Alex McCarthy's Blog

ALASAN MENGAPA LIGA INGGRIS DAN JUDI BOLA ONLINE TIDAK TERPISAHKAN

Sepak bola menjadi salah satu olahraga yang
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Di regional Asia judi bola online cenderung
lebih sempit hanya berkisar di permainan tebak menang, kalah, atau draw.
Sementara di Eropa sana, situs judi bola menawarkan permainan yang lebih
beragam. Kamu bisa memasang taruhan untuk siapa yang pertama atau terakhir
mencetak goal, menebak skor terakhir, berapa kartu merah yang akan keluar,
apakah akan ada hat-trick, penalti, atau berapa banyak tendangan sudut yang
akan terjadi.

Pertandingan liga spanyol atau liga jerman
hasil akhirnya relatif mudah ditebak apalagi jika pertandingan yang berlangsung
adalah pertandingan “Daud dan Goliath”, seperti tim raksasa Real Madrid versus
Las Palmas atau Alaves. Tentunya player akan pasang taruhan bola pada Real
Madrid. Meski mudah, pertandingan seperti ini tidak terlalu digemari karena
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Lain halnya dengan liga Inggris. Selama bola
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sering kali hasil akhirnya membuat siapapun yang menonton tercengang. Ini juga
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Inggris.

LIGA INGGRIS YANG
SELALU PENUH INTRIK DAN DRAMA

Sebagai liga tertua di dunia, liga Inggris
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Sejarah taruhan bola sudah setua olahraga sepak
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orang-orang sebagai tambahan hiburan disamping keseruan menonton pertandingan
bola.

Di Inggris sendiri, judi bola merupakan
kegiatan ilegal. Sebelum akhirnya pada tahun 1960, kerajaan Inggris melegalkan
kegiatan perjudian termasuk judi bola. Sejak saat itu, para penggemar bola bisa
dengan leluasa melakukan taruhan bola. Judi bola semakin meluas ketika William Hill and Coral yang telah
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Inggris.

Dengan munculnya jaringan internet ke seluruh
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Atmosfir sepak bola Inggris dengan filosofi kick and rush menjadi salah satu pemicu
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menjadikan judi bola online di liga Inggris semakin menarik. Ada kebanggaan
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bermain!

Laga big match Liverpool vs Chelsea di pekan ke 13, akankah...

Laga big match Liverpool vs Chelsea di pekan ke 13, akankah Liverpool akan bermain konsisten?

Dele Alli: Spurs resident formula

The talents of Harry Kane have led Spurs fans to a sense of identity and unbridled optimism for the first time in modern memory. Sure, Gareth Bale lit up White Hart Lane with his one-man shows, but as the song goes: Harry Kane – he’s one of our own.

In what could justifiably be labelled as his first full debut season, 21-year-old Kane has burst onto the Premier League scene marking an indelible explosion the likes this country hasn’t seen since the emergence
of Wayne Rooney.

Chingford-born Kane has rattled in 23 goals in 35
appearances in all competitions this campaign leading to pundits and fans alike
to clamour for his inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s next England squad. It’s placated
and rejuvenated a Tottenham fan-base despondent with the sides disappointing influx
of so-called ‘stars’ since Gareth Bale’s departure in 2012.

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Who would have known the answer lied at home all along? The
emergence of Ryan Mason, finally achieving his breakthrough at 23 after six
loan spells away from the club, is another glowing compliment of the talent
Tottenham have nurtured. It could well be argued that Mason and Kane are the
top two performers for the white half of north London this season (Christian
Eriksen might weigh in on that argument), as they sit just a single point off
the ever lucrative fourth place.

Since Tim Sherwood departed in the summer of 2014, Emmanuel
Adebayor has appeared lethargic and largely uninterested in a Tottenham shirt
despite the lofty wages the club forks out for his services. Boss Mauricio
Pochettino has failed to disinter the fire inside the Togo striker that
Sherwood managed to ignite, but a disenchanted Adebayor proved to be the
catalyst behind the new blood’s revolution, paving the way for the Lane’s most
popular goal hero since Teddy Sheringham – Harry Kane.

It seems there is some contradiction to the old adage: you
get what you pay for.

To the untrained eye it might appear this is a chance piece
of evolution for Tottenham, but in reality, they’ve been working towards this for
over a decade - with mixed results.

Andros Townsend was the last burgeoning star to force his
way into the side, and much of that was down to a combination of Erik Lamela’s
inability to adapt to the English game and a stretch of troublesome injuries.
The last true home-grown hero was club legend Ledley King, and if Kane was to
continue ascending at the astonishing rate he currently is then that’s the kind
of par we are talking about.

Before King it would have been Sol Campbell, but we don’t need
to explore that route.

