7. In the Red Corner: Rafael Benitez

Rafa is the latest manager to go head-to-head with Alex.  Liverpool, had begun 2008/09 with a serious challenge to the Premiership title for the first time in years.  Fergie ‘just happened’ to comment that he felt the fixtures were favouring the Merseysiders.  Cue a full-bloodied attack from Benitez.  Rafa first disputed the fixture claim, announcing that Liverpool had been discriminated in the past stating “two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays. And we didn’t say anything.”

Benitez then accused the FA of letting Sir Alex walk all over them.  In particular, he claimed that Sir Alex was not being prosecuted for improper conduct against referees, when every other manager would and this in the midst of a Respect campaign.  The referees were also supposedly also in cahoots with the Red Devils, ignoring controversial incidents where Man U may have been negatively impacted.  The following game saw Liverpool held to a no-scoring draw against Stoke with claims that Rafa’s comments had distracted the team from the job.  Sir Alex patronisingly responded that he felt pleased Liverpool had made a good start but that he does not expect them to be challenging for the title in the last month.  “Chelsea have experience and have been our main rivals for the past five years.“, Alex said.  Since the rant, there has been a 17 point swing between Liverpool and Man United.

Result: A good opening bout from the Spanish boy but he’s gone too soon and is fading fast.  Fergie the odds on favourite to win.

6. The Defensive Rock: Jaap Stam

If you believe the hype, nothing happened here.  Sir Alex just thought Staam had lost a little bit of pace after an injury.  A good offer came in and the Red Devils were duty bound to accept it.  Only…

Staam was a key player in the three seasons under Sir Alex.  If a decline in his playing level was the main factor, then how come the ageing and, quite frankly, past it mid-30s defender of Laurent Blanc was his replacement?  And how come after Manchester, this supposedly finished player then went on to play for Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax?  And crucially, how come all this happened in the immediate aftermath of Jaap publishing an autobiography claiming he had been tapped up by Manchester United, whilst at PSV Eindhoven?

Result: Alex Ferguson leaves the big defender reeling after a series of punches to the solar plexus with lightning fast speed.  A hands down win that Jaap, despite success elsewhere, has still expressed regret about.

5. The Right-Hand Man: Brian Kidd

Alex Ferguson and Brian Kidd were an awesome duo.  Having replaced his former assistant, Archie Knox, Kidd joined Fergie for an astonishing run of success, including four titles.  Sir Alex deemed Brian so crucial to the club, that he persuaded Kidd not to take over as boss at his beloved Everton but to remain at Old Trafford.  So it was surprising that Sir Alex made some derogatory comments about his management ability when Kidd left to take over at Blackburn, in his autobiography ‘Managing My Life’.  Kidd responded that Walt Disney wanted the book for his sequel to Fantasia.  Manchester United went on to win the game that relegated Kidd’s team from England’s top division.  When asked how he felt, Sir Alex merely shrugged and said “Oh well“.

Result: A hammer blow early on left the young manager reeling with no clue how to mount a defence.  No contest!

4. The Living Fusebox: Gordon Strachan

On the face of it WGS (Wee Gordon Strachan) and Big Alex Ferguson couldn’t be more different.  One a decent, but not great, forward with a dour manner, who turned down a move to England to stay with a lower league team in his homeland.  The other a fiery but mischevious world-class attacking midfielder, who has represented his country at the highest level and played for some of England’s greatest clubs as a more than integral part.  And that’s where the differences end!  Both will hate this, but as managers they are astoundingly similar.  Ferocious tempers, disciplinarians but also highly supportive of their players and desperate for youth to succeed.

Fergie fell out with his progeny when, as Aberdeen manager, Strachan had gone behind his back to negotiate a contract with Cologne.  Sir Alex wrote in his autobiography that he “decided this man could not be trusted an inch“.  As it was, Strachan had had enough of Fergie’s bile and decided to move to Manchester United…and was less than pleased to be followed only months later by Sir Alex!  After confronting Ferguson over his constant criticism, Gordon was transferred to Leeds United and a glittering career.  But it didn’t end there.   So great, Strachan felt, was Ferguson’s hatred that he accused the Manchester United manager of fielding a weakened team to get Strachan’s Coventry City relegated.  Both now claim the feud is over.

Result: Without guiding him, would Strachan be the young player he was?  By transferring him from Manchester United, did this not actually revitalise Gordon’s career?  Would Strachan have won so many titles with Celtic without the experience of relegation with Coventry?  Ferguson has landed some huge blows but the plucky ginger-nut is a master of deflection.  A draw!

3. The Prodigy: David Beckham

England’s biggest star in a generation versus the Scottish general.  If there’s one thing Ferguson wants, it’s to win.  And that becomes even more important when it’s against Wenger’s Arsenal!  When Sir Alex blamed Becks for losing a goal against Arsenal in a cup final, Fergie lost his temper and kicked a boot into Beckham’s face, making a cut.  Already wound up by the criticism, David saw red and tried to physically attack his manager, only being restrained by Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Ruud van Nistelrooy.  The following season saw Ole Gunnar Solskjær keep Becks wide right position, apparently as a display to those above that Man Utd could progress without Beckham.  A few months later, Becks joined Real Madrid in a multi-million pound deal.

Result: Becks successfully stood up to Fergie and has had a glittering career.  Alex however also proved his point that no player was bigger than the team.  No losers there.  A draw!

2. The Young Pretender: Kevin Keegan

Now here’s a battle of unlike minds.  Kevin Keegan, an overly-enthusiastic England hero with a penchant for wearing his heart on his sleeve versus the wily old fox that makes sure his comments are heard only when to his advantage.  After a tough battle with Leeds United, Sir Alex suggested that Leeds didn’t try so hard against teams other than Manchester United.  As the challengers at the time, Newcastle United, were still to face Leeds, this infuriated manager Keegan leading to the now famous rant that ended with “I will love it if we beat them – LOVE IT!”

Needless to say, Manchester United won the title after a very erratic end for Newcastle.

Result: A plucky challenge from the high-energy fighter but never recovered from that well-timed knockout punch.  Fergie hands down!

1. The Old Rival: Arsene Wenger

Here’s about with some history!  Unusually, ‘gentleman’ Wenger started it all!  In his first season with Arsenal, Wenger claimed the FA and the other clubs were letting Man U win the title by extending the season.  Rather dismissively, Ferguson replied that Arsene should “keep his opinions to Japanese football“.  However, Wenger was laughing at the end of the season when Arsenal collected the title, even though Sir Alex maintained his were “the better team“.

The following season a spat with Ruud van Nisteltrooy saw a number of Arsenal players suspended and Ruud described as a cheat, plus “Pizzagate“, when a piece of pizza was supposedly thrown by a Gunners player at Ferguson.  Sir Alex claimed that “what the Arsenal players did was the worst I have witnessed in sport“.  Recently, both Fergie and Wenger have found a new respect for each other, however, it only takes one little word for it all to explode again.

Result: Two great fighters and a hugely entertaining bout.  Fergie just takes it on points but the fat lady is still warming up.

Of course, these are far from the only confrontations with Sir Alex Ferguson.  People like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Graeme Souness spring to mind.  Over to you to decide which is the greatest battle Fergie has ever faced.

Coventry  City v Chelsea

Chelsea travel to the Ricoh Arena this Saturday to take on the lively ‘Sky Blues’ who have defied all odds and booked themselves a high profile encounter with the Londoners. Coventry will have a lot of work laid out in front of them if they are to make a dent in Chelsea’s chances of silverware this season adding more woes to the list at Staford Bridge. The club’s own anthem claims that they will never lose to Chelsea so the players will have the club’s pride and glory rested firmly on their shoulders. I wonder will the anthem be echoing around the Ricoh Arena should Chelsea win.

Coventry lost a midweek encounter against Sheffield United at home which resulted in booing from the home fans. The players would have felt the heat from manager Chris Coleman after the whistle in a match which was seen as a warm up for this weeks high profile encounter. “We are better then what we showed of ourselves against Sheffield” said Coleman.

He then went on to hint that the Chelsea game isn’t as important to him as it is to the fans and that the league is their main priority.  The question has to be raised, has Coleman given up before the game has even started? Surely the players will have the want to put in a good performance against Chelsea after all how often do they get this kind of opportunity? Not very often is the answer to that question.

Striker Clinton Morrison will be eager to have his name pencilled in on the score sheet. The striker who missed a lot of last season through injury has proved to be one of Coventry’s most energetic players this year. Either setting up opportunities or scoring himself I’m positive the Irish man will cause a lot of headaches for the Chelsea defence. Morrisson has sent shivers down the spines of defenders since his youth days at Crystal Palace and has proven himself on the internation scene. He’s definitley the one to watch this week.

Didier Drogba will be eager to secure his place in the first team especially after his late winner at Portsmouth last week. The Ivory Coast man has been side lined for much of the season much to his own frustration and of course to the delight of Anelka who is one of the favorites at ’ The Bridge’. Perhaps the recognised target man will see Saturday’s trip to Coventry as a means of lacing up his shooting boots for next weeks match with Italian giants Juventus.

