<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/who-should-start-up-front-for-england-at-euro-2012-42740/england-subbuteo" rel="attachment wp-att-42745"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42745" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/england-subbuteo.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="287"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Roy Hodgson’s <a href="http://epltalk.com/england-2012-squad-announced-carrick-omitted-oxlade-chamberlain-and-walcott-included-42780">England squad</a> has left many fans feeling underwhelmed. But really, Hodgson is only picking from what is available. This is not the most exciting pool of English talent that the country has ever produced. So it’s hard to see whom he could have picked that would have ignited the nation’s imagination.</p>
<p>Stewart Downing seems to have coped with a lot criticism for his inclusion in the squad. But with Walcott, Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team, Downing offers some balance as he can play of the left side of midfield.</p>
<p>So with his squad already picked here is a look at eleven players, in a 4-3-3 formation, that may feel disappointed on missing a place in the Euro 2012 squad:</p>
<h2><strong>Scott Carson</strong>– Age: 26, Caps: 4. Club: Bursaspor (Turkey)</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/euro-2012-on-itv-what-dreams-are-made-of-video-42539/scott-carson-england" rel="attachment wp-att-42540"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42540" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/scott-carson-england.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="500"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>England has a problem when it comes to their goalkeeping depth. Both Paul Robinson and Ben Foster have made themselves unavailable for the England squad for their own reasons. Both would have been certain picks for the England squad, if available. However, Carson has been a regular for Bursapor, starting 32 matches and helping them to a mid table position. Still only 26 years old, he is yet to reach his full potential as a keeper. His potential inspired Liverpool to sign him in 2005.</p>
<p>At international level, Carson is best remembered for his role in England’s loss to Croatia in ’07 — a match that saw England fail to reach Euro 2008 and cost Steve McLaren his job. He was in the England squad for the friendly against Holland earlier this year.</p>
<h2><strong>Phil Jagielka- </strong>Age: 29, Caps: 10. Club: Everton</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/everton-triumph-over-adversity-6285/phil-jagielka" rel="attachment wp-att-6288"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-6288 alignnone" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/phil-jagielka.jpg" alt="" width="361" height="500"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Jagielka will feel disappointed in missing out, especially considering he has featured in the England squad throughout the qualifying process (mainly as a substitute). With question marks over whether Hodgson would leave both Terry and Ferdinand at home, Jagielka may have been quietly confident of making the squad. He and Joleon Lescott formed a good understanding from their Everton days and that partnership may have been transferred to international level. Ultimately Terry was chosen. And Gary Cahill’s partnership with him at Chelsea may have been why he was picked ahead of Jagielka.</p>
<h2><strong>Rio Ferdinand</strong>– Age: 33, Caps: 81. Club: Manchester United</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/man-uniteds-ferdinand-da-silva-and-vidic-sidelined-after-opening-weekend-33754/rio-ferdinand" rel="attachment wp-att-33755"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-33755 alignnone" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/rio-ferdinand1.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Rio Ferdinand has been the highest profile player to miss out. Hodgson claims he was left out purely for football reasons. However the issue of him playing with John Terry would also have played a minor role in his exclusion. John Terry is set to appear in court over allegations that he racially abused Rio’s younger brother Anton. His club manager Sir Alex has claimed that playing in the Euro’s may be beyond Ferdinand as his body may not hold up to rigors of playing two matches in four days. He has been struck down by a number of injuries in recent seasons. His failure to remain injury free is one of the reasons he lost the United captain role to Vidic.</p>
