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Reports are surfacing that Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini is ready to sell striker Mario Balotelli after a string of embarrassing tabloid revelations.
The latest in the circus surrounding the troublesome Italian was his steamy romps with Jenny Thompson – the same hooker who once had a threesome with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney prior to England’s shambolic World Cup 2010 campaign.
The revelations come soon after Balotelli was caught leaving a strip club late at night as City’s Premier League challenge continues to collapse uncontrollably.
Moreover, ‘Super Mario’ has been far from super in recent weeks with his form being less than impressive leaving coach Roberto Mancini increasingly frustrated on the sidelines.
Having dogmatically stuck beside his contemptuous signing at the beginning of the season, Goal.com are now reporting that the former Inter Milan boss is ready to wash his hands clean of the Italian by shipping Balotelli out in the summer.
In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu comes in from a tough session at his local 5-a-side pitches ready to give a definitive review of Nike’s new Mercurial Vapor VIII boots
‘Rolly Van Persie’, ‘Rollidona’, ‘Ashley Roll’; these are just some of the nicknames afforded to me by those who have not only seen my rather outstanding football skills, but also fell victim to my blistering pace, slight of feint, eye for a pass and adoration for ‘tiki-taka’ football.
So imagine how I felt when I was given the opportunity to showcase the brand new Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII boots for the global sports company.
They had initially asked the In The Stands editor but he politely declined upon hearing that Nike’s latest creation is built exclusively for ‘explosive speed’ and ‘snug ball control’ – something sadly he just does not have.
The growth of twitter has given football fans the opportunity to get that bit closer to their heroes. But who are the best footy stars to follow on twitter? Read on…
From Rio Ferdinand, to Andres Iniesta, from Robin Van Persie to Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba, the world of twitter has become a football fans’ oyster with ready access to the mind and thoughts of their favourite players.
For those of you who have joined the social networking revolution there exists a certain number of players who ‘trend’ more than others and thus ought to be followed, whilst others are to be avoided as shall be explained…
Inter Milan have sacked coach Claudio Ranieri after just 6 months in charge following a 2-0 loss to Juventus. Although sympathetic, In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu argues that the Italian is just a loser.
“President Moratti and all of Inter would like to thank Claudio Ranieri and his staff for the professionalism and the commitment shown in these months,” read the statement on the official Inter Milan website on Monday night with few eyebrows raised in shock.
“Inter would also like to announce that it has entrusted the team to Primavera coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who won the first edition of the Next Generation Series,” the statement ended.
And that was that. We cannot say we are surprised – in fact our sources here at In The Stands knew that the writing was on the wall for Ranieri after the Nerazzurri were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League Last 16 by Olympique Marseille.
In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu takes a look at the eight remaining teams left in this season’s Europa League, and if the latest Europa League Odds are to be believed, it looks like we will be seeing a side from Iberia lifting the trophy.
So 16 has now become eight. This season’s Europa League competition has managed to trump bygone tournaments in terms of thrills, goals, shocks, quality of teams and excitement.
From Championship side Birmingham City’s last gasp goals to make progression beyond the group stage a distinct possibility (they failed in the end), to Athletic Bilbao’s emphatic thrashing of Premier League leaders Manchester United in the last 16, there is something aesthetically pleasing about watching this season’s Europa League.
Ok, so Stan Collymore’s punditry on Channel 5 is a tad dire, and that Irish bloke with the geeky glasses can make a Rory Delap throw-in seem as dramatic as Diego Maradona’s legendary goal against England at World Cup 1986, but hey, perfection and football just doesn’t go.
This weeks Top 10 of the Week is the latest football rich list, published today, which has Barcelona striker Lionel Messi topping the table ahead of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Every player featured in the list tops the £10m barrier for their earnings in the last 12 months with former Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero also managing to break into the top 10 list.
Here are the top ten in reverse order:
10) Philip Lahm
In 10th comes Bayern Munich full-back Philip Lahm whose controversial book is sure to have aided the £11.9m he made last year.
9) Kaka
In 9th place comes Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, perhaps one of the nicest, most honest men in football today.
So whiter-than-white is the 2007 World Player of The Year that who can begrudge the £12.9m he earned in the last 12 months? Bless him.
Part III of why Jose Mourinho is overrated will look at the Special One’s spell in charge of Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid and more importantly what can be learnt from them.
