against Blackburn Rovers in 1993/1994 which many view as the greatest goal in Premier League history.

Despite offers to move on to bigger sides, Le Tissier always stayed loyal to Southampton, despite this and his individualist style of play likely costing him England caps.

Considering his talent it's quite incredible that he only played eight times for his country.

Football supporters can be odd characters, whereas on one hand you have players slated for a lack of loyalty when they force moves to other clubs, Le Tissier was criticized for his lack of ambition.

After retiring in 2002, Le Tissier has concentrated mainly on media work and for his part he holds no regrets over how his playing career unfolded.

Speaking earlier this year to the Guardian's Barry Glendenning, Le Tissier said that his dream growing up was to "play football professionally, play for England and just enjoy his football", he was doing all of those things by the time he was 25 years old.

5 Premier League Oldtimers That Are Still Doing the Business

2015-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Football is a young man's game many would have you believe, but this past English Premier League season proved that there is still life in the legs of a few over 30's.

The following are five players who continue to be important to their sides despite their advancing years:

5.) Peter Crouch, Stoke City (34)

The famously gangly Peter Crouch was once asked what he would be if he wasn't a footballer and simply replied "Single". The man who doesn't have the traditional look of a footballer though is still going strong for Stoke City and this season managed to equal Alan Shearer's career record for headed goals in the Premier League with 46.

4.) Julian Speroni, Crystal Palace (36)

The Crystal Palace club legend Julian Speroni completed his tenth season at Selhurst Park in 2014/2015 and his impressive form played a big part in Palace's unexpected 10th place finish. During his time in England, the Argentine has won the club's Player of the Season award four times and this season broke John Jackson's 42 year old total appearances record for the club by a goalkeeper by making his 347th appearance.

3.) Esteban Cambiasso, Leicester City (34)

After being released by Inter Milan following the 2013/2014 season, the Foxes capture of Esteban Cambiasso seemed like an odd one doomed to failure. Aging stars who have never played in the Premier League before coming to England in their 30's have a decidedly spotty history, but the man nicknamed "Cuchu" (Old Man) was a big reason why Leicester stayed in the top flight. In particular, his play in the final nine matches of the season, which saw the club win seven and draw one while climbing to a 14th place finish, secured his position as the club's Player of the Season as voted on by the fans.

2.) Michael Carrick, Manchester United (33)

The often underappreciated Michael Carrick in a way proves how vital he is to his side when you witness their performances without him. With Carrick in the lineup, United have a level head in the centre of the park who doesn't often surrender possession cheaply and sets the tempo. When the Geordie is out of the squad through injury United struggle to fill the vacuum like hole in the middle.

1.) John Terry, Chelsea (34)

Love him or hate him, and let's face it if you don't support Chelsea you probably hate him, but John Terry continues to set the standard for central defenders in England. The Chelsea captain would run over his grandmother to win a tackle and is a big part of why Jose Mourinho's side won the title this past season.

The Premier League Season is Over, What the Heck Am I Going to Watch?

2015-05-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

This Sunday we saw Steven Gerrard's emotional farewell tour end in farce as an unsentimental Stoke City side pummelled StevieG's beloved Liverpool 6-1, elsewhere Newcastle survived the drop by the skin of their teeth despite the hapless John Carver's best efforts and Champions Chelsea bid adieu again to Didier Drogba.

As I took it all in and reflected on what was in reality a fairly dull Premier League season I broke out in a cold sweat. What am I going to watch now?

Sure there's a few series I've been meaning to catch up on, like the most recent season of Homeland. But with the death of US Marine turned domestic terrorist Nicholas Brody at the end of Season 3, do I really want to put myself through a season of just Claire Danes acting disturbed?

If I want to see someone unhinged with eyes burning into my soul from beyond a TV screen, give me Roy Keane.

I could of course go outside and enjoy the sunshine, but I'd rather see a sun drenched Old Trafford or even Goodison Park, but not Upton Park as that place seems to have a perpetual rain cloud over it during the current reign of Big Sam.

Oh that's right, Allardyce has been sacked. I'm losing the plot already and will soon have to resort to desperate measures like talking to loved ones.

With no Premier League football to fill my weekends I'll need to look for other forms of football to fill the gap now, and thankfully there are some tournaments to tide me over this summer.

First off we have the Women's World Cup here in Canada, which I may attend a match for up in Ottawa, there's also meaningless overpriced summer friendlies (And no, the fucking Emirates Cup isn't a real trophy Arsenal fans), the Copa America and the Pan Am Games.

Speaking of the Pan Am Games, they're only a month away yet the schedule still hasn't been posted, who the hell do I contact about that?

I'm also bracing for ludicrous transfer speculation that always ends in disappointment. You dream of Iniesta and end up with Charlie Adam.

You'll forgive me for almost forgetting about my local MLS side, the beleaguered Toronto FC. But that's a story for another day.

Welcome to the summer.

The Round Table: Highlights of the Season

2015-05-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Every weekend we go beyond the headlines and talk to real football fans about current topics or issues in the football world.
Today the group discussed their own highlights of the 2014/2015 football season.

On the round table today we were joined by:

Bramble
Parmar
Luka
Adrien
Jay
Iain (me)

With only about a month to go in the European Football season for 2014/2015, what have been your highlights so far this season?

Jay:

As a Manchester United fan, sadly mostly just David DeGea's performances. Haha. Though in have to say the battle at the bottom of the table has been great to follow, providing some great games!

