1. City WILL target: Samuel Eto

There is already talk that City are lining up a £20m for the Cameroon hitman, small change when compared with what was bandied about during the Kaka circus. Eto is quick, physically strong and a clinical finisher. He is one of the best strikers in the world which is why City want him and why they won’t get him. Interest by other clubs (Liverpool are said to be in the mix) will only serve to escalate valuations into the £100m+ levels, with City more likely to experience a dent in their reputation than their chequebook. If Eto wanted to trade sun, beaches and women for wind, rain and hooligans he’d rather do it with a club competing for domestic and European honours on a consistent basis. The notion of players relishing the challenge of being part of a club’s journey from mediocre to world beating is a bit like the character played by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society; romantic but unrealistic.

City SHOULD target: Jo

It seems like such a long time ago that Jo was the Brazilian misfit in a City shirt that couldn’t find the back of the net if he slept in it. Rejuvenated under David Moyes at Everton, he now looks every bit like an accomplished center forward. And, in what will be music to Moyes and American Idol to Hughes, Jo has stated a desire to stay on Merseyside beyond his loan to the end of the season. Forget multi-million pound deals and headline grabbing pay packets. City have an existing rough diamond on their books that could slip through their fingers. Wheels need to be put in motion to ensure the loan arrangement with Everton remains just that. How ironic that City’s most important transfer dealing of the summer could be the one that involves no fee at all.

2. City WILL target: David Villa

The Spanish dynamo is one of the hottest properties in La Liga at the moment. The fact that he outshone Premier League golden boy Fernando Torres at the European Championships is a bit like having Warren Buffet say you’re a good money manager; as ringing an endorsement as you could hope to have. Problem is Villa has been cutting his teeth at Valencia, a previously successful club wracked by turmoil at both the boardroom and managerial level. Manchester City hardly presents a model of stability for a player seeking the less volatile pastures that his ability merits. If Villa walked into a meeting with City executives and demanded an iron-clad guarantee that City would have the same manager by the end of next season and would be fighting for a Champions League position, he would be left disappointed. City would claim their latest shake-up is a sign of big things to come but after what he’s been going through at Valencia, its unlikely Villa will be willing to move to another club in the middle of a risky transition.

City SHOULD target: Michael Owen

It is perhaps more a sign of how Owen’s star has fallen than anything else that he could be touted as a value for money steal for a mid-table club. Unfortunately, injuries and an England snub have put the source of Roberto Ayala’s nightmares into this position. One thing Owen has proven in his ever diminishing appearances is he can score goals with the consistency that Gordon Ramsay hands out reprimands. With Newcastle on the brink of relegation, it is certain he will be available in the summer for a nominal fee. None of the big clubs have voiced any interest and if fit, his instinctive poaching capabilities would be ideal to satisfy City’s need for a proven goalscorer. City has the type of squad that requires simply an injection of class in a few areas and Owen represents the kind of shrewd business that a club with genuine lofty ambitions would gravitate towards.

3. City WILL target: John Terry

Where does one start in explaining why a marquee player from a top club would resist the advances from Eastlands? With that very statement perhaps. Terry is the heart and soul of Chelsea. The adulation he receives from fans sees him destined for immortality at Stamford Bridge. He’s surrounded by quality players, is at the peak of his game and was a coat of varnish away from adding a Champions League winners medal to his domestic trophy laden cabinet. Chelsea may not be the first suburb you’d think of moving to during an economic crisis but I’m sure Terry’s Russian bankrolled wage packet takes care of any mortgage related worries he may have. Before I choke on my praise, let me just spit it out: City have as much chance of snaring John Terry as Shane Warne has of being a one woman man.

City SHOULD target: Johan Djourou

Djourou is a talented defender who, through bad luck with injuries, hasn’t really been able to cement a place in the Arsenal backline. Mind you, displacing players of the calibre of Gallas and Toure is no easy feat. The fact that Djourou hasn’t been able to do so should not be seen as a reflection of limited ability. Rather it is an opportunity for a club like Manchester City to acquire a young, quality center back with experience at the top level of domestic and European football. Djourou possesses pace, the steely physical presence common to many African players and won’t command an inflated price. Yes he may not generate the headlines that City seem to crave but his performances on the park will be enough to see them in the news for all the right reasons.

4. City WILL target: Lionel Messi

What Messi lacks in looks he just about makes up for with his peerless footballing ability. In my opinion he is the best player in the world and the only reason Ronaldo can get more plaudits at times is due to the global popularity of the Premier League. Messi is also one of the few players who seems to be as effective and influential for his country as he is for his club. That City would declare their intentions to go after him is inevitable given their brash, in your face attitude towards player transfers. Unfortunately, I see the outcome of this to be the mirror image of the Kaka saga we all had to endure only a few months ago. First of all the player has no intention to leave and has reiterated time and again his passion and loyalty to Barcelona. Admittedly footballers are a fickle bunch and a kiss of the badge normally holds as much weight as a pledge by Djibril Cisse to keep the same haircut for more than two weeks. But Messi does appear to be genuinely in his comfort zone at the Nou Camp and well on his way to being a marquee player like Terry, Steven Gerrard or Kaka. There are no financial or sporting reasons for him to take a step into the unknown with City, particularly with him being in a far better position to accomplish his immediate targets with Barcelona. Blood, sweat and tears will be shed in this pursuit but there will be no celebratory cigar at the end of it for the board at Eastlands.