<h2><strong>Ryan Shawcross</strong>– Age: 24 , Caps: 0. Club: Stoke City</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/11-english-footballers-that-should-be-on-englands-plane-to-euro-2012-43128/soccer-barclays-premier-league-arsenal-v-stoke-city-emirates-stadium" rel="attachment wp-att-43136"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43136" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ryan-shawcross.jpg" alt="" width="386" height="449"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Now it may seem a no brainer to overlook a player who has never featured for England, but Shawcross is a good defender. He is the captain of Stoke City and has been a regular starter for his side in his five seasons at the club. Sir Alex Ferguson has gone on record saying that if he had known Pique wanted to leave the club, he would never had let Shawcross leave Manchester United. If you believe that, England cannot win Euro 2012 and that they should look to the next World Cup to include a player such as Shawcross.</p>
<p>Ferdinand and Terry are both in their 30’s and players like Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are still learning their trade. Shawcross has proven he can defend at the highest level as he faces many great players playing in the Premier League. Should he had made the squad, it would have been just rewards for a talented defender.</p>
<h2><strong>Micah Richards</strong>– Age: 23, Caps: 13. Club: Manchester City</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/11-english-footballers-that-should-be-on-englands-plane-to-euro-2012-43128/micah-richards" rel="attachment wp-att-43135"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43135" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/micah-richards.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="360"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>The Manchester City right-back has just enjoyed a title winning season with the Citizens. However he did not feature in the team during the run-in for the title. Previous England manager Fabio Capello had his doubts about Richards as a defender and Roberto Mancini seems to share his fellow Italian’s views. They both seemed to be concerned about his discipline to his defensive duties as Richards does like to go forward to join in with the attack. The fact that Kyle Walker has been ruled out for Euro 2012 through injury will also add to the disappointment of missing out, especially when Glen Johnson makes the squad despite his criticism of Roy Hodgson’s tactics when he was manager of Liverpool.</p>
<h2><strong>Aaron Lennon</strong>– Age 25, Caps 18. Club Tottenham Hotspur</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/11-english-footballers-that-should-be-on-englands-plane-to-euro-2012-43128/sbi_spurs_v_chelsea_10" rel="attachment wp-att-43134"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43134" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/aaron-lennon.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="370"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>The Spurs winger has performed well when he played for his team, but has seen this season interrupted by injuries. In fact, Spurs’ performances appeared to dip when Lennon was out of the team. As with many players with his kind of pace, he suffered a hamstring injury in December and only managed to start 19 games for Tottenham, scoring three goals. With an England squad that already boasts Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, there was simply no room for Lennon. His style of play is also so similar to Walcott that taking both of them doesn’t make much sense. In the end, Lennon’s injuries and the form of fellow wingers never really saw him as a serious candidate for the England squad.</p>
<h2><strong>Adam Johnson</strong>– Age: 24 , Caps: 10. Club: Manchester City</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/man-city-got-the-right-man-with-adam-johnson-signing-15735/adam-johnson" rel="attachment wp-att-15736"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15736" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/adam-johnson.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="280"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>An exciting attacking player who has been able to command a regular starting spot for Manchester City. He’s made 16 substitute appearances this season and only ten starts. He has been criticized in past by City manager Mancini, who has claimed that “he doesn’t put everything on the pitch.” He has also questioned his attitude, saying “Sometimes players like Adam play well in one game but so-so the next. He should not think: ‘I have scored a goal, this is enough&apos;”</p>
<p>Despite being named to the back-up list for Euro 2012, his exclusion from the 23-man squad is similar to the reason Aaron Lennon was omitted — a lack of playing time and a number of other players in better form. There is also a question mark over his commitment to his defensive responsibilities and ability to stay in a structured formation. Hodgson likes his sides to have a defensive structure about them and thus requires his players to adhere to his team’s instructions.</p>