Also Juan Mata's scissor volley, LvG press conferences, and Jose Mourinho's antics.

Parmar:

Being top of the table all season long (LOL) and being 13 points clear with an opportunity to win the title at home.

BORING BORING CHELSEA and Mourinho's reply: 'Boring, I think, is 10 years without a title. That's very boring,' ''The boring team is the second team with most goals in the Premier League, the best goal difference. Only Manchester City have scored more goals than us.'

Liverpool coming back down to reality and being where they belong in the table.

The relegation battle has been intriguing and cool to follow. I'm interested to see if Villa can keep their winning form up and stay out of relegation. It would be a shame seeing a club like Villa be sent down.

Bramble:

Mata's Scissor volley at AnFAILED, Mario Balotelli sucking, Steven Gerrard announcing he's leaving, David De Gea coming into his own at United, Daley Blind, LVG pressers, Jose Mourinho trolling, United coming back, Brendan Rodgers Liverpoop. Chris Smalling having more goals than Balotelli, the rest of Europe is pretty standard fare really Bayern Munich winning is normal, La Liga is normal, Ligue 1 is somewhat normal, the predictable CL is beyond predictable and normal, so no highlights there.

Iain:

My highlights include Brendan Rodgers being exposed as a tactical fraud and also doing what he criticized Spurs for when they sold Gareth Bale: Replacing quality with quantity after Luis Suarez was sold.

Manchester United's improved play, in the second half of the season has been a highlight with Juan Mata's goal along with dominating Liverpool and City being a joy to watch.

Southampton have been a nice story and it was great to see Aston Villa get to the FA Cup Final.

Adrian:

While the race to become Germany's champion might not have been incredibly competitive, there's been more than a few talking points this season.

The biggest one being Borussia Dortmund's incredible fall from grace. Two years ago they were playing in a Champions League final, and this season they found themselves rock bottom of the table on multiple occasions and it looks as though they'll be losing some marquee players in the summer not the least of which...their manager.

Wolfsburg of course surprised folk by taking up the challenge of dethroning Bayern, and while in the end they failed they will at least have the honour of providing the league with the MVP. Kevin de Bruyne was a one man wrecking crew at times and Wolfsburg will be hard pressed to keep him this summer if the offers start to roll in. Would be a shame as they seemed to have been building something good there.

There's a good chance that the only club to play in every single Bundesliga season will finally be relegated, HSV. The tiny Bavarian club Augsburg could end up in Europe next season. And finally ahead of the big guns like Lewandowski, Müller, Reus, Robben, Huntelaar, and de Bruyne the torschützenkönig will very likely be Frankfurt's Alexander Meier. Whenever Frankfurt scored it seemed as though it was Meier doing the business and he'd be the first Eintracht player to win the scoring title since former Leeds man Anthony Yeboah was joint top scorer in 93-94.

Luka:

Favourite matches -

Leverkusen 4-5 Wolfsburg

Chelsea 2-2 PSG

Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona

Luka:

And how can I forget Montreal vs Club America in the CONCACAF Champions League Final and the meltdown at the O just this past week?

Jay:

That was brilliant. Watching them Limp from a winning position to getting absolutely smashed in the second half was fantastic.

April Fools' – Football Edition

2015-04-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you are a football fan today is not an easy day for you.

Most newspaper and websites will find a way to add fake news to their regular lineup with the main objective of making the reader look like a fool.

Sometimes the story is so absurd that you can honestly tell that there is no truth behind it and it is nothing more than an April Fools' joke, but sometimes it is so well done that it would have the most rabid fan looking twice and calling his friends to share what he just read.

Most of them have to do with wild transfers or personal aspects of a player’s life, but some others are so outrages and funny that you can’t avoid the laughter.

Three of my favorite April Fools' gathered a life of their own on the internet, and have always become memorable to me in what the day should be all about.

In 2012 a story started to circulate on the internet that Arsenal was planning to test-tube footballers to outsmart Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. This was an obvious joke, but it was funny and well done, to a point that you know it is fake but you still wonder if there is any truth to it.

2013 brought us one of the most elaborate and well done April Fool’s joke of all time. Rickie Lambert did a video where he is being interviewed by New Zealand journalist about the fact that he had made himself available to represent New Zealand. The video is very well done and the addition of Lambert makes the story extremely believable, but it was nothing more than a joke. I am sure many New Zealand hearts were broken in the process.

In 2014 and Austin, Texas publication claimed that MLS was coming to Austin and with it the light rail system. Considering the well-known desire from Austin to have an MLS franchise this story gained massive momentum. The light rail part of the story is what made me think twice about believing it.

Had the writer kept the story to the addition of an MLS franchise and that the team would be located in Austin, I believe most of North America would have taken the bate, hook and liner on this one.

Over the last three years those three stories were my favorite, but I am sure this year will bring us more funny stories, looking forward to see what the day brings us.

Is the English Premier League in Decline?

2015-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

In 2009 three of the four Semi-Finalists in the UEFA Champions League were teams from the English Premier League.

Although Barcelona went on to win the 'Cup with the big ears' that season, English football seemed to be on a firm ascendency. However things appeared to have dramatically changed in the six years following this, as not a single English side has progressed beyond the last sixteen this season.

With a Liverpool side rocked by the departure of Luis Suarez bowing out in the group stage, and then Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea all meeting their end in the last sixteen, the Quarter Finals are an English free zone for the second time in three seasons.

So what's happened to the EPL exactly?

