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!

7. In the Red Corner: Rafael Benitez

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

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

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

6. The Defensive Rock: Jaap Stam

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

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

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

5. The Right-Hand Man: Brian Kidd

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

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

4. The Living Fusebox: Gordon Strachan

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

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

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

3. The Prodigy: David Beckham

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

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

2. The Young Pretender: Kevin Keegan

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

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

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

1. The Old Rival: Arsene Wenger

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

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

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

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

Coventry  City v Chelsea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fulham v Manchester United

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arsenal v Burnley

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

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

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

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

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

Everton v Middlesbrough

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

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

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

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

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

Sunderland v Tottenham

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

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

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

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

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

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

Match Preview

It’s the one both fans and pundits the world over have been waiting for. Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson are set to lock horns again over two legs in possibly the greatest Cup competition of them all. Mourinho has the early bragging rights, his Porto side knocked out United en route to winning the Champions League in 2004. In fact, he has lost just once in 12 matches in charge of teams against Ferguson’s United.

Despite these impressive credentials, Inter have somewhat limped into the knockout stages, having lost their last two Champions League matches and are without a win in three. Serie A is a different matter thought. They are nine points clear at the top of the table and have recorded three successive victories, beating Bologna on the weekend and arch rivals AC Milan the week before.

United themselves are in fantastic form domestically, having opened up a seven point gap ahead of second placed Liverpool in the Premiership but have been beset by defensive injuries ahead of their visit to Italy. With Vidic suspended and Evans injured, Ferguson may opt for Fletcher at right back and O’Shea partnering Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence.

Inter have defender Marco Matterazzi struggling to recover in time for the match, but have plenty of cover in the likes of Cordoba, Chivu and Burdisso to call upon.

Line Ups

Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano.
Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Burdisso, Balotelli.

Man United: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Ronaldo.
Subs: Foster, Rooney, Nani, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez.

Live Blog

90+4′ Cordoba is booked for a rash challenge on Ronaldo. He takes the free kick 25 yards from goal but it rebounds off the chest of Julio Cesar, who didn’t appear to know too much about it. Thre referee blows for full time, leaving it wonderfully poised for the second leg.

90′ Three minutes will be added on, can anyone produce a late winner?

89′ A great pass from Berbatov, who has been criminally ineffective this evening, almost sends Rooney through on goal. Julio Cesar, so impressive in the first half, races outside the box to clear the ball before Rooney can get a shot on.

88′ Rooney is booked, harshly in my opinion for a sliding foul on Cambiasso despite winning the ball cleanly.

85′ United are clinging on now. Ibrahimovic fires in a free kick which takes a deflection and goes behind. The replay suggests it last came off Evans for a corner, but a goal kick was awarded.

83′ Rooney finally makes an appearance and replaces Park. The labouring Berbatov remains on the pitch for now.

82′ How on earth did this not go in? A corner swung in from the left misses a crowd of players before hitting Cambiasso at the far post but it loops back across goal for Van Der Saar who catches it rather calmly under the circumstances.

77′ Ballotelli comes on for Adriano while Muntari is replaced by another striker in Cruz. Still no action from the United bench, perhaps Ferguson is happy with a draw.

76′ Giggs is allowed to advance down the left and then cut inside unchallenged. He ghosts past the anonymous Chivu and lines up a shot in the centre of the box. Just as the trigger is pulled, Cordoba throws himself to the ground to block the shot and prevent what was going to be a certain goal.

73′ Surely it’s time for Ferguson to make some changes. The guile and cunning of Scholes in midfield and Rooney, who would put in infinitely more effort than Berbatov has, could do with being introduced to the game.

71′ Fletcher gets booked for a sliding foul on Muntari on the edge of the Inter box.

68′ O’Shea gives away a free kick for a foul on Ibrahimovic but Maicon curls a useless ball straight out for a goal kick. What a waste.

67′ Ronaldo beats Chivu for pace and tries to set his team mates up on a plate with an incisive ball across the face of goal. It’s a shame none of them are interested – Park misses the ball completely, Berbatov is nowhere in sight and Giggs is too slow to meet it at the far post, allowing Inter to clear the ball behind for a corner.

65′ Ibrahimovic heads at goal from inside the box, but Evra does enough to put him off and the ball rolls harmlessly wide.

63′ Inter are looking far more impressive now and have completely nullified United. Alex Ferguson will be rueing those missed chances in the first half. As it stands, Inter look the more likely to open the scoring.

59′ Chivu is booked for a foul on Berbatov and Maicon is perhaps harshly booked for an innocuous challenge on Carrick in the United box.

56′ Maicon whips a corner towards the far post and it’s close to the goal line. Van Der Saar looks like he’s struggling to deal with it but he gets a free kick after being impeded by Adriano.

55′ Ibrahimovic is getting more into the game and looking more like the player he claims to be. He ignores the challenge of O’Shea and attempts to cross into the box, but Ferdinand puts a stop to it.

51′ Inter have started this half a lot brighter than the first. Stankovic breaks free of his marker in front of the D and rifles a low shot towards the bottom corner but it goes wide.

49′ Appeals for an Inter penalty, if not a little optimistic. Zanetti fizzes a cross into the six yard box for the awaiting Adriano, but the Brazilian feels a light hand from Ferdinand on his shoulder and goes down as though his life depended on it.

48′ An unbelievable chance for Inter. Cambiasso crosses the ball into the box, Ibrahimovic leaves it for Adriano who swings at it first time on the penalty spot. Van Der Saar is rooted to his spot but the ball goes wide.

47′ A bit of quality from Ibrahimovic down the left. He jinks the ball from one foot to the other, outfoxing Ferdinand and scoops the ball into the area for Cambiasso but it comes to nothing.

