Wilson Wonderland

Can Danny Wilson improve his heroic status at Oakwell following his return for a second spell as Barnsley manager, or will he become another victim of the ‘returnee’s curse’?

On a cold and icy December afternoon, Danny Wilson was unveiled as manager of Barnsley Football Club at an Oakwell press conference. In a narrative that could almost parallel the tale of the ‘Prodigal Son’, the man who guided the Tykes to their only stint in the English top flight returned ‘home’.

Barnsley had parted company with David Flitcroft at the start of the month after the club slipped deeper into the relegation mire, leaving former assistant Micky Mellon in caretaker charge. While some suspected Mellon was in with a shot at a permanent vacancy, others would hope the board had learnt lessons from promoting an assistant.

Flitcroft enjoyed less than a year in the dugout after assuming the reins when from his former boss Keith Hill in December the previous year. He steered Barnsley to Championship survival on the final day of the season in a dramatic finale at Huddersfield and thus earned the board’s trust for the forthcoming season.

A 3-0 defeat at home to Birmingham, a 10th in 17 outings, was the final straw for Flitcroft as Barnsley were rooted at the foot of the standings, some six points adrift of safety. As the club “relieved” Flitcroft of his duties the ambitious banded around the names of Ian Holloway and Michael Appleton, while the realistic were caused to acknowledge a more “budget” approach.

Mellon, who in his three games as caretaker picked up four points – bringing Barnsley within three points of safety, gave way to Barnsley favourite Danny Wilson, much to the delight of the Tykes faithful.

Will Danny be walking in a Wilson Wonderland? The chronicle of sport often tells us “Never go back”, yet it is becoming a common occurrence in the footballing world. 

It was 1993 when Wilson first graced the Oakwell turf, when the midfielder was signed by Viv Anderson, who shortly after became Bryan Robson’s assistant at Middlesbrough; and so began Wilson’s managerial career.

History

Wigan-born Wilson began the 1994/95 season as player-manager; with Barnsley finishing sixth in Division One which, in a regular season, would have seen them occupy the final play-off spot for a shot at the ‘big league’. However, as the Premier League opted to reduce their numbers from 22 to 20, the South Yorkshire club remained in the second tier.

A season of mid-table mediocrity followed and top-flight ambitions appeared seemingly dashed. Wilson still believed, however. The following season Wilson led Barnsley to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s 125-year history as Division One runners-up.

Tuesday saw Wilson return to familiar surroundings as he drove down Grove Street before walking through corridors reminding him of previous success to address the assembled media alongside Chief Executive Ben Mansford, who claimed “What we needed, we have in Danny”.

Wilson’s first tenure as Barnsley manager saw him earn local hero status and his 36.82 win percentage across 201 games makes him the most successful manager in recent years, eclipsing the records of Hill, Mark Robins, Andy Ritchie, Paul Hart and Simon Davey – who took the club on their best cup run in recent history, beating Liverpool and Chelsea on their way a Wembley semi-final against Cardiff City, which subsequently ended in heartache.

Wilson puts all that on the line however as he takes on the mountainous challenge of leading Barnsley to Championship survival and into a new dawn.

There are plenty of case studies to suggest a return to Oakwell does not make Wilson a wise man this Christmas. Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, Kenny Dalgleish at Liverpool, Fabio Capello at Real Madrid, Bobby Robson at PSV Eindhoven, Giovanni Trapattoni at Juventus and Damien Richardson at Cork City – all endured turbulent second terms as they attempted to rekindle extinguished fires, only to leave with bruised, or in some cases tattered, reputations.

Down the footballing pyramid in the Football League however, there appears to a contradiction to the old “Never return” adage.

Contradiction

Whether it comes down to familiarity, comfort, supporters bringing back local heroes, it is difficult to tell. But generally speaking, it seems to be working for Football League clubs who have opted to offer a second chance to former managers.

Nigel Pearson returned to Leicester City only to flirt with automatic promotion places for the majority of the first season of his second spell at the club. Loyalty has always been a part of Pearson’s make-up, only a three-club career as a player and the lure of a return to the King Power Stadium clearly tugged at his heart strings.

Leicester’s Midland rivals Nottingham Forest welcomed outspoken Scotsman Billy Davies back with open arms after their relentless pursuit of promotion saw Steve McClaren, Sean O’Driscoll and Alex McLeish all endure embarrassingly short stays.