<h2><strong>Michael Carrick</strong>– Age: 30, Caps: 22. Club: Manchester United</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/11-english-footballers-that-should-be-on-englands-plane-to-euro-2012-43128/michael-carrick" rel="attachment wp-att-43133"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43133" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/michael-carrick.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="374"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>The Manchester United midfielder has never been a regular starter for the national side despite being one of the constant names on the United team sheet. He started 27 matches for the Red Devils after originally being over looked at the start of the season. If there is a English player that you could compare to Xavi, Iniesta or Busquets in terms of ball retention and passing, then it would be Carrick.</p>
<p>However he is a victim of his own football intelligence in the fact that he is not seen as a traditional English midfielder in the mold of Gerrard and Lampard. Carrick is reported to have told Hodgson that he wasn’t interested in being involved in the England squad if he was only going to be a fringe player. An attitude that will not reflect well on him but one that is understandable. Especially when you consider how underused a player of his talent has been through out his England career.</p>
<h2><strong>Darren Bent</strong>– Age: 28 , Caps: 13. Club: Aston Villa</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-soccer-tshirts-28899/darren-bent-studs-up" rel="attachment wp-att-28911"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28911" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/darren-bent-studs-up.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="301"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>A striker who has scored goals wherever he has gone (although not so prolific at Spurs) misses out due to injuries. He has declared himself fully fit but has missed too much football in the final part of the season to be a serious contender for a striking position. Had he been fit all season, he may very well have been a certain pick for Euro 2012. He is a predator in the box, often lurking in the penalty area pouncing on any half chances that come his way.</p>
<p>His link-up play is not the best and he may very well have struggled if played up front by himself for England. Considering that Rooney will miss England’s first two matches, there would be no link between midfield and attack and Bent struggles when isolated up front. He is very much a striker in the mold of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen who sat up front waiting for chances but doesn’t contribute much to the rest of play. So that coupled with his recent injuries sees him miss out on a spot in the England team.</p>
<h2><strong>Grant Holt</strong>– Age: 31, Caps: 0. Club: Norwich City</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/who-will-win-the-pfa-player-of-the-year-award-40035/grant-holt" rel="attachment wp-att-40038"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40038" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/grant-holt.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>The Norwich striker finished the Premier League season with 15 goals, which saw him finish as the highest English goal scorer behind Wayne Rooney. He has never featured for the England team or even represented them at youth level. His lack of international experience has counted against him. There is also the stigma of playing with a so called ‘smaller club’ that doesn’t help his claims for an England spot. Question marks over whether he can score against the best international defenses are also a concern, but scoring in the Premier League is no easy feat. Even a talented striker like Torres has struggled in this league.</p>
<p>So to dismiss the achievement of scoring 15 goals in his first season in the Premier League would be insulting to Holt. He may wonder what else he could have done to get into the team. But with Carroll in the team, Hodgson may feel that he already has the physical presence that he wants from a striker.</p>
<h2><strong>Peter Crouch</strong>– Age: 31, Caps: 42. Club: Stoke City</h2>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/how-far-can-tottenham-go-in-the-champions-league-29375/crouch" rel="attachment wp-att-29377"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-29377 alignnone" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/peter-crouch.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="354"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Scoring 22 goals in 42 international matches is an impressive record no matter who you play for. Crouch scored 10 Premier League goals in his first season for Stoke, including a wonder strike against Manchester City. With Andy Carroll making the side, there would appear to only be room for one big striker. But you could argue that Crouch has performed better then Carroll this season, as the Liverpool striker has only managed four goals in 35 league appearances. Often used as an impact sub for England, he is the epitome of the term ‘good feet for a big man’. His footwork and link-up play is often overlooked&nbsp; for his obvious aerial threat. However Carroll has gotten the nod over him due to his late season form and his shear physical presence.</p>