City SHOULD target: Diego

A gifted attacking midfielder, Diego’s talents appear to be wasted at Werder Bremen who currently languish in mid-table in the Bundesliga with little chance of Champions League football next season. He brings creativity, class and some of that Brazilian flair without any of the hang-ups or attitude that can accompany some of his peers. An innocuous season like this one will increase his desire to further his career in a more competitive league. For Diego, Manchester City would represent a fresh start at an ambitious club in the best league in the world and an opportunity to reignite his career. For City, Diego could be the engine room on the pitch or the player around whom the team is built. Acquiring playmakers of his quality on the cheap is not often possible. City need to recognise this and pounce with the predatory poaching abilities that have long been prevalent at their more illustrious rivals down the road.

5. City WILL target: Jose Mourinho

No concrete news of this but if their track record is anything to go by, who’s to say they won’t? Mourinho for his part has been busy telling anyone who cares to listen that he’s focused on blooding youth at the San Siro and being a part of the creation of the next dynasty of Inter Milan superstars. Of course, that’s when he’s not speculating about Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement and his desire to fill the gaping void it will leave at Old Trafford. The special one probably realises that day is still a couple of years off and he best sound as sincere as he can about Inter in the meantime to avoid a tumultuous relationship with the Nerrazurri. In fact, talk about putting faith in the youth system could be a strategic ploy to align himself with the ethos of Ferguson, thereby further strengthening his credentials for the United top job. The fact of the matter is that Mourinho has his heart set on a return to England and United appears to be his first option. What Jose wants, Jose usually gets. For this reason, taking up a post at Manchester City would be like asking Avram Grant to become a model; career suicide of the highest order. Joining city with a view to getting the top job at United; now that’s a bridge too far even for the special one.

City SHOULD target: Harry Redknapp

In my opinion, Mark Hughes deserves another year at the helm to truly mould City into the team he envisions. Unfortunately, given the rumblings of discontent over their consistency this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shown the door. In that event, who better to answer the port of call than football’s journeyman, Harry Redknapp. The man loves a challenge and appears to have an uncanny ability to deal with conflicting personalities and cultures in a side in a way that extracts the best out of everyone involved. City and its ambitious owners present an evident challenge and the problems between Hughes and Robinho, the only global star currently on their books, show that people skills are likely to be the biggest performance driver, particularly if the international cocktail is going to be incremented in the summer. The only criticism would be that Redknapp has never managed a side with the genuine goal of breaking into the top 4 of the EPL and his experience at meeting those expectations can be questioned. The counter to this of course is that he’s never had the opportunity to do so before and until he does, how can judgement ever be passed?

]]> http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/man-city-to-buy-or-not-to-buy/feed/ 2 http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/10-superhero-soccer-players/ http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/10-superhero-soccer-players/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:18:53 +0000 Chris Smillie http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/?p=1498 Portugal and the Champions League’s newest footballing sensation is Porto’s Givanildo Vieira de Souza.  Never heard of him?  Perhaps you may know him better as his footballing nickname of Hulk.  Naturally, he’s not the only super-hero to have played professional football.  Let’s take a look at some other super-powered soccer stars:

10. Black Panther – Dida

One of Brazil’s most successful goalkeepers, Dida gained his name for his amazing reflexes.  Unfortunately, Dida is best known in Britain due to his theatrical dive whilst being, well, stroked by an invading Celtic fan.  Still, that cannot detract from an illustrious career that has included winning the Champions League, Serie A and European Super Cups with AC Milan.  The best known Black Panther is the King of Wakanda, T’Challa.  Most famous for his time in the Avengers, plus a classic Jack Kirby title, the Black Panther represented a real change in racial attitudes when he first appeared in the Fantastic Four comics in the 1960s.

9. Invincible – Danny Invincible

Danny Invincible is a striker/winger who first came to attention in the UK whilst playing for Swindon Town.  Following his release, he was then signed by Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock.  His injuries have blighted his career in Scotland, although there have been some recent impressive performances.  Oh, and he’s got a great name!  Invincible, on the other hand, is a top selling comic from the Image line.  A teen super-hero and son of Omni-Man, Invincible is an attempt to revive the fun of superhero comics, as opposed to the grim’n'gritty period exemplified by the modern Batman.

8. The Cat – Peter Bonetti

Famed for his agility and lightning fast reflexes, Peter Bonetti earned the nickname of the Cat.  Most famous for his career at Chelsea, where he played for almost 19 years, Bonetti was unlucky in only gaining 7 England caps due to playing in an era famed for it’s English goalkeepers.  The Cat was a minor villain in Spider-Man comics but, best known to British readers is probably Billy the Cat (and Katie) from DC Thomson’s Beano comic.