With such a important game coming up and with the title race all but over in the mind of temporary manager Guss Hiddink, perhaps he may decide to leave some of the big guns on the bench to avoid the ever present risk of injuries and fatigue. Although that is a recipie for disaster as Chelsea learned last year against Burnley.

Overall, I think Chelsea will just outclass the Coventry boys. Fitness will definitely have a huge part to play in this one, Coventry are of a much lower standered to Chelsea and could find them selves ‘huffing and puffing’ but not being able to knock the Chelsea defence down. I predict a narrow Chelsea win perhaps coming in the later stages of the game.

Fulham v Manchester United

Fulham play host to the Premier League leaders at Craven Cottage this Saturday. Fulham who are in a comfortable position in the league will surely feel confident that they will pull a little something out of the hat to shock Alex Ferguson’s men.

Late last month Fulham showed how they can compete with the big dogs when they played Arsenal out for 90 minutes managing to secure a much need point at the Emirates Stadium. In that match they showed how they can frustrate a team of quality and play the old fashioned way.

However, on Wednesday the London men had the wind beaten out of their sails when they where halted by defeat on their home patch against a vibrant Hull city. Although the Fulham attacking force did show signs of promise, Bobby Zamora found himself often isolated and with little options. Perhaps a change in tactics may be in the spotlight behind the scenes at Fulham. Although that would go against Fulham policies who like to keep things pretty conservative in all walks of life.

In the end Fulham’s complacency over powered their concentration in that game with the winning goal being conceded in injury time. The Craven Cottage faithful will have worries planted firmly in the backs of their minds following last weeks defeat. With no recent injuries to worry about the management team at Fulham will have a virtually unharmed side from the midweek clash with Hull to choose from. Although they have an important league fixture with Blackburn fast approaching Fulham will give 110% as always.

Manchester United will be on a high following their recent win over Newcastle where they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win and their recent investment with the Carling Cup title. However, there have been speculation circulating the tabloids concerning a bust up between world player of the year Ronaldo and team mate Taylor. Perhaps Taylor wore the same clothes as Ronaldo, we’ll never know. Ferguson was delighted with the performance his team put in at St. James Park and had this to say : “It’s down to trusting your players and having the ability to win matches and we had to do that against Newcastle. Being 1-0 down away from home isn’t easy, but we came back to win thanks to a very gritty performance.”

With such important fixtures in the coming week against Inter Milan and Liverpool, United will want no hope of a replay to add to that list and will want to write Fulham of as quickly as possible.

This match is bound to be a fast, free flowing game but in my opinion United will come out on top. Of course Fulham will put in a decent performance as they always do but I think the class and speed of United will prove too much for Fulham.

Arsenal v Burnley

Burnley travel to the Emirates Stadium for the first time to take on cup hopefuls Arsenal. Burnley who have come up trumps against Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Liverpool in the cup over recent years have an a slice of confidence on their side with their track record in mind. Although they have added no silverware to their trophy cabinet in quite some time they always prove energetic to watch and are sure to put up a good fight against the Gunners on Sunday.

Most recently Burnley travelled to Blackpool where they put in a winning performance by securing a one nil victory over the men in orange. Burnley do have a few niggles going into Sundays game having picked up a few bruises in that sluggish match but nothing too serious. Striker Martin Patterson is all set up for Sundays clash. The energetic front man has proved time and time again just what he is capable of and is sure to cause a problem of two for the rigid Arsenal defence who can just as easily get caught flat footed as they can sleeping.

Sundays game is obviously their biggest game of the season and it is no doubt that all the players will be upbeat and ready for their task. I took the time to snoop around some of the Burnley FC forums and websites and their fans look all set to travel to the Emirates in full voice. Surely the players will be needing their ‘twelfth man’. The Burnley squad is liable to injuries with so few players in the squad, with one of their three strikes on loan, a single injury or red card could mean life or death in the F.A Cup.

Arsenal will be confident of victory as well, as there strike force seem to have their goal senses about them. Securing a 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Last Tuesday the Gunners will have a pep in their step as they cross the white line this Sunday. Arséne Wenger, like other managers involved in the cup this weekend, has some Champions League worries to cope with as they face Roma in mid-week. One thing Arsenal have been lacking this season is consistency and it is for that reason I think there could be a fly in the ointment at the Emirates Stadium.

With Burnley’s history in the cup in their favour and Arsenal’s unpredictability taken into account I think we could be in for a shock this weekend. I have to say, although the odds are stacked against them perhaps Burnley may take a draw from the Emirates and bring the tie back to their home patch where they have proven to be quite a force.

Everton v Middlesbrough

Everton are all set to entertain Middlesbrough at Goodison Park this Sunday in what is one of two all Premier League games in the F.A Cup this weekend. Having already beaten arch rivals Liverpool in the competition at a replay at Goodison, Everton will have their wits about them as they prepare for what is going to be one of their most important encounters of the season.

The first ten minutes of this game really will be a sink or swim situation. This game could so easily be decided upon an early goal. A goal which could go either way. It has to be said that this game really will be a close call. Will Joleon Lescott once again act as Everton’s arm bands?

With the announcement that key man Victor Anichibe will be out for the rest of the season, worries will be floating around Goodison park. However, they have proven that they are one of the few creative teams in premier league football today. That was amplified in the last round when they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Premier league force Aston Villa. Last week however they did not manage to get on the score board and played out a boring 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers. The last time these sides met was boxing day of last year when Everton escaped from the Riverside with a 1-0 victory.

Middlesbrough will be out for revenge and of course a place in the next round this Sunday. Having been crushed in their last encounter away too Spurs at White Heart Lane, Boro will be on uneven ground as they arrive at Goodison Park. Once again away from home, will we see a repeat of last weeks performance or more specifically defending? Only time will tell. After that embarrassing defeat Gareth Southgate actually had to apologise to the Boro fans who were clearly less that pleased at their teams dreadful performance.

With so much too prove I think Boro might lay it on a little to thick this weekend and perhaps get caught on the counter. Everton have proved time and time again to us what they can do, and that is score goals. With all this in mind I can only see Everton progressing through to the next round leaving a sorry Middlesbrough to pick up the pieces and wipe their tears away.

Sunderland v Tottenham

Tottenham will travel to the Stadium of Light this Saturday to take on a youthful Sunderland side in the only Premier League game of this weekend. This game will of course be a sell out as Sunderland fans are expected to come from far and wide to see the spectacle. This match is bound to unravel the mysteries behind this years relegation battle with both sides level on points and a mere four points above the drop zone.

Sunderland will have prepared vigorously for the visitors who showed their style last week in a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough. However, midfielder Teemu Tainio is set to miss the encounter as he is struggling with a slight knee injury. Manager Ricky Sbragia had this to say as regards the injury : “Teemu has a little problem with his knee but he seems happier with it and he’s done a bit of running”.

The injury kept Teemu out of last week’s loss to Liverpool but he is expected to be back in action soon. Last week’s loss will have left Sunderland asking serious questions ahead of their clash with Spurs. Personally, I think the only chance Sunderland will have of goals is to catch Tottenham on the break and test their keeper as best they can. However, Andy Reid is confident that Sunderland will come back fighting following their defeat to Liverpool last time out.

Tottenham on the other hand will be overjoyed and ready for more following their impressive win last week. With Robbie Keane back on form in his rightful home he is bound to have a run or two at the Sunderland defence. Having left Liverpool in January he seems happier and more confident about the ball and I’m sure he’ll have a taste for goals on Saturday. The bookies seem to favour Tottenham to send Sunderland packing this Saturday given their recent form, alhough they would like us to predict it wrong!

The only league game this weekend will definitely be of the highest level and I expect to see lots of goals from both sides, or at least I hope so. However, I think Tottenham have shown what they are capable of in the goals department last week. Confidence will be running high and I expect a win for the visitors.

Hopefully this weekend will be a memorable one in English football and prove to be enjoyable for all to watch as it is expected to be. With the season coming to a close and the race for the F.A Cup heating up I’m sure we won’t be disappointed and if we are we can always watch the bobsledding.

Match Preview

Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by a spirited Cardiff City when the duo met on 25 January but the Gunners have not been knocked out of the FA Cup by lower league opposition under Arsene Wenger. Indeed, it was Sheffield United who eliminated a Bruce Rioch led Arsenal side back in 1996. The Gunners are undefeated in 11 matches in all competitions, winning four and drawing seven. Their last four league and cup matches have ended all square and three of which goalless.

Cardiff are undefeated in 13 league and cup matches, winning seven and drawing six since they last tasted defeat – a 2-1 reverse at Plymouth on 22 November. The Bluebirds have won their last two matches but have not played since their 2-0 home victory against Nottingham Forest on 31 January.

Arsenal are without transfer window signing Andrei Arshavin, who is ineligible, while Emmanuel Eboue is suspended and both Emmanuel Adebayor and former City starlet Aaron Ramsey are injured. This match has come too soon for Eduardo, who has recovered from a broken leg, but Gael Clichy should feature after recovering from a head wound suffered last week against Tottenham Hotspur.