11 English Footballers That Should Be On The Plane to Euro 2012

11 English Footballers That Should Be On The Plane to Euro 2012 - World Soccer Talk

<p style="text-align: center;">Here are the top 10 wackiest hairstyles worn by world soccer players:</p>
<p><strong>1. Fabricio Coloccini</strong> – The current Newcastle captain is enjoying a great season at the heart of their defence alongside Steven Taylor. Coloccini struggled when he first arrived, but he’s turned his fortunes around and is now a firm favourite amongst the Toon Army. The Argentine’s defending is now as impressive as his hair.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/fabricio-coloccini" rel="attachment wp-att-36940"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36940 alignnone" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fabricio-coloccini.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>2. Ivan Campo</strong>– Played for four clubs in Spain, including Real Madrid, where he won Champions League medals in 2000 and 2002. Big-haired Campo will also be fondly remembered for his spell at the Reebok Stadium. Able to match Rory Delap for long-throw technique, Campo fitted well into Bolton’s style of play, although he appeared in the referee’s little black book once too often. Equally at home in defence or midfield, the Spaniard made nearly 150 appearances for the Trotters. An icon because of his frizzy hair as much as his contributions on the field.</p>


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<p><strong>3. David Luiz</strong> – Can’t defend, won’t defend, but still loved by Chelsea fans for his all-action displays. The Brazilian would be far more at home in a midfield role where he could utilise his excellent ball skills to better effect. Has almost identical hair to Coloccini. In fact, they could easily be twins.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/david-luiz-2" rel="attachment wp-att-36938"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36938" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/david-luiz1.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>4. Abel Xavier</strong> – He turned out for Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool, as well as Middlesbrough in the twilight of his career, but will be better remembered for his awful peroxide hair and beard than anything he did on the football pitch.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/abel-xavier" rel="attachment wp-att-36937"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36937" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/abel-xavier.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>5. Carlos Valderrama</strong> – Takes the prize by some margin for the worst hair of a footballer ever. Valderrama’s frizzy blonde perm made him one of Colombia’s most instantly recognisable stars. He is Colombia’s most capped player, but it’s safe to say he won’t be remembered for that feat, and more for his ‘what were you thinking?’ hair.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/carlos-valderrama" rel="attachment wp-att-36936"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36936" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/carlos-valderrama.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="332"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>6. Taribo West</strong> – Known for his weird and wonderfully bad hairstyles, the Nigerian made a handful of appearances for Derby County at the start of the 2000s.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/taribo-west" rel="attachment wp-att-36935"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36935" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/taribo-west.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="332"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>7. Rene Higuita</strong> – Another Colombian with ‘interesting hair’, Higuita is known worldwide for his famous scorpion kick in a friendly against England in 1995. He had his own unique take on what a goalkeeper’s job should be, taking free-kicks and penalties for the Colombian national side and managing eight goals. Erratic and error-prone, eccentric and daring, Higuita will long be remembered by football fans all over the world.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/rene-higuita" rel="attachment wp-att-36934"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36934" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/rene-higuita.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="281"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>8. Christian Karembeu</strong> – The Frenchman enjoyed an illustrious career in which he won two Champions League medals with Real Madrid in 1998 and 2000, and the World Cup and Euro Championships in the same years. He’s best known to English fans for his one year spell at Middlesbrough and his unforgettable hair.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/christian-karembeu" rel="attachment wp-att-36933"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36933" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Christian-Karembeu.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="331"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>9. Roberto Baggio</strong> – Often cited as one of the players of his generation, the ponytailed Italian won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993, and scored over 200 league goals in a career spanning twenty-two years. His most successful spell came at Juventus, but he also enjoyed the adulation of fans at Bologna, Brescia and Fiorentina. Baggio is also the only Italian to have scored in three different World Cups. Baggio’s famous hairstyle earned him the nickname of <em>Il Divin Codino</em>, or ‘The Divine Ponytail’.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/roberto-baggio" rel="attachment wp-att-36932"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36932" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Roberto-Baggio.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="346"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><strong>10. Marouane Fellaini</strong> – Joins David Luiz and Fabricio Coloccini as the third member of the ‘hair bear bunch’ currently plying their trade in the English Premier League. A Belgian of Moroccan descent, Fellaini has become a regular in Everton’s starting eleven and has endeared himself to the faithful with strong performances and the occasional goal. He’s even been used as an emergency striker during Everton’s forward crisis in 2008-09, but it’s his afro style hairdo, as much as anything, that has made him a cult hero at Goodison Park.</p>
<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-footballers-with-wackiest-hairstyles-in-world-soccer-36929/marouane-fellaini" rel="attachment wp-att-36931"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36931" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marouane-fellaini.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a></p>


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Top 10 Footballers With Wackiest Hairstyles in World Soccer