46′ Unsurprisingly, Colombian defender Rivas is hauled off before the second half begins and is replaced by fellow countryman, the vastly experienced Cordoba.

Half Time. This has been what you call a “0-0 stuffing”. United have had a ridiculous amount of shots on goal for an away team against hosts of Inter’s calibre. Better finishing would have seen Alex Ferguson’s side cruising into the second leg but as it stands, the second half will start the same as the first, all equal. Inter have not looked great at the back, compared to the solid, if patched up, United back line and Rivas in particular looks well out of his comfort zone.

45′ Inter attempt a late flurry. The lively Santon advances down the left and then infield before being tackled on the edge of the United box. The ball bobbles to Cambiasso who pelts it first time but a deflection takes the sting off the shot and it bounces through to Van Der Saar.

44′ Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo shows a yellow card to Inter’s substitute goalkeeper, the ancient Francesco Toldo, after he and Luis Figo protest on the touchlines at the sheer number of decisions going United’s way. Well, if Inter were not such a bunch of cloggers then maybe so many free kicks would be given.

41′ Park scampers down the left and with the dreadful Rivas nowhere near him, pings a cross towards the far post. Berbatov gets his head to it but it goes wide at the far post.

37′ The home side are getting into the game a bit more now after riding their luck for long periods of the first half. Adriano digs a cross out from the left but it’s headed clear by Ferdinand. The ball works itself out to Ibrahimovic who sends a cross towards the near post but Van Der Saar gathers before the big-boned Adriano can get near it.

33′ Inter may be playing abysmally, but they are still dangerous on the break. Full back Maicon puts in a sweet cross towards the far post but O’Shea is alert enough to head the ball clear.

31′ United get yet another free kick, 25 yards out, on the left hand side. Ronaldo takes it but this time only manages to hammer it into the wall.

28′ This is getting ridiculous. Some more non-existant defending by Inter in the box, Rivas again the cluprit, allows Ronaldo a free header at goal from a Giggs cross 10 yards out. Julio Cesar just stands and watches as the ball fizzes wide of goal. Of all his chances this evening, this is the one he should have scored.

27′ Inter continue to hack United down around the edge of the box. This time from the right hand side, Ronaldo smashes a free kick towards the near post which Julio Cesar touches around the post at full stretch. The replay suggested it may have been going wide, but how many chances are Inter going to afford their opponents?

26′ Giggs rides a poor sliding tackle from Rivas and charges into the penalty area. He’s on an angle and his strike on goal is beaten away by Julio Cesar who was quick to come off his line.

23′ Evra curls a peach of a cross from the left to the far post which Berbatov leaps up to head towards goal. He’s not that far into the penalty box so Julio Cesar is not that worried by it and his effort goes well wide of the post in the end.

19′ Giggs plays Berbatov, who beats the offside trap, into the box. The labouring Inter defence are all at sea and all the Bulgarian has to do is to square it for Park who would have an easy scoring chance. However, he takes too long and his eventual pass is cut out by a clutch of Inter players who finally get back into position.

13′ United win yet another free kick in range of the Inter goal, this time after Carrick goes down from a Zanetti challenge. This time it isn’t Ronaldo who takes it, but Giggs, who can only blast the ball into the wall which Inter have bothered to form this time.

11′ Inter finally muster their first attack, with Stankovic and Muntari exchanging passes who then blazes over the crossbar from 20 yards.

10′ All of the attacking play has come through United during the opening stages, Ronaldo in particular. Ronaldo beats youngster Santon on the right of the penalty box but his effort from a tight angle goes well over the bar.

8′ Ronaldo goes close again for United with a free kick from 30 yards. Inter’s wall is non existant and at first it looks as though the ball is heading for the bottom corner but it curls wide of the post.

5′ United go close to breaking the deadlock. A superb corner by Giggs from the left is met by a thumping header from Ronaldo in the centre. It’s too close to Julio Cesar who reaches out to his right and parries away instinctively.

4′ It looks like United are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Giggs playing just off loan-striker Berbatov. Inter have Stankovic playing in the hole behind Ibrahimovic and Adriano.

3′ Ronaldo looked to over run a ball but dived for all he was worth over the trailing leg of Chivu on the right hand side of the penalty box. He takes the free kick himself from about 25 yards out but it’s easily caught by Julio Cesar.

1′ United kick things off but Park’s advancement down the left comes to nothing and Inter win an early throw in.

0′ Fergie surprises us with his team selection – picking Evans to partner Ferdinand in central defence and leaving Rooney on the bench. The striker has scored on his last two runouts and is just the sort of hard working player needed for tonight. I cannot fathom why he isn’t on from the start, but what do I know about managing a team in the Champions League?

0′ Good evening. This is where the Champions League starts to get interesting and I cannot wait for this match to kick off. Who is going to take an advantage into the second leg? It may not be as easy to predict as you may think because Inter are yet to beat an English club in Italy in four Champions League attempts while United have lost 10 out of their 15 visits to Italy.

Reaction

On reflection, a draw was a fair result as United were by far the superior side in the first half and Inter the second. United squandered a hatful of chances and half chances in the first period but also had two fantastic opportunities in the second half. If  a United player had gambled when Ronaldo slid the ball across the face of the Inter goal or if Cordoba hadn’t so heroically blocked Giggs’ effort from the edge of the box, United could have got that precious away goal. The home side could also have snatched a goal themselves, with a penalty decision not going their way and a corner which could have gone anywhere but ended up in Van Der Saar’s grasp. Inter are not the world beaters manager Jose Mourinho claims them to be, but they gave United plenty to think about in the second half. On this performance, you would think United will progress to the quarter finals with home advantage in the second leg, but Rooney starting the game is a must.