Cardiff City will Start with on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton as Peter Enckelman is out for two months with a knee injury. Winger Peter Whittingham and defender Gabor Gyepes are back from injury but Stephen McPhail suffered a knock in midweek and is ruled out. Neither City’s former Arsenal striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie nor Michael Chopra, both on loan, are ineligible for tonight’s fixture.

Line Ups

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Gibbs, Nasri, Song, Denilson, Vela, Eduardo, Bendtner.
Subs: Almunia, Van Persie, Ramsey, Wilshere, Clichy, Bischoff.

Cardiff: Heaton, McNaughton, Rae, Purse, Johnson, Parry, Ledley, Kennedy, Burke, Bothroyd, McCormack.
Subs: Capaldi, Whittingham, Johnson, Comminges, Scimeca, Blake.

Goals

Arsenal: Eduardo (20′), Bendtner (34′), Eduardo (pen 60′), Van Persie (89′)

Live Blog

90+2′ Arsenal almost made it five when Bendtner dinked a wonderful ball from left to right towards the unmarked Van Persie. The Dutchman had a free header from six yards but his effort hit the post. Seconds later, Mark Halsey decided enough was enough and blew for full time.

89′ Goal! Arsenal 4 Cardiff 0. Scimeca gives the ball away cheaply in the centre circle to Bendtner who slips the ball through to the advancing Robin Van Persie in the box. He has all the time in the world to slot the ball home and to condemn the Bluebirds to a heavy and embarrassing defeat,

88′ A half chance for Burke who attempts to take the ball around Fabianski in the box but the keeper is equal to it and nicks the ball off his feet.

85′ A sublime turn from Van Persie and he touches the ball through to Bendtner into the box. The ball is too far in front of the Great Dane and he lunges for it at the same time as Heaton comes out for it. The keeper momentarily looks injured but he gets up unscathed.

81′ Bischoff goes inches wide for Arsenal. He takes the ball into the box, goes past McNaughton and shoots across the face of goal, beating keeper Heaton and defender Blake. It rolls just wide of the far post much to City’s relief.

79′ Bendtner receives a yellow card for a reckless sliding tackle on McNaughton, who is wily enough to jump out of the way.

78′ Back to the football, Van Persie drives a thundering effort into the chest of Heaton, but he had already been flagged offside.

77′ What looks like a “work” shoe has also appeared on the touchline. What other items of clothing will be used as makeshift missiles before full time is called? Arrest the idiot with only one shoe on the way out please officer.

74′ Arsenal make their third and final substitution, by bringing on Amauri Bischoff for Carlos Vela. Riccardo Scimeca replaces Gavin Rae for the Bluebirds. There will be no Eddie Johnson and therefore no comedic performances up front.

72′ The substitutions appear to have taken the edge off the game. Arsenal are retaining the ball comfortably while City are chasing shadows.

69′ The camera zooms in on a mobile phone which was hurled at Fabianski in the Arsenal goal. They could only manage rolled up socks at Goodison Park so the credit crunch can’t have hit South Wales that badly yet.

68′ For all their Eddie chants, the City fans instead get Peter Whittingham and Darcy Blake on for Parry and Purse. The talismanic striker may yet get a run out though.

67′ Two goal hero Eduardo is replaced by Robin Van Persie while Aaron Ramsey comes on for Nasri.

66′ Shambolic defending again from Cardiff. McNaughton, who has been one of City’s better defenders, makes a complete cock-up of a Nasri cross from the right, giving the unmarked Eduardo a free pot shot at goal. The striker is denied a hat-trick by the chest of Heaton and is soon to be replaced.

65′ Song bundles Ledley over just outside the D and eventually McCormack takes the free kick. It takes a deflection and goes behind for a corner.

60′ Goal! Arsenal 3 Cardiff 0. Rae wrestled Eduardo to the ground and Halsey had no option but to point to the spot. The Croatian international coolly slots home the penalty for his second of the game.

59′ Nasri slips Bendtner into the box and he drills a low shot into the near post. Heaton, dubbed “No Hands” by a section of the City supporters, again gets down and saves with his feet.

57′ Bothroyd has a run at goal and would dearly love to score against the club who dumped him as a youngster. However, his shot from distance is not that great and comfortably smothered by Fabianski.

56′ Gibbs sends a cross into the six yard box as City again fail to pick him up on the byline. Purse gets there first and thumps the ball behind for a corner.

54′ Vela turns McNaughton and cuts through the labouring City defence. Johnson makes up for his first-half blunder by getting back and blocking the inevitable shot. Hull City may well be interested again.

50′ William Gallas becomes the first player to enter Mark Halsey’s notebook for a foul on Bothroyd. McCormack takes the free kick but his ball into the box is easily dealt with.

48′ The City supporters are getting desperate. Only three minutes into the second half and they are calling for the introduction of “Super” Eddie Johnson, the club’s wage-draining mascot and token American. Oh dear.

46′ Arsenal get the second half underway. Let’s see if Cardiff realise there is a match on or whether they will surrender this half as meekly as they did the first.

Half Time. Cardiff are lucky to go into the break only two goals behind as Arsenal are dominating with relative ease. City just don’t look interested enough in the match and are not able to compete in the way they did at Ninian Park three weeks ago. Bendtner’s miss moments before half time was a shocker and if it had gone in, it would have been curtains for the Bluebirds. As it stands, they still have a chance but they need to pull their fingers out.

45′ There’s the Bendtner we’ve grown to love and mock. Sagna delivers a delicous cross for Vela, who turns, shoots and forces a great reaction save from Heaton. The loose ball falls into the path of the awaiting Bendtner, who clatters the post from a full four yards out. Not wanting to look a complete idiot, he attempts to poke in the rebound but Heaton pulls off another great block. This is the player who should be featuring in every Arsenal game, no matter who is fit.

43′ Burke takes a free kick on the right which goes out for a throw in. The commentator mentions Ledley’s name for the first time. I didn’t realise he was playing and he’s supposed to be the heartbeat for the Bluebirds. That £6 million transfer to Stoke isn’t going to materialise if he doesn’t buck his ideas up.

42′ Not long left till half time now. Cardiff have barely been in the game since it kicked off. Arsenal are enjoying the lion’s share of posession and it’s all too easy for them.

37′ The replay clearly shows Johnson daydreaming, possibly about the transfer to Hull that never was, while Bendtner sneaks up behind him and then has a free run to meet the delivered ball. That’s £4 million worth of defender there folks.

34′ Goal! Arsenal 2 Cardiff 0. Perhaps he had a point after all. Or perhaps it was just more shambolic defending by City. Anyway, Nicklas Bendtner gets a free header direct from a corner while City’s defence try their best to get in eachother’s way and it’s 2-0. It’s a long way back for Cardiff now, who have barely been in the game.

28′ A real let off for Cardiff. Nasri was allowed to keep going forward before unleashing a howitzer from the edge of the box. Heaton somehow blocks it but the ball squirms away from him and bounces wide. It could have easily ended up in the back of the net.

26′ Cardiff get a corner which Burke delivers to Johnson along the floor. The defender takes a swipe at it first time but it goes wide and he ends up on his backside.

20′ Goal! Arsenal 1 Cardiff 0. It has been coming. Eduardo marks his return to the first team with a bullet header from Vela’s cross. Five City defenders in the box and not one was anywhere near the Gunners striker. The Bluebirds need to get their act together or this could be a rout.

20′ Arsenal are getting chances galore. Kolo Toure ambles forward, turns Ledley and sends a tame shot straight at Heaton.

16′ Cardiff get their first half chance. Ledley plays it through to McCormack on the edge of this box but his effort is blocked. Arsenal break immediately with Vela playing the ball across the face of goal towards Bendtner and Eduardo, but McNaughton makes a last ditch interception and clears.

13′ Bendtner sweeps a cross in from the right towards the head of Eduardo. The Brazilian-born Croatian looks match-rusty and heads well over the bar. He follows it up with a Beckham-esque attempt from just inside his own half, but again it’s well wide.

11′ Burke sees the linesman’s flag rise for the second time in as many minutes when trying to get a cross in from the byline. Twice the ball has been judged to have gone out of play but twice the replays suggest it was on the line.

7′ Arsenal have another chance, well, two. Vela breaks quickly and a snap shot from the edge of the box is parried by Heaton. Bendtner pokes the rebound but forces a save from Heaton’s feet. Seconds later Gallas has a headed effort, which is again saved by the feet of Heaton. It could be a long night for the Bluebirds.

5′ World Player of the Year Bendtner has the first real chance of the match. He beats Johnson for height and heads a cross from Sagna towards goal. Unbelievably, for a player who should start each match without question, it goes wide.

3′ A cagey start from both sides. Most of the action is occurring in the middle of the park. Roger Johnson finds himself in an attacking position but cannot keep the ball in play.

0′ Some really bizarre pre-match comments from Nicklas “No Goals” Bendtner, who clearly harbours ambitions as an alternative comedian. I mean, his claim of: “It does not really matter to me who is fit and available, I should start every game, I should be playing every minute of every match and always be in the team” would be quite funny it wasn’t said in a deadly serious tone. While “I’ve never seen Arshavin. I did not watch Euro 2008″ is just downright disrespectful. It must be a barrel of laughs in the Gunners dressing room these days.

