Roberto Di Matteo has demanded Chelsea treat tonight’s UEFA Super Cup final against Athletico Madrid seriously.
The Italian won the competition as a player and wants his side to use their Champions League triumph as inspiration for the contest.
Chelsea’s boss said on the London club’s official website: “The consequence of that night is why we’re here and we shouldn’t forget how hard it was to be here.
“It was a very difficult road and took a lot of suffering to be able to win it and be able to play this game and be involved in the European Super Cup. I feel very strongly about it and hopefully we can win the game.”
A few months on from the Blues’ logic-defying accomplishment in Munich, it still seems implausible that they could have lifted the trophy. However, previous glories won’t guarantee success against a decent Athletico Madrid side.
The Spanish outfit defeated Athletico Bilbao 4-0 last weekend, and in Radamel Falcao possess one of the best strikers in world football.
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The art of diving is an all too familiar occurrence in the Premier League, with players, at times, selecting the root to floor over an opportunity to score.
It’s a wide held belief that the phenomenon of simulation is restricted to foreign players, with the English spirit of fair play and sportsmanship making such acts preposterous. While to an extent the import of such acts coincided with the arrival of global talent, more and more home-grown stars are turning to the dark arts, in a bid to aid their team.
With the sheer pace of modern day football, referees face the impossible task of deciding, in a split second, whether said player is the victim or just a crook.
This list looks at 20 players who have frequently opted to bend the rules, exaggerating, and mostly, fabricating contact to aid their teams:
Click on Andrew Johnson to unveil the list
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Surprise package West Brom welcome bottom of the table QPR to the Hawthorns this Saturday.
Steve Clarke has made a great start to life as a manager, and saw his side record a satisfactory 1-1 draw at Villa Park in the Midlands derby last time out.
They currently sit sixth in the table, just a point outside the top four. Whilst big spending QPR sit bottom of the table having failed to win a game so far this season.
Mark Hughes saw his side crash to another defeat on Monday, losing 2-1 at home to London rivals West Ham.
However West Brom have a host of injury problems to contend with, after Chris Brunt and and full back Billy Jones both suffered hamstring injuries during the game at Villa Park last week.
They are set to join the likes of Steven Reid and Liam Ridgwell on the sidelines for this one, whilst Shane Long and Romelu Lukaku will battle it out for the lone striker role.
QPR also have injury problems to contend with, and will be without five players to the trip to the Hawthorns.
Anton Ferdinand is one of four defenders unavailable, while Samba Diakite will also miss out through suspension following the red card he picked up during a substitute appearance against West Ham United on Monday night.
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Adele Tarrabt could start for Rangers following his wonder goal against the Hammers on Monday night nearly bought QPR back into the game.
QPR defender Clint Hill has admitted that their game against Everton this weekend could be more difficult than their previous encounters.
The Toffees have had a flying start to the season, and are currently fourth in the Premier League table, winning six out of their seven matches in the league so far this season.
However, in marked contrast, QPR are still winless in the Premier League this season and are sitting at the bottom of the table.
Hill admits that the statistics will be against them at Loftus Road on Saturday, despite QPR getting good results from games against Everton last season.
He says: “We had decent results against them last season but they’re flying high right now. They’ve been fantastic so far. They usually start badly and finish well but they’ve done the opposite this time. They have fantastic players, team ethic and it will be another tough game.”In the same fixture last season in March, QPR were able to secure a draw against the Toffees.
However, QPR did manage to win against Everton, which was the first game they had won in the Premier League since 1996.
Owner Tony Fernandes recently backed Mark Hughes to remain as the QPR boss despite the club’s current form.
Everton’s Victor Anichebe has also made it clear that the Toffees should not be taking QPR lightly on Saturday. He told everton.tv:”They haven’t really done so well so I’m sure they will look to change that against us and we need to be wary of that”.
However, QPR are helped by Everton’s loss of Marouane Fellaini, who has been vital to the Toffees’ success so far this season, as he is out with injury.
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QPR owner Tony Fernandes recently backed Mark Hughes to remain as QPR boss despite the club’s current form.
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has admitted that he needs to increase the size of his squad and is planning to do so in January.
Villa are stretched in certain areas of the squad despite Lambert bringing in seven new players in the summer after the departure of several experienced players.
The club have four centre backs currently on the injured list, with Richard Dunne, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker and Chris Herd all out of action at the moment.
“The squad needs to get bigger as well. That is important as well. That’s normal,” the Scotsman told the Independent.
“Everyone has to have competition for places. That is vital.