Top 10 Footballers With Wackiest Hairstyles in World Soccer - World Soccer Talk

<p><em><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-premier-league-flops-part-2-36675/juan-sebastian-veron" rel="attachment wp-att-36677"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-36677" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/juan-sebastian-veron-600x449.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="449"></figure></div></a></em></p>
<p><em>Editor’s note:</em> After the popularity of the last article about <a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-flops-of-the-premier-league-36566">top 10 Premier League flops</a>, blogger Matt Lane has added ten more footballers to the list.</p>
<p>The following is a list of players who’ve either failed to live up to their name or price-tag or failed to adapt to the English game. And then there are the ones that were just plain rubbish.</p>
<p><strong>1. Winston Bogarde</strong> – The ultimate football mercenary Dutchman Bogarde was quite content to sit out the remaining three years of his lucrative Chelsea contract on the reserve team bench after Claudio Ranieri deemed him surplus to requirements. He was reportedly earning £40,000 a week for doing absolutely nothing. Good work if you can get it.</p>
<p><strong>2. Juan Sebastian Veron</strong> – The skilful Argentine playmaker ruined his good reputation at Old Trafford, turning in a series of desperately average performances. For the money he cost, his signing was an unmitigated disaster with him only turning up in European games. After a few years United became desperate to offload him and Chelsea, with the riches of Abramovich now on board, inexplicably decided to offer him an escape route. He scored on his debut, but his form soon fell away and he quickly sought a return to his homeland. An expensive flop not once, but twice.</p>
<p><strong>3. Sergei Rebrov</strong> – Supposedly as good as his Ukraine and former Dynamo Kiev strike partner Andriy Shevchenko, Rebrov enjoyed a similarly fruitless spell in England. Signed by George Graham for £11 million in 2000, which was at the time Spurs’ record signing, Rebrov managed only 15 goals in 75 appearances and never fully endeared himself to the White Hart Lane faithful.</p>
<p><strong>4. Ade Akinbiyi</strong> – Struggled to live with the tag of Leicester’s record signing, but Akinbiyi was at least a trier, and everybody loves a trier. He provoked either sympathy or derision and became the king of the miss in his two seasons at Leicester, cruelly nicknamed ‘Ade Akin-bad-buyi’. At one point he went on a terrible goal drought of 15 games, finally scoring — after a few more trademark misses — against Sunderland. His relief was immense and an excuse to show off his muscular frame. If only he’d spent more time on his finishing than in the gym.</p>
<p><strong>5. Seth Johnson</strong> – Promising youngster at Derby who Leeds, during their big-spending days, forked out £7 million for. Never fulfilled his potential because of horrendous injury problems, but wasn’t particularly impressive when he did play. Legend also has it that when signing for Leeds, Johnson and his agent went into the boardroom intending to ask for around £20,000 a week in wages, only to be offered way more than that by Leeds chairman Peter Risdale. Eventually, Risdale upped it to £35 grand a week and Johnson bit his hand off. Whether it’s true or not, it’s still a great story.</p>
<p><strong>6. Kleberson</strong> – Bought on the strength of his performances in the 2002 World Cup, Kleberson is up there with Taibi and Djemba-Djemba as an occasion when Fergie got it very wrong. Dogged by injuries, the Brazilian put on a red shirt only twenty times in two years and scored two goals, not much of a return for the £6m plus outlay.</p>
<p><strong>7. Albert Luque</strong> – Another from the roll call of Newcastle flops down the years. Luque cost £9.5 million from Deportivo La Coruna in 2005 and ended with a dismal tally of one goal in 21 appearances. Injury prone and just very, very poor, he’s done nothing since leaving Tyneside, most recently suffering the indignity of being released by Malaga.</p>
<p><strong>8. Marcelino</strong> – Arrived with plaudits ringing in his ears from his time at Mallorca, plus a handful of Spanish caps, Marcelino turned out to be absolutely awful, someone who looked like he’d never been on a football pitch before. Almost always injured, he appeared only twenty times in all competitions for Newcastle, really taking the biscuit when he spent about three months out with a broken finger. Tart springs to mind.</p>
<p><strong>9. Roque Junior</strong> – Despite playing for AC Milan and notching up nearly 50 caps for Brazil (he was part of the squad that won the 2002 World Cup), Roque’s short loan spell at Leeds was nothing short of disastrous. Under the stewardship of Peter Reid, he got sent off on his debut against Birmingham City, and the team conceded 24 goals in 7 games whilst Roque was in defence. The only good thing he did was score two goals against Man United in a Worthington Cup game, but even then they still lost 3-2. He’s now fondly remembered as one of Leeds’ biggest ever flops.</p>
<p><strong>10. Igor Stepanovs</strong> – The Latvian tops the inglorious list of dodgy Arsenal centre-backs of the Premier League era. He starred in 17 league games over four years, which says it all really. Other notable mentions in the dodgy Arsenal centre-back category go to Pascal Cygan, Philippe Senderos and current squad player&nbsp;Sebastien Squillaci.</p>