With Manchester City coming into large piles of cash in the last five years, another title front runner has been added to the mix in England, but the blue half of Manchester haven't looked anywhere convincing in their forays into Europe. They seem very much what they are: an unbalanced side made up of talented individuals, but not a consistently good team.

Chelsea, unlikely Champions League winners in 2012, have aged in key positions and haven't quite hit the heights under Jose Mourinho that they did under his previous reign as manager. That said, they looked to be the strongest contender from England this season and their last sixteen exit will be seen as a massive disappointment.

Arsenal on the other hand have now crashed out at the last sixteen stage in five straight seasons. The club, domestically and in Europe, have stagnated under manager Arsene Wenger and don't look anywhere near capable of winning this competition in the near future.

The side that didn't even make it as far as the knockout rounds, Liverpool, enjoyed a terrific season in 2013/2014 and it was only a late slip up, no pun intended, that cost them the Premier League title. However, despite the aforementioned departure of Suarez and an injury to Daniel Sturridge, the Merseysiders would have certainly hoped to escape a group that contained Real Madrid, Ludogorets, and FC Basel. But the clubs dire early season form in England followed them into Europe and they weren't able to progress. This season they face a tall order to qualify for the Champions League again.

One big club not in Europe this season at all, was Manchester United, who have suffered a dramatic dip in stature since the retirement of manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Despite a massive transfer outlay last summer, would appear that it'll still take some time before the Old Trafford outfit can return to the summit.

By and large the problem in England appears to be teams want immediate success, but yet aren't able to match the pull of Real Madrid for example, and aren't willing to bring a side made up of key players from their youth side and supplemented by smart transfer acquisitions like Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Unless we see a philosophy change in this regard in England in the next few seasons, it's hard to see the EPL asserting themselves like they did at the tail end of the last decade.

10 Great Sir Alex Ferguson Quotes

2015-03-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

The former Manchester United boss was known to use his verbal prowess not only to motivate his players but also to play the famous mind games with his opponents. Perhaps in the Premier League era, Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the best at the now famous mind games.

While no longer coaching, some of the things he said while United bench boss remain classic and truthful to this day, and I am sure will continue to be in years to come.

Here are ten of the greatest quotes from Sir Alex Ferguson.

“If we can play like that every week we'll get some level of consistency.”

“Sometimes in football you have to hold your hand up and say, yeah, they're better than us.”

“I feel sympathy for the working class lad. I've always championed about ticket prices and try to equate that to people's salaries.”

“The culmination of three trophies was the pinnacle of my career and it has been rewarded with a knighthood.”

“Sometimes you're not sure about a player. Sometimes you doubt. Sometimes you have to guess. Sometimes... you just know.”

“In England, it's a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it's much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.”

"My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f****g perch. And you can print that."

“ Inzaghi? That lad must have been born offside."

"They say he's an intelligent man (Wenger), right? Speaks five languages. I've got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages!"

"He (Mourinho) was certainly full of it, calling me boss and big man when we had our post-match drink after the first leg. But it would help if his greetings were accompanied by a decent glass of wine. What he gave me was paint-stripper."

4 Manchester United vs Arsenal Classics

2014-11-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

As Arsenal prepare to take on Manchester United this weekend at The Emirates, the fixture presents a chance for both sides to kickstart their respective assaults on the top four.
The fact that it's only a top four place the sides are chasing though is a reflection of how both clubs have slipped away from the title reckoning in recent seasons.

With United winning their twentieth league title in 2012/2013, little did they know of the season and half of struggle that lay ahead of them following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

As for Arsenal, they have continued to be a good side under Arsene Wenger for the past decade, but they haven't realistically looked like a side capable of winning the league since "The Invincibles" of 2003/2004.

Although this weekends encounter is sure to be exciting it simply can't match some of these sides past meetings for its significance. When Arsenal and United met in the late '90s and early '00s, the title or a cup was usually on the line and there was also a genuine animosity between the two sets of players and their respective managers.

The matches between these sides in that period bubbled with intensity and often generated moments that were season defining.

The following are four Manchester United and Arsenal matches that mattered most:

1997/1998 - 9 November 1997

Arsenal 3 - Manchester United 2
FA Premier League

As champions Manchester United came flying out of the blocks in the 1997/1998 season, Arsenal entered this match at Highbury four points behind and needing a win to stay close to the league leaders. Goals from Nicolas Anelka and Patrick Vieira staked Arsenal to a 2-0 lead before a pair from new signing Teddy Sheringham drew United level. A David Platt goal seven minutes from time though put Arsenal ahead for good.

In Arsene Wenger's first full season at the club, Arsenal would be imperious after Christmas and would win 10 matches in a row en route to winning the league title.

1998/1999 - 14 April 1999

Manchester United 2 - Arsenal 1 AET
FA Cup Semi Final Replay

The 'Ali - Foreman' of English football, this match had absolutely everything and is arguably one of the greatest FA Cup Semi Finals ever played. With Villa Park hosting the two contenders for the league title and that seasons FA Cup, David Beckham gave United an early lead with a dipping shot from distance. Dennis Bergkamp leveled the score in the second half and with Roy Keane's dismissal by David Elleray for a second bookable offence the tie swung in Arsenal's favour. With the Gunners pummeling away at United's goal, Phil Neville tripped Ray Parlour in the box in the 90th minute presenting Bergkamp with a chance to send Arsenal to Wembley. Incredibly, United's Peter Schmeichel

saved the Dutchman's penalty and sent the match into extra time. In the 109th minute, with both sides tiring, United substitute Ryan Giggs picked up an errant pass from Patrick Vieira, drove at the Gunners defence and scored a goal for the ages to settle the match. Manchester United would go on to win a historic Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League title while Arsenal would finish the season empty handed.