7. Captain Fantastic – Barry Ferguson

This was the nickname that the fans of Glasgow Rangers came up with for their erstwhile captain, Barry Ferguson.  Fergie, however, these days, isn’t having the greatest of times.  Banned from the Scotland team for life, stripped of the Rangers’ captaincy and on his last legs at the club.  Now more Major Disaster than Captain Fantastic!  So who was the good Cap F?  Unfortunately, not the greatest of meta-warriors.  He was, in fact, a comic turn on Do Not Adjust Your Set TV series, where a bowler-hatted David Jason would use his ‘high tech’ umbrella against the devious Mrs Black and her nefarious handbag.

6. Mighty Mouse – Kevin Keegan

Given to him whilst playing for FC Hamburg, two-time winner of European Player of the Year, Kevin Keegan gained the nickname of Mighty Mouse for his energetic style of play.  After being rejected by Jimmy Hill’s Coventry City for reportedly being too small, Keegan proved the Brian Clough adage that only the size of your heart matters.  Mighty Mouse was, of course, most famous as an animated feature for 20th Century Fox as a cartoon version of Superman.  Indeed, the character was first named Supermouse! Mighty Mouse has also achieved fame in the comic books, being published by the likes of Marvel, Dell and Gold Key.

5. The Incredible Hulk – Err.. Hulk

Famed for his likeness to Lou Ferringo in the television series of the Incredible Hulk, Givanildo Vieira de Souza gained his nickname whilst playing in Japan for Tokyo Verdi – a team that played in, you guessed it, green shirts!  Don’t make him angry.  You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry!  Luckily enough, not only is de Souza a big fan of the green skinned behemoth but is actually flattered by the nickname so much that he wears it on the back of his Porto shirt.

4. Captain America – Claudio Reyna

Claudio Reyna was the son of an Argentinian football professional, who moved to the United States in the late 1960s.  Whilst playing for Wolfsburg on loan from Bayern Leverkusen, Reyna became the first American to captain a major European club.  After joining Glasgow Rangers and gaining his superhero nickname of Captain America, Reyna moved to Sunderland, where he suffered a major injury.  Despite some impressive performances for Manchester City and New York Red Bulls, Reyna never really recovered from the injury.  Still, he’s doing better than his superhero namesake.  Despite first appearing in 1941, Captain America was killed off in Marvel’s Civil War in 2007.  His identity has since been assumed by the re-appearance of his World War II sidekick, Bucky Barnes.

3. Spider-Man – Carlton Palmer

Although a bit of a footballing gypsy, Carlton Palmer was mostly famed for his midfield performances for Sheffield Wednesday.  Palmer continued to impress at Leeds United and Southampton, before joining Nottingham Forest then Coventry City.  Palmer gained his unusual nickname due to his long-limbs and awkward style.  Spider-Man is of course the secret identity of Peter Parker – your friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler and all-round web-slinger.

2. Captain Marvel – Bryan Robson

At one time, the most expensive footballer in Britain, Bryan Robson was a stalwart of the Manchester United and England set-up.  Signed by Ron Atkinson after his move from West Bromwich Albion to Manchester United, Robson captained the team throughout Atkinson’s tenure and in to Alex Ferguson’s.  Captain Marvel, perhaps surprisingly, is the most popular superhero ever published.  Following his appearance in Whiz Comics along with Marvel Family members, Captain Marvel jr. and Mary Marvel, Fawcett Comics were continually litigated against by Superman publishers’, DC Comics until, eventually, DC bought out Fawcett.  All little Billy Batson needed was to shout SHAZAM! to turn in to the mighty Captain Marvel and be blessed with speed, courage and invulnerability.  The latter quality something the injury-prone Robson could have used!

1. Roy of the Rovers

Well, there is only one “real” football superhero in Britain and that’s got to be Melchester Rovers‘ Roy Race – best known to all unsundry as Roy of the Rovers.  Roy played for his beloved Melchester from 1955 to 1993, winning 8 European titles, before losing his foot in a helicopter crash.  Roy was then succeeded in the team by his son Rocky -  a product of his marriage to his deceased wife, Penny.  Roy also played for England a number of times during his career and even took over as caretaker manager for a while.  But nothing got in the way of his Rovers, even if did leave them for a brief time for Italian team AC Monza.

And here’s some even better news!  Roy of the Rovers is being rereleased for the first time since 1995!

In the past players as important to the national side as Gary Lineker, Kevin Keegan, Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle, Glenn Hoddle and Paul Ince all left the comfort of England to seek challenges and experiences abroad. Were more of the current crop to up sticks and learn the ins and outs of different league then this could only benefit the national side in terms of a diversity of experience. Though this is no guarantee of success – Italy’s World Cup winning side of 2006 didn’t have a single player who played outside of Serie A after all – it certainly wouldn’t be detrimental. Here are 10 players who could benefit from a move abroad.

1. Jermaine Pennant

If reports are to be believed then the on loan Portsmouth winger turned down a move to Real Madrid as they offered him a mere £30,000 a week. After failed spells at Arsenal and Liverpool it seems unlikely that Pennant will ever again have a shot at making his mark at a top club in England so a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world should have been a no-brainer. Though he would have had to settle for being a bit part player at first a reluctance to try and establish himself suggests a lack of serious ambition and at 26 time is on his side for one last attempt to prove himself at the highest level.