‘Soldiers of my old guard, I bid you farewell.’ Those were the exact words of Napoleon Bonaparte as he said goodbye to his Old Guard on a damp, muggy spring afternoon in April, 1814.
Bidding farewell to loved ones and those with whom he had built close associates with is something Jose Mourinho would know a lot about.
To those lines can be added the words, ‘I go, but you, my friends, will continue to serve (your country). Its happiness is my only thought’.
Napoleon Bonaparte; the man who so memorably led France to military glory as he conquered nation-after-nation and army-after-army has come to be regarded as one of the most famous military leaders in history.
So Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked as Chelsea boss following Saturday’s 1-0 away defeat to West Brom as In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu asks is anybody surprised?
Chelsea announced that they have parted company with 34-year old Andre Villas-Boas on Sunday morning with the news garnering little in terms of headlines or shocked surprise.
We at In The Stands were amongst the first to reveal that Andre Villas-Boas’ fate at SW9 was already sealed back in November courtesy of our exclusive ‘insiders’ at Stamford Bridge. You can read the article here.
Brought in at a cost of £28 million at the start of the season, ’AVB’ was tasked to oversee a period of transition for the club with the old guard struggling after limping home a distant second-place to last season’s champions Manchester United.
However, it appears that these exact same players who are supposed to be the foundations towards the building the club’s future in the end did much to cut the throat of their own boss. Marry Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ comes to mind.
England caretaker boss Stuart Pearce named Scott Parker as the new England captain prior to Englands’s 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands at Wembley thus overlooking Steven Gerrard. One word: madness!
Picture the scene. I am standing in a dining hall after finishing my rather dull and interminable job for a very large Bank (guesses are welcome as I cannot reveal its name or else I face the sack!). When in comes the hottest female going in that shoddy office.
Caked in lavish makeup, long, flowing dark-hair and a pencil skirt to showcase her fine hour-glass figure, she bellows out excitedly, ‘did you hear about the new England captain?’
‘No’ was my reply. ‘Who did he (Stuart Pearce) pick?’ I continued eagerly. ‘Oh, I don’t know his name, but he is that guy who plays for the team in white.’
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin has joined Zenit St Petersburg on loan until the end of the season temporarily bringing the curtain down on his fledgling career at the Emirates Stadium.
The news came as a welcome relief for many Arsenal fans who have long since been frustrated by the Russian midfielder’s lack of form, poor play, his bizarre and outspoken rants about female drivers, and lack of goals.
The Russian captain joined the Gunners for £15 million in January 2009 having bagged the then UEFA Cup with Zenit St Petersburg the season before, and also starred for his national side during Euro 2008 as Russia reached the semi-finals.
However, he has since failed to replicate those early stellar performances in the Arsenal midfield and more recently has been the bane of many Arsenal fans who have lambasted his below-par displays.
Still, the pint-sized Russian did have his moments and beginning with his quadruple against Liverpool at Anfield in 2009, In The Stands recalls five of Arshavin’s best highlights in a Gunners shirt.
So the first-leg of the much anticipated UEFA Champions League Last 16 ties have come and gone and having spent hours glued to our TV sets the footy nerds at In The Stands pick out 5 things we learnt.
1. Arsenal Are No Longer An ‘Elite’ European Club
Controversial to say the least but true nonetheless. The ease, brutalness and sheer pounding which AC Milan gave a disheveled Arsenal side in their first-leg clash at the San Siro spoke volumes – not necessarily to English viewers who have known that Arsenal are a club in decline; rather to the rest of the continent.
Finalists in 2006, semi-finalists in 2009, the Gunners have since gotten progressively worse as the Champions League years have rolled on. The reality is Arsene Wenger’s men are as far away from winning the famous jug-eared trophy as they have ever been. An elite European club? No way!
2. AC Milan Are Genuine Champions League Contenders
In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu continues to ask serious questions about Jose Mourinho by examining his success with FC Porto and what can be learned from them.
Part I of why Jose Mourinho is overrated looked at the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’s’ enormous ego, questioned his tactical and coaching abilities, and exposed his very divisive personality as well as his more sadistic traits.
Of course the views may not be agreed upon by everybody – not least if the Portuguese coach has guided the club you support to some major honours during his spell in charge.
With a cabinet full of shiny silverware it would seem silly to even question Jose’s success, but surprisingly enough, every single one of them can be – beginning with perhaps his greatest ever achievement – winning the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto in 2004.
Jose Mourinho Winning the Champions League With FC Porto
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