2003/2004 - 21 September 2003

Arsenal 0 - Manchester United 0
FA Premier League

In a season where Arsenal went on to finish their league campaign without a loss, it's often forgotten that they were only a cross bar away from losing their unbeaten record in September. United, having finished the previous season as champions seemed to have this ill tempered affair in hand when Arsenal captain was sent off in the 80th minute for appearing to kick out at Ruud van Nistelrooy. Ten minutes later, the Dutch striker had a chance to win the match for United with virtually the last kick, before seeing his effort from the penalty spot crash off the bar. Several of Arsenal's players responded to Van Nistelrooy's miss by confronting the United player and screaming abuse in his face. It was a case of handbags at dawn as the two sets of players fronted up to each other over the incident, but eventually two United and six Arsenal players were charged and fined by the FA for 'improper conduct' over the incident. The Gunners cared little though as this was the closet they'd come to losing all season as they romped to the title.

2004/2005 - 24 October 2004

Manchester United 2 - Arsenal 0
FA Premier League

Known forever as "Pizzagate" or "The Battle of the Buffet" this was the match when Arsenal's record breaking unbeaten run of 49 games came to an end. In an often violent, but always engaging affair the two teams traded blows, literally and in a football sense throughout, but the pendulum swung in United's favour when they were awarded a very contentious penalty after Sol Campbell brought down Wayne Rooney in the box in the 72nd minute. Van Nistelrooy cooly exercised any memories from the year before as he put his side ahead from the spot. A reeling Arsenal were then put away by a goal from Rooney in the 90th minute. Following the match tempers boiled over in the tunnel, where pushing and shoving escalated into Cesc Fabregas throwing a slice of pizza at United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, along with other food items being thrown around. The match left Arsenal furious with the performance of referee Mike Riley, as they not only felt aggrieved by the penalty decision but also by some rough tackling by the United players that had gone unpunished.

In the return fixture at Highbury later that season, the bad blood boiled to the surface prior to kickoff with United's Roy Keane and Gary Neville involved in a physical altercation with Arsenal's Vieira. Despite United winning that match 4-2 to complete a double in the league over the Gunners, it would be Roman Abramovich's Chelsea who would win the title that season. It was the first Premier League crown since 1995 to not be won by either Arsenal or Manchester United and signaled the end of an era in the rivalry between these clubs in their battle for league supremacy.

Can Southampton Finish in the Top Four?

2014-11-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

As Southampton's supporters witnessed the nightmare of their team, which had finished in 8th place in the Premier League in 2013/2014, ripped to shreds in the summer through the sale of several of their best players, you couldn't blame them for being concerned.

By early August, with defender Dejan Lovren, striker Rickie Lambert, and attacking midfielder Adam Lallana sold on to Liverpool, left-back Luke Shaw sold to Manchester United, and right-back Calum Chambers transferring out to Arsenal, the prospect of relegation seemed to loom large for the Saints.

With Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino leaving for Spurs, the club appeared to be going through it's most traumatic period since the dark days of League One.

Prior the season starting I tuned into BBC's 606 Phone-In show to hear an interview with Southampton's new Chairman Ralph Krueger. Coming to the club after a long spell in North American and European hockey, the Canadian seemed from the outside to be an odd choice to take up such a post at the football club.

In light of what had occurred that summer, Krueger was predictably skewered by Saints fans and neutrals a-like who called into the show. Some even suggested that it was a "Fire Sale" and that the club didn't care if they got relegated.

Krueger, for his part, displayed a quiet confidence in the face of such a strong backlash and told caller after caller to have faith in new manager Ronald Koeman. He suggested that the club would bring in replacements for the players that had left and he believed that there was talent in the youth ranks that was ready for the step up to the first team.

Despite his positive outlook many, myself included, remained unconvinced. But then something incredible happened.

With the club bolstered by the signings of Dušan Tadić from Twente, Sadio Mané from Red Bull Salzburg, Hull City's Shane Long, Toby Alderweireld on loan from Atletico Madrid, and best of all Graziano Pellè from Feyenoord, the club has roared to their best-ever start to a top flight season.

Southampton haven't been scraping results either, rather they have pulled themselves to within four points of league leaders Chelsea by playing terrific attacking football.

Under Ronald Koeman, they have become one the best sides to watch in the Premier League and many neutrals are now hoping that they can stay in the top four.

In the years since the Champions League was expanded to include four sides from England, the usual suspects for qualification into the biggest competition in club football has been made up of a small number of teams. For years it was Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal that consistently locked down the qualifying spots, with Manchester City's new riches later forcing out Liverpool, and outside of that it was only Tottenham and Everton occasionally threatening to force their way in.

This season though with Manchester United still struggling through their post-Alex Ferguson transition, Liverpool in a mess after the sale of Luis Suarez, Arsenal dropping silly points, and Manchester City nowhere near as good as they were last season, the only one of the big clubs that's assured of finishing in and around the top of the league is Chelsea.

So if Southampton can maintain their current form, even allowing for one rough patch at some point, this season may be the best opportunity for the club to break into the Champions League.

