EPL Talk » Eric Cantona

Rio Ferdinand’s New Website Is Shocking, In A Good Way

Paul Bestall — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:00:05 +0000

It’s perhaps inevitable in this day and age that footballers will not follow in the footsteps of their predecessors into the inevitable job opportunities that present themselves. Manager, Coach, Television pundit, Pub landlord, Priest and Horse trainer are just some of the roles that former players often either fell into, or chose to follow their career.

Premiership football however is light years ahead of how football used to be, even just 15 years ago. Now, with a world wide audience, viewing figures for some games in hundreds of millions, footballers are known throughout all continents, all countries and all terrortories. No where it seems is football’s ever too far away, some one, some where will be showing it.

As such, the opportunities for the modern footballer offer a myriad of careers their predecessors could only dream about. Ignore the dreadful records and films of the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s, those days are long gone, thank god. Cantona began the ball rolling with his acting and has currently teamed up with legendary British director Ken Loach’s and appeared in his new film “Looking For Eric”, an early favourite for the Palme D’or at Cannes. No, really it is. Don’t mention Pele’s acting or Viagra adverts, it hurts my head too much.

At the forefront of these new opportunities comes Rio Ferdinand, who has released his online magazine #5 through his website www.rioferdinand.com . To say it’s a refreshing, pleasant surprise would be an understatement, certainly steering clear of the much maligned articles that have dogged Icon magazine since its launch at the beginning of last season. Firstly, unlike Icon’s digusting subscription charge, £115 for 6 issues, no that really does say one hundred and fifteen pounds for six issues, Rio wants to let you in free.

Whilst the average fan can’t certainly match Rio’s buying power, its articles and interviews are about things we can all do, people we can all see, clothes most of us can afford. He’s got competitions to meet him, win some cool clothes, jewellery and signed England shirts. Icon hasn’t got anything like that, as it seems to think we’re all multi-millionaires who simply must have the new Range Rover. Rio has wants us to meet some freestyle footballers, even with a Cristiano Ronaldo masterclass thrown in, Icon has a list of the most exclusive restaurants in the UK, of which there are 13 so far, including this one!

Now it’s so easy to slate footballers these days, but I have to take off my hat to Rio Ferdinand, he could have simply followed the distasteful line that Icon has gone down, but he’s resisted it and all power to him. He could have quite easily set himself up for a massive fall, but whoever has advised him about this venture wants applauding, if it’s all Ferdinands idea, even more respect to him. It’s a refreshing idea from a footballer who seems to realise the buying power of his fan base.

Of course there are items in the gadget section of the magazine that we can only dream about owning, but which magazine out there doesn’t give us such items. The whole website seems to be lovingly put together and for once, I’m looking forward to seeing how this opportunity works out for Ferdinand.

Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up?

Paul Bestall — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:20:20 +0000

So the dust seems to be finally settling on the criticism about Berbatov’s mishit penalty on Sunday in the semi-final defeat against Everton. There’s no doubting it was a badly hit penalty, but it seems to have unpicked a scab over his performances for Manchester United as his time so far with the Red Devils.

After the protracted courting ritual that saw Berbatov fluttering his eyelids at Sir Alex Ferguson all Summer long to try and engineer his dream move, it seems that for some, Berbatov’s debut season is turning into one long underwhelming performance. For a player that lit up White Hart Lane for two years, it seems as if his less talented twin brother has taken his place or has it really?

Now I’m not one of those Spurs fans that still thinks it’s the mid 80’s and we’re challenging for major honours every season. I’m a realist, I know we can’t compete with the Big Four. It’s tough to take but I can understand when one of our top players wants to join Manchester United, why wouldn’t they. We’ve still not replaced Michael Carrick and when Berbatov finally went on transfer deadline day to join him last August for £30.75 million, I was disappointed but I understood his reasons for wanting to leave. He didn’t go about it in the right way and Tottenham didn’t have a replacement lined up but that’s football these days.

Once he went to Old Trafford, I thought he’d show those United fans just what us Tottenham fans had been spoilt with for his two season at the Lane, with 46 goals and countless assists in his 102 appearances. What has surprised since Sunday is the level of vitriol aimed at the Bulgarian by Manchester United fans and the fact that people seem to be judging his season by that snail paced penalty.

Now I’m not sure just what type of striker people thought Berbatov was before he joined Manchester United, but I do know one thing. He’s no Ruud Van Nistelrooy, he’ll never get you 30 goals a season, but by god he’ll set 30 up for you. For people to start clamouring that he’s one of the worst transfers ever, one of the costliest flops is ludicrous, regardless of his experience of the Premier League, he’s still getting used to being a Manchester United player.

