Mario Balotelli - why always me?

Why always me M Balotelli

Mario, Mario, Mario - trouble is never far away for you is it? For some reason, trouble is attracted to Mr Balotelli like a magnet.

The latest incident to beset the controversial striker is a sending off against Bordeaux last night for kicking out at Igor Lewczuk. This confounded his night as he'd earlier missed a great chance to give his team the win. Instead, it was an early bath and 0-0 stalemate for tea.

To be fair to Super Mario, he wasn't helped by Lewczuk's over the top reaction and he has been a success while on loan at Nice so far. It wouldn't surprise me if he ended up staying there permanently as his parent club, Liverpool, don't seem to want him. The 0-0 draw didn't help Nice as the teams under them won so they could have done with him scoring the chance he had before the sending off.

Pescara too weak for Serie A?

This is a really cool badge I think

I did a piece recently on Serie A strugglers Palermo and it seems only fair to feature the bottom club, Pescara too. They are having an equally bad time and are stranded at the foot of the table currently.

 

I would love to say things may pick up for them but the words of coach Massimo Oddo do not offer much hope. Oddo, in what is not the greatest piece of motivation, was interviewed recently and claimed his players were too weak to compete. He also pointed out the players inexperience and relative mental weakness as reasons for their 14 game winless run.

 

Oddo also said that because of this, they were restricted to a passing game and couldn't hit the ball long or high to mix things up. This obviously is making it quite easy to play against them as their opponents can second guess them.

 

Oddo suddenly realized he was looking at the wrong pitch

Theres two things I would take issue with here to be honest. The first is that it's a pretty appalling bit of man management to basically call your players weak and losers. I can't imagine many of them are going into training now all fired up to get some results.

 

Secondly, he is the manager so it's up to him to rectify the situation if they are the problems he sees. I know they can't go out splashing the cash to buy players but surely he could get them on the weights to bulk up a bit for example. There must be tougher, more mentally strong players in the leagues below Serie A he could afford to bring in too or even some of the young players who show that.

Barton back to Burnley

Who said Rangers?!

Strong noises coming out of the Premier League indicate everyones favourite bad boy, Joey Barton, is set to rejoin his old club Burnley. It seems likely that the Lancashire club will swoop for Barton when the transfer window opens in January.

In true fight club style, the first rule of him re-joining Burnley is don't talk about Rangers! It seems this is a closed chapter in the players life and one he is keen to move on from. It still remains a mystery as to what was really said or went on at the Glasgow club for him to be booted out so quickly. I can't believe a small training ground barney and a bit of swearing would lead to that but we may never know.

Bartons contract negotiations were going well

It would seem to be a perfect fit for both player and club. Burnley boss Sean Dyche got the best out of Barton last season when he was a key player in their promotion to the Premier league. He seems to know how to handle the player to ensure he still has the aggression in his game but that it doesn't overflow, on or off pitch. Barton had been training with Burney for the last month or two and it seems he has impressed enough to clinch a deal. I really like Joey Barton so am hoping this works out well for him.

Maradona at Barca

Go Diego Go - some old school footage of Diego Maradona at Barca for no real reason other than it's skill.

And if that's not enough Maradona action for you go to Icons to see their Signed Diego Maradona gear and treat yourself. They're great guys to deal with and have some amazing deals on signed boots, shirts etc....





He rather controversially used his feet this time

  

Napoli and Mertens - perfect Serie A partners

I told you Dries was a proper name
 

What can you say about Dries Mertens and his recent form for Napoli. He has become the first player since 1974 in Serie A to score consecutive hat-tricks. The Belgian super striker put 4 past Joe Hart in the Torino goal last match after scoring 3 against Cagliari the week before.

As this suggests, his form is scintillating at the moment and Napoli will be hoping it will carry on. I think there's two reasons for what is happening:

1. Mertens and how/where he plays - traditionally the player has been a fast, tricky winger/attacking mid. Due to their problems in attack, Napoli have recently moved him into the central striker role which has worked brilliantly. His pace, movement and eye for goal really suit this move and where they are using him now. Also, Mertens is very clever in how he comes short for the ball to pick it up - this means he can turn and run at the defence if they haven't come out with him.

2. Midfield runners - the other thing that makes the use of Mertens as a forward and how he drops off successful is the runners Napoli get from midfield. When Mertens drops deep for the ball, theres always a couple of midfielders running beyond him into the box to stretch the defence. This means that he gets more space to play and it stops the defenders just pushing up on him.

