How To Clean Up Football

In the ultimate expression of Blair’s victim culture (C)Ashley Cole is apparently now feeling ‘victimised’ after Chelsea have threatened to fine him a whole two weeks wages (a paltry £200k for him) for tarnishing the club’s image according to the Telegraph. Someone close to Cole seems to have responded by ‘linking’ Cole with Real Madrid and Barcelona — the implication being, as he revealed in his autobiography, that Chelsea ought to be grateful that he deigns to stay with them.

He’s apparently upset that the club has supported Terry in his marital problems when he’s been fined. Terry appears to have got his wife’s backing (in public at least) whereas Cole can’t really be surprised that his high-profile spouse doesn’t particularly like being made to look a fool in public. He should also remember how he’s not exactly worked hard to cultivate respect from the public either — with his famously greedy reaction reported in his autobiography to being offered ‘only’ £55,000 a week by Arsenal.

Apparently Abramovic is not too impressed with Cole’s effect on PR.

Cole isn’t even particularly popular with Chelsea fans either. Most probably wouldn’t be sad to see the back of him. Maybe the the Premier League should consider how the wider reputation of footballers has been tarnished and fine clubs in this position with a points deduction. As it’s not a first offence for either Cole or Chelsea then a 6 points would be fairly reasonable.

Who Needs Defenders…

…when you can finish a game with Fletcher as right-back and Carrick as centre-back (the only one) and still win 4-0 away? And also close the gap at the top of the Premiership with Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, O’Shea, Evans and Vidic either ill or injured. I’d suggest Berbatov might be a good bet to pair with Carrick against Wolfsburg (he wouldn’t have to much much so it might suit him). So long as Scholes isn’t played there.

Shearer said Scholes was the best player to come out of Man Utd in the recent future (maybe he might think him the best player anyway of recent times apart from himself?). The ginger prince scored a corker against West Ham that was unstoppable. Perhaps Darron Gibson has been taking lessons from the master as he’s now scored three thunderbolts from outside the area in the past five days?

Mark Hughes came up with the goods with an excellent City result against Chelsea with JT moaning about extremely hopeful handball calls, Lampard bottling his penalty and Carvalho showing his true colours with a stamp in Tevez’s back. A good match on ESPN for a change.