0′ Good evening and welcome to the match which gives the winner a shot at Burnely and then either Hull City or Sheffield United in the quarter final. Contrary to the match preview, Eduardo does start for Arsenal but Gyepes does not for Cardiff. The Gunners also feature exciting youngster Carlos Vela while former City youngster Ramsey is on the bench for the home side.

Reaction

Cardiff City gifted Arsenal a home tie against Burnley with a poor performance. They showed none of the heart displayed the first time the pair met at Ninian Park and Arsenal were allowed to do as they pleased throughout the game. The Gunners were clinical this evening without really stepping up a gear and if it wasn’t for a combination of poor finishing from Bendtner and alert goalkeeping from Heaton, the score could have been much higher. Arsenal progress in the Cup, while last season’s finalists City can now concentrate on their Championship promotion bid.

Man of the Match

Bendtner would surely nominate himself for the accolade. Well, that first-half miss was something else. However, it has to be awarded to Eduardo, who marked his return to first-team action with a brace. Both goals were expertly taken and he didn’t look like a player who has been out of action for the best part of year, let alone one who suffered an horrific, career-threatening injury. The Gunners need a boost in what has been a poor season and the Croatian international could be just the man to provide it.

And so began a week’s-worth of rumors about yet another footballer who had fallen from grace. The speculation culminated in a shock transfer that sent Keane back to Tottenham, the club that he had served so well before his ill-fated move this summer.

Keane got his wish: A move away from a squad where he just didn’t fit. But what about the other former-stars and misfits around the world, players who once shined on the international stage but now can’t seem to get a game in with their current squads. You could probably make a pretty good starting XI solely out of players who are now spending most of their time on the pine.

That’s what I’ve done here. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring my 2009 All-Out-of-Favour XI.

GK – Dida, AC Milan

There are a lot of things I don’t like about Dida, not the least of which was his embarrassing display against Celtic in Oct. 2007, who collapsed to the ground stricken in supposed pain after he was tapped on the shoulder by a Celtic supporter. There are other things too: His unpredictability, his injury history and his seeming propensity to make huge gaffes. But let’s remember Dida was a part of two Champions League winning squads with the Rossoneri, and happens to be a former Serie A goalkeeper of the year. He was capable of greatness in the past. He’s 35, which for a goalkeeper means he’s not quite over the hill yet, and though he hasn’t played in a single league match this year for Milan, I have a feeling a change of scenery might be exactly what Dida needs. For that reason, I’ll take a flier on the 6-foot-5 Brazilian.

Estimated Cost: Able to leave for free in the summer.

RB - Micah Richards, Manchester City

It’s undeniable that Richards has suffered a dip in form this season for City, and consequently has seen his place in the squad come into doubt. Many feel Richards, who isn’t quite as tall a traditional center back, is better suited being moved out to one of the fullback slots. Others feel Richards could have a future as a holding midfielder. It’s pretty much undeniable, however, that his time at centre-back has not worked out so far. His recent arrest for alleged assault certainly hasn’t helped, either.

His name was tossed around a bit this transfer window, with Arsenal and Aston Villa mentioned. Richards has said he’s happy to stay and fight for his spot with the Sky Blues. He is still just 20 years old, and move out back to his more natural right back spot would help him. That’s where he would play on this team.

Estimated Cost: £10 million

CB - Kolo Toure, Arsenal

The longest-tenured Arsenal player has had a fine career in Red and White. At his best, Toure is a strong, pacey defender with the ability to make timely tackles. But Toure hasn’t looked himself this season – perhaps in part due to a bout with Malaria during the summer – and as a result has rarely found a consistent run of play in what has been an extremely inconsistent Gunners defense. More than anything, Toure may be a victim of a bad partnership. The Ivory Coast international and former Arsenal skipper William Gallas don’t get along, and don’t work very well together.

With Gallas injured, Toure got a brief run of play in January, and has surprisingly partnered with Gallas the last two matches. Still, with Johan Djorou in form, one wonders what Toure’s role will be with Arsenal the rest of the year. Manchester City made a run at him, but Arsenal weren’t willing to sell quite yet. If he isn’t able to lock down his first-team place, a summer move could be in store.

Estimated Cost: £11 million

CB - Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea

The Serbian centre-back hasn’t found many games since joining the Blues from Lokomotiv Moscow two summers ago. He didn’t feature at all last year, and has only played in nine games this year. But don’t forget, when Chelsea signed him for £9 million, they beat out AC Milan, Inter and Ajax to his signature. Ivanovic’s name has been mentioned quite a bit this January, and one would have to believe that in the summer, Ivanovic will be moving somewhere to get the first time football he’s missed out on. Fiorentina have been mentioned quite a bit.

Estimated Cost: £6 million

LB – Nicky Shorey, Aston Villa

I debated for a while on this one. To be honest, I couldn’t really find a player that I really could get behind. In the end, I chose Shorey over, say, a Jose Enrique, solely because Shorey has more match experience and I would imagine he’d be less prone to mistakes. He’s been buried on Aston Villa’s roster this term, but he was a very good with Reading for several years, and garnered plenty of interest in the January transfer window. Plus, he’s a left-back who actually defends, unlike, say, Gareth Bale. What a novel concept.

Estimated Cost: £3 million

LM – Florent Malouda, Chelsea

The second of three Chelsea men to make the squad. It’s safe to say Malouda has never really lived up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, and his place in the team will come into further doubt with the arrival of Christiano Ronaldo’s infinitely-less-talented, but stylistically-similar Portuguese counterpart Ricardo Quaresma (who, had he not been loaned out of deadline day, would have made this list). He was even linked to a loan move to Juventus this window.

But Malouda’s pace cannot be doubted, and at his best he’s the sort of player that puts a ton of pressure on defenders and can score the occasional goal. Any good XI needs a pacey player down the flank, and Malouda fits the bill for this squad.

Estimated Cost: £10 million

CM – Mathieu Flamini, AC Milan

Perhaps it’s unfair to call Flamini, who’s still settling into the Italian game after leaving Arsenal in the summer, “out-of-favour.” But Flamini has yet to gain the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti. Even with Gattuso – the very player many thought Flamini was bought in to replace – out injured form the rest of the year, Massimo Ambrosini still seems to be the favored choice.

But at 24-years-old, Flamini has a lot to offer. His work rate is one of the best around, and he can seem to be everywhere on the field at once. I would make the argument he was one of Arsenal’s two or three best players last season. His performances were so consistent, and his prowess at the holding midfield spot freed up the like of Cesc Fabregas, allowing him to flourish. It’s hard for me to imagine him not having a spot on the Milan team right now. But he can certainly have a place in this one.

Estimated Cost: £7 million

RM – Elano, Manchester City

The creative Brazilian was perhaps the driving force in Manchester City’s torrid start last season, scoring eight goals in 34 games and creating several others. He can play in the centre of the park in an attacking role (as he has of late with Brazil, even scoring in his country’s 2-0 win over Italy this week) or out on the right side, and at his best, he is the type of player that can carve out chances, whether it be with an incisive pass or a free kick, which he’s shown a particular prowess with. But with arrivals such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robinho, and with more sure to come in the near future, Elano has seen his role with City limited this season. But if he can play like his did last year, he’s the sort of attacking player that would mesh well with Flamini in the midfield and give our team some balance.

And if you think that a player that can’t hack it at Man City isn’t good enough to play anyway else, you obviously didn’t see Jo’s debut with Everton.

Estimated Cost: £7 million

F – Fred, Lyon

When he first moved to Lyon, he was lauded as one of the next big names in European football. Initially a hit at the Stade de Gerland, the Brazilian forward has barely seen the field of late for the French champions, blocked by French prodigy Karim Benzema. After featuring in Brazil’s 2006 World Cup side, he’s seen himself drop further in Brazil’s pecking order as his playing time has dwindled in France. In the past two seasons, he’s been rumoured be heading to a slew of English teams, being linked with West Ham, Middlesborough, Tottenham, and even Premier League misfits Stoke City. Ouch.

On the bright side, Fred is still just 25. He’s proven to be an effective player, scoring 16 goals in his first season with Lyon and 34 in 81 career appearances with the French side, which isn’t bad. He’s even got four goals in 19 appearances this year, which is decent considering most of his appearances have come as a sub late in games. Most recently, he’s been linked with a return to Brazil with Fluminese, but monetary disputes with Lyon have kept a move from happening.

Estimated Cost: £6 million

F - Didier Drogba, Chelsea

When healthy, there aren’t many more effective target men up front than Drogba. He’s so strong and so adept at shielding off defenders or winning headers. Just two years ago, he scored 39 goals in all competitions for Chelsea. But Drogba’s ineffectiveness (one goal in Premier League games this year) along with the resurgence of Nicolas Anelka (14 goals) and a reported bust up with ex-manager Luiz Felipe Scolari have limited Drogba’s opportunities. He was dropped from the squad for two games in January, but of late has featured more as an attacking option off the bench.

The 30-year-old has been featured in several rumor this transfer window, first as part of swap to land Manchester City’s Robinho and then as a target for Inter, where former Blues manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he’d love to have Drogba back. But Drogba said in January he preferred to remain at Chelsea, and perhaps Scolari’s sacking could open up some more chances for Drogba. Otherwise expect plenty of interest in the summer.