Looking at the Saints schedule after a match with Aston Villa at Villa Park, they then have matches against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal in consecutive weeks. It's a tough run of matches, but if the club can come through that relatively unscathed they should be in great shape heading into the New Year.

For Southampton to make the top four, after the trauma of last summer and being only a few years removed from League One and Administration, this would certainly rank as one of the greatest single season accomplishments of the Premier League era.

Kieron Dyer Finally Tells All About THAT Fight With Lee Bowyer

2014-10-22T21:00:00.000-04:00

During a solid, but unspectacular playing career one thing Lee Bowyer was known for was his combative nature, which was something that often landed him in trouble.

This was never more evident than in his notorious on pitch scrap with Newcastle United teammate Kieron Dyer back in 2005.

In the middle of a 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa, out of nowhere the two men came to blows with Bowyer raining fists down on his bemused teammate.

The reason for their scrap, and what occurred afterwards other than an awkward picture of the two shaking hands, has never been revealed. That is until today.

Speaking to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Dyer has finally spilled the beans on what sparked this little melee.

According to Dyer:

“We were playing the game, he came short and wanted the ball and I passed to someone else.

“He was like ‘Give me the ball’ and I was like ‘I haven’t given the ball away, what you talking about’.

Five minutes later he came again and I gave it to somebody else and he said, ‘You never pass to me!’

I said, ‘The reason I don’t pass to you is because you’re shit, basically’.

“There were a lot of swear words. And that was it, then you just saw him lose his head.

“He said, ‘You what?’ And I said, ‘You heard me.’

“As he was walking towards me I just thought he was going to grab me or push me.

“When he was raining the punches in I thought, ‘You need to get on the weights because they aren't hurting.’

“Secondly, I was thinking ‘I can’t believe he’s doing this in front of 50,000 people’.”

But this was just what occurred on the pitch, back in the dressing room things carried on after defender Jean-Alain Boumsong urged the two to finish fighting, which they started to oblige, before notorious former hard man and then Newcastle boss Graeme Souness offered to fight them both.

They both thought better of it after the steely Scot put this out there and ceased hostilities.

Captain Alan Shearer was also less than impressed with the pair and yelled at them for disgracing themselves and the club.

Dyer continued:

“I didn’t know you could get sent off for fighting your own team-mate, so when the red card came out I thought, ‘What the hell!’

“I was sent off first and I was waiting in the tunnel to get some revenge.

“He came in, and we had two massive masseurs and they just dunked us on their shoulders.

“It was like a cartoon when your feet are dangling off the ground and we were trying to get at each other.

“We are sat in the changing room and they were in the middle of us.

“I was thinking how I could get to him. Then we heard the final whistle.

“Boumsong came in and said, ‘If you want to fight, fight now.’ I was wanting to fight and get the revenge.

“Then Souness came in and said, ‘If you want to fight I’ll beat both of you.’

“[Alan Shearer] came in and I never saw him lose it like that – he went mad and called us selfish and a disgrace.

“He knew we’d have a three-match suspension and miss the FA Cup semi-final that was coming up.”

The two players, who would later become teammates again at West Ham United, have since made up and actually see each other quite often. So there’s no bad blood and they can both laugh now about a pretty ridiculous incident.

Harry Rednapp: Adel Taarabt is the Worst Professional I've Come Across

2014-10-21T18:00:00.000-04:00

To say that QPR have been a shambles this season is putting it lightly.

Amid inept defensive showings, like the hilarious end to their match this Sunday against Liverpool, and manager Harry Rednapp moaning about his players fitness, we now have what the press is calling 'The Battle of the Bulge' taking place at Loftus Road.

With the talented, but erratic, Adel Taarabt struggling to break into the QPR side this season, Hoops manager Harry Rednapp unleashed a verbal tirade this weekend in which he accused Taarabt of being 3 stone (42 lbs/19 kg) overweight.

An understandably annoyed Taarabt responded to this attack by posting pictures of himself yesterday that showed off his flat stomach, along with a cheeky grin.

But Redknapp said today that: "The only reason he has lost weight is because he has had tonsillitis. That’s the only way we could get any weight off of him.

“He is not fit to play a game, that’s the truth. He is the worst professional I have ever come across and I have been his only ally at QPR for the past three years. He doesn't try and I have protected him for too long.

“Even I could suck my stomach in for a picture and look OK.”

Rednapp has also claimed that he received reports that Taarabt had been spotted coming out of a casino at 5am on the Saturday before QPR took on Manchester United, to which the midfielder claimed that it was probably the Friday he had been at a casino until 5am.

Besides the weight issues, Rednapp has also disputed Taarabt's claims that he is always on the phone in his office and never runs any training sessions.

With QPR facing a relegation dog fight, this distraction is the last thing the club needs and despite Rednapp not writing off Taarabt's chances of regaining his place in the side at this point, it'll be unlikely that the player will still be with the club past January.

The Monday Meltdown - Should Sunderland Pay Their Away Fans Back?

2014-10-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

As more than 2,500 Sunderland fans prepared to make the 653-mile round trip between Tyne and Wear, and the south coast they certainly had no idea what they were in for.

After a host of summer departures which included Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton were expected to struggle this season. But under new manager Ronald Koeman however they have absolutely flourished.

Sitting in third place in the table in this young Premier League season, the Saints have been a revelation so far. Key to their play so far has been Koeman's commitment to attacking football and the inspired form of new signing Graziano Pellè. The Italian striker, who received his first cap for the Azzurri this month, has been one of the players of the season so far, with a blistering 6 goals in 8 matches.