2. Wayne Bridge

Dislodging Ashley Cole as England’s first choice left back may not be Bridge’s priority and having seemed happy to warm the bench for much of his Chelsea career he may well place comfort before ambition. However a move to Manchester City is unlikely to see him competing for silverware any time soon and a player of his quality may have been better off making a move to a club abroad where he could expand his game to catch the attention of Fabio Capello.

3. Frank Lampard

Linked with a move to Inter in the summer, Lampard could have had a big impact at the club as coach Jose Mourinho knows exactly how to play to his considerable strengths. Though many players may find the challenge of adapting to a new language and culture daunting this should be less of a problem for Lampard, a well educated and intelligent individual. As one of England’s more prominent players his gaining of experience of a different style of play could have proved highly advantageous to the England set up.

4. Darren Bent

Seemingly out in the cold at Tottenham once again since Harry Redknapp’s arrival Bent could find himself on the move in the summer. Sunderland and Newcastle have reportedly expressed interest but should he move to another club in England he’s unlikely to achieve much more than he has already. The unfairly maligned former Ipswich and Charlton man provides a decent strike return when given a fair run in a side and his predatory instincts could see him do well in Spain.

5. Joey Barton

Away from the controversy that surrounds Barton off the pitch he may get the chance to re-emerge as the tenacious midfielder he is on it. Though his temperament is obviously questionable a spell in a different environment may remove him from the kind of provocation that has led him to so much trouble in the past. His style of play may suit Serie A and should Newcastle decide to cut their losses on Barton any foreign side that picked him up would be likely to have a much better chance of bringing the best out of him than one at home.

6. Darius Vassell

Why not? His chances are limited at Man City, he’s unlikely to even be considered for the England squad unless that changes and at 29 a change of scenery may be the best way to reignite his career. Moving to another country is of course a huge lifestyle choice but two or three seasons in the sun isn’t that long and doesn’t mean you’re banished from the Premier League and the country, never to return.

7. Joe Cole

Consistently England’s best performer when fit and an attacking asset for Chelsea, Cole has the natural skill and ability to dazzle fans on any stage in the world. He’s been at Stamford Bridge since 2003 and if he were to fancy a change you’d expect it would have to be abroad as Chelsea are unlikely to sell him to a rival. Cole’s creative talents when he’s fit and on top of his game make him unlike any other current English player, so much so that Barcelona would be a suitable destination for the former West Ham man.

8. David Bentley

The Spurs winger is another who appears to be out of favour with Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane. While at Blackburn such was his form that he was linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United and bored journalists linked him with both Real Madrid and Inter in January. Bentley is clearly a talented player and his excellent dead ball delivery would provide an asset to many a team, and in a new environment his development may pick up where it left off at Blackburn.

9. Micah Richards

Though woefully out of form at present Richards is undoubtedly a tough and versatile defender who is likely to overcome his current slump and continue to develop into a solid player. Though mooted moves to Arsenal and Aston Villa would be mutually beneficial for Richards and either of those clubs, were he to go abroad he has the ability and physique to make himself indispensible in the heart of many a defence and has plenty of time to win over Fabio Capello should he shine once again.

10. Michael Owen

Michael Owen may seem a strange inclusion in this list considering his unhappy spell at Real Madrid but he must currently feel like he’s having a bizarre nightmare where he’s for some reason signed for Newcastle, gets injured every time he tries to run away and can’t wake up. The Magpies are a constantly sinking ship and Owen simply has to leave if he’s to resurrect his career. His injuries make a move to a top Premier League side unlikely so another spell in Spain or a move to Italy could give Owen the opportunity to turn his career back in the right direction without the constant negativity surrounding him at the Toon. He’d probably have to accept a pay cut but if he’s to win back his place in England’s front line then it may be an option Owen should seriously consider.

Should They Move On?

This list is of course hypothetical but players’ agents are fully capable of engineering such moves should they indicate a willingness to embark on them. Players from all over the world regularly move to other leagues and it’s endemic of our players’ mentalities that it doesn’t even seem to be an option. Be it a fear of a new language and culture, of failure or dropping off the radar of the national team this generation is staying put like none before it.

The Premier League is a big league to leave but as Englishmen our players will always have a route back and some of them could do worse than look at the cases of Fredi Kanoute, Diego Forlan and Florent Sinama-Pongolle as examples of players who’ve gone on to make the move from England to Spain a successful one. We’re always hearing that nothing is certain in football – who’d have thought Emile Heskey would re-establish himself in the England squad? – and it’s time some of our home grown talent took a chance and realised that there are great achievements to be had in countries other than our own.

James Campbell is a contributor to the podcast The Football Ramble.

10. No Kop Soundtrack

When you start playing for Liverpool, you may be forgiven for thinking the mob that sit in the Kop are not actually civilised human beings but rather a product of some government funded genetic breeding program that went horribly wrong. What you do know is that when they start singing your name, you’ve officially arrived as a player at Anfield. Even something like “Keane cost us a whole lot of loot, and after 6 months we’re giving him the boot” would have been poetic from people that share the same postcode as the Beatles.