Despite only being his first managerial post, Chris Powell enjoyed three spells as a Charlton player, becoming a firm favourite and went on to oversee the Addicks promotion to the Championship in only his second season.

Ronnie Moore probably stakes the biggest claim for the title of football’s prodigal son, playing twice for Tranmere before returning to manage the Wirral club between 2006 and 2009, that combined with two spells as Rotherham boss too.

Not to mention Barnsley’s most recent opponents Yeovil, who earned a 1-1 draw at Oakwell on Saturday, led by Gary Johnson. The Londoner first took charge at Huish Park in 2001 before making his comeback after unsuccessful stints at Peterborough and Northampton, only to lead a Glovers’ revival – guiding them into the Championship for the first time in the club’s history.

Who said “Never go back”?

Speed Remembered

Ahead of tonight’s Championship clash between Leeds United and Leicester City a minute’s silence will be observed in memory of former player Gary Speed.
It is a year to the day since the Welsh manager died and the game is still in grief following the tragic loss of one of the good men of football.
Last year following Speed’s death I wrote the following blog, feels right to reiterate the points made at this poignant moment.

The Beautiful Game Mourns

The death of Gary Speed has triggered bereavement throughout sporting circles. Seen as the model professional, all who knew Speed speak of a modest, genuine, passionate gentleman who loved the beautiful game. Football mourns the loss of a legend.

It may be a cold, bitter, winter with even chillier climates ahead to compete with, how much such ‘challenges’ in life become insignificant when the bigger picture is thrown into the spotlight.
Gary Speed is a man who many around Britain will know, certainly every football enthusiast know the name, along with the character. One of football’s ‘Mr Nice Guy’s’, a journeyman in some ways, enjoyed spells at various clubs and had begun a successful career in management with Sheffield United before taking on the Wales national team.
A life ended at 42 years of age in most circumstance is tragic, but for a man, the husband of a wife and father of two children, to be found hanged in his own home, is absolutely heartbreaking. What is happening in the lives of these people who so many know and love.
Speed’s reputation within football is phenomenal. This is a man who captained football teams wherever he went, the Welshman wore the armband at every club he represented before embarking on team management, clearly a natural, gifted leader. One of the most highly respected sportsman within his area.

The social media, Twitter especially went into uproar yesterday at the breaking news of Speed’s death, trying to log onto the social networking site at times was impossible due to the amount of users and comments interacting on the subject.
It’s quite clear that there is an underlying issue which must be investigated and many will dissect the case, producing (for want of a better phrase) post mortems of what took place to lead Gary Speed into a place of taking his own life.

But one aspect in life which most certainly needs attention drawn towards it is depression in sport.
Over recent years we have experienced wider coverage of the problems which some athletes face, but are we taking enough note on what is going on in our world.
Millions of young people across the globe aspire to reach the heights of their sporting heroes and replicate the successes, but it would seem, that ‘height’ may not be quite as glamorous as it is portrayed to be.
Growing up, playing cricket, Marcus Trescothick was always a hero for me, a cult figure, someone who inspired me to want to go further and play the sport. When news broke that the England opener wouldn’t be making the tour to India in 2006 due to what was later discovered to be depression, my mind wandered.
Ever since such reports, depression in sport has been a subject which in one way fascinates but another frightens me.
More and more high profile sports stars are giving details of their personal battles which grind them down, in some cases, leading to them taking their own lives.
Just stop for a moment, literally drop all things on your mind for a second…Can you imagine a place in life, so lonely, so dark, so lost, so hard, so cold, so desperate, so insecure, so helpless where you feel you have no option but to end your existence?
Hard hitting, but true in the cases of depression. Robert Enke, German national team goalkeeper, reaching the pinnacle of his career at 32 years of age. But other things were affecting his life, depression had set in, Enke was lost and went on to take his own life, his body found on a train track. Ronald Reng has today won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for his biography of Enke’s life and death, A Life Too Short.

 

The roots of depression, causes and solutions is such a deep subject, but what must be heard is the fact that professional athletes are as vulnerable to depression as the next man, if not more so.

The commitment, expectation, pressure, circumstance, sacrifice they make day in, day out can lead to severe to mental problems. Gary Speed could be the latest in an unfortunately expanding stream of sportsmen to suffer from depression.