Man of the Match

Ronaldo had enough opportunities in the first half to win this accolade hands down, but his set pieces were not quite up to scratch and he missed a headed chance which he should have buried. With that in mind, I am going to award the MoM to the man who thwarted him all night, Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar. The Brazilian stopper was equal to two free kicks from Ronaldo within the first 10 minutes of the match and again on 27 when he tipped one around the post. Julio Cesar was also on hand late on in the game to keep the score at nil nil, when he rushed out of his area to deny Rooney and then deny Ronaldo yet again from a set-piece in stoppage time.

Match Preview

Manchester United, fresh from dishing out a 3-0 stuffing to Fulham in midweek, welcome a Blackburn Rovers side, which find themselves in the bottom three, to Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney is set to start as he makes his comeback from injury, while Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and Rafael are all set to feature.

United are in devastating form as the Premiership reaches the business end of the season. They have lost just one of their last 25 matches and have not conceded a goal in 14 matches. Indeed, if Edwin Van Der Saar keeps Rovers at bay for at least 89 minutes, he will overtake the European record of 1,390 minutes which has been held by Club Brugges goalkeeper Danny Verlinden since 1990.

Blackburn, in comparison, are in all sorts of problems. Sam Allardyce’s side have won just one Premiership match in their last six played and have not won away from home in eight attempts. They have also lost to each of the “Big Four” this season and United have also beaten them in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup. The Reds won that match 5-3 and Carlos Tevez scored four goals.

Rovers will be without defender Christoper Samba, who serves a one match ban after accumulating five yellow cards, while on-loan Danny Simpson is not allowed to play against his parent club.

Line Ups

Man United: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov.
Subs: Foster, Giggs, Vidic, Welbeck, Fabio Da Silva, Fletcher, Tevez.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen, Givet, Warnock, Grella, Diouf, Andrews, Dunn, Pedersen, Roque Santa Cruz.
Subs: Brown, Kerimoglu, McCarthy, Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Treacy, Roberts.

Goals

Man United: Rooney (23′), Ronaldo (60′)

Blackburn: Santa Cruz (32′)

Live Blog

90+4′ Rovers get a late corner and even keeper Robinson lumbers forward. The delivery from Pedersen is poor but Robinson has plenty of time to get back.

90+1′ Rooney rampages from the halfway line and lets rip from 25 yards. He aims for the far corner with Robinson rooted to the spot but his shot is well wide.

89′ The word is, there will be four added minutes. United spray the ball around comfortably in the middle of the park. They just need to see this one out now.

87′ It should be all over. Rooney sends a tasty cross into the box for the unusually-quiet Berbatov who somehow manages to head over the bar from six yards.

86′ Ronaldo is really turning the screw now. He dances past three or four Rovers defenders before being felled on the edge of the box. Howard Webb plays advantage and Giggs threads the ball through to Rooney in the penalty area only for his shot to be blocked.

85′ Ronaldo plays the ball across the edge of the Rovers box to Rooney, who curls a shot first time towards the top corner but it goes over the bar. United could yet get a third goal which would seal victory.

83′ United break quickly with Ronaldo, who has options in the box in the form of Rooney and Berbatov. He sends in a cross which is useful to neither of them and the ball bounces off Rooney’s chest.

82′ The old legs of Scholes have had enough and he’s replaced by another old stager in Ryan Giggs. Diouf comes off for Blackburn and youngster Keith Treacy is given an opportunity.

80′ Pedersen’s corner is punched away by Kuszczak but it only goes as far as Tugay on the edge of the box. The veteran Turkish schemer can certainly hit them but he gets it all wrong and it goes behind for a goal kick.

79′ Sam Allardyce still feels he can get something from this game and replaces Grella with striker Benni McCarthy.

78′ United are in total control. Ronaldo is in acres of space just outside the D and has time to tee-up a half volley which goes behind for a corner via Givet. Carrick sees an effort from inside the box blocked and Rooney shoots wide from just outside it.

73′ Dunn is replaced by the pensionable Tugay. He’s 38 but could easily pass for someone 20 years older.

72′ Berbatov plays Scholes through on the edge of the Rovers box. The midfielder attempts to dink the ball around Grella with a single touch but it doesn’t come off. It could have been magical if it had worked.

67′ Pedersen goes down in the box after the slightest of touches from Rafael. He was bearing down on goal so there was no need to go down in search of a penalty. Howard Webb waves away the protestations, as if the away side would get a penalty at Old Trafford?

66′ Blackburn win a corner via the constantly-booed Diouf. Dunn whips it in but Nelson’s header is well over the bar.

62′ Berbatov is booked after introducing his studs to Warnock’s thigh.

61′ Alex Ferguson takes off Jonny Evans and the lazy Nani, replacing them with Vidic and Tevez.

60′ Goal! Man United 2 Blackburn 1. Superb, just superb from Ronaldo. Just moments after getting booked for diving, Ronaldo curls a perfect free kick into the far corner to give United the lead for the second time this match.

59′ Lower league clogger Keith Andrews is booked for grappling Evra to the ground on the left touchline.

57′ Pedersen sells Carrick a dummy and pings a shot towards the United goal. It’s always going wide but Kuszczack puts it behind for a corner. The ball is eventually worked back to Nelson in the box who sees an effort come back off the post. Diouf has a go from the rebound but Kuszczak smothers the ball. Really unlucky for Rovers.

56′ Ronaldo is booked for a dive on the edge of the area. Carrick slipped the ball through to the advancing Portuguese who went down as soon as he felt the breath of Givet on his back. Ronaldo could easily have been given his marching orders here, as seconds earlier he aimed an off-the-ball kick-out at Dunn which went unpunished.

53′ Just like the first half, United are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. They try to work it patiently down the right, but Carrick’s attempted cross to the far post goes horribly high and wide.