In light of Dele Alli’s recent move from MK Don’s for a
reported £5m, it got me thinking about the plethora of young British talent
that have made the same plunge over the years and how they have fared. Is
Tottenham the best club for a young, British player? (No, I’m not just bitter
he didn’t come to Newcastle…).

The following list has been compiled of players bought by
the club in the last 12 years under the age of 23 (using Mason as a gauge) at
the time of purchase.

Bobby Zamora – Two-time England international Zamora
currently acts as a foil for another impressive young English forward, Charlie
Austin, at QPR. Zamora’s spell at White Hart Lane was an ill-fated one back in
03/04 under Glenn Hoddle, and after 18 appearances in all competitions yielding
a solitary League Cup goal, he was promptly moved on to West Ham within six
months of his arrival as part of a deal for Jermain Defoe.

Andy Reid – Republic of Ireland international Reid arrived
as part of a combined £8m deal from Nottingham Forest with future Spurs captain
Michael Dawson under Martin Jol in 05/06. The inventive playmaker returned one
goal in 26 outings for the Lilywhites and was sold 18 months later. He went on
to accumulate £8m in transfer fees between his moves to Charlton and then Sunderland,
before a brief spell with Blackpool led to his return to original club Forest
in 11/12.

Sean Davis – Remember him? Tottenham nabbed the exciting
Fulham prospect in the summer of 2004 for an undisclosed fee, but he also would
only last 18 months before future Spurs boss Harry Redknapp would rescue the
Clapham-born midfielder and sign him for Portsmouth. A recurring knee injury
restricted Davis to 15 appearances in north London, and the same injury would
end his career three appearances into a move to Bolton, whom had just forked
out £3m for his services from the south coast.

Kyle Naughton – Athletic full-back Naughton made his way to
Spurs in 2009 as part of a £9m double deal with Kyle Walker from Sheffield
United. Having made the Championship Team of the Year aged 21 in his first
senior season, it seemed a promising signing. After three loan spells with
Middlesbrough, Leicester and Norwich respectively, Naughton finally got his
break in 12/13 season going on to amass 26 games in the two seasons that
followed. Ultimately, Naughton flattered to deceive with several uninspiring,
mistake-laden displays and moved on to Swansea for £5m in this year’s January
transfer window.

[image error]

Calum Davenport – Tottenham plucked this tall centre-back
from Coventry at the age of 21 back in 04/05 for £1.3m. After 15 league appearances
over three seasons which were littered in between various loan moves, Davenport
moved on to West Ham for £3m in January 2007. Davenport never played more than
15 league games for any of the six clubs he went on to play for either on loan
or permanently, making for a rather wasted career. He’s probably most
remembered for the bizarre incident where he and his mother were stabbed by his
sister’s partner in 2009. He would later go on trial for allegedly assaulting
his sister prior to his stabbing, which he was eventually cleared of.

[image error]

Wayne Routledge – Spurs nabbed pacey winger Routledge for a
bargain £2m at a tribunal after his contract expired with Crystal Palace back
in 05/06. Then 20-year-old Routledge suffered a broken foot on his league debut
for his new club and his Spurs career never really got going. He only made five
league appearances in three years before being shipped on to Aston Villa.
Routledge bounced from club to club until settling with Swansea in 2011 where
his form has even prompted talk of a call-up to the England fold. Despite his
time at Tottenham not working out, Routledge can certainly say he is a proven
Premier League player.

[image error]

Darren Bent – The most costly error of the list. Spurs
stretched their purse strings to the tune of £16.5m to bring Bent in from
Charlton Athletic where he had recorded an impressive 31 goals in 68 games.
Although Bent had a ratio of just under one every three in his time with Spurs,
a missed open goal against Portsmouth led to manager Harry Redknapp saying: “You
will never get a better chance to win a match than that. My missus could have
scored that one.” That was the beginning of the end for Bent. The England international
is currently on-loan at promotion chasing Derby County from Aston Villa and has
a record of 190 goals in 472 career games, managing to garner transfer fees
totalling £59.5m with add ons.

[image error]

John Bostock – Aged 15 years and 295 days old, Bostock became
the youngest player in Crystal Palace’s history, putting a host of Premier League
clubs on red alert in the process. The following summer, Tottenham once again
nabbed a Palace prospect at a tribunal, snagging the centre-mid for a lowly initial
£700,000, which could then rise to £1.25m depending on appearances. Palace
chairman Simon Jordan was furious at the seemingly small remuneration they were
awarded for handing over a young prodigy gift-wrapped. Five years on, Bostock
was released without having played a single league game for Spurs, and now
finds himself in Belgium’s second division with OH Leuven. On reflection, I
wonder if Jordan is pleased with the deal…

David Bentley – Though the former Arsenal trainee will be
fondly remembered by Spurs fans for his spectacular long range goal in the
north London derby in October 2008, Bentley struggled to produce over the course
of his five years at the Lane. Bentley arrived for an initial fee of £15m and
wages in the region of £50,000-a-week. Despite seven England caps, mostly earned
during the red-hot form he exhibited in his Blackburn Rovers days, Bentley’s
form declined rapidly in a Tottenham shirt and he went on to quietly retire at
the age of 30.