Top 10 Premier League Flops, Part 2

Top 10 Premier League Flops, Part 2 - World Soccer Talk

<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/top-10-flops-of-the-premier-league-36566/shevchenko" rel="attachment wp-att-36571"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36571" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shevchenko.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>A list of players who’ve either failed to live up to their name or price-tag, failed to adapt to the English game, and then the ones that were just plain rubbish is endless. But here are ten of my “favorite” flops:</p>
<p><strong>1. Eric Djemba-Djemba</strong> – So bad they named him twice. The Cameroonian made only twenty appearances in two years at Old Trafford and scored no goals. Any hopes that he might be a successor to the ageing Roy Keane were quickly extinguished and he was packed off to Aston Villa, where he was equally rubbish.</p>
<p><strong>2. Afonso Alves</strong> – Came to the Riverside with a decent reputation having scored more than a goal a game in his time at Heerenveen, but he never lived up to his club record £12.7m transfer fee whilst on Teeside. Apart from two goals against Man United and a hat-trick against Man City in an 8-1 win, Alves struggled badly for form and couldn’t save Boro from relegation in 2009. He was swiftly sent off to Qatar and declared a very expensive mistake.</p>
<p><strong>3. Steve Marlet</strong> – Anyone remember this French flop? Al-Fayed paid out £11.5m for him on Jean Tigana’s advice, but Marlet did not justify his hefty price tag, performing erratically during his time in West London, and only managing a paltry 11 goals in 54 matches. Not many at Fulham were sad to see him go.</p>
<p><strong>4. Bosko Balaban</strong> – Was there ever a more useless signing than Aston Villa’s Croatian striker? Two and a half years, nine appearances, 0 goals. Easily the worst £5.8 million Doug Ellis ever spent. In his defence, Balaban has scored plenty at all of his other clubs and complained that he wasn’t given enough of a chance at Villa. Then again, the stats speak for themselves.</p>
<p><strong>5. Helder Postiga</strong> – Impressed for Porto in Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge, winning the league, UEFA cup, and Portuguese Cup whilst scoring goals for fun. It persuaded Spurs to shell out over £6m for him, rising to over £8m, but Postiga managed only one league goal at White Hart Lane and was soon back on the plane to Portugal, his reputation tarnished. Inevitably, he got his own back on all the critics by helping to knock England out of Euro 2004, scoring a late equaliser to take the game into extra time, then scoring a cheeky penalty in a victorious Portuguese shootout.</p>
<p><strong>6. Massimo Taibi</strong> – What was Sir Alex thinking? His <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CygwlKDYm0" target="_blank">howler against Southampton</a> is replayed endlessly on football DVDs and mentioned every time a goalkeeper makes a big mistake. He only played four times for Man Utd but he will go down in history as one of the worst goalkeepers they’ve ever had. He will also always be a laughing stock in England, which unfairly disguises a fairly respectable league career in Italy.</p>
<p><strong>7. Jean-Alain Boumsong</strong> – A freebie to Rangers just six months before Newcastle, managed by Graeme Souness at the time, paid out £8m for his services. He formed an error-prone partnership with Titus Bramble, in what will probably go down as one of the Toon army’s worst defensive pairings. Boumsong didn’t last long, moving to newly-relegated Juventus after only 47 matches in a black and white shirt. The miserable sum of £3m was recouped as compensation for his mediocrity.</p>
<p><strong>8. Djimi ‘Bambi on Ice’ Traore</strong> – As the slightly cruel chant goes ‘Don’t blame it on the Biscan, don’t blame it on the Finnan, don’t blame it on the Hamann, blame it on Traore. He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t control his feet’. Unfortunately, it rang true. Traore was hopeless and scored <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4aarbLfeA" target="_blank">one of the most comical own goals ever</a> against Burnley in the FA Cup. Of the so-bad-he’s-funny variety of player, how he got to play for Liverpool in the first place is a mystery, and he’ll probably go down as the worst ever player to win a Champions League winners medal.</p>
<p><strong>9. Andriy Shevchenko</strong> – A top striker for many years, and AC Milan’s second highest goalscorer, ‘Sheva’ has scored more goals than anyone else for the Ukrainian national team and only Raul and Filippo Inzaghi can better his goalscoring record in European club competitions. As well as this, he’s won countless trophies and awards and hit the net hundreds of times. How, then, did he become such a slow, clumsy, guileless shadow of his former self at Chelsea? The whopping transfer fee didn’t help; neither did his close relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who seemed to be forcing Jose Mourinho to select his friend. Undoubtedly a brilliant player, but he’d lost a yard of pace by the time he came to England, and couldn’t cope with the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.</p>
<p><strong>10. Alberto Aquilani</strong> – Liverpool paid £20 million for the Italian to soften the blow of Xabi Alonso’s departure, but he turned out to either be injured or highly ineffective. Loaned out to AC Milan for this season and doesn’t look like he’ll be justifying his price tag at Anfield anytime soon. Arguably Rafa Benitez’s worst signing, and this from a man who purchased Josemi, Andrea Dossena and Charles Itandje, not to mention Antonio Nunez, Jan Kromkamp and Philipp Degen.</p>