Marcus Trescothick, Neil Lennon, Robert Enke, Frank Bruno, Michael Yardy but to name a few have all suffered battles, some come through and continue to succeed in sport, for others it can signals the end in more ways than one.

This is a sombre time for sport, a challenging issue and certainly a stomach-churning subject to write about.

However, depression in sport and people getting as low as Gary Speed and many others have in the name of sport is something which must be raised in awareness and discussion.

R.I.P Gary Speed – Thoughts and prayers are with his family at such a distressing time.

Our thought continue to remain with the family of Gary Speed.

Where next for Becks?

David Beckham has quit MLS side LA Galaxy and is reportedly looking at one last challenge before hanging up those famous boots for a final time.

But where is he heading?

Staying State Side?

There is a possibility the move could be within the United States with Beckham having spent the majority of the last five years in the States, continually expressing his desire to settle as a family.

New York Red Bulls could be one option as the side have recently recruited a series of high-profile players in their bid to take the MLS crown.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, ex-Everton talisman Tim Cahill and Rafael Marquez are amongst the squad’s most talented.

China?

A country with a population in excess of one billion people and the marketing appeal for brand Beckham here has significant potential.

Sponsors would be licking their lips should Beckham opt for Asia and he would be able to name his own price with the Super League clubs desperate to raise their profile.

Former Chelsea strikers Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba have both moved to the Chinese league but could Beckham cope with another culture change for his family and one which is vastly different to any they have become accustomed to.

France?

Ligue 1 club Paris St Germain registered their interest in Beckham last December and could make a move once again now the player has stated he is on the look-out for a move.

PSG are currently in the running to take the title in France which could appeal to the former Manchester United midfielder’s silverware aspirations.

Should also be taken into account that the French capital club is now bankrolled by Qatar investors who are not afraid to splash the cash on big signings.

Australia? 

Perth Glory and Melbourne Heart have both spoken of their desire to see Beckham ply his trade down under while many in the Australian A-League set-up see the obvious commercial value in having the former England captain playing in their league.

Beckham would not be the first international to make the switch to Australia with his former Three Lions colleague Emile Heskey now playing for Newcastle Jets and ex-Juventus and Italy front-man Alessandro Del Piero leading the line for Sydney FC.

England?

Finally, there is the Premier League. The place where Beckham made his name and arguably made some of the greatest performances the league has witnessed.

Few clubs have spoken of interest in the player but there is little doubt the majority would welcome him home with open arms.

Although it does seem England could be the least likely move of all it could be one which plays on the heart strings of English football fans and Beckham himself has a love for his country of birth.

Dare to Dream: How West Bromwich Albion are reaching the heights

Far too many were left perplexed around five o’clock Saturday afternoon checking the day’s full-time scores.

At a glance my phone told me West Bromwich Albion had beaten Chelsea 2-1.

After rubbing my eyes and looking once again to confirm the initial sighting it was approved in my mind.

Yes, West Brom hosted Chelsea, scored two goals and the visitors only managed to score one.

Shocked?

If the answer to this is yes, you can rest assured you are not alone.

However, by no means is luck or fate behind the rising success of West Brom.

May we get the ‘on paper’ verdicts out of the system sooner rather than later.

Chelsea, a team full of household names: John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Fernando Torres all being names even those who do not divulge in football could associate with the club.

Bankrolled by the Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich and turning over some of the largest revenues in Europe when it comes to sports teams.

And there is West Brom.

The home side went into the lead with just 10 minutes played at The Hawthorns on Saturday thanks to Shane Long’s stooping header.

Edin Hazard gave the visitors hope drawing the match level just before the interval but the day belonged to the hosts without a shadow of doubt as Peter Odemwingie sealed three points just after the restart.

But Saturday’s performance and result were not merely a flash in the pan.

Far from it to be precise.

Currently sat in fourth in the Premier League, just five points behind leaders Manchester City, the Baggies may be enjoying glimpses of continental dreams.

Obviously it is important to understand the top-flight season is only 12 games old and no one would want to be getting carried away at such an early stage, especially ahead of the vitally eventful Christmas period.

Yet, writing this post it would seem disrespectful to not acknowledge the potential West Brom have shown.

Maybe they should dare to dream?

Steve Clarke was appointed manager earlier this year when his predecessor Roy Hodgson headed for the bright lights of international leadership and has continued to orchestrate result yielding football at The Hawthorns.