He’s no Juan Pablo Veron scale flop, who’s performances still have me scratching my head and thinking, is that the same player I saw so imperious for Argentina, Sampdoria and Lazio or Chris Sutton hell bound spell when he moved to Chelsea and couldn’t score a goal against the Pensioners, never mind anyone in the Premier League. Even a player of Shevchenko’s reputation failed to set his time in England on fire with just 22 goals in 2 seasons at his stint at the Bridge.

Yet to write him off now is crazy, 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season isn’t too bad a return but I think he’s still suffering from a little bit of nerves. I thought he’d dovetail perfectly with Rooney and Ronaldo this season but its not quite come off yet. Once he gets his first season out of the way and gets a full preseason of training rather than courting under his belt, he’ll show the Unitedites just how good he really is but remember he’s no Eric Cantona, he’s no Van Nistelrooy, He’s Dimitar Berbatov and people need to remember that.

That’s the crux of Berbatov’s problem for me, he needs to be judged on who he is, not who people want him to be.

Manchester United: Best Eleven Of The Premiership Years

Michael Timbury — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:24 +0000

They seem to have been mentioned on here quite a lot recently but since the inception of the Premiership in 1992, the dominant force in English football has undisputedly been Manchester United. Over the years they have had a number of fantastic footballers on their books but who have been the best? Below I have attempted to put together a best eleven of the Premiership Years (also stating the season that I believe each player was at the height of their powers). There are going to be one or two notable absentees but here goes:

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (1995/96).
This was the easiest choice of all eleven as Schmeichel is probably the best goalkeeper of all time. United haven’t exactly been blessed with an abundance of talent in this area since The Great Dane left the club in 1999. Edwin Van Der Sar has become the closest thing to a replacement that Sir Alex has found for Schmeichel but without a doubt, he would be my choice of keeper for any fantasy team.

Right Back: Gary Neville (2000/01).
The most difficult part of this selection was pinpointing the exact season as to when Neville was at his best. I have gone for the early 2000s as to when I think he was at his peak but for the best part of a decade, Gary Neville was the best right back in the league. Still an important figure at Old Trafford as the club captain, his determination and desire to play for United has seen him rewarded with a contract extension. Neville deserves this for his service to the club and has been an integral part of United’s unrivalled success.

Left Back: Denis Irwin (1993/94).
Patrice Evra was a close contender for this position but I have gone in favour of the former Ireland international purely on the basis of longevity. In his twelve years at the club, he won seven titles, three F.A Cups and a Champions’ League. Albeit right footed, Irwin was arguably better at left back where he played the majority of games for United. Irwin was not only a dependable full back but also had a knack for scoring penalties and free kicks too.

Centre Back: Jaap Stam (1998/99).
In his first season at the club, he won the treble. Intimidating, powerful and no nonsense, Jaap Stam was a centre forward’s worst nightmare. When he signed for the club he was exactly what they were missing and when he was sold (something Ferguson has since admitted his regret at doing), he was sorely missed as United leaked goals in a way they had never really done so before. Although he only spent three years at the club, Jaap Stam made a huge impression on Man United fans and I feel definitely warrants a place in this team.

Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand (2007/08).
I feel that Ferdinand has been the best centre back in the world for the last couple of years now. It took him a while to mature but seems to have been worth the wait. At the time, thirty million pounds seemed to be a very steep price tag for a centre back but Rio looks to have justified that investment and has gotten better with age and experience. Ferguson ought to think about awarding Rio with the permanent job of captain (I’m pretty sure he has).

Right Midfield: David Beckham (1998/99).
While at Man United, David Beckham twice came runner up in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award. Although he was probably a more accomplished player and talismanic figure for both club and country in 2001, the way that Beckham bounced back from being outcast as a public hate figure after the 1998 World Cup is what most impressed me.

Left Midfield: Ryan Giggs (1992/93).
Giggs has the unique record of being the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. For as long as I can remember, Ryan Giggs has been annihilating full backs. He is the personification of loyalty and is Mr Manchester United. Over the years he has adapted his game to ensure that he can still compete at the top level and doesn’t get any less remarkable. However, it is the Giggs of the inaugural Premiership season that I would want marauding down the left wing as he was simply unstoppable.

Centre Midfield: Roy Keane (1999/00).
The PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2000, Roy Keane was the engine room, the heart and soul of Manchester United for many a year. He demanded perfection and usually got it. The way his United career ended sours the fact that he was an immense talent and a fantastic captain. Not only is he an automatic selection but would definitely get the armband too.