9. No Stan Collymore 4-3 Moment

Collymore is remebered in football circles as a wasted talent who couldn’t get over his personal gremlins and depression. At Anfield he is revered for his winning strike in the classic 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996. Stan himself says the only thing anyone does when they see him on the street or in rehab is congratulate him on that legendary stoppage time strike. You’d wonder how someone could be depressed after that really. Keane does not even have an 80th minute Carling Cup winner against the Burnleys and Blackpools of this world to cling to. The man that stops Keane on the street is more likely to ask for his wallet than refflect on an unforgettable instance of him in a red shirt.

8. Tottenham WILL be Relegated

Perhaps more tragic than the regular pre-season labelling of Liverpool as title contenders is the sense of optimism that accompanies the start of every season at White Hart Lane. And with all the consistency of an over-hyped Ben Affleck film, Spurs always fail to live up to their lofty billing. Atrocious signings, poor managers and incomprehensible football structures (why is there a football department division in a football club?!) are all to blame along with a dodgy pre-match feed at Arsenal a couple of seasons ago. The “too good to go down” mantra has been pulled out to justify them getting over the line this season although that ethos is likely to have more success with a guy trying to get out of spending a night with Aretha Franklin. Maybe they need to tweak it to say “stay up at all costs”; Spurs that is, not Aretha Franklin’s date.

7. Harry Redknapp WILL Move On

Redknapp is the Premier League’s Mr.Fix It, the man with the golden touch, the magician that makes Harry Potter look like a mere mortal with blurred vision. The only reason Redknapp’s carved out this reputation is that he’s never stayed at the same club long enough to earn a more long-lasting legacy. The one thing constant with Harry is change and you can be sure he’s always on the lookout for new challenges; the football manager’s version of the promiscuous man. A new target is bound to tickle his fancy in the imminent future and once that happens, Tottenham will become the Portsmouth of 2008/09.

6. Being Captain is Overrated

It seems as if one of the incentives offered to Keane to return to Tottenham was that he’d be instantly presented with the captain’s armband. In my opinion, the role of a captain on a football pitch is about as irrelevant as an autobiography on Paris Hilton. Players like Gerrard and Terry inspire and lead by example and will do so regardless of whether they strap an armband on their forearm. Tottehnham could just as well have given the armband to Ledley King to strap around those wobbly knees as in the heat of battle, players look to people, not armbands, for inspiration.

5. Rick Parry is a Logical Man

If Benitez is to be believed, then Rick Parry is the main man when it comes to pulling off transfers for Liverpool football club. The logical conclusion therefore is that he decided that the missing link in Liverpool title’s challenge was Gareth Barry at £18m and, once failed, was fortunate to see a bargain in the extremely undervalued Keane at £20m. This is about as logical as the political views put forward by Sarah Palin. Judging by Parry’s train of thought, if Gerrard and Torres did single/double handedly win Liverpool the league title, Keane would be showered with praise for his immense contribution that belied his cut price acquisition thanks to Parry’s peerless negotiation skills. He would then be offered a contract for life. Unfortunately now, the Irishman will never be a £20m again because no club in their right mind could justify spending that much on him. Which leaves Man City as his only option.

4. Torres vs Pavlyuchenko

At Liverpool Keane could have forged a career as an understudy to one of the best strikers in the world. He could have been what Heskey was to Owen, Riedle was to Fowler or what Crouch was to Big Foot. At Tottenham, the hardest thing opposing defenders find with Pavlyuchenko is how to pronounce his name. Keane has a better first touch than Pav but then so to does a block of lead. Robbie will never get any real credit for his performances because his new benchmark offers as stiff a competition as John Mccain would to Usain Bolt.

3. Missed Opportunity to be Anfield’s Winston Bogarde

Winston Bogarde sat on the sidelines for Chelsea from 2000 to 2004 training with the youth team and pocketing £40,000 a week. How good is that?! Never mind that he was ridiculed by the press and spent his off time oredering DVD’s from Holland. With a little more application Keane could have descended into such mediocrity as well. If he hadn’t had the temerity to score a cracking goal against Arsenal in a rare start, he may have already got there, basking in man’s ultimate utopia of being paid to do nothing. As with Bogards, he could have acquired fame to go with his fortune and become the only Irish striker anyone cares to read about 10 years after he retires.

2. Outlasted by Traore, Biscan and Crouch

Djimi Traore would struggle to hold down a left back position in the French under-12 paralympic side. Igor Biscan had the name and face to be Frankenstein’s cousin and played like it as well. Peter Crouch looked like a beached octopus on the pitch. The ignominy of having a Liverpool career shorter than this motley crew is something Keane will have to front up to for the rest of his life. The sad thing is the resumes of motley crew consist of two champions league winners medals and several England international caps. Now I know what recruiters on Wall Street must go through.

1. League Title Number 19?

When Liverpool won the cup treble, a fan reliably informed me that he hadn’t seen a better team since the era of Paisely and Shankly. He then fell off his bar stool. The point is that the set of players that break this title drought are destined to be immortalised by the Kop. This would have represented Keane’s best chance to have statues erected in his honour, roads named after him and crimes committed in his name. And surely immortalisation is a good enough reason for Scousers not to steal his car when he pops in to buy a loaf of bread.