“It is like the centre-half situation. We lose Ciaran and Nathan and have to put Matt (Lowton) or Chris (Herd) back there.
“It shows you are short in certain areas and you have to improve the squad which we will try to do.”
Despite only winning one game so far this season the former Norwich manager is convinced the club are moving in the right direction in the Premier League.
“This was never going to happen overnight. A lot of people just expected us to come in and see a real change in fortunes,” Lambert added.
“There is certainly progress, you can see that, but you want to keep going until you think, we’re there.”
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American owner Randy Learner is selling his stake in NFL side the Cleveland Browns which could see the chequebook opening in order to turn around the fortunes of the struggling Midlands outfit.
Phil Neville wants Everton to become more clinical in front of goal following their 2-2 draw away to Fulham on Saturday.
Everton were denied all three points at Craven Cottage when Fulham’s Steve Sidwell struck in stoppage time to condemn the Toffees to a fourth consecutive draw in the Premier League.
And the Goodison Park skipper feels that, despite a solid performance, it was a lack of clinical finishing that stopped Everton seeing the game off.
He told Everton’s official website: “It was probably the best we have played all season, maybe the best we have played since January.
“We went to Fulham and totally dominated the game, we had all the possession, we had all the quality and they had nothing, probably two shots on goal, and scored two goals.
“I think we created maybe six or seven chances where maybe if we had been a bit more clinical we would have probably come out 7-2 winners. That is how it felt playing.”
Neville also believes it shouldn’t just be down to the strikers to find the goals and that the whole team need to start chipping in.
“We just need to be more ruthless, not totally dependent on Jelavic scoring all the time and chip in with goals from centre midfield, wide areas and at the back. It is up to us all to do it,” he continued.
“Drawing is our Achilles heel at the moment and we need to win these games.”
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Everton will be looking to end their run of four consecutive draws when they host Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal are lining up a move for Tunisian defender Aymen Abdennour after sending scouts over to watch the 23-year-old in action, according to talkSPORT.
Abdennour, who plays for Toulouse, has seen his reputation grow in France after impressive performances for his club. Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona are rumoured to be keeping tracks on the defender but it is thought that Arsenal will line up a January bid and are hopeful that the French contingent at the Emirates may persuade Abdennour to move to the Premier League.
The Tunisian started his career for Etoile du Sahel in his native country before a short loan to Werder Bremen put him on the European map. However, it was his move to current club Toulouse that has given the defender a platform to showcase his talents.
In March of this year, it was reported that the Gunners were keen to make a move for Abdennour in the Summer. This never transpired but with Thomas Vermaelen’s fluctuating form and a lengthy fixture list to contend with, Wenger has revamped his interest in the youngster.
With Arsenal scouts now having watched the defender numerous times, it may only be a matter of time before Aymen Abdennour adornes an Arsenal shirt with a bid of €5 million reported to be imminent.
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In the modern game, player power continually grows. The business side of the game means that every footballer is an asset and a commercial commodity. For example, a factor Roberto Di Matteo’s sacking was the fact that he couldn’t get Fernando Torres to play well, and even dropped the lackluster Spaniard for his final game as Chelsea boss. Had he been bought for a handful of beans it wouldn’t have mattered, but Abramovich spent £50million on the striker, making him the Premier League’s record transfer, and thus was a far more important financial investment than club legend and lovable Italian Roberto Di Matteo.
It is a similar case with the recent 92 point action plan composed by the FA to tackle racism in English football. One of the many policies includes a five game ban for players found guilty of racial discrimination. In a perfect world, bigoted Footballers would be sacked on the spot like they would in any other walk of life, but due to the nature of football, or rather the business of football, different rules have to apply. The problem with sacking a footballer, especially those of the calibre of John Terry or Luis Suarez, it that they’ll soon find themselves offered a new contract by another team, in another country if need be, with their former employers seriously out of pocket.
Down at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger is no doubt wondering where it all went wrong as he remembers his easier life as a Mr Bean impersonator on the streets of Paris. Well, Wenger never embraced player power; in fact he has continually rejected it and over the years Arsenal have paid the price for Le Professeur’s idealistic approach to the game. The Gunners’ problems remind me of a socialist revolution slowly being corroded by the monetary power of capitalism, with the French manager’s Marxist dream constantly undermined by individual interests.
Wenger’s continued belief that no player is bigger than Arsenal football club has lead to a number of top quality talent leaving to league rivals that can offer his stars more money. The trend started with Ashley Cole’s departure to Chelsea in 2006, despite him arguably the best defender in the Premiership and an integral part of the Gunners’ backline, and then continued with the mass exodus to Manchester City beginning with Kolo Toure, who was soon followed by Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Adebayor following their former captain to the Eithad stadium.