Estimated Cost: £15 million

F – Vincenzo Iaquinta, Juventus

Iaquinta’s never really gotten a chance at Juventus, buried behind first del Piero and Trezequet and now Amauri. The fans in Turin seem to like him, but it’s clear he’s not going to get the first-team football he deserves until he gets a move. He was rumoured to be heading to Zenit St. Petersburg this winter, and has been linked with other places as well (Newcastle being one of them). He obviously has some quality, having played in five of seven games during Italy’s 2006 World Cup run. He’s tall (6-foot-3), good in the air and is versatile enough to still be effective if he is forced out wide. Combined with Drogba, Iaquinta gives us plenty of muscle and skill around the goal up front.

Estimated Cost: £9 million

Subs

Mario Balotelli, F, Inter; Kevin Kuranyi, F, Schalke; Michael Johnson, M, Man City; Emerson, M, AC Milan; Jose Enrique, LB, Newcastle; Gregory Coupet, GK, Athletico Madrid.

Well, there it is. Certainly far from a perfect squad, but I’d back them to challenge for the Top Four any day. Now, it’s your turn to chime in. What players out there did I miss?

29. Peter Shilton

“Peter Shilton, Peter Shilton, does your missus know you’re here?” was a famous chant in the 1980s which rang in all the away grounds he went to play. Now, you may ask, what has that to do with drink driving?  Shilton, in his autobiography, said he went out alone to eat one night, got drunk and met a young woman whom he drove back home after closing. According to him, a car followed him and only after a few miles did he understand it was the woman’s husband! It was panic and he raced away, lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post. He was banned from driving for 15 months and was fined a sum of £350 for drink driving.

28. George Best

George Best and his private life had always been of great interest to media, his drunken exploits continued to make headlines even after Best’s football career was finished. Best was arrested in December 1984 for drink driving and assaulting a police officer. He was given a three-month sentence.

27. Tony Adams

The former Arsenal captain, Tony Adams, crashed his car into a brick wall in 1990. He was four times over the legal limi. Adams was sent to Chelmsford Prison for four months and was disqualified from driving for two years. Later, in 1996, he admitted his drink addiction and cleaned himself up.

26. Peter Beagrie

Peter Beagrie, then an Everton winger, got lost in a Spanish town after a night out drink during the club’s tour in 1991. He somehow found his way back to the team hotel on a motorcycle and found the hotel porter is fast asleep. Beagrie rode straight through a plate-glass window and crashed into the hotel. He was badly hurt and needed 50 stitches on his head. The worst part is that he drove into the wrong hotel!

25. Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand, known for his love for fast cars, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1997. The then 18-year old was banned from driving and was dropped from the England team. Ferdinand had been caught in many other incidents and was named by Daily Soccer Blog as one of the top troublemakers in English football. In 2005 he was banned again for speeding, trying to overtake a police car at 105mph.

24. Jody Morris

Morris, who came through the youth ranks at Chelsea, was arrested and jailed for drink driving in 2001. He got a four years driving ban and had to do community service. He was convicted for drink driving again in 2006 and was given two-year suspended sentence.

23. Nolberto Solano

The former Newcastle winger was arrested for suspected drink driving in 2001. He was taken to the Etal Lane police station and was charged in connection with road traffic offence.

22. James Beattie

The former Southampton striker was stopped by police after a night out in September 2002 and was found to be three time over the alcohol limit. Beattie was sentenced to 100 hours’ community service.

21. Mark Venus

Venus drank four pints at a party and drove his wife’s car during the early hours in September 2002. He was arrested by Cochester police, fined £3,000 and banned for 18 months. He was Ipswich Town’s Player of the Year at the time.

20. Eirik Bakke

The Norwegian and then Leeds United midfielder was arrested for drink driving in 2003. He was fined £6,000.

19. Seth Johnson

The former England international was admitted charges of speeding and drink driving in August 2003, when he was speeding at 135mph near Bradford. He was banned from driving for two years and was sentenced to 100 hours community service.

18. Guy Charles

The former England international, more often remembered as the victim of Gascoigne’s horrific tackle in the 1991 FA cup semi-final, was found drink driving and assaulting a 30 year old woman. He was jailed for four months in January 2004 for a series of drink driving offences.

17. Jermaine Pennant

Pennant, then at Arsenal, crashed his Mercedes into a lamppost in 2005 after getting lost on a journey from Bristol to London. He was jailed for three months and fined.

16. Adam Proudlock

In 2005 November, the then Ipswich Town player Proudlock was arrested for drink driving and fined £1,000. The magistrate banned him from driving for 20 months and suggested he complete a drink-driving course.

MORE SHAMED FOOTBALLERS AFTER THE JUMP! CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT 15!

Here, Daily Soccer Blog looks at 50 of those transfers – the bizarre, the boring and the breathtaking and looks at how their arrivals will affect the clubs who bought them.

Counting down…

50. Julian Gray

Teams Involved – Coventry City to Fulham
Fee – Undisclosed

Former Arsenal trainee Gray can operate as a left winger or as a makeshift left back, but has not seen any first team action this season while on loan at Fulham. Gray was instrumental during Crystal Palace’s promotion during the 2003/04 season and even found time to have a loan spell at Cardiff City that season. After making 125 appearances for the Eagles, he joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in June 2004, making 60 appearances, before moving to Coventry City in July 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Despite not playing a single game for Fulham while on loan, Roy Hodgson saw fit to sign Gray on a permanent deal. Perhaps he was desperate for some deadline-day buzz, or perhaps he feels Gray can add something to the squad. Either way, it’s hardly an exciting move amid a frenzied day of transfer action.

49. Ariza Makukula

Teams Involved – Benfica to Bolton Wanderers
Fee – Loan

Ariza Makukula has certainly done the rounds and Bolton are the tenth club he has represented during his career which began at Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes a decade ago. The Congolese-born Portugal international enjoyed the most prolific spells of his career at UD Salamanca in 2001/02, where he scored 21 goals and on loan at Maritimo from Sevilla in 2007/08, netting 10 goals in just 13 appearances. Aside from that, goals have been hard to come by for a striker deemed good enough to represent Portugal and who scored on his debut in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan on 17 October 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Makukula could provide a stop-gap for Bolton who are not known for their prolific scoring abilities but it’s unlikely he is going to set the Premiership goal scoring charts alight. He’s started three matches for the Trotters so far and has been substituted in each one of them, scoring no goals in the process. He’s on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent £4.5 million move – Bolton fans must be ecstatic at the prospect.

48. Peter Lovenkrands

Teams Involved – Schalke 04 to Newcastle United
Fee – Free

Out of the frying pan is a term which could describe Peter Lovenkrands’ transfer to Newcastle United. After playing just nine minutes of first team football this season for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga and not starting a match for them since February 2008, he was released and joined the Magpies until the end of the season. Lovenkrands is best known for his six year spell at Rangers, where he scored 54 goals in 182 appearances and was instrumental in the Gers reaching the last 16 of the Champions League during the 2005-06 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. At 28-years-of-age, Lovenkrands should be at his peak, but after two years in Germany ravaged by injury and poor form, it looks as though his better days are behind him. Newcastle are a club in turmoil, with uncertainty and in-fighting the order of the day. Lovenkrands was probably seen as a cheap option to try and score some much-needed goals but the problem is, he hasn’t scored in two seasons.

47. Marlon King

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough
Fee – Loan

Marlon King joined his second club on loan of the season when he cut short his spell at Hull City to join struggling Middlesbrough. King scored five goals in 20 Premiership appearances for the Tigers, with his last goal coming on 6 December in a 2-1 victory, ironically against Middlesbrough. King only joined Wigan Athletic a year ago for around £3 million from Watford, but it is unlikely he has a future at the JJB Stadium.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Middlesbrough are in real danger of relegation this season and Gareth Southgate appears to be pinning their survival hopes on King, a nomadic striker who rarely scores goals – this season’s Marcus Bent, if you like. King is known for his recent problems, including a speeding ban and arrest for alleged assault, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him good. If not, Middlesbrough could be in a lot of trouble come the end of the season.

46. Youssouf Mulumbu

Teams Involved – Paris St. Germain to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Youssouf Mulumbu is a Zaire-born Congo DR international who joined the Hawthorns outfit on loan for the rest of the season from Paris St Germain. The midfielder made 13 appearances for Paris St. Germain since making his debut in 2006 and also made 23 appearances, scoring one goal on loan at Amiens during the 2007/08 campaign. Baggies manager Tony Mowbray sees Mulumbu as one for the future and doesn’t expect the eight-times capped player to make an instant impact in the first team.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Mulumbu’s arrival gives boss Mowbray further options in midfield he doesn’t see him as immediate first team material. He’s the sort of signing you get the feeling won’t really make a massive impact at a struggling club like the Baggies. If he’s up for the fight, he could prove vital during the latter stages of the season but if not, he’s just another player to send packing at the end of May.