Napolis new manager was an interesting choice

As the saying goes football is a funny old game and this seems to be a case of the coach finding a successful formula due to circumstances forcing his hand.  Would he have played Mertens there if he had a striker fit/in form? Probably not but then all teams need some luck to be successful and Napoli might just have had theirs in switching Mertens to this central role.

Martin Braithwaite - Toulouse secret weapon

Stripey

Toulouse are having a good season so far by their standards and one of the main reasons has to be Martin Braithwaite. This dynamic Danish player is a forward for the Ligue 1 club and has helped to fire them to 8th in the table.

Braithwaite started out at Danish club Esbjerg before his performances attracted the attention of Toulouse. He signed for around £2 million in August 2013 and looked set to impress for the French team.

He has had a great season so far chipping in with 7 goals and 3 assists. I think the key here is that he does both - not just providing goals or chances but combining them. He is always a danger to the opposition and you know if he doesn't score, he can lay goals on for others too. It's shaping up to be his best season so far if he carries on as he is. These qualities have helped his team climb the table to a respectable spot where they can think of challenging for Europe.

Braithwaite was looking forward to the barbers

I think if Toulouse are to maintain their form and get into Europe they need this guy to keep firing. Keeping it going all season is the challenge for him so hopefully he can deliver. Who knows he could be as popular as Gignac by the time he retires if so.

European Football Heroes #4 Stefan Effenberg

Mad Tiger skill

This guy was a boss for Bayern and the sort of character other players would just follow, no questions asked. Always reminded me of a German Roy Keane without the tendency to harbour grudges for years on end (hello Alf Inge!).

Look at the pic - would you tell him you didn't fancy it today and were going to take it easy on the wing all game?!

Rodrigo to Everton?

Rodrigo was looking forward to getting his first spray tan in Liverpool

Reports coming out of Spain seem to suggest that Valencia forward Rodrigo could be moving to the Premier League in England.

It would appear that the best club in the world, Everton, are considering a 20 million euro swoop for him in January.

I think this is a good move for both clubs really. Everton need to strengthen their attacking options as are far too reliant on Romelu Lukaku for goals. Rodrigo's versatility and creativity would be a good addition to the Everton squad too. For Valenica the motivation is simple - money!

The Spanish club are struggling financially so a big deal like this one would be most welcome for them. Rodrigo would be a loss for them as he has scored 4 goals in 14 appearances so far this season but I don't think they can afford to turn the deal down.



Koeman was a stickler for discipline

It's by no means a done deal but I think it seems a fair bet it will happen. Obviously, the English team will have to wait for the transfer window to open but I expect them to make a move when it does.

Palermo in trouble



It's fair to say Palermo's midfield weren't the most mobile

Poor old Eugenio Corini - what a season he is enduring with lowly Palermo at the moment in Serie A.

They sit bottom of the table with just 6 points and not one of them gained at homer so far! It's already looking like a long season and most teams will struggle with such bad home results.

After their latest loss to Chievo, the coach blamed the pressure that weighed his team down. Whilst pressure is understandable, it doesn't stop you tackling or passing to a teammate! The Rosanero are obviously at a low ebb right now and need some sort of lift to help them turn it round.

The only signing that will help them

The most obvious route out of it would be making some new signings in the January transfer window. I think the young lad to the right might be the best bet. I've heard he's quick, strong and got goals in him - just don't put him near any kryptonite. 

Fantastic win for Everton

yaaaay the pie shop is open

Tony Adams, George Graham, Herbert Chapman, Thierry Henry - your boys got one hell of a beating last night ha ha. Everton rose like a phoenix from the flames of their poor run to stand victorious.

To be honest, an evening game under the lights at Goodison is always special and this was no different. And yet the away team started better with Everton looking nervous.

Arsenal took the lead through a deflected Sanchez free kick that struck Ashley Williams on the leg and cannoned in. The damage was done in the build up though as Everton wasted chance after chance to clear their lines and ended up fouling the Arsenal player.

It confirmed the Arsenal dominance in the game up till then but something seemed to click on the half hour mark and the home team finally woke up. It's a mystery what happened to spark this revival but Ronald Koeman must hope it carries on.

All of a sudden Everton looked a team and started to press, fight and show some aggression. This got its reward when they equalized through a Seamus Coleman header before half time.

1-1 at half time and it suddenly looked like the boys in blue fancied it and could take something from the game.

The second started and all I can is....wow!! That is easily the best performance I have seen from the team in ages mainly cos they looked bothered for once. The team spirit of old was there and they get stuck in & chased the ball. It was like watching a Moyes team of old.

Go on Big Dunc son!

