Somerset paceman Andy Caddick was the hero in England’s resounding victory over the old enemy Australia in the final Test match in the Ashes series at Sydney.The Ciderman’s 7 for 94 off 22 overs, makes him by far the leading English wicket taker of the series with a total of twenty at an average of 34 .50, which is almost certain to mean that the thirty four year old remains an important part of the Test attack for the foreseeable future.At the end of the match he said: "Even though the Ashes series was lost before coming into this match it’s still nice to beat the Australians, not too many countries do that over here. To have played a leading part in that will be a special memory for me."He continued: "I was feeling a bit down and wondering where my international career was going. Hopefully I’ll draw inspiration and rejuvenation from this performance."The Somerset player’s fine performance earned considerable praise from the first team coach and the chief executive back at Taunton.Kevin Shine told me: "It was a great return and thoroughly deserved It was so pleasing to see Andy back at the top of his game and bowling so well. When the first innings ended almost level it could have gone either way, but he ran in and gave it all he had, and on the last day won the match single handed."Chief executive Peter Anderson told me: "Before Christmas the coach and I were getting quite excited at the prospect of Andy Caddick’s international career looking likely to be over and therefore him being available for Somerset. We should have known never to write him off and today he has reminded just what an outstanding bowler he really is."The Somerset boss continued: "His exploits in the series have been overshadowed by the media hype referring to Darren Gough’s wicket taking exploits who he has now overtaken. Andy is not a natural showman in the style of `Dazzler’, which was why the media probably find him less interesting as a player."Regarding the England victory at Sydney overall, Peter Anderson told me: "Three interesting aspects have come out of this. Firstly there is a huge question mark over an Australian side that is shorn of two gems- Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and secondly there is also a big question mark over the leadership of Steve Waugh, who is still a fierce competitor master batsman.""Thirdly, are we really sure that the way forward for English cricket is to play on the benign wickets that the ECB want to play on at county level. The Aussies were decidedly vulnerable when the ball swung and had an uneven bounce."He concluded: "Why then don’t we play on these types of wickets in England which always occurred in the past and let the Australians see if they can compete on that."
The Vigilance Commissioner of India’s cricket Board, K Madhavan hasexamined batting mastreo Sachin Tendulkar in connection with thecontroversial Ahmedabad Test match in 1999 when India did not enforcethe follow-on against New Zealand despite being in a position to doso.Sources in Mumbai today said Tendulkar was examined by Madhavan beforethe team left for Zimbabwe last month. They said Tendulkar was thethird person to be questioned by Madhavan, who has been asked by theBCCI to probe into the controversial Test, in which India, with a leadof 275 runs, could have easily asked New Zealand to follow-on.Tendulkar was leading the team in the controversial Test, which waseven probed by the CBI during its investigations into the betting andmatch-fixing scandal. However, the sources said Tendulkar was”examined as a witness only” and his comments were necessary in theMadhavan probe as he was the captain of the team.Madhavan, a former Joint Director of CBI, had already examined AjitWadekar (the then manager of the team) and Kapil Dev (the then coachof the team), the sources said. When appraoched by PTI for hisconfirmation, Madhavan, who investigated the famous bank securityscam, refused to comment on the issue. However, he said he was probingthe Ahmedabad Test and would be submitting his report by this monthend after examining another person.The Ahmedabad Test sparked a serious controversy after the Indian sidedid not ask the Kiwis to follow on. The match, which ended in a draw,was played from October 29 to November 2. About his finding in theAhmedabad Test, Madhavan said “my inquires have revealed that thematch was drawn due to certain factors and I cannot say anythingbeyond this.”He, however, added that since the Test took place in 1999, it may notbe possible to probe into all the aspects that led to the drawnresult. Besides this, he said the BCCI had been referring to him forinvestigating some more cases including the recent ticket scam in Goa.Comparing his report to the one submitted by the International CricketCouncil’s Anti-Corruption Unit chief Sir Paul Condon, Madhavan said”the terms of references of such inquiries aim at identifying betting.But this has to be tackled by the police and CBI, who have been doinga commendable job.”Madhavan favoured making mandatory certain rules against carryingmobile phones to the match venues or inviting unknown persons to hotelrooms by players the world over. The BCCI Vigilance Commissionercommended the Condon report and said “it was well researched anddefinitely a step in the right direction.”