With that said, Sunderland have played better than their league standing of 17th place suggests and would have gone into St. Mary's expecting a tight battle.

After an encouraging start though, the game descended into a nightmare befitting the Halloween season for The Black Cats.

A ridiculous own goal by Santiago Vergini, that was later described by stunned Sunderland manager Gus Poyet as "a goal from another planet", got Southampton on the board and it was followed up by goals from Pellè and Jack Cork before halftime.

The wheels positively came off for Sunderland in the second half as Southampton continued to relentlessly attack and found the net another five times. With one of the goals coming by virtue of another laughable own goal, this time by Liam Bridcutt, the away sides fans were left with red faces for their long journey home.

It was a weak surrender by the club and one that will have left Poyet wondering which of his men truly has the fight within them to get Sunderland away from the relegation zone.

Goalkeeper Vito Mannone admits that the performance was unacceptable. “It was a difficult afternoon but we need to react,” said the Italian. “We have to do it for ourselves, for the club and for our great fans as well that came all that way. I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay their tickets and their trip. It is difficult for us but it’s very difficult for them as well.”

Mannone himself did not cover himself in glory, and could have done better with a few of the Saints goals, continued.

“I take all the responsibility I can take for each goal,” said Mannone. “I will try to work on it and try to improve. Each one of us should do the same. To try to defend and be in a game properly as a unit. Each one of us knows there were mistakes on the field.

“I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. I will do everything possible. We should do it because we didn’t work hard. We started the game well but after we conceded we threw in the towel – and I include myself.”

After the goalkeeper comments the question has to be posed will Sunderland pay their fans back for such a wretched performance and should they?

As someone who has traveled hundreds of miles following a team, which has included overnight hotel stays, only to see the side play like garbage on the day, I can understand the fans fury.

When paid professionals take the day off, allowing themselves and the fans to be completely humiliated I think compensation of some sort should be in order.

Fans pay thousands of dollars, or pounds in this case, to follow their clubs on the road and the least the side can do is put up a good effort. As fans the minimum requirement we have is that our players fight for the badge and that's something that Sunderland's beleaguered side certainly didn't do on Saturday.

Hopefully the club will compensate those that traveled down to the south coast this past weekend and in the meantime Poyet has promised that "it's going to be an interesting week in training, that's for sure."

The Monday Meltdown - Club vs. Country

2014-10-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

As Raheem Sterling was left out of England's starting eleven against Estonia on Sunday, with the manager citing 'tiredness', it left many England fans smelling a rat.

Not to single out this one player in particular, but the fact that he's 19 years old, and didn't play the full match against England's previous opponents in San Marino has understandably led to accusations of his club side, Liverpool, asking for Sterling to be rested.

The player himself has shot back on Twitter that he's only human and several prominent former England internationals have come out in his defence.

However, former Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer seemed to capture the mood of a lot of fans when he comment afterwards: "Too tired! He is 19 – and it’s October. I genuinely have never heard something like that in my career … This will stick with Sterling for some time, believe me. The working man who is up at 6am and home at 8pm does not want to hear how tired a 19-year-old professional footballer is.”

He continued: “Perhaps all the attention over the last 18 months has simply gone to his head and he feels able to pick and choose his games depending on how good a night’s sleep he has had.”

Not wanting to hang the kid out to dry, because he may have been tired and perhaps England boss Roy Hodgson did him no favours in revealing why he was leaving him out to the press, but it's hard to shake the feeling that this isn't the latest example of a club holding sway over country in England.

When the English Premier League launched in 1992, one of the stated goals on it's mission statement was to help the England national team. That has however seldom been the case, with managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, in particular, withdrawing players from national side call ups over phantom injuries and pressurizing the England bosses to only play their players for a certain number of minutes.

The lustre of playing for their country seems to have dissipated for many English players as well, and it's often been whispered that many see their trips away with the Three Lions to be a hassle more than anything.

This is in no better evidence in the disdain that clubs and players seem to hold the Under 21's in. While countries like Germany and Spain are sending strong sides to U21 tournaments, English players in that age group are either opting out of going to these tournaments as they have already been prematurely capped at senior level and feel the U21's are below them, or more ridiculously, they are going on a pre-season tour with their respective Premier League clubs.

It's incredibly damaging to the national side that players aren't respecting the honour of being called up to the England team and the younger players aren't experiencing tournament football before stepping up to the senior side.

On a recent episode of the BBC 606 Football Phone In show, former Leeds and England defender Danny Mills summed it up best I think when he said that "club football is your job and playing for your country is an honour."

Unless more current players start believing that themselves and the club's start cooperating with the England manager, the side will sadly never improve.

EPL Stars 2014-15 by Lucas Alves (Gallery)

2014-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Lucas Alves from Rio de Janeiro has created graphic posters of some of EPL biggest stars for the 2014-15 season.

Enjoy his work and this wonderful collection of posters.

Can Kagawa Rebound?

2014-09-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

Joining Premier League side Manchester United in the summer of 2012 was described by Shinji Kagawa as "fulfilling a lifetime dream."

That dream however quickly became a nightmare, as the player was rarely played in his favoured central position by Alex Ferguson in the Scot's final season at Old Trafford. Instead, the Japanese play maker found himself marooned out wide to accommodate Wayne Rooney, who was generally deployed behind fellow signing Robin van Persie, or he was left out of the side entirely.

His former Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp opined: "Shinji Kagawa is one of the best players in the world and he now plays 20 minutes at Manchester United - on the left wing.