This paid dividends when, from a great Barkley corner, Williams rose like a salmon to nod in. 2-1 to the toffees and they hung on with some close scares to get the win.

All in all, a brilliant night to be an Evertonian and it shows what can be done with some fight and passion.
                                                                                                       










Liverpool interested in Pulisic

Watch me dab
 

Reports coming from the Bundesliga suggest that Premier League Liverpool are interested in 18 year old Dortmund player Christian Pulisic. It is thought that the Reds will make a January swoop for him when the transfer window opens in England.

Pulisic is pretty hot property and is the right sort of age to make him a good buy for Liverpool. He would certainly fit into the high energy style Klopp likes to play. He is an exciting winger/attacking midfielder and so would offer Liverpool extra creativity with Coutinho out for a while.

The only trouble is that Dortmund don't appear to want to sell. They have a high opinion of the player themselves and seem keen to develop him for the first team in Germany. In fact, Dortmund Director of Sport Michael Zorc has told them to keep their hands off. I think though that a big enough bid will persuade them considering he is not a first team regular as yet in Germany.

Wengers reaction to Arsenal Champions League draw

Nice and cool Mesut



Wenger couldn't hide his nerves at facing Bayern

Judging from the attached reaction I think Mr Wenger is a bit worried about facing Bayern really.

Atletico Madrid - what's going on?

Would you need telling twice by this man?

Poor old Diego Simone - the golden boy of management has lacked a little shine this season. His Atletico Madrid side have looked less robust in La Liga and results have suffered.

But why is this? Many are pointing to a change in the playing style as the main reason. Previously, Simeone's side have been tough, hard to beat and physical. These qualities tended to steam roller teams into submission hence their success.

It would seem that this season though Atletico have tried to change to a more expansive, passing style of play. As is often the case when you change a winning formula, this has not worked out as well as would have been hoped.

As an Englishman this still hurts

So what's to be done? For me if something new isn't working, you go back to what was. So if I was in the dugout I would go back to the old style and let results pick up again.

Strootman ban revoked

Baby Ruth Baby Ruth

Breaking football news from Serie A is that Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman has had his ban revoked for his derby antics after appealing.

If you haven't seen it yet, check the below link out for the full story:

Strootman loses his cool (and balance)

As the link shows, tempers flared in the recent derby della capital between Lazio and Roma after super Kev scored the opening goal for Roma. In quite a unique celebration, he squirted water in the face of Lazio player Danilo Cataldi. Cataldi for some obscure reason didn't take kindly to this and reacted by grabbing Strootmans shirt collar. Strootman then fell over in a turn the RSC would have been proud of.

The governing body of Italian football had deemed this simulation and handed him a two game ban, taking into account his provocation too. This has now however been revoked and he will not face any sanctions.



His hide and seek technique needed work

Mind you this was a quite Rome derby by usual standards. At the end of the day if they escape without any riots, it's a good result!

Kovac on Frankfurt Bundesliga success

Kovac giving it large



Smug moi?!

Worth giving this article a read as lets us into the secrets of Eintracht Frankfurt's success in the 16/17 Bundesliga.

Sunderland resurgent under Moyes

Oh no sausages for tea again?!

The world of football can be unpredictable especially around Europe. But one thing that is no surprise is David Moyes' success as Sunderland manager. Here's why I think he's doing so well:

1. Experience of Premier League - as followers of the Premier League will know, Moyes spent 11 years at my club Everton. The experience he picked up there of the league and what you need to do to be successful in it are invaluable as Sunderland are finding out.

2. Experience of a similar situation - in many ways this relates to his time at Everton again and the situation we were in, football-wise, when he took over. As with Sunderland, we had a poor squad and had been flirting with relegation for a few years before. But with shrewd buying and hard work he made Everton great again. This means that he will not panic with where Sunderland are sitting in the table currently as he knows he can and has turned it around before.

3. Jermain Defoe - if Sunderland are going to survive the drop and stay in the Premier League, this player will be vital. His goals are absolutely key to Sunderland staying up as very often teams who struggle to score are the ones who are on a one way ticket to the Championship. The recent success Sunderland have had under Moyes are mainly down to him with help from Victor Anichebe and Duncan Whatmore.

4. Defence -  if there's one thing old Dave knows, it's how to set up a defence. He is the master of making a team hard to score against and beat which is just what a club like Sunderland need. In fact, he's skilled at setting a whole team up to defend and this is his main forte. With Sunderland keeping it tight at the back and Defoe scoring up front, they will be soon onto happier days.

Defoe hoped next time they would let him wear a shirt

One thing is for sure, if Sunderland can have patience and let Moyes build then they will not regret it.