Liverpool are plotting a move for Swedish star striker Alexander Isak this summer and he would be a perfect partner to Diogo Jota.
What’s the story?
Manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be willing to break the club’s transfer record in order to land the striker from Real Sociedad for a whopping £77m, according to reports in Spain, via Liverpool.com
The player is highly rated having been linked with a number of moves in recent transfer windows, including Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.
He could partner Jota perfectly
While Liverpool usually play Jota in the middle of a front three, they have many talents to choose from with Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino also available.
Isak could also easily slot into that central role and link up with Jota out wide, or Klopp could opt to play a more traditional partnership of just the two of them.
Jota has proven he can excel when working with a strike partner, before he made the move to Anfield the Portuguese striker had an ‘amazing’ partnership at Wolves with Raul Jimenez.
In their final season together they had a combined average of just over three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes played.
Isak is great on the ball and his stats when it comes to goal and shot creation are on par with Jota – both players rank in the 90th percentile in Europe’s top five leagues this season for dribbles that lead to a shot attempt.
On that evidence, it’s clear to see why he’s been described as a “special talent” by ESPN FC.
At only 22-years old he still has a lot of time to develop, and with Jota 25 years of age, they could forge a long-lasting partnership that could naturally succeed the Reds’ pairing of Salah and Mane.
Currently playing his trade in La Liga for Real Sociedad Isak moved to Spain from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for £13.5m.
However, Liverpool need to be willing to pay much more than that to land him. His contract doesn’t run out until the summer of 2026 so Sociedad have the bargaining power here.
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His goal scoring form has been good at all of his clubs and so far he’s scored 41 times in 122 appearances for the Spanish club.
Isak also stands at 6 foot 4 which means he would be a threat in the air as well, something which Liverpool currently lack in their attacking line.
All three of Jota, Mane and Salah are no taller than 5 foot 8 so he’d certainly provide a different but exciting new dimension to the forward areas.
IN other news: Another blow: Liverpool suffer huge injury setback, Klopp surely gutted – opinion…
In Chelsea’s 5-3 home defeat to Arsenal last weekend, Frank Lampard reached a special milestone in becoming only the 5th player to play 500 Premier League games. Previously the feat had only been managed by Ryan Giggs, Gary Speed, Sol Campbell and David James.
It came as no surprise to those who follow the game, Lampard has been an automatic choice in his ten years at Stamford Bridge and it was the same at West Ham for the 4 years previous to that.
In those 500 games Lampard has scored an impressive 144 league goals, his strikerate one that most strikers would be proud of. Indeed, Lampard is the Premier League’s most prolific goalscorer from midfield.
Sir Alex Ferguson once said of Lampard, ‘There are very few midfielders today who can play 130 Premiership matches in a row. But there are freaks and that’s freakish.’ Frank would go on to play 164 consecutively before a virus kept him out. A veiled compliment from Ferguson maybe, but a compliment nonetheless and one that summed up Lampard as a player.
Lampard has long had a reputation as a model professional, first on the training pitch, last off it. Furthermore, on the pitch Lampard retains an exceptional disciplinary record, despite playing in the heart of midfield week in week out Lampard has received a mere 50 yellow and 3 red cards in his 500 appearances.
Earlier this season large parts of the mainstream media were queuing up to write off Lampard. The England veteran responded in the only way he knows how, by doing his talking on the pitch. A goal away at Valencia, a hat-trick away at Bolton and the opener in last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal surely confirmed that there is life in Lampard yet.
This article should not just be about Lampard however, it should be an appreciation of the dedication of those who have played week in, week out at the very top level to reach such a milestone.