Following Saturday’s three points Clarke spoke of how his team controlled proceedings against Roberto di Matteo’s side, irony being the Chelsea boss was Baggies boss just last year, and this has been one of the key forces in their success.

It is true that you cannot win football matches without scoring goals, but set that aside for a moment.

Should it not also be said in equal measure that without a resilient defensive system you cannot win football matches?

The casual football theorist may frequently overlook the value in solidarity at the back but at West Brom it has been central to the agenda.

The rewards are being harvested of the hard yards invested in defensive strategy at The Hawthorns.

Starting at the number one jersey Ben Foster is leading the way with four clean sheets to his name already this season.

This combined with a solid back four including Jonas Olsson, who has consistently performed with dogged determination, has meant West Brom have only conceded 13 goals so far this season.

Liam Ridgewell has also been a key feature at the back for the Baggies and despite recovering from a recent injury is set to continue manning the fort with esteem at The Hawthorns.

Then there is the strike force headed by Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long who have both netted four times this term in the Premier League.

However, the beauty of the Baggies this season is the fact they are not relying on the out and out frontmen to provide the goals and have a number of names grace the score-sheet including; Youssouf Mulumbu, Romelu Lakaku and James Morrison.

Throughout it appears West Brom have discovered something fresh this time around, turned a corner some may say and are discovering the true potential held within.

Not only are they confirming their right to be in the top flight, they are establishing credibility to fight up there too.

Who knows what will happen from here on in, but maybe, just maybe it could be time for the Baggies to dare to dream.

The Rise of Wilfried Zaha

Abidjan. Considered a prominent location in the central hub of Western Africa. Characterised by industrialisation and urbanisation.

A place which is now a mere distant memory to Wilfried Zaha.

The now Crystal Palace striker began life in the Ivory Coast before heading for the bright lights of South London at the age of four.

Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha is now the subject of attention and has the opportunity for it to be his name cast in lights with a call-up to the senior England squad.

The 20-year-old took some musing time following a phone-call from England boss Roy Hodgson before eventually reaching the decision to accept the offer.

A period of deliberation was necessary as Zaha is currently in the process of choosing which nation to pledge his international allegiance to.

Born in Cote d’Ivoire, raised in England and represented the Three Lions at youth level.

With Wednesday’s match against Sweden a friendly Zaha has not prejudiced his chances to play for his home nation should he feel that way inclined.

A certain pivotal figure in Ivory Coast football, Mr Didier Drogba has already reportedly been on the phone to Zaha in an attempt to convince him to represent his land of birth.

But aside from the international transfer situation and somewhat more prominent is the rise to fame which the attacking winger has crafted for himself.

Take a trip to Selhurst Park and the prince of the Palace it would seem is very much Mr Zaha.

Outside the Championship side’s stadium is a billboard with the upcoming star accompanied by the catchphrase “He’s just too good for you”.

These words are becoming extremely familiar for Zaha as they often ring round the stadiums home and away as the youngster terrorises second-flight defences.

Full-backs have frequently being left spaghetti-legged and humiliated as he swerves and glides through with ease.

Zaha is prepared to set up to the next level and was expected to join the England Under 21 squad ahead of their game against Northern Ireland.

However, the intervention of Roy Hodgson meant a taxi direct from the Football Association at 5AM on Sunday morning beckoned.

The attacker is becoming renowned for his finesse and accuracy whilst delivering at impeccable speed.

Manchester United fans will remember the name of Zaha, with much regret, as they endured first-hand the class of this young talent in their Carling Cup clash at Old Trafford in December.

There was evidence on that evening alone to suggest Dazet the dazzler had the ability to compete at the elite level.

Crystal Palace have raced to the head of the Championship this season but ultimately Zaha’s destiny, if not where he currently plies his trade, is the top flight.

Zaha is only the second Championship outfield player in five years to receive a call up to the senior England squad and is clearly in popular demand.

Wigan Athletic reportedly offered £3.5 million for the attacker before Reading had a £6 million bid rejected on the eve of transfer deadline day.

It has also been suggested in footballing circles that Arsenal and Tottenham have registered interest in the starlet and Palace co-owner Steve Parish claims £20 million may not be enough to convince the club to part with their most prized asset.

But as many defenders lick their wounds and try to disguise the scars left by Zaha on the field and clubs battle for the winger’s signature his international intention remains ambiguous.

All that can be said at this stage is that Zaha has copious amounts of potential.

Will he prove it on the field with England?