45. Pele

Teams Involved – FC Porto to Portsmouth
Fee – Loan

No… not that one! Instead, “Pele” is a relative unknown who has played only a handful of games for three clubs during the past three years. After failing to make an impact at Vitoria Guimaraes, a modest club in Portugal’s top division, he signed for Serie A giants Inter Milan in the summer of 2007. He broke into the first team, mainly due to an horrific midfield injury crisis but was shipped out to Porto a year later as a makeweight in the deal which took Ricardo Quaresma to the San Siro. Pele has hardly had a sniff of first team football this season and joined Portsmouth on loan to try and resurrect his faltering career.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. You have to be either very good, or very confident in your own ability to get away with a moniker like “Pele”, but so far Vitor Hugo Gomes Passos hasn’t really done anything to prove he is worthy of the name. He is still young, at 21-years-old, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt and it will be interesting to see if makes any sort of impact in the Premiership after being largely frozen out at Porto.

44. Gael Givet

Teams Involved – Marseille to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Loan

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce may have pulled off a coup in clinching the signing of Marseille defender Gael Givet. During his time at Monaco, Givet played in the 2004 Champions League final for Monaco, a team he made 178 league appearances for in seven years. Givet joined Marseille ahead of the 2007/08 campaign and featured regularly but fell out with manager Erik Gerets before the start of this season and has not played at all. He has won 13 international caps for France and can play at left back or central defence.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Givet is a vastly experienced defender who has played at the highest club level. However, there may be issues with his temperament, hence his loan move to Blackburn and since he has not played much football this season, it could take a while for him to regain full match fitness.

43. Manucho

Teams Involved – Manchester United to Hull City
Fee – Loan

Not much is known about Manucho, the Angolan striker who signed for Manchester United during last year’s transfer window. The 25-year-old was swiftly sent out on loan to Panathinaikos while awaiting a UK work permit and he scored four goals in seven appearances for the Greek club. After making just one first team appearance for United this season, as a substitute against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup, he joined Hull on loan until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Manucho’s transfer to Hull is difficult to assess because there’s not really much to go on. However, Phil Brown worked wonders with an on loan Manchester United striker last season, Frazier Campbell, who fired in 15 goals as the Tigers won promotion from the Championship. If Manucho can have the same sort of impact, there will be no danger of Hull being dragged into the relegation mire after making such a great start to the season.

42. Juan Carlos Menseguez

Teams Involved – San Lorenzo to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Attacking midfielder was weaned on football from an early age and joined River Plate when he was just five years old. He never made a senior appearance for the Argentine giants because he was sold to Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum in 2003. He made 110 appearances for Bochum, scoring five goals and then returned to his homeland in 2007 when he signed for 10-times league winners San Lorenzo. Menseguez made 34 appearances, scoring six goals for the club before joining the Baggies on loan with a view to a permanent move in January.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Aside from one or two notable exceptions, such as Carlos Tevez and Julio Arca, Argentinian players are a bit hit-or-miss in the Premiership. Perhaps Mowbray thinks he may have unearthed another Mauro Zarate, who rose to prominence last season with Birmingham City, though he could just as easily be another Esteban Fuertes.

41. Marc-Antoine Fortune

Teams Involved – Nancy to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

With the Baggies propping up the rest of the league, Marc-Antoine Fortune arrived at the Hawthorns on loan until the end of the season, with manager Tony Mowbray also having the option to make his move permanent. Fortune made his debut during West Brom’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough, in which he received a standing ovation when finally replaced by Craig Beattie. He may have scored a debut goal, as he deflected in an effort from Robert Koren but thusfar the goal has been credited to the Slovenian international.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Fortune has not exactly been prolific during his career and has mustered around one goal every four to five matches. This is not the sort of ratio a struggling team at the foot of the table can rely on to avoid relegation and while Fortune may be a decent enough player, he is unlikely to pull up any trees in the Premiership.

40. Savio Nsereko

Teams Involved – Brescia to West Ham United
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £10 million)

Relative unknown Savio Nsereko is a Ugandan-born German Under-19 international who has spent the last three-and-a-half years plying his trade in Italy with Serie B club Brescia. He is a direct replacement for Craig Bellamy, who left for Manchester City, but his fee is believed to be higher than the club record £7.5 million paid to Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007. Nsereko, who came on as a substitute in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Hull, was also rumoured to be attracting interest from Juventus and Roma.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. One of the strangest transfers of the season until you discover who was involved in the deal. The Sporting Director of West Ham is Gianluca Nani, who just happens to be the son-in-law of Brescia club president Luigi Corioni. In the words of one tabloid journalist: “Savio Nsereko had better be good”.

39. Jo

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Everton
Fee – Loan

Manchester City’s club record transfer, at an eye-watering £19 million, Jo, has been farmed out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. One tabloid columnist described him as the only Brazilian unable to trap a bag of cement and he has made just 13 senior appearances for City since joining from CSKA Moscow last summer. In Russia, he was a revelation, scoring 44 goals in 77 appearances but has not found the net in England since scoring in City’s 6-0 drubbing of Portsmouth last September.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Jo has been one of the most expensive flops in Premiership history and will attempt to resurrect his tattered career at Everton. With the likes of Louis Saha and James Vaughan injured, Toffees fans will be used to strikers who don’t score any goals. Only time will tell if he is the right man to fill the void left by the injured Yakubu, which has forced midfielder Tim Cahill to play up front in recent weeks.

38. Pascal Chimbonda

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Tottenham Hotspur
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £3 million)

Defender Pascal Chimbonda was one of three former Tottenham Hotspur players, sold by manager Juande Ramos, who returned to the club during the January transfer window. He only joined Sunderland last summer but failed to settle in the North East and has a second chance at Spurs where he spent two seasons previously. Arguably, Chimbonda played his best Premiership football at Wigan Athletic during the 2005/06 season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year, where he was voted best right back in the league ahead of Gary Neville, Paul Ferreira and Steve Finnan. He has one cap for France and also represented Guadeloupe in 2003.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Chimbonda seems to have lost his way since he burst into the Premiership with Wigan three-and-a-half years ago. However, Harry Redknapp was keen to bring the player back to White Hart Lane and it is up to Chimbonda to repay the faith shown in him.

37. El-Hadji Diouf

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce linked up with striker Diouf for the second time when he brought him to Ewood Park from Sunderland. The pair worked together previously at Bolton Wanderers where Diouf spent three seasons, scoring 12 goals in 87 league appearances. He also spent a spell on loan at Bolton during the 2004/05 season, where he scored nine goals in 27 appearances. Diouf rose to prominence during the 2002 World Cup and scored the winning goal for Senegal against France. His performances persuaded Liverpool to part with £10 million to sign him from Lens but lthis season he failed to score in 14 appearances for Sunderland.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Rovers find themselves in the relegation mire and all new arrivals at the club need to be positive. Allardyce knows exactly what he is getting with Diouf and if he can encourage the player to repeat the performances of his Bolton days then he will be an excellent addition to the Rovers quad.

36. Tal Ben Haim

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Tal Ben Haim’s career has stuttered over the past two seasons. He arrived in English football in 2004 with Bolton Wanderers and went on to make 88 Premiership appearances for the Trotters over three seasons. His impressive displays in defence did not go unnoticed and he joined Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2007. However, he was largely frozen out under manager Avram Grant and was shipped out to Manchester City for around £5 million last summer. Despite making his debut against EB/Streymur in City’s UEFA Cup qualifying campaign at the end of July he made only nine Premiership appearances and his search for regular, first team football has now seen him move to Sunderland in January.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. The defender has not played much football in the last two seasons during unsuccessful spells at Chelsea and Manchester City. However, he has a lot of Premiership experience from his time at Bolton Wanderers and links up again with Ricky Sbragia, who was first-team coach during Ben Haim’s stint at the Reebok Stadium. He will know what is required of him playing in a team which is striving to avoid relegation and will add needed depth to the Black Cats’ squad.

35. Calum Davenport

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Since making 83 appearances for Coventry City and winning the Young Player of the Year accolade at the end of the 2002/03 season, Davenport has move from club to club in an attempt to prove he can cut it in the Premiership. He left the Sky Blues for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2004, but after two-and-a-half frustrating years at White Hart Lane, he joined West Ham United, where he previously spent time on loan. However, after making just 14 appearances in two years at Upton Park and also being farmed out to Watford during this time, he joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Davenport is still hunting for a Premiership team where he can command a regular, first-team place and Sunderland will be his seventh English club. After failing to impress Gianfranco Zola this season, he will give Ricky Sbragia further defensive options as the Black Cats batten down the hatches between now and the end of the campaign.

34. Nadir Belhadj

Teams Involved – Lens to Portsmouth
Fee – £4.4 million

After playing at Fratton Park on loan since August, Algerian international Nadir Belhadj joined Portsmouth on a permanent deal from Lens.He sparkled during Pompey’s run in the UEFA Cup against Vitoria and more notably AC Milan, where he was awarded Man of the Match. His long range goal against Sunderland also gave new manager Tony Adams his first victory in charge of the club.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Belhadj is a quality player who can operate at both left wing and left back, although there are question marks over his temperament. He was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in Pompey’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, but was fortunate not to receive a straight red for a hacking Craig Gardner to the ground. During times of crisis, you need your best players to keep a cool head and Tony Adams will have to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance.