Centre Midfield: Paul Scholes (1999/00).
Paul Scholes has never sought attention like many professional footballers do, but somehow I don’t feel he (or his talent) can ever receive enough praise. A truly remarkable exploiter of a football, he can dictate games with his eyes closed and has been doing so for what seems an eternity. It’s tricky to nail down the specific season that Scholes most shone for me as he has been superb for so many of them. I have gone with 1999/00 because of two special goals that live long in the memory, versus Bradford and then Middlesbrough (look them up on YouTube, both occasions United wore the less fondly remembered purple strip).

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08).
Well he had to be in here somewhere. You could play Ronaldo anywhere you like really and he’d still be sensational. Many would say that he is a midfielder but I would probably just tell him to play where he likes. Anyone who can score 42 goals in a season earns that privilege. His aerial ability married with David Beckham’s delivery would be an exciting prospect and I’d be intrigued to find out whether or not Ronaldo would score as many goals up front as he does from the wings. Either way, he’s in. You can’t not have the world’s best player in the team.

Striker: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (2002/03).
This was an unbelievably tough call, one that I didn’t anticipate (somewhat naively) when I began this article. Cantona or Van Nistelrooy? I only went for the Dutchmen because it’s who I’d pick to compliment the team if this were real. A born predator, he scores goals like you and I breathe. 44 goals in a season isn’t easy to ignore. Whereas Cantona was perhaps United’s most influential figure of the nineties and they wouldn’t be where they are today without him, I have to go for Van Nistelrooy just on the basis that goal scorers win a team trophies.

There is my team; some agree with me, most won’t so feel free to add your own suggestions and/or best elevens as well.

Drogba Suspended for Missile Attack

James Harris — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:11:16 +0000

Now there’s a headline that you might not usually associate with the Premier League but after an ugly exchange during Chelsea’s Carling Cup match with Burnley last week, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will be spending a bit more time on the bench. Injuries have already limited the Chelsea hit man to just a handful of appearances this season. The resurgence of Nicolas Anelka, who currently leads the EPL scoring chart with 12 goals, has seen Drogba’s playing time further reduced, and once again, he was on the bench this past weekend at West Brom.

Unfortunately, Drogba took the bait from the taunting visitors section at the Bridge and hurled a coin back into the crowd after giving them a single finger salute. Without a doubt a moment of madness from the player but he is not entirely to blame. Idiot drunken fans who elect to abuse players to the degree of hurling objects onto the field of play have no place in football or any sport. Once again, we see the act of a few morons overshadowing a great event for their team, as Burnley went on to win the match.

Players reacting to taunts and abuse from the crowd is hardly new. Jamie Carragher was suspended for 3 games after a similar incident at Arsenal in 2002. Who can forget the ultimate reaction from a player when Eric Cantona literally took matters into his own hands (or feet) when he went into the stand to exact revenge against a Crystal Palace supporter that was giving him the hump in 1995. Cantona received a 9-month ban for his efforts but that was an extreme situation.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the latest exchange involving the Chelsea star, and to his credit, he has not attempted to justify or defend his actions, and will seemingly accept his 3 game punishment with no further word. As usual, the media played their role in dramatizing the incident and chose to focus on coin tossing and finger shadows rather than a great cup-tie.

I’m not under stating the severity of objects being thrown to the field, but why in football is it always labeled as a missile? The dictionary buffs can go and quote the definition of said “missile” but just for once can we not just call it as it is? A coin was thrown and the player threw it back; simple, to the point and describes what happened, but that doesn’t make much news so it’s a “missile.” If a fan throws a roll of toilet paper on the field, it’s a missile. Paper airplane – missile. Inflatable banana – missile?? Was the balloon that appeared to deflect the ball into the goal during a Sheffield United FA Cup match against Man City last year, not a missile? If it’s a bunker penetrating laser guided high-explosive weapon, call it a missile, but please just for once it would be nice if the media powers could keep things in perspective rather than blowing up ugly incidents to sell another paper.

There is not a simple solution to this problem. There will always be a small minority of fans that look to intimidate or antagonize any target they can find. If players are punished too severely then it sends a message of encouragement to the idiots that perpetuate this stupidity. On the other side, players have a responsibility to maintain their composure and to not respond to these types of actions from the so-called fans. Drogba will sit for 3 games and I think that’s about right. The suspension itself, however, will not garner nearly the news that the actual incident did, after all there is nothing left to blow up.