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)

Not so much surprise surprise…

More, how long have we waited for this news.

Craig Levein leaving his role as Scotland manager surprises few people, if any, but the time it took the Scottish Football Association to reach the decision is much more startling.

A record boasting just three wins in 12 competitive fixtures shows little signs of progress despite Levein being a popular dressing room figure.

Taking up office in 2009 as George Burley’s successor, Levein was widely regarded as the right man to take Scotland forward with many welcoming the move.

But just three years on those very supporters will more than likely welcome his departure in equal measure.

No longer could defences be made to cover the ever-growing list of blunders during his tenure.

An optimistic façade won over the dressing room yet many Scottish fans were becoming disenchanted by the lack of on-field evidence to support the manager’s positive tones.

The players of the Scotland squad have publically supported their manager till the bitter end with StokeCity midfielder Charlie Adam demonstrating his support via Twitter.

However, it is somewhat difficult to point out a highlight of Levein’s tenure as manager with little in the way of inspirational progress to note.

Levein’s Scotland have won only 10 in 24 matches in total and with four games play in the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign and no win registered it is clear to see why the adverts are out for a new man in charge.

Innovation and experiment were trial by the Scotland manager at times but even a 4-6-0, striker-less formation yielded no result against the CzechRepublic.

It would be careless to start summing up this post without a mention of the Steven Fletcher saga.

The forward made known he did not want to be considered for selection by Levein having been left out of the squad to face Czech Republic and Spain.

What followed was a lengthy confrontation between the pair which came to a climax just last month, too late to save Levein’s position as boss.

Twenty days have passed since Scotland’s last outing in Brussels which makes the timing of the decision confusing to many but Chief Executive Stewart Regan claimed the board wanted to avoid knee-jerk reactions.

It may have been glaringly obvious to many, but now it has been done Scotland yet again look for someone to advance their position in world football.

That was the mission which Levein chose to accept and after an unrewarding three years the seat is vacant once again.

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)

Arsenal must look closer to home

There has been a lot of press lately suggesting Arsenal fans should laden the blame for this season’s failings on the departure of Robin van Persie.

Traitor. Deserter. Conspirator. Defector.

Or maybe the reality of the Gunners’ lack of success lays much closer to home than fans and insiders may wish to acknowledge.

The Dutchman made his switch to Manchester United from the Emirates ahead of the new season and although he received a hostile reception from Arsenal fans on Saturday his former teammates provided a plethora of evidence to validate his decision.

Van Persie opened the scoring in the third minute for his new club at Old Trafford as they moved to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season with a 2-1 victory over his former side.

In the build-up to the match boss Arsene Wenger urged fans to refrain from distasteful language against the former favourite but the vile torrent of abuse which was hurled at Van Persie was misguided and leaves many pondering how mislaid the blame is for Arsenal’s recent shortcomings.

From the first whistle Van Persie’s former colleagues produced enough indication to suggest his departure alone is not the major issue.

Arsenals performance could be summarised simply; limp, scattered, motivation-less and powerless.

A club with such rich history much be contemplating how it has ended up with so many players who seem unwilling and almost unable to add to their iconic heritage.

In the opening minutes it was a mistake by Gunners’ skipper Thomas Vermaelen which opened the door to allow Van Persie to open the tally.

The Arsenal defence of late has appeared to have some kind of over-confident façade despite a clear inability to keep their cool under pressure, or clean sheets for that matter.

Andre Santos. Arsenal fans must cringe or feel a shiver down the spine each time they hear the name.

Sir Alex Ferguson probably felt he already had tactical advantage when reading Santos’ name on the team-sheet as Antonio Valencia and Rafael da Silva were granted all the space they could wish for throughout the encounter.

It is difficult to come up with a suggestion which would not be better than having Santos in the Arsenal line-up.

Possibly the most bizarre moment of the match on Saturday was when Santos approached Van Persie in the tunnel at half-time to ask to swap shirts, to which the Dutchman responded by giving away his shirt but did take the Brazilian’s in return.

Followers of the backstage movements at the Emirates rejoiced in hearing of Steve Bould’s promotion to Wenger’s assistant, responsible for defensive training.

Yet the calamitous miskick by Vermaelen which left Van Persie in on goal showed little signs of improvement at the back.

However, not all the culpability can rest on the field as Wenger himself failed to handle situations well during Saturday’s encounter.