Aguero sees red in Man City brawl

Aguero City Chelsea Fight

OMG what exactly happened in the final few minutes of the City-Chelsea game at the weekend?! Please, please look at the above link as it shows in video form what went down better than I could ever explain. It really is a must see as Aguero and then Fernandinho totally lost the plot to a massive degree.

I think the main reason behind the Aguero tackle is pure frustration at losing the game when they had played well. Mind you, it's no excuse as that was a nasty challenge and should see him banned for a while.

I do have more sympathy for Fernandinho though. You can't see it mega clear but he does get a little slap in the face from Fabregas to start with. Again, it's no excuse for him to react as he did but Fabregas did instigate it.

There's never a dull moment in these games is there ha ha?! It still doesn't top the Joey Barton sending off for QPR against City a few seasons back for sheer hilarity though. Now that one IS worth seeking out ha ha.

Conte at Chelsea

Salmon or pasta for tea hmmmmmm?

BBC News - Conte at Chelsea - just a quick post to flag up this great article from the ever reliable  BBC regarding the Chelsea boss.

Conte has been a real success since he took over and this looks at some reasons why. Mind you, if you were a player would you risk upsetting him ha ha!

Enzo Zidane - a bit special

Like father like son but with more hair

Zidane - the name alone makes football fans weak at the knees. But it looks like we may have a new Zidane to follow rather than Zinedine.

His son, Enzo, was given his Real Madrid debut earlier in the week and put in an impressive performance, even bagging a goal for himself. Such was his impact he even overshadowed the inclusion of Martin Odegaard who many had been waiting for.

Both players started for the Copa Del Ray clash with Cultural Leonesa and neither let the manager down as Real Madrid ran out 6-1 winners. But it was the bosses son Enzo who stole the show it would seem.

So it would seem there is a new Zidane to watch out for - Marco Materazzi must be trembling ha ha.



The shopping trip had gone well

African legends promoting Bundesliga

What do you mean I have to go back to Bolton?

Breaking news from Germany is that Bundesliga legends Jay Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh will be promoting the Bundesliga in Africa.

From 16th to 22nd December, they will embark on a three country journey to spread the footballing word. The aim appears to be to promote the Bundesliga in Africa more and one would assume, attract more top players into it.

Okocha is due to travel to Nigeria and Ghana to fulfill his duties. He made his name at Eintracht Frankfurt between 1992-1996 and became a firm favourite due to his entertaining style. His outrageous skills even brought him over to England where Bolton fans soon warmed to him also. Although I'm not sure quite what he made of Bolton ha ha!



Is this a microphone I see before me?!

Oliseh is due to travel to Kenya and will complete various media activities whilst there. He was a rock solid midfielder in his time in Germany for FC Koln, Dortmund and Bochum. Fans will probably remember his peak when he was part of the Dortmund side that won the league in 01/02.

Sounds like a good idea by the powers that be in German football to increase their brand awareness in a very important market.

AC Milan's Pauleta - terrible tackle!

Wait till I see that barber! It was number 4 back & sides, leave the top alone!
 

This isn't an article or post as such , just one of those WTF?! things you come across that has to be shared.

Check out this link Paletta AC Milan sending off for some crazy tackling from Milan's hard man defender.

I mean come on Gab, what were you thinking ha ha?! He just totally cleaned the other guy out. It wasn't so much taking the man & ball as much as taking the whole pitch ha ha!

Marco Verratti - PSG main man

Verratti was so good he played without a ball

Surely one of the top players in European Football right now has to be Paris St Germain's Marco Verratti.

This skillful, elegant, hard working midfield maestro has been an important part of their team for a few seasons now. I think this year though he has stepped his game up to another level.

If you look at most PSG games now, a lot of their good play comes through him. He is one of their main sources of creativity, supplying Edison Cavani with the bullets to fire.

It seems he is really benefiting from having the quality around him in the form of Hateem Ben Arfa and Lucas Moura that enables him to flourish. There is some suggestion that with the overpowering presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovich gone, he has been able to step out of his shadow and take centre stage.



There's the door big nose!

He originally started his career at Pescara in Italy's Serie A (Verratti is Italian). He helped them win the Serie B title in the 11/12 season, drawing rave reviews in the process. His performances had PSG calling and he moved to the Paris club soon after. It turned out to be a good call on his part as he has tasted success and trophies at the Parc du Prince.

Verratti has also become an important player at international level for Italy. The hops is that he can turn out to be the creative spark to take over from where the great Andrea Pirlo left off.