33. Matthew Etherington

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Stoke City
Fee – £2 million

Manager Tony Pulis has been active during the transfer window as he attempts to haul his side out of the relegation zone and the arrival of left winger Matthew Etherington from cash-strapped West Ham could prove to be a good piece of business. Etherington made almost 200 appearances for West Ham during a five-and-a-half year spell at Upton Park and won “Hammer of the Year” in his debut season at the club. It was his cross which lead to the winning goal in the 2004/05 Play Off final, in which the Hammers beat Preston North End to return to the Premiership.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Etherington seems to fit the bill at the Britannia Stadium and is reknowned for his crossing ability. A team known for its physical play, Etherington will be expected to sling balls into the box at every opportunity as the Potters battle for their lives in the top flight for the remainder of the season.

32. Henri Camara

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Stoke City
Fee – Loan

Journeyman striker Camara makes Stoke City his sixth British club after moving to the Britannia Stadium on loan until the end of the season. When given a chance, Camara usually performs well, as 20 goals in 69 appearances for Wigan testifies, but he has found himself largely out of favour at the JJB Stadium. He had a productive loan spell at Celtic during the 2004/05 season, where he scored eight goals in 18 appearances but was used sparingly when on loan at West Ham last season. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and will look to earn a permanent move to the Potters.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. It was a little surprising to see Camara join struggling Stoke, having made a decent contribution to Wigan’s season with six goals, including the winner against Everton last November. He should fit in well to Stoke’s style of play and his pace and directness makes him an ideal replacement for the injured Ricardo Fuller.

31. Radoslav Kovac

Teams Involved – Spartak Moscow to West Ham United
Fee – Loan

Czech international midfielder has spent the last three-and-ahalf seasons at Spartak Moscow, making 80 league appearances for the Russian side which limped to an eighth placed finish this season. Having also spent time at Sparta Prague and Sigma Olomouc in his homeland,  the versatile Kovac is ready to take on the challenge of playing in England. The Hammers fended off interest from Celtic for the 29-year-old, who has won 25 caps for his country and who played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Following the departures of Hayden Mullins and Julian Faubert, the Hammers needed some competition in midfield and Kovac brings a wealth of experience. A defensive-minded player, Kovac will help to solidify the Hammers midfield as they look to maintain their position in the top 10.

30. Kamil Zayatte

Teams Involved – Young Boys to Hull City
Fee – £2.5 million

Defender Zayatte has been on a season-long loan at Hull City since August 2008 after having trial spells with both Everton and Newcastle United last summer. The Guinea international has featured heavily this season and manager Phil Brown has opted to make his move to the KC Stadium permanent in a deal worth £2.5 million. He scored his first goal for the club during a 3-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion during Hull’s strong start to the Premiership campaign.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Zayatte has proven to be a solid performer for Hull during their first season in the Premiership and formed a good partnership with fellow centre back Michael Turner. His permanent arrival equals the amount paid for Anthony Gardner, ironically the player Zayatte is keeping out of the team.

29. Charles N’Zogbia

Teams Involved – Newcastle United to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £6.5 million)

French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia is probably the most relieved player of the transfer window, after engineering a move away from Newcastle, a club he couldn’t wait to see the back of. Fed up with the club’s ambitions and angered by manager Joe Kinnear’s mispronounciation of his name as insomnia, N’Zogbia stated he would never play for the Magpies again under the current management. After making 118 appearances for the Newcastle since 2004, in which he scored nine goals, N’Zogbia joined improving Wigan Athletic on deadline day.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. N’Zogbia finally managed to get the move away from Newcastle United he wanted but whether he will be satisfied at a club like Wigan, after he was previously linked with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Lyon, remains to be seen. N’Zogbia needs to get his dead down and stop complaining and if he does, then Wigan manager Steve Bruce will have a decent player to call upon.

28. Olivier Dacourt

Teams Involved – Inter Milan to Fulham
Fee – Loan

Roy Hodgson moved quickly to replace Jimmy Bullard by signing veteran defensive midfielder Oliver Dacourt on loan until the end of the season. Dacourt was an important player during Leeds United’s time as genuine Premiership challengers and then spent three years at Roma. He then signed a two-year deal at Inter Milan, where he was originally going to be used as a backup player. However, a severe injury to Patrick Vieria saw Dacourt become a key player in Inter’s winning of Serie A in the 2006/07 season but missed half of the following season with a torn cruciate ligament. Jose Mourinho didn’t see Dacourt as part of his plans this season so he returned to the Premiership, where he also spent time at Everton 10 years ago.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Dacourt is coming to the end of his career but has the opportunity of one last crack at the Premiership wioth Fulham. He is vastly experienced and played some of the best football of his career during the successful Leeds United years before moving to Italy. With the influnential Bullard gone to pastures new, “The General” could prove an important player during the remainder of Fulham’s season.

27. Kevin Nolan

Teams Involved – Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United
Fee – £4 million

Kevin Nolan brought a 12-year stay at Bolton to an end in January, where he scored 50 goals in 345 first team appearances, to join Newcastle United on a four-and-a-half year contract. The midfielder had featured in each of Bolton’s 23 league matches this season, scoring one goal. Alongside Nicky Butt, he will add some authority to the Magpies midfield, which has lost Joey Barton to a long-term injury. He made an instant impact at his new club, clearing a goalbound effort off the line during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with rivals Sunderland on 1 February.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. A few seasons ago, Nolan was one of the most promising midfielders in the country. His tenacity and goal scoring ability alerted the attention of Liverpool, but a big-money move never transpired. He now joins a troubled club in Newcastle and will have to perform to the best of his abilities to avoid playing in the Championship with his new club next season.

26. Ben Watson

Teams Involved – Crystal Palace to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Former England Under-21 internation Ben Watson has been linked with several clubs over the past few months and looked set to join Middlesbrough in January. However, Wigan matched Boro’s offer and secured the midfielder’s services for the next three-and-a-half years. Watson totted up almost 200 appearances for Crystal Palace, including 21 in the Premiership in the 2004/05 season when the Eagles were relegated on the last day of the season.

Transfer Rating – 7/10. Full credit must be given to Wigan manager Steve Bruce who has moved quickly in the transfer market to replace his departed stars with quality players on a budget. Watson was named Crystal Palace’s Young Player of the Year in 2007 and he is bound to prove a worthy addition to the Latics squad.

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In most areas of life being labeled a troublemaker is a bad thing. Not so in football. The players below have clashed with their bosses, taken drugs and attacked their teammates, yet have still been offered lucrative contracts: begging the question does it pay to be a pain in the arse?

Interestingly, the biggest troublemakers often appear to be the biggest talents. No doubt this is why managers and chairman have repeatedly been willing to extend these players “another chance”, but at what point does a player stop being worth the trouble?

Take a look below at the list of players and their rolls of shame and decide for yourself.

10. John Hartson

Hartson was cut from the cloth of the classic big, strong British centre-forward. He started his career at Luton Town and then moved to the capital where he played for Arsenal, West Ham and Wimbledon. He played his best football at Celtic where he notched 88 goals in five seasons and claimed various winner’s medals.

October, 1998 – Hartson’s no none-sense approach meant that he saw red on many occasions but none quite as emphatic as the time when he volleyed his West Ham teammate, Eyal Berkovic, full throttle in the head. Certainly not a persistent troublemaker but the fact that this attack was caught on camera, allowing everyone to see the heinous kick again and again, means he sneaks onto the list at number 10.

What Next? – Not much. Hartson retired in 2008 and now works as part of Setanta’s coverage of the Scottish Premier League.

9. Jermaine Pennant

Big things were expected of Jermaine Pennant when at just 15 he was signed by Arsenal for £2 million. Although he showed glimpses of talent, that helped earn him 24 England U21 caps, he has ultimately never lived up to the hype and has spent much of his career as a wanderer: playing on loan at four different clubs.

April, 2003 – Rumours of Pennant’s lack of discipline and motivation surfaced but it all came to a head when when he was sent home from England U21s duty for breaking curfew.

January, 2005 – Wenger lost patience and he was sent out on loan. Pennant was  eventually signed by Birmingham and it was during this time that he crashed his car and was convicted of drink driving, while already serving a ban. Pennant spent the 30 days of a 90 day sentence in prison and was forced to wear an electronic tag throughout his parole period. Even while on the pitch: the first player to do so in the Premiership.

What Next? – Pennant appeared to put the past behind him and won the Champions League with Liverpool. But inconsistency has struck again and he gone back to the road: currently on loan at Portsmouth.

8. Rio Ferdinand

Rio was a product of the successful West Ham youth academy and spent five years at the club before moving to Leeds United in 2000. Two years later, after a fantastic World Cup for England in 2002, Rio joined Man Utd for a transfer fee of over £30 million.

September, 1997 – Rio might be a rock of stability nowadays but in the early part of his career he repeatedly courted controversy. In 1997, following the news that he had been called up to the England squad, Rio went out to celebrate, got caught drink driving and was banned from making his debut against Moldova.