Ferguson used a tactical substitution to replace Tom Cleverley after he picked up a yellow card in order to prevent a red card.

But in opposing fashion Wenger left Jack Wilshere on the field with a caution to his name and subsequently suffered the consequences with the England midfielder seeing red and taking an early shower.

Few will argue Arsenal would have been in a far superior position if they had contested the final quarter of an hour with 11 men, even it would have meant Francis Coquelin entering into a defensive midfield role.

Although the margin of defeat was narrow the deficiency in the Arsenal camp is blatantly obvious.

From defensive frailties to tactical faux pas there is a vast array of issues to be resolved, but one thing is for sure, it is time for Arsenal to move on from the time of Robin van Persie and acclimatise to life after their former talisman.

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)

Old Acquaintances

One thrives. One rues.

Arguably two of the biggest moves ahead of the 2012/13 Premier League season were Robin van Persie’s switch to Old Trafford from Arsenal and Brendan Rodgers’ decision to take charge of Liverpool.

Both deals dominated headlines throughout the summer and continue to do so but for contrasting reasons as one enjoys high-flying success and the other struggling to get off the ground.

Shall we take the good news or the bad first?

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Liverpool Newcastle clash at Anfield, Mr Rodgers faces significant pressure and will be desperate to see his side start to gather momentum.

Take a moment and reminisce on Swansea City’s recent years which have seen them rise to fame.

Fluid football. Classy performances. Attractive style. Barcelona-esque comparisons.

All have become synonymous with the Swans’ as their artistic panache and flair have made them household names in the top-flight.

However, much credit for this philosophy of football being brought to the Liberty Stadium must be given to Rodgers.

Yet, despite his departure from the Welsh club a dramatic fall from grace has not followed because what Rodgers had begun forging at Swansea was a culture.

Indeed, Chairman Huw Jenkins pulled somewhat of a masterstroke by bringing in Michael Laudrup to succeed Rodgers but many will be left thinking the Irishman made a move to a ‘big name’ club naively.

Evident was the success Rodgers enjoyed at Swansea City, gaining promotion to the Premier League and registering an 11^th-place finish in their first top-flight season, but the challenges facing the 39-year-old are extremely different on Merseyside.

A club rich in history with dedicated and passionate fans, Liverpool has potential to be a manager’s dream appointment. Or maybe nightmare in equal measure.

The die-hard fans lining the Kop week in, week out have expected silverware and success at the club for many years and now additions to the famous Anfield trophy cabinet are long overdue.

Taking an evolving team on a journey from lower-league to top flight is an inspiring narrative but attempting to transform a club under the spotlight and in turmoil requires far greater dogged determination.

A midweek Capital One Cup fixture will surely have torn the heart strings of Rodgers as his former club visited Anfield and left 3-1 victors.

The Swans then went on to hold league leaders Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium to cap off a fruitful week for the club.

Two wins in nine Premier League encounters leaves Liverpool a lowly 13^th and struggling to inspire Kopites and footballing audiences worldwide.

On the opposite end of the spectrum Robin van Persie is in glorious form at the head of Manchester United’s strike force.

With his former club Arsenal the visitors for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off Van Persie made clear early why he sits first in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot.

Eight goals already have seen Van Persie become an instant favourite at Old Trafford and a third minute goal against the Gunners during United 2-1 victory will inflict further wounding on his former teammates while delight will sweep around the Red half of Manchester.

Reports this week have suggested the Dutchman turned down a £300,000-a-week deal at Premier League champions Manchester City to join their city rivals United.

Few can argue Van Persie has made a bad move as he has seamlessly become a pivotal player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s line-up.

Arsenal’s frailties were all too easy to see once again in Saturday’s match with a lack of ambition and poor defending the resonating tones from Arsene Wenger’s men.

Van Persie must be left feeling he got out at the right time and to the right place.

Vastly opposing stories here.

Rodgers – wrong time, wrong place?

Van Persie – right place, right time?

What do you think?

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)

Just when you thought you had seen it all…

More comes along.

Did you know?

Two day of Capital One Cup fourth round action. Eight matches. 43 times the ball hits the back of the net.

More than five goals per game on average!

Do not even dare say the magic of the cup is dead.

In my previous post I ended with a plea for that very spirit to live on and Wednesday’s fixtures definitely did not disappoint.