"My heart breaks. Really, I have tears in my eyes. Central midfield is Shinji's best role. He's an offensive midfielder with one of the best noses for goal I ever saw.

"But for most Japanese people it means more to play for Man United than Dortmund. We cried for 20 minutes, in each others' arms, when he left."

Despite these difficulties there was flashes of quality from Kagawa, particularly his terrific hat-trick against Norwich in March 2013. He was later named Man of the Match against Swansea City in Ferguson's last match in charge of United at Old Trafford.

If the first season had been tough at times for the player who had been named by Kicker Magazine to the Bundesliga Team of the Season in both 2010–11 and 2011–12, he surely had no idea what was in store for him under Ferguson's successor David Moyes.

Right away the former Everton boss minimized Kagawa's role in the side, despite pleas from elements of the United support who recognized Kagawa's intelligent movement and passing. When he did feature, the Japanese international was again not played in his preferred position and he further struggled to come to terms with the system Moyes was trying to implement.

With the signing in the January transfer window of Spanish play maker Juan Mata, Kagawa must have seen the writing on the wall.

Any thoughts of finding a permanent place in the United side under Moyes replacement, Louis van Gaal, were quickly dispelled as the player who United had bought for £12 million, just two short years ago, was sold back to Dortmund for a cut race price of £6.3 million.

Van Gaal had made it pretty clear that Kagawa was not in his plans prior to the sale and it was a pity that a player who had looked so promising when he joined United was never really given a proper run in the side.

Now the question is, back in the familiar environment of the Westfalenstadion can the player return to the form that had helped Dortmund to a terrific Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2012?

Dortmund teammate Sebastian Kehl seems to think so and was quoted in Sport Bild as saying, "He gets a lot of faith here. Everything that he's been missing in the past few months, he'll get back here again."

If Kagawa, who is still only 25 years old, can rediscover his form, there no more likely a place for him to do it than with Dortmund.

Although the club has had some notable players leave in the past two summers, they are still considered to be one of the strongest clubs in the Bundesliga and will likely prove stern opposition, once again, to perennial powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Dortmund fans in the meantime are more than happy to have Kagawa back at the club, within a day of his signing the club had sold over 5,000 shirts.

Here's hoping he can get his career back on track and show the quality he had before his ill-fated stint at Old Trafford.

5 Interesting Facts about Angel Di Maria

2014-09-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last week Manchester United signed Angel Di Maria for a British record fee of 59.7 million pounds. He had been a targeted of Louis van Gaal for some time now so it wasn’t a surprise when the deal was finally announced, but maybe the amount shocked some onlookers.

Di Maria is a quality winger that has won almost every single title that a player can win, so his addition to the squad will not only add quality but also experience, and winning experience which is a different yet valuable commodity to have.

Almost every single detail of Di Maria career has been scrutinized but I hope the five facts I will be sharing with you are not only new but also interesting to you as they were to me.

Here are five interesting facts about Angel Di Maria.

Fact 1 – He once fell into a well and survived

Di Maria and his family had move to a new home and he was only one year old still using a walker. He recounts the story like this “I was a year old and had a baby walker and went outside and fell into a well. I was lucky because they saved me in time otherwise I wouldn’t be here to talk about it.”

Fact 2 – His first transfer fee were 35 footballs

He was playing for local club Torito when a scout from Rosario Central first spotted him. During an interview to Real Madrid TV he tells the story “They drove a hard bargain to release me. The transfer fee was 35 footballs.” Di Maria was only four years old at that time, so we need to keep that in mind, but nevertheless an interesting story.

Fact 3 – His doctor told him to be a footballer

Di Maria was a problem child from a young age, so his mother took him to see a doctor when he was three years old looking for help in finding a solution. He recounts the story “My mother got tired of me breaking everything in the house so she took me to see a doctor when I was three. I was running around the examination room breaking everything. The doctor just said ‘Sign him up for a sport’ and that is where my career began.”

Fact 4 – Meaning behind Di Maria’s tattoo

Before leaving Benfica in 2007, Di Maria and six of his friends had the following sentence tattooed ‘Nacer en El Perdriel fué y será lo mejor que me pasó en la vida’. You can see that tattoo on his left forearm.The English translation for the tattoo is “To be born in El Perdriel was and will be the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life." The tattoo is a symbol for the seven friends, a reminder of where they came from.

Fact 5 – A winner

He played three seasons at Benfica before moving to Real Madrid, and during that time he won the Portuguese League and two Portuguese League Cups. In his last year he was also voted best player of the League. During his time at Real Madrid he won La Liga once with Jose Mourinho, two Copa de Rey, one UEFA Super Cup, one Spanish Super Cup and a Champions League. He was also voted man of the match in that final against Atletico Madrid. He is a winner; the trophies that he has won at Benfica and Real Madrid are proof of it.

Chopra Plans to Give Up his British Passport to Represent India

2014-09-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here is something you don’t hear every day; Michael Chopra is planning on giving up his British passport to represent India.

Michael Chopra’s grandparents move to England from Jalandhar in Punjab back in the 1950’s, which gives him the grounds to be able to opt out of England and play for India. He has only represented England at young age, so he is not tied to the senior squad, and at the age of 30 the former Newcastle United striker wants to play international football.