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!

Match Preview

Manchester City are set to give goalkeeper Shay Given a debut this afternoon, following his January transfer from Newcastle United, as City boss Mark Hughes looks to stablise his underachieving side. The home side are further boosted by the availability of Shaun Wright-Phillips, who successfully contested a charge of violent conduct after their 1-0 loss at Stoke last Saturday.

City are on a good run at home, racking up wins against Hull, Wigan and Newcastle in their last three matches and are firm favourites to beat beleagured Middlesbrough. They had won 10 points out of a possible 12 since Boxing Day, until Stoke brought their unbeaten streak to a grinding halt.

Middlesbrough are a side in trouble. Gareth Southgate’s side have not won in two months and their winless run of 12 matches is the worst in the Premiership this season. The table does not lie and they have slumped to joint-bottom as a result, from a comfortable eighth place in November.

However, Middlesbrough have beaten City 11 times in the Premiership, more than they have done any other club and will hope that record can continue this afternoon. Boro are boosted by the return of Gary O’Neill and Didier Digard from suspension but striker Jeremie Aliadiere and Andrew Taylor remain injured.

Line Ups

Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Kompany, Bridge, Zabaleta, De Jong, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Bellamy, Robinho.
Subs: Hart, Elano, Vassell, Garrido, Fernandes, Caicedo, Evans.

Middlesbrough: Jones, Wheater, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz, Adam Johnson, Bates, Digard, Downing, Alves, King.
Subs: Turnbull, Hoyte, O’Neil, Emnes, Shawky, Sanli, Arca.

Goals

Man City: Bellamy (52′)

Live Blog

90+2′ City break with Bellamy down the left, who aims a cross at Ireland in the middle but Huth heads it out for a corner.

90′ Alves and King shield the ball and play it back to Downing, who shoots meekly from 20 yards wide of the goal. The game is up and Boro know it.

89′ King claims a penalty after shooting the ball straight into the tucked in right arm of Bridge. Come on Marlon, you will need to try harder than that.

87′ Ireland flicks on a Bellamy ball into the box for Caicedo, who, unmarked can only direct a shot straight at the grateful Jones. City should be clear now but one wrong move could allow Boro in to equalise. Zabaleta blasts towards goal from distance for the second time this match, but blazes it over the bar.

86′ Bellamy rips through the labouring Boro defence on the left hand side and delivers the ball across the six yard box. Jones beats it away but there is nobody around to follow it up.

83′ Robinho, not at his best today, is replaced by Felipe Caicedo as manager Mark Hughes looks for a second goal to ensure all three points head City’s way.

81′ Intricate passing from City finds Bellamy out wide on the right. He plays the ball into Ireland who, shackled by several defenders, turns and shoots well wide of the post.

80′ The first booking of the match goes to O’Neill, who hacks down Wright-Phillips after the City winger got the better of him first time round.

79′ Half an appeal for a Boro penalty when Onuoha shoved Alves over in the penalty box. The replay showed it was less of a shove and more of Alves trying his luck.

75′ Boro boss Gareth Southgate goes for broke and sends striker Tuncay on in place of Adam Johnson. How on earth King starts before Tuncay is beyond me. He is dire.

74′ Downing sends in a good cross from the left towards King, who in turn heads the ball across goal towards Alves but the Brazilian fails to stretch enough to meet it.

71′ Robinho unleashes another one from the edge of the box but it takes a deflection on the way and spins just wide for a corner.

69′ Alves beats Kompany and rattles in a shot from just inside the City box but Given, yet again, denies him. He can only parry it away but King is nowhere near it for the follow up and and City clear their lines. Riggott is replaced by Justin Hoyte for Boro.

66′ It really should have been 2-0. Wright-Phillips plays Robinho through and with the Boro defence high up the field trying to catch him offside, he has a clear run at goal. Robinho attempts to round Jones but the Boro keeper manages to nick the ball off his feet. Wright-Phillips follows up for the rebound but the defence return to help out their inspired keeper.

65′ Bellamy attempts the same shot as he scored from but it’s blocked. Bridge has a rush of blood to the head and tries one from the edge of the box. Yep, you guessed it, high and wide.

63′ Ireland, Bellamy and Robinho combine on the edge of the box and a collaboration of Boro defenders and keeper Jones manage to bundle the ball behind for a corner.

61′ Didier Digard is replaced by Gary O’Neill, who comes on to a few boos by the travelling supporters. The midfielder was linked with a return to Portsmouth during the transfer window.

55′ Middlesbrough have conceded more goals in the second half than any other Premiership club – Bellamy’s was the 27th they have shipped.

54′ Downing takes a free kick from the right hand side and sends the ball invitingly into the six yard box. No Boro players can be bothered to take a gamble and it goes out for a corner.

52′ Goal! Manchester City 1 Middlesbrough 0. The curse of the commentator strikes again. Craig Bellamy runs into the box, takes it past Pogatetz  and drills the ball low into the bottom corner.  Boro are in trouble. Serious trouble.