June, 2000 -Three years later and Rio made the headlines when, along with Frank Lampard   and Kieron Dyer, he made a sex tape while on holiday in Ayia Napa. Said tape fell into the hands of the tabloids and the boys were condemned as the new breed of morally bankrupt, mega-rich, football stars.

October, 2003 – Another three years and another mistake. This time Rio “forgot” to attend a mandatory drug test which resulted in him being handed an 8 month ban and missing out on playing for England at Euro 2004.

What Next? – Rio’s a family man now and has appeared to put the trouble making behind him… although the infamous Manchester United Christmas party in 2007, that resulted in Jonny Evans being accused of rape, was alleged to have been organised by Rio.

7. William Gallas

The French international came to the Premiership from Marseilles back in 2001 and has since made over 230 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal and scored over 20 goals.

September, 2006 – After moving to Arsenal form Chelsea on deadline day it later emerged that Gallas had virtually blackmailed his way out of the club: refusing to go on an American pre-season tour and allegedly threatening to score own goals if he was made to play.

February, 2008 – While playing as captain in a game Arsenal desperately needed to win, Gallas threw a temper tantrum on the pitch when Birmingham were given a last minute penalty that allowed them to earn a draw. At the end of the game, when the rest of the team headed for the dressing room, Gallas sat stubbornly on the pitch.

November, 2008 – Gallas broke the unwritten rule of not airing your dirty laundry in public when he spoke out about what he thought was  a lack of courage in his younger teammates; in particular, although not explicitly, Cesc Fabregas.

What Next? The recent outburst cost him the Arsenal captain’s armband and doubts have been cast over his future at the club. Unsurprising really, Gallas’ very public brand of trouble making could, in  some ways, be deemed more disruptive to a team than someone who goes round punching people.

6. David Beckham

David Beckham was born in London but started his football career up North when he chose to sign for Man Utd instead of his local Tottenham side. He went on to score 62 Premiership goals and Captain England.

January, 1998 – Sir Goldenballs, a troublemaker… surely not? But how could his gargantuan fame not amount to trouble making? It all started at the beginning of 1998 when Becks proposed to Posh spice and the Beckham brand was born.

February, 2003 – Conflict had been building between Ferguson and Becks as the player’s off the field commitments began to affect his commitment to the team. The nail in the coffin came after an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal: Fergie kicked out at a boot that struck Becks and cut his head open. That summer he left for Real Madrid.

January, 2007 – The publicity bandwagon did not stop at Madrid and claims of an affair in 2004 meant that Beckham continued to monopolize the front pages. Madrid were not that bothered, they were still making lots of money, but then hard man Capello turned up and had no time for Beckham’s fame and fortune. He opened the door for Becks to leave by stating Beckham had played his last game for Madrid.

What Next? – True to Becks never-say-die attitude he responded by earning a recall into Capello’s Madrid side and spearheaded them to a league championship. These days Beckham has put his icon status on hiatus as he attempts to convert the US to soccer and overcome his aging legs to keep playing for England.

5. Lee Bowyer

Bowyer has played for five clubs during his career, including Leeds United, West Ham and Newcastle United, and scored over 50 goals.  Despite impressing many managers in the Premiership, Boywer has only one senior England cap to his name.

March, 1995 – Consistently in hot water, Bowyer failed a drugs test for cannabis use while a youth team player at Charlton Athletic and got into trouble before he had played a senior game.

January, 2000 – At Leeds United he was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray following an incident involving Jonathon Woodgate and an Asian student in Leeds. The charge was later dropped and during the period of the trial Bowyer played the best football of his life, but the controversy cost him any chance of an England career.

April, 2005 – Playing for Newcastle United, Bowyer started an on the pitch brawl with fellow geordie teammate, Kieron Dyer. He was sent off, fined by the club and then later by Northumbria Police.

What Next? – Bowyer recently signed for Birmingham City on loan. He has kept his head down since 2005 but history tells us not to expect it to last.

4. Stan Collymore

Collymore began his professional football career at non-league Stafford Rangers before Crystal Palace took a chance on him in 1990. Then began his ascent up the football league until he signed for Liverpool in 1995 for a then British record transfer fee of £8.5 million. Despite this, Collymore only ever managed to earn three England caps.

June, 1998 – Stan the man had moments of genius on the pitch but all too often it was overshadowed by what people perceived as a poor attitude and some calamitous mistakes. The first major incident came while Glenn Hoddle’s England were playing in the World Cup in France. Stan was watching the game in a bar in Paris with his girlfriend, Ulrika Jonsson. They got into a fight and he was seen punching her.

February, 2000 – Two years later, while Stan was at Leicester, he was involved in an incident at the La Manga golf   resort where he was reported to be the ringleader in a drunken night of excess that ended with a fire extinguisher being let off in the bar and the Leicester team being asked to leave.

February, 2004 – Although technically after Collymore had retired, the infamous dogging incident deserves a mention as it is still something that comes to mind when you think of the great players that never was.

What Next? – These days Collymore is a reformed man and works as a football pundit, a columnist and even starred alongside Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct !

3. Craig Bellamy

Welsh-born Bellamy’s first club was Norwich City where he scored 32 goals in 84 games before moving to Coventry and starting a path that would see him play for eight different clubs (and counting).

March, 2004 – It was not until he reached Newcastle that the trouble making fireworks started in Bellamy’s career. He was cautioned for common assault after allegedly attacking a woman outside a geordie nightclub in 2002 and Bobby Robson labeled him the “gobbiest player” he ever worked with. But it was the throwing of a chair at Newcastle first team coach, John Carver, in 2004 that would set the precedent for Bellamy’s problems dealing with teammates.

January, 2005 – In an interview after Newcastle had played Arsenal, Graeme Souness stated that Bellamy had been dropped from the game because of the player’s reluctance to play on the right side of midfield. So started a war of words that saw Bellamy accused of threatening to feign injury and eventually being loaned out to Celtic. Later, while at Blackburn, it has been reported that Bellamy sent a gloating text to Alan Shearer when Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup that only aggravted his relationship with the toon.

February, 2007 – Bellamy’s most high profile offence came while playing for Liverpool during a team training session in Portugal. It is rumoured a row over karaoke singing got out of hand and Bellamy attacked teammate Jon Arne Riise with a golf club. The absence of a caddy means we do not know Bellamy’s choice of club but the incident resulted in him being given the nickname: the nutter with the putter.

What Next? Bellamy has just signed for the richest club in the world… although plans to take him on a trip to Dubai are being evaluated with caution by the senior Man City staff.

2. Paul Gascoigne

One of Newcastle’s most famous exports, Gazza left his hometown club in 1988 to sign for Tottenham. He went on to play in Italy, Scotland, even China and was the star of England’s World Cup tournament in 1990.

1996 – More often mischievous than malicious, Gazza’s trouble making is just as famous as his exceptional talent. His career was a roller coaster of highs and lows that saw him battle against alcohol, injury and a restlessness that lead Gazza to consistently create trouble for himself and those around him. 1996 might be seen as the beginning of the end: first came the ‘dentist chair’ controversy prior to England’s Euro 96 campaign, followed by a stunning display in the tournament but ending with an well publicised attack on his wife, Sheryl.

1998 – The year started with the infamous flute playing celebration while playing for Rangers in an old firm match. Although Gazza was almost certainly not trying to offend every Catholic in Scotland with his Sectarian gesture, the incident resulted in him receiving death threats from the IRA for six months. Then came the crushing news that Gazza had been left out of the England squad for World Cup 98… possibly because he was pictured before the announcement stumbling down a street holding a kebab.

2005 – After years of changing clubs and being in and out of rehab, Gazza was appointed manager of Kettering Town. 39 days after taking charge Gazza walked out with the Kettering chairman accusing Gazza of being under the influence of alcohol before, during and after several first team games and training sessions.

What Next? – Gazza is currently in rehab again after being sectioned for a period in 2008. His playing days are behind him but how great would it be if Gazza could take up his crown of clown prince in the world of football management?

1. Joey Barton

Outspoken, impulsive and and unrestrained, troublemaker may be a misleading word to describe Joey Barton… Thug might be more appropriate. However, Barton can also play and he managed to rack up 130 appearances while at Man City and even one England cap.

December, 2004 -  His career in carnage can be traced back to Christmas of 2004 when Barton stubbed a lit cigar in the eye of youth teammate Jamie Tandy.

July, 2005 – Seven months later and Barton is sent home from City’s pre-season tour in Thailand after clashing with a 15 year old Everton fan, and teammate Richard Dunne, in a bar.

May, 2007 – After criticising the England players who released autobiographies following the 2006 World Cup (“I had a crap World Cup, buy my book”) and then claiming that Man City had made some “substandard” signings, Barton brought an end to his time in Manchester by putting teammate, Ousmane Dabo, in hospital with a vicious attack.

May, 2008 – A year later, with Barton now playing for Newcastle United, he was sentenced to six months in jail for an assault incident in Liverpool city centre. He admitted to being addicted to alcohol and claimed he wanted to achieve total abstinence.

What Next? – Just three months after his conviction he was back playing football at St. James Park. Under new manager Joe Kinnear who knows what will happen next? The smart money says more controversy will follow: Joey Barton does not make trouble… he is trouble.