It doesn’t take another Chopra like Deepak, to see what is happening here. Michael has left the Premier League and signed with the Kerala Blasters of the Indian Super League, and the country is not only getting their professional league off the ground they are also trying to revamp their national program. For a country that has such a deep rooted love for the game, India has had a miniscule impact in world football, either by producing domestic players or even by having a league that is good enough to attract foreign talent. They are working on fixing both issues.

He told Reuters that he was planning on representing India four years ago, but at the time he was 26 years old and wasn’t willing to give up his British passport. Four years later and now 30, Chopra feels ready to move to India full time, obtain citizenship and help his adoptive land qualify for a major tournament.

Many observers see India as a “sleeping giant” of the footballing world, for a country of 1.2 billion the lack of football players being developed and produced in India is alarming, but the creation of the ISL is an incredible first step for India to take towards becoming a player at the world stage. In many ways they are looking at the US model and what they have done since the creation of the MLS as motivation and inspiration that they can do the same. They have the funds, they have the people and more important the infrastructure. The potential is there for India to become a power house at least in the Asian/Indian market.

Chopra’s move is not new in football, many players have decided to play for countries other than the one in which they were born. The surprising factor is that he actually has family ties to India and his desire to play at the international level has prompted him to give up his British citizenship. This decision must have been a difficult one for Chopra and his family, but one that you can respect and understand, and when you are 30 years old and football is your passion and career, you don’t have many more opportunities to realize your dream.

Like Kevin Costner would say, “If you build it, they will come”, India has built a league and a program, and he answered the call.

Mario Balotelli's New Eccentric Purchase

2014-09-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

Mario Balotelli is known for his eccentric behavior, on and off the field. The latest story involving Mario Balotelli has to do with the residence near Liverpool that he is believed to have bought.

Mario’s slogan should be “Go big or go home” and not “Why always me?”, because the Liverpool striker has done it again. He is reported to have purchased an incredible mansion that has a helicopter landing pad. Not sure if he owns a helicopter or not, but if he decides to purchase one for Christmas he at least has a place to land it.

The photo below is an aerial view of the house, and the helicopter landing pad is clearly visible. He also has a small sided football field beside the landing pad. He can fly his friends in for a quick pick up game and if he decides to celebrate with some fireworks, he has a lot of green outdoors area to be used.

The house has an indoor heated pool, for him to swim and perhaps enjoy some late night skinny-dipping with his girlfriend, away from the eyes of the paparazzi.

He will also have a grand piano in his living room. I don’t think he knows how to play the piano, but nothing says class like having an incredible piano in your living room, even if it is just for the looks.

The basement has an incredible cellar. Balotelli can indulge in some high quality Chianti or some Merlot, while impress his friends and ladies with a wide variety of wine from his own personal cellar.

This is another aerial view of the property.The property has incredible gardens and estate, in a home that would be worthy of a king, maybe a king of a small country, but a king nevertheless.

The inside of the mansion looks very modern with an artistic flair to it. This is a very modern look for a very flamboyant person.

Throwback Thursdays - 2003: When United Signed the Other Ronaldo

2014-09-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

"Look at his bloody hair!" My grandad gasped, almost spitting out his tea, as Manchester United's new signing, Cristiano Ronaldo, came onto the pitch at the start of the 2003/2004 season.

The young unknown Portuguese winger had weird blond frosted tassels that looked ridiculous on top of his dark hair and with his pimply skin I couldn't help but shake my head at our new signing as I watch his debut on TV.

After a summer where we had chased Ronaldinho, after selling a certain David Beckham to Real Madrid, there was a slight air of disappointment that we had only ended up with a player whose last name sounded a bit Brazilian.

Apparently this kid had ripped United apart while playing for Sporting Lisbon in a pre-season friendly and the players had later implored manager Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him up.

But as soon as he came on against Bolton though you could see what the hype was all about. His skill, movement and most of all his confidence was mesmerizing.

He strode around the pitch, performing step-overs, Cruyff turns, drag backs, and bursts of pace that left the defenders flailing all over the park. His introduction after the hour mark turned a dull match on it's head, and United went on to win 4-0. Even Bolton's no-nonsense manager Sam Allardyce was impressed as he commented afterwards, 'He was different class, he looks a very exciting player and his introduction was crucial."

At a cost of £12.5 million, United seemed to have unearthed an exciting talent who had effortlessly tore through a dogged Bolton defense. For many Red Devils, it was one of the best debuts they had ever seen from a young player.

Ferguson himself lauded Ronaldo's "Marvelous debut" and enthused about the penetration he had added to the United attack.

United would later go on to win the FA Cup Final that season with Ronaldo opening the scoring.

The 18 year old, who had taken up the famous number 7 shirt vacated by Beckham, had a tendency to over elaborate in his first few seasons at Old Trafford and not take the most direct route to goal, but behind the scenes he was working hard to improve his game and himself.

Besides developing his technique he devoted himself to spending extra time in the gym, crafting the abs that the ladies love so much now when he shamelessly unviels them. Through extreme dedication he turned himself into one of the greatest players in world football.

Ronaldo would go on to win a hat-trick of Premier League titles at United, along with winning the Champions League in 2008, while scoring over 100 goals for the club.

Although he left for Real Madrid in 2009, and has enjoyed a tremendously successful five years there, this week he claimed that, "I love Manchester. Everyone knows that. Manchester is in my heart. I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing and I wish I can come back one day."

Ronaldo is now 29 and has four years left on his contract at Madrid, so that ship has probably already sailed, but for United fans they'll always have the memories of the trophies he helped deliver and a debut that is still talked about to this day.