50′ Boro have started well this half but the frightening statistic that they have not come from behind to win in 17 months was revealed by the commentator.

48′ Johnson releases Alves who scoops the ball into the six yard box. The lumbering Marlon King is nowhere near it and it bounces away to safety.

46′ Boro get us underway for the second half. More action packed goalmouth action at both ends please. A draw is no good for either of you.

Half Time. After such a poor start it looked like a goalless could be on the cards but the game then sparked into life. Good chances fell to both sides and if it wasn’t for the quality of both Shay Given and Brad Jones the match would not still be scoreless. City have had the better of the play but Boro have created enough openings of their own to suggest they will not go down without a fight. The match is very much open and either side could win it in the second half.

45+1′ Now at the other end, Wright-Phillips digs a shot out from an angle inside the box but Jones blocks it behind for a corner. Referee Mariner doesn’t allow City to take it and blows for half-time. Phew!

45′ Just one minute to be added. Wright-Phillips shows he has pace to burn, racing back into defence ahead of the labouring Alves to play the ball safely back to Given.

44′ The frenetic chances have ceased for the time being but the Boro back line are being hounded constantly by the industrious Ireland and Wright-Phillips

40′ Given really is the scourge of Alves, or perhaps the Brazilian striker just isn’t that good. He races clear of the City defence but Given is equal to it. The keeper comes off his line and blocks Alves’ attempt to slide the ball under him with his leg. The chances are coming thick and fast for both sides, quite unexpected given the lack of quality in the opening 30 minutes.

39′ Ireland was again at the heart of the City attack. He plays the ball across the face of goal and Bellamy, Robinho and three Boro defenders missed it. Could have easily gone in from any of them with the slightest of touches.

38′ Ireland plays a one-two on the edge of the Boro box and heads the ball against the crossbar. Both teams are going closer and we could well see an opening goal before the break.

37′ Given denies Alves for the second time this game. The Brazilian latches onto a poor clearance and hammers the ball straight back at goal. The ball swerves en-route to Given who does well to parry it away.

35′ It’s all City now. Ireland plays the ball to Zabaleta who tries to release Bellamy clear but the pass is overhit and Jones gathers it comfortably.

33′ Robinho, who has had a quiet games also gets in on the action. He turns Bates twice on the edge of the box and drills a low effort towards goal which is fingertipped around the post from Jones. This a bit more like it after a dull opening.

30′ City lay siege to the Boro goal. Jones saves well from an effort just outside the box by Onuoha and then again from Bellamy who fires the rebound towards goal from close range. Two great pieces of goalkeeping in as many minutes.

29′ The Alves effort has sparked City into life, perhaps they realise Boro aren’t going to just roll over and die. Bellamy has an effort saves and moments later Pogatez blocks an effort from Richards behind for a corner.

27′ Given starts to repay a huge chunk of his transfer fee with an instinctive save from Alves, who smacks the ball straight at him from 12 yards from Johnson’s accurate cross.

21′ Wright-Phillips almost scores moments later. The winger shows the trickery City are going to need if they are to win today and rifles in a low shot from just inside the box which creeps wide.

20′ It’s all desperately dull so far but at least Johnson has a go for Boro. Admittedly, it’s ambitious and not very good, but those efforts from 30 yards do go in sometimes.

14′ Boro are guilty of pondering on the ball yet again, no wonder they find themselves in the mess their in. Alves creates some space just outside the City box, but rather than putting the ball in, he stops and the danger is gone.

12′ A great chance for City goes begging. Richards heads down a corner to Kompany, who flicks it up, turns and shoots with his back to goal but it goes just wide. The match lacks quality in the early stages but it’s City who have started the brighter.

7′ Boro’s first real chance of the game comes from Alves, who tries to send Johnson clear down the right hand side. However, the youngster is not equal to it and the move comes to nothing.

3′ Ireland intercepts a terrible ball from Wheater and sends Bellamy clear. Boro keeper Jones does brilliantly to rush from his line and block the Welshman’s attempt to take the ball round him and tap into an empty net.

1′ Within a matter of seconds following kick off, Bellamy finds himself in acres of room. He whips min a low cross but it’s nowhere near the lurking Ireland or Wright-Phillips.

0′ As expected, Shay Given makes his Manchester City debut. Shaun Wright-Phillips also starts despite an imminent violent conduct hearing, Micah Richards is in despite a midweek arrest for alleged assault and there is also a place for Robinho, who also has had a recent brush with the law. It’s all going on at Eastlands.

Reaction

It was a case of job done for City who saw off a poor Middlesbrough side. Debutant goalkeeper Shay Given was in inspired form for his new club and denied Alves on four occasions this afternoon, including two key saves in the first half. You always thought that if City go ahead, there would be no way back for Boro and that was exactly the case. Bellamy, who looks a great piece of January business, was liveley throughout and his goal knocked the stuffing out of Gareth Southgate’s side. The strike pairing of Alves and King are not simply not good enough to keep Boro up and Stewart Downing has not scored a goal all season. Worrying times indeed. The win cements City’s position in the top 10 and their own relegation fears are being eased as each week goes by.