49′ Unsurprisingly, we are informed that Alex Ferguson did not agree with referee Howard Webb’s decision to rule out Evans’ goal just before the break.

47′ Carrick switches play with a great ball out to Ronaldo. He jinks past Warnock but shoots wide of goal. Seconds later Blackburn get a chance at the other end when Pedersen pings a cross to the far post but Santa Cruz is shut out by Evans.

46′ Rovers kick off the second half as they look to secure an unlikely result at Old Trafford.

Half Time. The unthinkable has happened and United have given away a goal for the first time in 105 days. The Blackburn equaliser was against the run of play, but well taken and it gives Sam Allardyce’s strugglers a real chance in this match. United should have gone ahead before the stroke of half time and there is certainly no reason for them to panic. Blackburn look really shaky in defence at times and United will surely get more chances to score in the second half.

44′ Little Rafael is bodychecked by Pedersen but only a corner is given. Jonny Evans heads it home but the goal is ruled out. It looked as though Ronaldo may have got some unfair leverage on Nelson before the ball reached Evans, or that Evans himself may have impeded Givet, but there didn’t appear to be much in either case.

40′ United look desperate to regain the lead. Gone is the patient build up play from the early stages of the half and instead we have a lot of hurried rubbish. Berbatov attempted to get a head onto a hopeful ball into the box but appeared to get a kick in the chops for his troubles.

39′ The equaliser has knocked the stuffing out of United. Perhaps they thought they would never concede another goal again?

35′ Carthorse defender Givet hurts himself when challenging for a 50/50, studs up, with Berbatov. Serves him right.

32′ Goal! Man United 1 Blackburn 1... and he gets that service! Nani takes an age to decide whether to collect a loose ball and so Ooijer makes his mind up for him. The defender plays a through ball to Roque Santa Cruz who makes easy work of dribbling around Kuszczak and slots the ball into an empty net. It’s the first goal United have conceded in 15 matches and Blackburn made it look easy.

30′ Dunn delivers a dreadul free kick into the box which sails high and wide at the far post. Santa Cruz looks lost up front for Rovers and he’s going to need better service than that if Rovers are to force an equaliser…

25′ Blackburn are all over the place in defence. Ronaldo tricks Warnock on the right, cuts inside the box and shoots towards the near post. Robinson has it well covered and clutches the ball to his chest.

23′ Goal! Man United 1 Blackburn 0. Nani plays a telling ball into the Rovers box and Nelson stuck a hopeful foot out at it to try and direct it back to keeper Robinson. All he managed to do was poke it in front of the advancing Wayne Rooney, who blasted it in from close range. United lead and it’s no more than they deserve.

22′ Kuszczak looked to make a meal of a Rovers corner but the replay showed he was clearly hindered by Diouf. Good job the linesman spotted it and a free kick was awarded to United.

19′ Grella is lucky to get away with a ticking off from Howard Webb after cynically shoving Rafael off the ball with the Brazilian showing him up for pace.

17′ United go close to breaking the deadlock. Confusion between Givet and Warnock allows Ronaldo to send in a cross from the right practically onto the goal line. Rooney just misses the ball at the near post but Carrick looks set to head it in at the far. Luckily for Rovers Ooijer was on hand to hack the ball clear before the United midfielder could connect with it.

14′ Blackburn get their first corner of the game but Nelson heads Diouf’s perfectly delivered ball well wide from six yards out. Chances for the visitors are few and far between.

12′ Desperate defending by Givet to prevent Carrick from latching onto an incisive Rooney pass into the box. The resulting corner finds Scholes on the edge of the box but he welts the ball first time well wide of the goal.

10′ Scholes pings a magnificent cross-field pass to Ronaldo, which Warnock completely misses as he tries to intercept. The move petered out into nothing but it was excellent vision by Scholes, who did that all evening against Fulham in midweek.

8′ Bar a few breaks by Blackburn, United have been virtually camped in the final third. Ronaldo fails to get a free kick beyond the Rovers wall.

4′ It’s all United in the opening stages. Nani gets forward and shifts the ball to Ronaldo on the left byline. He sends a cross towards the far post, or it may have been an audacious effort at goal. Either way it went behind for a goal kick.

3′ Berbatov plays the ball to Scholes in the middle of the park and the pint-sized player is allowed to run unchallenged all the way to the edge of the Rovers box. He shoots, but gets it all wrong and it goes wide for a goal kick.

1′ And we’re off. United kick off and immediately try to work an opener. Rooney and Nani play a quick one-two on the edge of the box but Rovers manage to scramble away the danger.

0′ Ferguson could probably put out a ladies team and they’d still beat Blackburn. The visitors have only won once in 17 trips to Old Trafford since the Premiership formed in 1993 and they have conceded 11 goals in their last three visits. Nil nil tonight then?

0′ United boss Alex Ferguson makes five changes from the side which beat Fulham in midweek. Record clean sheet chasing goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Saar is replaced by Tomasz Kuszczack – he must be livid. Johnny Evans and Rafael come into the defence and there are also starting places for Nani and Wayne Rooney. Gael Givet replaces the suspended Christopher Samba for Blackburn.

Reaction

United got away with it tonight and were pushed all the way by a Blackburn side who did not look like they were struggling in the bottom three. If Howard Webb had awarded Rovers a penalty after Rafael made contact with Pedersen in the box, we could have been looking at a much different result. The decision to wave play on really knocked the stuffing out of Rovers, who didn’t really create any chances after that. United finished the match strongly and could have scored a couple late on themselves. Ronaldo could have received two yellow cards before he scored the winner, but United also had a legitimate goal ruled out. The win puts United eight points clear at the top of the table, giving challengers Liverpool and Chelsea a mammoth task to catch them. Rovers remain in trouble but they should take heart from this performance.