Ryan Giggs is the leading Premier League appearance maker, at 579 games and counting. Giggs made his debut in the very first Premier League season, and has famously scored in every one since. He may have received stick in the United dressing room for releasing his very own fitness DVD recently, yet who can argue considering the players exceptional longevity. Giggs was monumental in the second half of the season for United last season and it would be foolish to write the Welshman off just yet.
In the other 3 players to play over 500 games, Gary Speed, Sol Campbell and David James were all flawless in their commitment to the cause throughout their careers. Such players are a rare breed.
Looking at the next players set to reach the milestone only gives further indication to the sort of character that plays so many top flight games. Emile Heskey (496) is the next on the list to reach 500, Jamie Carragher (472) is less than a full season away, while Phil Neville (466) will harbour ambitions to reach the milestone in his time as Everton captain.
Of course an element of luck in avoiding a multitude of injuries is essential, yet no one will deny that the players near the top of the appearance list are consummate professionals.
Naturally in professional football players have different lengths to their playing career, it is often the case that most footballers, once they have made it, will stay at the top level for a long time. However most players suffer injuries, or a dip in form, or find that they no longer meet the standards of the division they are in, there is normally something that sends a player into decline.
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The players mentioned in this article are the exception, model professionals and truly outstanding sportsmen who push themselves to remain at the top of their game for many years beyond what is expected.
Have your say on the likes of Lampard and Giggs, the games model professionals. Comment and follow me on Twitter @CamHumphries
Shakhtar Donetsk have ended Roma’s Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win in their last-16 second leg in Ukraine on Tuesday.Shakhtar, who have not lost at home in any competition since October 2008, advance to the quarter-finals 6-2 on aggregate at the expense of the Italian club, who conceded a fluky goal, missed a penalty and went down to 10 men in a torrid 23 minutes in the first half.The visitors had the better of the early exchanges, and could have scored had Mirko Vucinic done better with his attempt to reach a terrific floated cross to the six-yard box.But the Ukrainian champions scored against the run of play in the 18th minute through Tomas Hubschman, the Czech defender deflecting Willian’s cross inside the far post with a clever heel touch.Armenian striker Henrikh Mkhitaryan burst down the right and ignored better options in the area to whip his attempt wide of the near post, then further infuriated his Shakhtar team-mates by dragging down Marco Borriello in the area and conceding a penalty to Roma.But Borriello did poorly with the 28th-minute spot kick, sliding a tame shot that was easily collected by Andriy Pyatov low to his right.Roma had evidently singled out Luiz Adriano as a danger man given the Brazilian had scored in his past three games, but their over-exuberance to the contest inevitably led to Philippe Mexes’ expulsion.Mexes, who first earned a yellow card for tripping Adriano behind play, was shown a second caution for pushing the striker to the ground as the pair scrambled for a loose ball in the 41st minute.At the break, the Italian club needed three goals with 10 men in below-freezing conditions, and Shakhtar came out of the dressing room hungry for more goals.Mkhitaryan smashed at the net from range, forcing Roma goalkeeper Doni into a terrific diving save to his right, but Willian did better from the left, collecting on the edge of the area and looping a nice finish into the far corner for a 2-0 lead.Former Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva was introduced for Douglas Costa in the 80th minute and made it 3-0 on a terrible error by Roma defender John Riise seven minutes later.The Norwegian failed to account for Da Silva’s poor first touch on the left flank, then botched his attempt to push the ball back to Doni, allowing Da Silva to run in and squirt his shot between the custodian’s legs.
The last two years have produced something of a footballing anomaly – happy Wolves fans. Forever bemoaning their ill-luck at being unable to escape the Championship, they not only go and win it, but they survive their return to the Premier League with games to spare. With the risk of finally losing their tag as sleeping giants, Mick McCarthy will be looking to strengthen the squad and make Wolves a permanent fixture in the Premier League calendar.
For all the good that Wolves did last year, their weakness was stark. A mere 32 goals in 38 league games will only keep you up if you can defend well – which luckily they could. Of the strikers in the team only Doyle earned any plaudits while Iwelumo, Maierhofer and Ebanks-Blake failed to match expectations.