Man of the Match

Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips were both good shouts for City, while Brad Jones did not deserve to be on the losing side following an inspired performance. However, the award has to go to debutante City stopper Shay Given, who showed exactly why the club were prepared to pay around £8 million to bring him to the club. Given was equal to everything Alves could throw at him all match and he began his City career in the best possible way – with all three points and clean sheet.

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.

WANT TO FIND OUT WHO IS THE TOP JANUARY TRANSFER? CLICK HERE TO COUNTDOWN TRANSFERS 25 TO 1!

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.

10. Too Much Pressure

When David Bentley moved to Spurs for £15 million this past Summer there was a lot of pressure on him to take the club to the next level. Imagine the kind of pressure there would be on Kaka carrying a £107 million price-tag on his back. Replicating his Milan form would not be enough. Every goal that he scored without having first dribbled past twelve players (the entire opposing team plus one of his own for the fun of it) will be derided as simply not good enough. Oh, and he is expected to play the main role in transforming this team who convincingly lost to West Brom into world-beaters.

9. Kaka’s Ambition

Kaka has already won a Serie A title, the Italian Super Cup and a Champions League medal with AC Milan, along with a surfeit of individual honours, but it is unlikely that he will be satisfied, looking back on his career, with only one league title, one domestic cup and one European title. Although the long-term aim of the Manchester City project is to be a club regularly challenging for major honours, that, if ever, won’t be realised for several more years. At Milan he still has an outside chance of another league title this year and his club are strong favourites to life the UEFA Cup in May. Next year they will be expected to revert to type and challenge strongly for the Serie A title and the Champion’s League.

8. Alternatives to Manchester City

It was reported that Real Madrid launched a late bid and that in spite of their incapacity to compete with the personal terms that City were offering, they still managed to turn his head. David Beckham today claimed that Kaka will sign for Madrid in the Summer. Robinho once claimed that Kaka had wanted to sign for them back when he was there. If the time truly has come for him to leave the San Siro he is hardly short of options.

7. The Dreaded January Move

Realistically Manchester City will win nothing this year. Meanwhile, Milan could yet collect a double and on top of this Manchester City face a tough battle with relegation. Even if Kaka did want to move to the Eastlands it would make more sense to do so in the Summer. That way he could collect some more honours before he left and – assuming City aren’t relegated – start a fresh season with slightly less pressure on the team and having had considerable time to get accustomed to the English game.

6. Ilaria D’Amico

“Hey Kaka, you get to hang out with Ilaria D’Amico every week, as you please, but how would you like to swap that with talking to Chris Kamara and the assorted legion of the damned that work for the BBC instead? No? Seriously? Weird.”

5. His Age

If Kaka was younger then he might have been more easily seduced. As it is he is 26 and at the age most people generally accept to be the peak of an athlete’s sporting prowess. Ideally, most footballers wouldn’t want to spend this time as a cog in an experiment as to the power of money in the modern football game, but rather playing the highest level football with an established team. While Kaka may at some point be given the opportunity to win the Champion’s League with Manchester City if that ever happens it very likely will be after years of team-building and when Kaka is no longer at his peak. Surely then he would enjoy the prospect of playing in a final in these coming years much more.

4. The “Mercenary” Tag

Kaka might well move to Manchester City because he believes in the project that is being put together but it will never be looked at that way. Everyone will assume that he left Milan purely for the enormous financial package. Kaka once said that when he was twelve he learned that “it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not.” He married his high-school sweetheart, and upon winning both the World Cup and the Champions League he lifted up his jersey to show a t-shirt that said “I Belong to Jesus”. Money has never been a major factor in Kaka’s career and so it might be difficult for him to suddenly have to deal with that negative reputation.

3. Milan/Ancelotti or Nostalgia

It is always difficult for players to leave the clubs where they made a home for themselves and whose fans adore you. Likewise it must be difficult to leave the coach who navigated at nurtured your career through those times. With his coach at Milan, Carlo Ancelotti having been linked with Roma and lately with the Italian national side it is unlikely that he would follow Kaka to Manchester City. The fans organised demonstrations before and after the recent game with Fiorentina; it must be hard for him to leave all of those elements behind.

2. There May Well Be No Way Out…

There is a fear that once Kaka signs a contract with Manchester City that he will be forced to see out the length of that contract in spite of how disillusioned he becomes there. While every other club has the responsibility of being run as a company City do not. Manchester United threatened last summer to let Ronaldo rot in the reserves after his claiming his desire to join Real Madrid but it was really never an option as it would represent a tremendous waste of money. With money not an option for City, they could plausibly allow Kaka to rot.

1. Oh To Be World Player Of The Year Again

Kaka won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2007 and he surely must want to win it again. Of those players likely to be competing for the Award over the next few years, he is the oldest (Ronaldo; 23, Messi; 21, Torres; 24) and to be playing for a team not immediately playing in the top competitions would render his bid to win the award essentially impossible. Historically the winner of the World Player of the Year Award has been a player playing for the team that won the Champion’s League title and there is serious doubt as to whether Manchester City will be able to win that particular honour, particularly within Kaka’s playing career.