Man of the Match

It was a workman-like performance for United with nobody really standing out from the crowd. Ronaldo’s free kick was excellent, but he could have also been sent off, so no award for him. Instead, I will award it to the industrious Wayne Rooney. He broke the deadlock after United dominated the early stages and as usual, he ran himself into the ground. He also teed up Berbatov perfectly for a third United goal late on but the Bulgarian wasted it.

Match Preview

United have won four of their last six meetings with the Rams and will be full expected to dispatch them at Pride Park this afternoon. Since losing to Derby in the first leg of the Carling Cup, Manchester United have gone on to win their last eight league and cup matches, including a 4-2 second leg victory against the Rams. Arguably, United have been given an easy fifth round draw this season, as this is only the second time in 14 FA Cup rounds they have not been drawn against opponents from the Premiership.

The Rams will be without banned defender Jay McEveley and also Giles Barnes, who made such an impact against United in the second leg and joined Fulham on loan until the end of the season. Recovering midfielder Stephen Pearson is expected to be among the substitutes.

United have only failed to reach the quarter final stage of the FA Cup once in the last five seasons, when they were beaten by Liverpool in 2006. Wayne Rooney is unlikely to line up for the Reds as he recovers from a hamstring injury but there could be returns for Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans.

Line Ups

Derby County: Bywater, Connolly, Addison, Albrechtsen, Stewart, Barazite, Green, Savage, Teale, Commons, Hulse.
Subs: Carroll, Sterjovski, Nyatanga, Davies, Todd, Pearson, Porter.

Manchester United: Foster, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Park, Fletcher, Gibson, Nani, Giggs, Ronaldo.
Subs: Kuszczak, Vidic, Scholes, Welbeck, O’Shea, Tevez, Possebon.

Goals

Derby: Addison (56′)

Man United: Nani (29′), Gibson (44′), Ronaldo (48′), Welbeck (81′)

Live Blog

92′ Jordan Stewart sends another ball into the box but this time Foster comes off his line and claims it with confidence.

90′ Pearson launches another ball into the United box and Commons does well to hook it across the face of goal. Foster may have got to it but given his performance today, Ferdinand was taking no chances and hoofed it clear to safety.

88′ Green has a great chance to pull one back for Derby when he heads a corner towards goal from six yards. It goes wide but Addison was inches away from connecting to it.

85′ Pearson attempts to play Porter through but the striker was ruled offside. It was a close call and had the move been allowed to continue he would have been clean through.

82′ Fair play to Clough for trying to change things, but he’s fighting a losing battle now. Savage comes off to be replaced by Stephen Pearson.

81′ Goal! Derby 1 Man United 4. It’s all over for Derby. Fletcher, on the D, nudges the ball to Danny Welbeck out on the left who curls the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box. A sublime finish from one so young and that’s United through to the quarter final.

75′ Teale, who has been Derby’s most dangerous outlet this match, has the beating of O’Shea and curls one towards the bottom-right corner, forcing a diving save from Foster. Addison gets his head to the resulting corner, but directs it just wide. The Rams are making a real fist of this now and if they could get one more goal, United would really be on the rack.

74′ Teale curls in from the right hand side and the cross completely beats Foster. How on earth this guy was touted as a future England number one is beyond me. Fortunately Evans is at the far post and heads it behind for a corner.

73′ Alex Ferguson opts to rest Ronaldo and replaces him with Rodrigo Possebon.  That’s his full quota of substitutions for the match.

71′ Nani races past Connolly but pulls off one of the worst, most blatant dives after chasing a ball he is never goling to get.

68′ Rob Hulse is replaced by Chris Porter, a player who turned down a greater chance of playing Premiership football next season and a better salary at Cardiff City to come to join Derby from Motherwell during the transfer window. Two words – easy ride.

63′ The interestingly-monikered Mile Sterjovski comes onto replace Barazite as Nigel Clough makes his first change.

60′ The goal has given Derby renewed belief and they are having a go at United. Commons attempts one from the edge of the box but is crowded out by Evans and O’Shea. Teale is next to try his luck but slices an effort from distance.

56′ Goal! Derby 1 Man United 3. Derby grab a lifeline. A cross from Commons is met by the head of young defender Miles Addison who makes ammends for giving away the third goal and gives Foster no chance from close range.

55′ Alex Ferguson makes a few changes, bringing on John O’Shea and Danny Welbeck for Patrice Evra and Ji Sung Park

50′ United could have had another if not for the alertness of Bywater. Giggs sends Ronaldo clean through found himself clear and fired straight at the keeper who could only parry it into the path of the lurking Fletcher. The Scot tries his luck but Bywater dives across to deny him.

48′ Goal! Derby 0 Man United 3. A pinpoint corner from Giggs is glanced in by Ronaldo from about 12 yards out. It looked so simple, but the the precision of the cross should not be underestimated.

46′ Derby get the second half underway. It is going to be really difficult for them to get back into the match

Half Time. United have coasted through the match and Derby have offered very little in return. The two goals were unstoppable and unless Nigel Clough’s side have a drastic change of fortune, United could go on to win this match by a truckload.

45′ The replay shows Gibson’s effort was heading straight at Rafael, who looked well offisde. The Brazilian had to be blocking Bywater’s view until the very last second, when he jumped out of the way of the flying ball, allowing it to nestle into the back of the net. Maybe referee Styles would not dare rule out another United goal?

44′ Goal! Derby 0 Man United 2. Ronaldo lines up another long range free kick which clatters off the wall much to the appreciation of the home crowd. But, no sooner as the first ironic cheers are uttered, the ball bounces into the path of Darron Gibson, who smashes a first time effort from 20 yards into the near corner. It’s all too easy for United.