Top 10 Flops of the Premier League

Top 10 Flops of the Premier League - World Soccer Talk

<p><a href="http://epltalk.com/what-the-england-national-team-will-look-like-at-world-cup-2014-36185/football_england_badge" rel="attachment wp-att-36191"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36191" src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/football_england_badge.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>It’s long been a debate about what is more important to players and fans, club or country? With the explosion, especially in the last ten years or so, of the Premier League as the most exciting, well-watched league in the world, and the riches and glamour offered by the Champions League, international football has very much taken a backseat. In fact, it’s become an inconvenience for managers who don’t want their star players injured in some pointless friendly against a small island nation. And it’s an inconvenience for fans, too, which see the momentum of a new season coming to a grinding halt several times a year.</p>
<p>English players will still tell you there’s no prouder moment than pulling on the famous Three Lions shirt, but even their priorities must surely have changed. Unnecessary, money-making friendlies to help repay the debt on the new Wembley have not helped with the fans’ disillusionment of the national team. Neither have misbehaving players and the endless, unfounded hype surrounding the team every time England goes to a major tournament and the inevitable failure in the quarter-finals. The England manager’s job has also become a poisoned chalice, turning Steve McClaren into the ‘wally with a brolly’, tarnishing Glenn Hoddle’s management career, and even transforming the respected, fearsome figure of Fabio Capello into a clueless, jabbering wreck. Still, it doesn’t stop managers wanting the job, which is bad news for Tottenham fans as Harry Redknapp has openly expressed his interest in taking the job once not-so-Fab goes.</p>
<p>The main problem is that England fans can’t connect with the players in a way they used to, when Gazza was lauded as a national hero, and Stuart Pearce was flying full-blooded into tackles. There’s also that iconic image of Terry Butcher soldiering on with a bloodied, bandaged head. Now there is a perception that football is all about money and the players don’t care, which is unfair, but it’s hard to warm to players like Terry, Rooney and Ashley Cole if they’re frequently in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Their misdemeanours wouldn’t matter so much if they did it in an English shirt when it mattered, but the Golden Generation has never been able to handle the pressure in big tournaments.</p>
<p>Another reason why club football has become more important is it’s often more exciting, with high-tempo, end-to-end matches performed in front of vociferous, passionate crowds. By contrast, England games are often dull and one-paced and it’s hard to get excited about what’s being seen on the field. Perhaps the corporate seats at Wembley have it right, coming out late for the second half because they know nothing of any value will have happened. The Premier League creates controversy, incident, intrigue, passion. International football, until it gets to major tournaments, fails to conjure up these emotions.</p>
<p>Certainly, in my case, I want my team Tottenham to win every game regardless of how they play, and if they don’t, I get a little bit depressed. With England, I just don’t seem to bother as much. If we lose or draw, I don’t really care. And if we win, but don’t play well, instead of celebrating I seek to criticise every aspect of the performance. I’m sure many fans probably feel the same – we’d support our clubs through thick and thin, we’re tied to them. It’s like a marriage, whereas supporting England is an unwelcome distraction, something you feel obliged to do.</p>
<p>On the other side of the coin, there is no doubt that the World Cup is still one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Only the Olympics is bigger, and most fans, deep down, would like to see England prove them wrong and actually do well for once. Until then, club football will dominate for both players and fans.</p>