Manchester United graced Stamford Bridge again just days after the saga which unfolded on Sunday which resulted in them taking three Premier League points against leaders Chelsea.

This time it was a place in the quarter-final at stake and Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea were after revenge.

United led 2-1 at the interval but Chelsea threatened a young and frail visiting defence throughout.

Gary Cahill equalised for Chelsea before Nani gave the away side the lead once again before Scott Wootton conceded a 92^nd minute penalty gifting the opposition a ticket to extra time.

Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Ramires shot the home side into a 5-3 lead leaving many feeling the game had been put to bed.

Ryan Giggs managed to net a consolation penalty but with just seconds left on the clock his race back to the half-way mark was in vein as the final whistle from Lee Mason shortly followed.

In an all top-flight evening of affairs in the Capital One Cup it was again not just a tale of one drama.

Brendan Rogers’ sketchy Liverpool side hosted his former club Swansea City who produced a somewhat regal display to send their ex-gaffer packing.

Chico gave the visiting side the lead at the half-way mark of the tie before Nathan Dyer doubled the tally for the Jack Army.

Luis Suarez provided retaliation just four minutes later to give Rogers some hope to cling onto.

Before Wednesday’s clash Swansea had scored three goals in their last nine league cup fixtures and De Guzman sent the Welshmen into double figures with his 90^th minute tap-in sealing a place in the last-eight.

Meanwhile at Carrow Road Andre Villas-Boas’ tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager took a further blow as his side scored two goals but managed to lose 2-1.

Gareth Bale gave Spurs the lead in the second half but an 84^th minute own goal from Vertonghen brought Norwich back into the tie.

With a quarter-final place up for grabs the pressure was on and an added half an hour loomed.

But Simeon Jackson gave the home side a 2-1 lead in the 87^th minute and with Clint Dempsey failing to convert a late penalty it was the Canaries who were left to progress to the final eight.

Tuesday, scintillating.

Wednesday, enthralling.

Cup football, incomparable.

If anyone’s fire for football ever needed reigniting these two autumnal evenings of theatre are just what the doctor ordered.

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)

Clattenburg Controversy

Not for the first time Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg is centre of the headlines. Chelsea have launched an official complaint against the man who was in charge of their 3-2 defeat at home against Manchester United on Sunday.

Reports from Stamford Bridge claim Clattenburg made comments containing “inappropriate language” against two Chelsea players during the top of the table clash.

However, Mr Clangerburg is not new to stealing the show with a number of previous faux pas making him a controversial character.

January 2005

During his time in goal for Manchester United Roy Carroll fumbled a shot from Pedro Mendes which crossed the line and Clattenburg, along with his assistants on the day, failed to award the goal.

October 2007

Clattenburg dismissed Everton full-back Tony Hibbert in bizarre fashion as he appears to show a yellow card before quickly changing his mind to produce red. As the game progressed he then failed to show red to Dirk Kuyt for a double-footed lunge on Phil Neville, resulting in the match official kept away from Toffee’s matches until 2012 and the Durham man is yet to make an appearance at Goodison Park since.

August 2008

The referee was withdrawn from the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Portsmouth before being sacked as allegations came to light he owed £60,000 as a result of a failed business venture. By February 2009 Clattenburg was reinstated.

December 2009

Allegations are made against Mr Clattenburg claiming he asked Manchester City players “how do you work with Craig Bellamy all week” during a match against Bolton before sending off Welshman Bellamy for a second yellow card.

October 2010

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes places the ball down believing he has a free kick before Manchester United winger Nani runs up and kicks the ball into an empty net without Clattenburg blowing the whistle yet the referee allows the goal to stand.

Although this is another case to add to a long list for Clattenburg possibly the most worrying and harrowing thought is that a match official could face investigations of racial abuse.

In recent weeks football has seen more than enough of the R word with John Terry being found guilty by the FA and the riot which ensued following an England Under 21 match in Serbia. And the case of Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez is not much of a distant memory for many football fans either.

It is one thing for isolated instances to occur in the heat of moment, which in themselves can never be condoned, but should match officials be involved in such incident it is absolutely intolerable and the fA have no option but the crackdown and serve out severe punishments to quash the issue.

As cycling begins a mountain climb following the Lance Armstrong doping saga and cricket aims to eradicate match-fixing scandals which has engulfed officials football now needs to find a way to calm it’s very own storm and move on to get back to the heart of the ‘beautiful game’.

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)