40′ OK. This is why the linesman was so late in ruling out Ronaldo’s goal. He wasn’t sure if Giggs flicked the ball on or not and waited to ask the referee’s advice when the move had finished. However, in this case, Ronaldo scored a goal. If he had just raised his flag willy nilly and Giggs had not flicked on the ball, he would have ruled out a legitimate goal for United. This time, the linesman got it right.

37′ Goal! Derby 0 Man United 2. Goalkeeper Foster hoofs the ball towards Giggs, who sublimly flicks the ball through to Ronaldo, sending him clear. The Portuguese slots the ball under Bywater to double United’s advantage. Ronaldo celebrates and so do the other players. Then the linesman decides it was offside and raises his flag. Nothing like a late decision to bring a spoilt, often wantaway player back down to earth. Correction. Derby 0 Man United 1.

35′ United are comfortable and can even afford a dismal effort from Gibson, who thunders the ball towards the corner flag from just outside the box.

31′ The Rams have a chance to equalise with a Commons free kick 25 yards out, but there is no danger and Foster gathers it comfortably.

29′ Goal! Derby 0 Man United 1. Crisp passing at the edge of the Derby box ends at the feet of Nani, who cuts inside and pings one into the far corner. It’s a magnificent strike which gives the diving Bywater no chance. ITV managed to broadcast uninterupted coverage of the goal as well, which is a bonus.

24′ Derby have a shout for a penalty when it looked as though Ferdinand tripped Hulse in the box. However, the replay showed it was clearly a dive.

21′ Rob Hulse goes inches wide for Derby when he turns and shoots inside the box following a good header from Green. It’s just over the bar but if it had been on target Foster would have got nowhere near it.

20′ Ronaldo lines up a free kick from 30 yards out. He drives it straight into the mid-section of Savage, which was probably it’s intended destination.

16′ Barazite finds himself in a bit of space but lashes wildly at the ball from the edge of the box and it goes well wide. It’s a half chance for the Rams who are in danger of being taken apart this afternoon.

15′ Nani leaves Connolly for dead on the left and dinks a ball into the far post. The Derby defenders are nowhere near it, allowing Park to sidefoot it from a couple of yards out, but Bywater pulls off a fantastic point-blank save.

13′ United’s superior passing is telling as a one-two between Fletcher and Ronaldo sees the Scot unmarked just inside the box but his shot is well saved by Bywater.

10′ Commons takes a corner but Foster grabs hold of it at the second attempt. Derby had just got into the game a bit more after United had enjoyed the better start. Barazite looks useful down the right for the Rams.

5′ The shenanigans between Ronaldo and Savage have taken just a few minutes to commence. The Portuguese is brushed off the ball by Savage, resulting in him going down looking for a free kick. Unsurprisingly he doesn’t get one and seconds later deliberately runs into the back of Savage as the latter gets a throw in. Two fine examples of a big girls blouse should provide some entertainment this afternoon.

3′ Nani finds himself with a bloody nose. Someone get him a glass of water to drink backwards. Wait, that’s hiccups. A tissue will be fine.

1′ Manchester United get the match started and it’s young Gibson who has the first shot in anger from 25 yards out. It’s well over the bar, though.

0′ Veteran midfielder Robbie Savage is set to resume his headless chicken role in the middle of the park for Derby. I’m sure he is set to prove a point to Alex Ferguson who released him as a kid at Old Trafford etc etc. Yawn. Fellow clogger Andy Todd can only make the bench.

0′ Its a much-changed line up for United, with Foster in goal and midfield places for Gibson and Nani. No recognised strikers start for the Reds, such is Alex Ferguson’s confidence. Giggs and Ronaldo take on the attacking duties at Pride Park.

Reaction

It was comfortable in the end for United as Derby failed to display much of the fighting spirit which saw them narrowly miss out to the Reds during the two-legged Carling Cup semi final. Goals either side of half-time effectively killed off the tie but full credit to the Rams for trying when they fell 3-1 behind. The goals from Nani, Gibson, Ronaldo and Welbeck were sublime and highlighted the gulf in class between the European champions and a mediocre Championship side. United ease their way into the quarter finals and continue their winning run.

Man of the Match

If it wasn’t for the brilliance of Bywater in the Derby goal, the score could have been much worse. That said, I cannot award man of the match to a player who let in four goals. United were composed, if not spectacular with Giggs, Fletcher and Gibson all playing well in midfield. Ryan Giggs was at the heart of United’s attacking play and the intricate balls he was threading through to Ronaldo were a joy to watch. Derby simply could not cope with a player of his quality. He scored the winner against West Ham last weekend and is my Man of the Match this Sunday.

29. Peter Shilton

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

28. George Best

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

27. Tony Adams

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

26. Peter Beagrie

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

25. Rio Ferdinand

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

24. Jody Morris

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

23. Nolberto Solano

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

22. James Beattie

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

21. Mark Venus

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

20. Eirik Bakke

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

19. Seth Johnson

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

18. Guy Charles

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

17. Jermaine Pennant

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

16. Adam Proudlock

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

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

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

Counting down…

50. Julian Gray

Teams Involved – Coventry City to Fulham
Fee – Undisclosed

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

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

49. Ariza Makukula

Teams Involved – Benfica to Bolton Wanderers
Fee – Loan

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

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

48. Peter Lovenkrands

Teams Involved – Schalke 04 to Newcastle United
Fee – Free

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

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

47. Marlon King

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough
Fee – Loan

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

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

46. Youssouf Mulumbu

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

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

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

45. Pele

Teams Involved – FC Porto to Portsmouth
Fee – Loan

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

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

44. Gael Givet

Teams Involved – Marseille to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Loan