The Growing Disillusionment With England's National Team

The Growing Disillusionment With England's National Team - World Soccer Talk

<p><em><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6249" src="http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mexico-wins-title.jpg" alt="" width="496" height="271"></figure></div></em></p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: While the following isn’t an article about the USMNT, it does have important consequences on CONCACAF, the Gold Cup and the US men’s national team.</em></p>
<p>In the face of five Mexican players testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs after the El Salvador game, should the result still stand? Not all five players played in the match, in fact, two of them didn’t even make the 18-man match roster. However, three of the five players did and two of those three started. The third was an unused substitute.</p>
<p>The fact that just one of the five played in the match should be enough to make Mexico forfeit their win, the +5 goal difference, and three points. This is where it gets sticky. Did the players knowingly take the drugs? How much, if at all, did the Mexican Federation know? Are there B-samples and what were the test results of those samples? If the 5-0 Mexico result turned into a 2-0 El Salvador win, Mexico would immediately appeal the decision. Now, someone has to hear the appeal and given the current state of CONCACAF who is trustworthy enough to hear such an appeal and hear it in a timely manner.</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at a hypothetical time line if CONCACAF overturned the result of the game:</p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li>Within in hours of the decision: Mexico appeals the decision</li>
<li>Ideally within 24 hours: Tests are conducted on the B-Samples</li>
<li>Within in 48-72 hours: CONCACAF convenes and renders a decision based on the all information</li>
</ul>
<p>At this point, everything would be okay. Except if, CONCACAF reverses it’s initial decision and gives Mexico the win back. Does El Salvador appeal CONCACAF’s second decision and if they do, who do they appeal do? The logical place would be the Court of Arbitration for Sports. But this case would not be the first case on the docket and may takes weeks, if not, months for the court to come a decision. The competition is still going on and possibly over before the CAS reaches a decision.</p>
<p>This is an interesting case because one of my tenet’s of sports is, “you can change the rules and, as a result, the results of competition once it starts.” However, it can be argued that Mexico changed the rules and tried to tilt the competition in their favor by having some athletes on performance-enhancing drugs. So, the tenet may not apply since the rules were changed by just one party and the other 11 parties were participating under the agreed upon rules.</p>
<p>Normally, I would say that the result should be overturned — given the time-sensitive nature of the competition the appeals process may not conclude by the time the competition is over. This leads me down the path that CONCACAF will be forced to retroactively punish Mexico should these allegations be proven true. Who could really get punished in this scenario, the 18 Mexican players who did not test positive for performance enhancers and possibly players who compete in the future for Mexico should CONCACAF really bring the hammer down and keep Mexico out of a future Gold Cup, Olympic Qualifier, etc. The potential of CONCACAF punishing Mexico by keeping them out of future competitions is small but is something that needs to be brought up as a possibility.</p>
<p>In the past, a player on a team tested positive for performance enhancer and the player was removed from competition and the competition moved on without any punishment to the team. This is the first case, to the best of my knowledge, that positive drug tests happened to multiple players on the team. And goes back to my initial questions of did the players know and, more importantly, did the Mexican Federation know? If the federation did know, then all of the punishments brought up could be on the table. It will be an interesting case to watch as the Gold Cup moves forward.</p>

Should Mexico’s Win Against El Salvador Stand?

Should Mexico’s Win Against El Salvador Stand? - World Soccer Talk

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Matt Lane

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