Let’s not do Wolves and injustice though, 15th was a fantastic achievement, but finishing on 38 points meant that they only did 5 points better than their last attempt in 2003 when they finished bottom. So you could argue that they were playing in a weaker league in 09/10. As Jez Moxey has said, next year will be a trickier affair, facing Newcastle and West Brom will be a tougher than Burnley and Hull.
So how has Mick done thus far?
I think he has gone about his business very shrewdly. He has been the only Premiership manager to have really made any moves in the transfer market as yet and by bringing in players early in the summer he is giving them maximum time the to become familiar with the rest of the squad. He has added strength and depth to his reasonably strong defensive unit with the additions of Van Damme and Mouyokolo who will be pressuring Berra, Stearman and Craddock for roles in the centre of defence.
Brought in as the player to solve Wolves’ goal scoring problems, record signing Steven Fletcher will be the one who will excite the Molineux faithful. He has shown he can flourish in a struggling side, and while the fans in old gold won’t want to see him in adverse circumstances next season, his credentials are very good. Even though he only scored 8 goals last year, you feel that he can add to that tally with better service – something that will be the test of Wolves next year.
Everyone sees goals as the reason the Molineux men struggled last season, which is true, but if you don’t create them then you can’t score them, and creative and attacking midfield players must be McCarthy’s focus for next season. Stephen Hunt is a good signing for the left of midfield. Even with the risk of him being unavailable until October you feel that Mick would have carefully weighed up his options before making the move. With the form of Jarvis as a cause for celebration last year, Kightly coming back from injury and talks of Jermaine Pennant arriving, it seems it will be an area much improved for next season. With Milijas failing to shine, a central attacking midfielder to partner Henry must also be on Mick’s wish list to pose a threat from the middle as well as out wide.
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A few pieces of the puzzle are in place for Wolves to do well next year, but what pieces are left and just how well they’ll do remains to be seen. At only £7 million, Fletcher is a good piece of business and with him partnering Doyle up front with better service from those behind I think Wolves can stay up again in the Premier League next year.
As expected, last week’s north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal was a heated affair, as much off the pitch as on it. Many of the chants from the fans inside White Hart Lane cannot be repeated, as ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor was the subject of plenty of abuse.
On the pitch Kyle Walker became a Spurs hero by smashing home a winner from all of 30 yards, but as the final whistle blew that wasn’t the end of the action. Much like the whole John Terry and Wayne Rooney situation, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Tottenham coach Clive Allen didn’t shake hands. What’s being said between the pair here?
Leave your suggestions below…
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Everton manager David Moyes has reacted angrily to reports he played an unfit Marouane Fellaini in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Sunderland.
The midfielder and joint leading scorer Tim Cahill are both missing for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United.
“Who would do that? No-one would do it,” Moyes said on Friday.
“We certainly wouldn’t risk Marouane Fellaini, who has been arguably our best player this season. We would never do that, it’s a load of rubbish. We had to hold the boy back from training on the Tuesday and the Thursday but he trained on the Friday.”
Fellaini’s father Abdellatif this week lashed out at the club after the player was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury he picked up against Chelsea two weeks ago.
“Marouane is really in a desperate state,” Abdellatif Fellaini told Gazet van Antwerpen.
“He should never have played that last game against Sunderland. He should never have been allowed to play because he was already injured.”
Everton have been unable to find steady form this season and Moyes has not been able to identify their problem.
“I’ve been asked if I can put my finger on why we have lacked consistency and I have said no. We want to be more consistent,” he said.
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“The game is a chance to get three points. We have 10 or 11 games left of the season and we need to win as many of those as we can. It will be a big test and Newcastle have done well- as have all the teams who were promoted from the Championship at the end of last season.”
“I don’t think anybody has been surprised by Newcastle because they are a big football club and they have done well this season. Alan Pardew has kept things going for them. I have got a lot of respect for Chris Hughton [former Newcastle manager] and the work he did for them.”