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

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

43. Manucho

Teams Involved – Manchester United to Hull City
Fee – Loan

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

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

42. Juan Carlos Menseguez

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

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

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

41. Marc-Antoine Fortune

Teams Involved – Nancy to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

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

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

40. Savio Nsereko

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

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

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

39. Jo

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Everton
Fee – Loan

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

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

38. Pascal Chimbonda

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

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

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

37. El-Hadji Diouf

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

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

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

36. Tal Ben Haim

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

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

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

35. Calum Davenport

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

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

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

34. Nadir Belhadj

Teams Involved – Lens to Portsmouth
Fee – £4.4 million

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

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

33. Matthew Etherington

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

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

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

32. Henri Camara

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Stoke City
Fee – Loan

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

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

31. Radoslav Kovac

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

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

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

30. Kamil Zayatte

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

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

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

29. Charles N’Zogbia

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

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

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

28. Olivier Dacourt

Teams Involved – Inter Milan to Fulham
Fee – Loan

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

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

27. Kevin Nolan

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

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

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

26. Ben Watson

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

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

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

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

Match Preview

This game was originally scheduled for Monday night, but was moved forward because Everton and Liverpool will go at it for the third Merseyside Derby in 10 days this Wednesday. This time it’s the FA Cup fourth round replay.

It looks like Wayne Rooney, Nani, and Patrice Evra are still out injured for United, but Fabio could be back as United are attempting to extend their streak without conceding goal in league play to 12 games. Edwin Van Der Sar hasn’t let a goal in for the last 17 hours and 12 minutes of league action. United have won their last five league games and are unbeaten in the last 11.

Everton will be with top scorer Tim Cahill (6) and Maroune Fellaini after initial doubts. Everton go into the game in sixth spot, 12 points behind Liverpool and Chelsea who are tied for third with 48. Yakubu is out for the season and surprise, surprise, Saha is also injured. Everton have won three and drew two in their last five games and are unbeaten in the last seven.

Mark Halsey will be the referee.

Line Ups

Manchester United: Van Der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea, Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Berbatov, Tevez

Subs: Kuszczak, Brown Giggs, Welbeck, Fabio da Silva, Gibson, Eckersley

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Arteta, Neville, Pienaar, Fellaini, Cahill

Subs: Nash, Yobo, Castillo, Jacobsen, Rodwell, Anichebe, Gosling

Goals

Manchester United: Ronaldo (44′)

Everton:

Live Blog

90+3′ The whistle goes and this game goes into the history books as United’s 12th consecutive league game without letting in a goal. Full Time it’s Manchester United 1-0 Everton.

90+3′ Carrick takes a low, hard shot from the edge of the box that goes wide of the post.

90+2 Anichebe makes a bad tackle on Brown now and again there’s no card shown.

90+1′ Everton’s unbeaten streak is going to end unless they come up with something dramatic in the last minute.

90′ Last minute of normal time now and the ball’s in Everton’s end again. There’s going to be two minutes of added time.

89′ Wes Brown dives in for a tackle, but no yellow card.

87′ Park works his way into the box from the left side and drills a right footed shot that’s low and hard, however Howard comes out well to make the big save.

86′ The game’s still in doubt, but never the less some fans are starting to leave now.

84′ A free kick now for Giggs from the right hand corner flag. It’s whipped in and howard does well to punch it clear.

82′ Free kick for Everton from 35 yards out and it ends up as a scramble in the box. Vidic brings Lescott down for what could easily have been a penalty and Van Der Sar gathers the ball.

81′ Lescott heads it into the box, but the play is called dead for a foul on Everton.

80′ Corner kick from the left side for United. Giggs crosses and Ronaldo rises to meet it and heads it way over the bar.

79′ Berbatov to Tevez in the box and the Arentinean tries to lob it over Howard to no avail as it’s easily caught by the keeper.

78′ Everton just can’t seem to get anything going, but it still doesn’t look like a safe lead for United at the moment.

76′ It’s rumoured that Giggs will extend his contract soon for at least another season with the Red Devils.

75′ Yes, 35-year-old Giggs comes on for Darren Fletcher.

74′ Giggs in now starting to warm up for United and could see some action before this one’s over.

73′ Pienaar takes a long range shot that flies over the goal.

71′ The free kick is taken by Tevez and it bounces off the wall forcing Howard to knock it out for a corner. The corner gives Howard trouble and it’s eventually cleared.

70′ Tevez wins the ball and drives to the box only to have his shot blocked. It’s now a free kick for United right at the edge of the box.

68′ Substitution for Everton as 20-year-old Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe comes on for Fellaini.

67′ It looks like United have taken their foot off of the gas for the last 10 minutes or so, but are now starting to put some passes together.

65′ Tevez slides it in the box smartly for Berbatov, who loses a boot trying to reach it.

64′ Brown smacks the ball off of Pienaar for a corner. Carrick takes it and Everton clear it up the pitch.

63′ Ronaldo sets up Fletcher who proceeds to give the ball away to Baines.

62′ Everton are slowly turning the tide here, at least possession wise. United might need another goal to see this game through.

60′ A free kick by Arteta from about 35-40 yards out. It’s a nice low shot that beats the wall and forces Van Der Sar into a good save. It’s 18 hours and 12 minutes now since the Dutch keeper has let a league goal in.

59′ Hibbert crosses from the right wing only to have it cleared away.

58′ Everton have a bit of possession now and try a patient buildup. They get the ball as far as the edge of the box and that’s it.

56′ United’s skipper Gary Neville is off and Wes Brown makes his way onto the pitch.

55′ Wes Brown is getting ready to come on, perhaps for Neville. Tevez carries the ball into the box and his low right footed shot is covered well by Howard.