But Wenger has received enough criticism this week over his transfer policy, perhaps it’s time to take in the view from the other side of the fence. The French coach made his players what they are. They have been picked up from African, French and Dutch clubs and given a chance to play amongst some of the world’s elite players and prove themselves. Clearly, the club have an excellent method for bringing young footballers through, with an impetus on ability on the ball that many of the players are now well-known for.
But then, after reaching a certain age and developing into elite footballers themselves, these players have turned their back on the dream, the long term vision, in order to benefit their own careers. Consider the players that have left the club for better things and you have a formidable bunch of footballers; Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Ashley Cole, Mathieu Flamini, Nasri, Toure, Clichy, Adebayor.
These players, many of whom are at their footballing peaks, would form a team that could easily challenge for the title had they stayed together instead of ditching Wenger’s long-term plan for short term successes. The problem isn’t necessarily transfer fees, although the amount Wenger lets his players leave is rather questionable in my opinion, it is the wages offered by the club. In my eyes, it is impossible to argue that Theo Walcott shouldn’t be rewarded with his contract demands considering he’s arguably been the club’s best player this season. Furthermore flop signing Marouane Chamakh is payed 60k-per-week for merely making up the numbers in the Arsenal squad, not to mention his dismal cameo appearance against Bradford during the huge Capital One Cup upset which has sparked further pressure on Wenger to resign. But then again, Theo Walcott is another player that has only made it to the Premier League because of the nurturing of Arsene Wenger. Similarly, Cesc Fabregas was essentially a Barcelona reject when he signed for Arsenal in 2003, but as soon as he proved his quality he quickly turned his back on the Gunners.
Of course some blame has to be attached to Wenger, otherwise it’s a bit like blaming Robin Van Persie’s refusal to extend his contract and subsequent transfer to Manchester United on Jean-Marc Bosman. Similarly, players demanding to leave isn’t a common feature for Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City – clubs which Arsenal should be on a par with. The likes of Roberto Mancini, Jose Mourinho and some of the interim Chelsea managers performed their roles more as glorified babysitters rather than any sort of footballing ideological beacon for their players.
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But what is being forgotten in this Arsenal debate is the players who have left the club and turned their back on Wenger’s vision. Perhaps more should have been done by the Frenchman to keep his dreams intact, but had his young prodigies not jumped ship as soon as it benefited them to do so, the club would not be in the position it’s in now.
Christian Eriksen’s agent has revealed that there have been no bids for his client ahead of the January transfer window.
The Ajax man has been heavily linked with a switch to the Premier League, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all rumoured to be interested in his signature.
However, his representative Martin Schoots insists that there is no deal in place for the 20-year-old, leading to speculation that he may well stay in Amsterdam for the rest of the season:
“Christian is on a short holiday and for now everything is quiet.” He is quoted by Sky Sports via BT.
“Nothing is happening for him at the moment.”
A number of top European clubs are also thought to be monitoring the player’s situation, due to a string of impressive displays from the starlet.
Eriksen has become a key part of the Ajax set-up since joining the club as a youth player from Odense.
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He has made over 90 appearances for the Amserdam ArenA-based club, winning two league titles in the process.
His displays have also made him a major component in the Danish national team, for whom he has won 30 caps.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has stated his readiness to take a leading role in the first-team, hoping to push the Gunners farther up the Premier League, according to Sky Sports.
Wilshere, 21, returned to action toward the end of October 2012 after an ankle injury left him with a lengthy 15-month spell on the sidelines.
The player continued to make his successful comeback to first-team action last night by scoring the only goal and producing a man-of-the match performance against Swansea in the Gunners’ 1-0 FA Cup third round reply win.
“Do I feel like a leader? That is part and parcel of my game and is the type of player I am – I like to pick the ball up, run at players and drive the team on. We all need to show a bit of character now,” said Wilshere.
“We knew we needed to get a result against Swansea and we all applied ourselves excellently in that game.
“We want this cup – it is a big competition. It was the last major trophy we won and we know what it means to the fans to get a trophy.”
Speaking of Arsenal’s upcoming league encounter against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the central midfielder spoke of the side’s confidence going into the fixture.
“Chelsea don’t like playing against us. We play football so if we can take the game to them and get in behind them, we can cause problems,” he added.
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“We won there 5-3 last season, so we know we can do it and we have to be confident going there. We have to take the game to them and play our football because we are a bit behind in the table and we need points.”