“I’m sure Alan also respects him but Alan has taken over now and will be trying to put his own mark on the team.”
Football is known as the beautiful game across the globe, yet sometimes beauty is accompanied by malice.
Footballer players around the world all have different characteristics and play the game in a diverse manner. Some players have more brain than brawn, others are very skillful and possess a lot of flair. Conversely, several players (with the trades mentioned) also love to get stuck in and play the game rough.
This article lists my personal top 10 ‘dirtiest’ players in the Premier League. It wasn’t easy to decide, but after much deliberation, these are the players who made my official list, enjoy:
10. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
If a tackle is named after you then surely you must be doing something wrong, right? The 35-year-old veteran midfielder looks as if he will never learn how to tackle properly. Scholes may appear to some that he is not a dirty player, and may use the excuse of ‘Scholes doesn’t know how to tackle’, but let me assure you, this is absolute garbage. The fact is, he goes in late on players for a reason and has continued this trade for 16 years now. Even at 35, the Manchester United man is still fairly in the mix. Last season the Englishman committed 30 fouls, which led to 9 yellow cards and a red one as well. You would think after 16 years of trying he would have given up on tackling.
9. John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
As a defensive midfielder for Premier League champions Chelsea, Mikel’s job is to break up attacks and regain possession by any means necessary. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old cannot tackle with precision and as such gives many free-kicks away. His overall intent in going in for a challenge is bad as well. Having watched several games in which the Nigerian had featured in last season, it is clear to see that he loves to go in hard on opposing players even though he doesn’t need to. Mikel gave away 35 free-kicks and picked up 3 yellow cards last season, ok it may not appear bad, but it’s evident that the player does have bad intentions in his mind. His 4 year disciplinary record at Chelsea can vouch for this.
8. Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)
Craig Bellamy has a great level of passion and desire for the game, which again is commendable, but like Stephen Hunt, the winger can boil over. The Manchester City man is known for his fiery temper and as such can (and most of the time) be a dirty player if he wants to be. The 30-year-old may have not committed as much fouls (24) and received as much coloured cards (5 yellow, 1 red) as the other players on this list, but whenever Bellamy is tackled or goes flying into one, it is clear that the Welshman is a nutcase. A number of fans may be divided of Bellamy’s inclusion in this article, arguing the fact that he is more of a zealous than a dirty player. This maybe the case, however, Bellamy has lost his mind at times last season and the City man always likes to involve himself in feuds on the pitch as well.
Continue 2 page to see the rest of the list
7. Wilson Palacios (Tottenham)
Palacios is a hardworking player, but he does get a few tackles wrong and is considered a midfield hacker by many Premier League fans. The Spurs man committed 58 fouls last season and picked up 8 yellow cards along the way as well. Palacios has cut down these statistics from 2 years ago and credit to him, but the Honduran international is still very much a fouler and a prolific one in the Premier League.
6. Stephen Hunt (Wolves)
The Former Hull City (now of Wolves) has got to be in this list, if he weren’t then there would have been an outrage from many readers who didn’t see his name up. Stephen Hunt is one of the slyest players in the Premier League, he may appear innocent to many when going into a challenge, but deep down a number of fans know what the Irishman is up to. It’s good to see a level of determination, but sometimes it can boil over and eventually it will come out in a different form, this is what has happened to Hunt over the years. Who could forget the 28-year-olds collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech at Stamford Bridge several of years ago, many still wonder to this day if the clash was intentional or not. Nevertheless, Hunt is a dirty player end of.
5. Fabrice Muamba (Bolton)
Although, the Bolton man did not receive a red card, Fabrice Muamba was statistically the most booked Premier League player last season. The 22-year-old defensive midfielder committed 63 fouls last season and received 11 yellow cards a long the way. Bolton are not known for their flair and attractive style of football in the Premier League, but more for their rough and tumble method which see most of their players commit a lot of tackles and Muamba is just one of them. The Englishman is not a ‘leg-breaking’ player, far from it, but with these statistics and the current holder of the yellow card holder, it is evident that the midfielder had to be apart of this list.
4. Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
A great player but Ballack simply doesn’t know how to tackle and win a ball cleanly in the process. The German international is a strong midfielder and does a good job for Chelsea, but he does manage to give a lot of free-kicks away. 50 fouls, 3 yellow cards, 1 red card, may not look as bad as others in this article, although, whenever Ballack is live on TV it is almost certain during the 90 minute match, that you will see the 33-year-old either be in conversation with the referee or standing by an opposing player who is on the floor.
Find out who made the top 3 on page 3
3. Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
The Liverpool midfielder spends more time bringing down opponents than actually kicking a ball. He is a hardworking player but at times his raw emotion does get the better of him.
The 26-year-old Argentinean international was the third highest player in the list of committing fouls last season (he committed 66 in all). With those 10 fouls came 10 yellow cards and 2 red ones as well. It’s great to see the Argentine commit a foul (not a bad one of course) just for his pure reaction when the whistle is blown. Mascherano somehow feels that when he does bring down a player in a bad manner, loves to think there is nothing wrong with it, and as such, pleads his innocence to the referee…very entertaining to watch. A defintate ‘dirty’ player in the English game (his record speaks for itself), and if he were to leave the Premier League this summer, his antics will be certainly be missed by many of the fans, including me.
2. Kevin Davies (Bolton)
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Would anyone disagree with his enrolment into this list? Certainly not. The Bolton striker committed an astonishing 103 fouls in 38 games last season and holds the record of the dirtiest player in the English game…well done Kevin. The 33-year-old Englishman is known for his strength up front and loves to irritate and punish his opposing defenders by any means necessary. Davies picked up 9 yellow cards and surprisingly no reds in the process. However, for the sheer fact that he has committed so many fouls and his inability to actually play the game right earns him a place in this hall of fame.
1. Joey Barton (Newcastle United)
The prodigal son returns to the Premier League this season to recapture his crown as the official dirtiest player in the English game. Many would agree that the 27-year-old midfielder is one of the dirtiest, ruthless, and most vicious players that the Premier League has ever seen in recent times. Joey Barton will no doubt be contributing in more fouls, yellow and red cards rather than goals and assists. He has got to be my number one on this list.
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Click image below to see a gallery of the Italian babes at the World Cup:
When all the talk should have been about Tottenham doing one over their fiercest rivals, we found ourselves talking about sickening and
distasteful chants aimed towards Adebayor.
We know Adebayor likes to cause controversy, in the past he has done things that he has openly regretted and said things he wishes he could take back, but that is no excuse for the verbal bashing he received at the hands of Arsenal supporters (only a minority). Wenger, Redknapp, players and fans came together this week and said it has gone too far, a line has to be drawn because it has gone too far.
Hearing the fans chant such disregardful songs, must have brought such nightmares and horrific images back to Adebayor. What he had to witness back in Cabinda, and then being reminded and hearing people rant “it should have been you, it should have been you, shot in Angola,” you cannot imagine what kind of emotions were running through the Togolese striker.
We all love a bit of banter, that’s what gets the fans ticking aswell as the players, but the horror scenes witnessed at White Hart Lane was just pure sick. How can people wish death upon another person, he hasn’t done anything wrong, all he did was move from one club to another, and for that he deserves to die. What is wrong with people?
Adebayor was not the only player to be attacked this past weekend. We saw scenes of fans throwing items at the Liverpool players during their 2-0 win over rivals Everton. This has to stop or someday someone can actually get hurt. Football is meant to be a game of passion not violence.
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Roberto Carlos was a victim during his match against Krylya Sovetov when fansstarted to throw bananas at him. Maybe fun to a minority of people, but it certainly wasn’t for him or his family to witness. It affected him in such a way that he was forced to walk off the pitch.Maybe that is the answer, players should just walk off, or the match should be postponed. Something has to be done, because by simply just banning the culprits, it doesn’t change anything, someone will just follow the antics.