54′ Ronaldo makes a nice run to the box, but Osman is in great position to halt the run.

52′ Park crosses low from the right wing to Tevez, who blasts the ball over the bar.

51′ Cahill takes a long distance left footer and it sails wide of the net.

49′  Pienaar takes a long, hard low shot and Van Der Sar covers it well.

48′ Carrick breaks into the box again and is fouled, but no penalty this time.

47′ Free kick to Everton from about 35 yards out, but dead centre. Arteta takes it and beats the wall, but its way wide of the net.

46′ United kick off the second half and we’ll see if David Moyes brings on Anichebe at some point for some attacking power.

Half Time. United have defintely been the better of the two sides. Everton’s keeper Tim Howard has probably been his side’s best player and if he has to keep it up in the second half then United will win this one. Van Der Sar hasn’t had to make a hard save yet as Everton’s attack has been very weak. United had 56% possession in the half. There have been numerous offsides with United being caught three times and Everton four.

45+2′ The whistle goes to end the half with Man Utd up 1-0 on Ronaldo’s penalty.

45+1′ Carrick takes a long range rocket with his left foot that Howard saves, but has trouble holding on to. He covers the ball just before Berbatov pounces on it.

44′ GOAL- Man Utd 1-0 Everton -Howard makes his move and Ronaldo slams it into the middle of the net for his 14th goal in all competitions this season.

43′ Penalty Michael Carrick is tripped by Arteta in the box.

42′ Park is fouled by Baines just outside of the right side of the box for a free kick. Ronaldo takes it and it’s headed away superbly for a throw in.

41′ Some good football by Everton leads to yet another cross by Baines that’s cleared to safety.

39′ Baines crosses again from the left, but it’s cleared for a throw in.

38′ Everton are slowly getting into the game, but will need to do a lot more if they want to get out of town with any points.

35′ O’Shea’s cross is saved by Howard.

35′ Baines crosses from the left wing straight into the arms of Van Der Sar.

34′ Ronaldo works it into the box and an effort by Carrick just goes wide of the post.

33′ The ball is played into the United box, but goes straight through the legs of Fellaini.

31′ Pienaar and Baines work it into the United end well, but Everton are forced back into their own half.

29′ Park works his way into the box and earns a corner that’s taken short and eventually cleared with no harm done.

28′ Howard looks sharp and has only conceded three goals in his last nine games.

27′ Ronaldo takes a long range shot that Howard has to parry over the bar for a corner from the left side. Howard is then fouled on the corner.

27′ A long shot by Cahill is covered easily by Van Der Sar.

26′ Ronaldo takes a right footed grass cutter that bounces off of the post. As soon as Tevez touches the rebound he’s called offside.

24′ Tevez bursts into the box and crosses, but Hibbert heads it away.

23′ Carrick crosses into the box only to have it esily headed away.

21′ Park fouls Baines and it’s a free kick for Everton from the left corner. Arteta delivers, Osman flicks it on, but Van Der Sar comes out to take the ball.

20′ Baines crosses and it’s knocked out for an Everton corner. Arteta delivers it and United clear soon after.

19′ Ronaldo breaks into the clear and he’s called offside in a very close call.

17′ Tevez is looking dangerous as he sends Fletcher down the right wing, but his cross is caught by Howard.

16′ A corner for Everton from the right side is easily caught by Van Der Sar.

15′ United have the majority of possession and could be ahead already if Howard hadn’t been on his game.

14′ The corner’s taken and cleared out of harm’s way.

13′ A great ball by Ronaldo into the box falls for Tevez and it’s another great save by Howard.

12′ Hibbert makes a great tackle on Ronaldo who was breaking into space with the ball.

10′ Tevez tries to work his way into the box, but Lescott clears it

9′ Everton try another attack, but it’s offside again.

8′ Tevez shoots but it’s blocked by Jagielka.

7′ Park shoots from the right wing and keeper tim Howard does well to palm it away.

6′ Cahill shoots from long range at the edge of the box, but he’s offside. Cahill scored his 100th goal in English football last Wednesday against Arsenal.

5′ Cahill makes a nice run to the edge of the box and a cross is headed away wide for a goalkick.

3′ A free kick to United from about 30 yards out, dead centre. Ronaldo takes it and drills it straight into the wall.

2′ Ronaldo starts on the left today and the pitch looks to be in rough shape.

1′ Everton kick off and we’re on the way. The two teams drew each other in September.

Reaction

Manchester United did enough to win and win they did, even though it was by the slimmest of margins 1-0. This gives them 53 points on the season and a four point lead over second place Aston Villa and five point leads over both Chelsea and Liverpool, who play each other tomorrow. It wasn’t vintage Man United, but they had 55% possession and kept Everton at bay throughout the 90 minutes. Everton could have had a penalty, well should have had a penalty as Vidic pulled Lescott down in the box. United could also have been awarded another spot kick at the start of the second half as Carrick was brought down again. I’d actually like to see a referee have the courage to call every single penalty infraction in a game as it’s going to be the only way to stop all of this grabbing and pulling in the box. If there’s six penalties called in a game then so be it. Put the message out that this garbage won’t be tolerated anymore as it’s ruining the sport.

Everton lose for the first time in eight league games, but they seem to be a mediocre team at best with no power up front. David Moyes isn’t going to have much time to rectify this as the January transfer window is going to close very soon. They end the day still in sixth place with 37 points.

Man of the Match

Carlos Tevez showed a lot of energy as usual for United. However, if it wasn’t for ex-United goalie Tim Howard making some crucial saves for Everton this game could have been about 3-0 at least. United weren’t at their best, but they still kept Howard busy enough and the only shot to beat him was Ronaldo’s penalty.

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.