[image error]

Of course, these are all examples of where the club has
invested in British-based talent and for one reason or another, things just haven’t
worked out. But, there have been plenty of success stories too.

Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Kyle Walker, Michael Dawson,
Aaron Lennon all went on to become fully-fledged England internationals and all
bar Carrick - owing to his Manchester United move where he enjoyed
unprecedented success - have collected over 100 appearances each for Spurs.

It could be argued Tom Huddlestone falls into the
aforementioned pack with four England caps and 144 league games in Tottenham
colours, too. Danny Rose is another who after a shaky start, appears to have
grown since the arrival of Ben Davies as competition at left-back, another
young British signing.

Zeki Fryers and Eric Dier are the latest young defenders looking
to establish themselves in the Tottenham XI, and only time will tell whether
they have been shrewd additions or not. There is one singing however that not
only trumps the others, but almost justifies the formula in its entirety.

Gareth Bale arrived from Southampton for an initial £5m in
May 2007 and after a less than conventional road to superstardom, exited White
Hart Lane for Real Madrid in a world-record £85.3m deal in September 2013.

Where Dele Alli fits in amongst all of that? Who knows given
that vast spread of fortune. All signs at the moment point to a very smart acquisition
for Spurs. Alli leads the way in goals for midfielders in all of England’s
professional leagues with 13 so far this season. He’s been loaned back to MK
Don’s for the remainder of the season and being a part of a promotion push
should aid his development even further.

It’s hard to think where would have served Alli any better than
White Hart Lane. If the belief is that playing regularly at the highest level
possible is the criteria for the best development, inside the top six Spurs
probably contain the highest number of young British players. Arsenal would
appear to follow closely, which is something you wouldn’t have dared dream five
years ago. I’m not going to count Manchester United’s defence – McNair and
Blackett for instance, aren’t getting games on merit like the players in the other
teams I’ve mentioned.

Alli could prove to be the next Bostock or Bale, or anywhere
in between. Would it be fair to say this general transfer model has served them
better than not? After all, even for all the failed recruitments, they
generally made their money back or suffered very small losses in those cases.
What can be perceived as the successful, young, English signings have gone on
to provide the teams core for the past decade.

It depends if the Spurs faithful consider that a good thing
or not…

Either way, here’s to hoping Kane, Mason and indeed Alli
usher in a generation of elite English performers, if not only for the sake of
our international aspirations.

When will the WWE learn?

It was only this time one year ago the whole ‘WWE Universe’ (the company’s apparent collective noun for fans in recent years) were left outraged by the Royal Rumble match.

Daniel Bryan’s omission from the 30-man battle royal prompted a torrent of boos to ring out through Pittsburgh back in 2014, thus whole heartedly rejecting the entire notion of Dave Batista’s comeback win. Poor Rey Mysterio entering at number 30 probably still doesn’t understand what he did so wrong.

In the subsequent 12 months WWE has treated (subjected) the fans to a string of lacklustre pay-per-views and several lazy, nondescript feuds.

A prime example would be the extreme dilution of The Miz and Mizdow’s partnership stretching out a two-month feud with The Usos.  After tentatively involving Jimmy Uso’s wife, Naomi, the last month has simply consisted of The Miz facing either Uso in singles competition on Raw. There is absolutely zero narrative involved and the WWE are clearly just hoping Mizdow’s popularity will be enough.

Also don’t forget the marathon series of clinics Santino Marella and Emma put on with Fandango and Summer Rae last year, too.

Daniel Bryan and Kane appears to be a matchup the WWE are intent on bleeding every last drop from at the moment. I understand about feeding a champion a credible opponent, often a respected, veteran performer to give the title reign a strong start, a la Jericho/Punk 2012. But Kane should never have gotten that opportunity before Bryan’s injury and he certainly should be dead and buried by now (pun intended).

Speaking as a huge Kane fan many moons ago (we’re talking 99-04), I could even appreciate his last title run in 2010. Today, however, at 47-years-old, he is clogging up valuable space at the top of the card and has lost all aura and star power.

The juxtaposing rises of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to the main event scene are the exact problem the fans have with how the WWE handles their business right now.

Rollins has been earning his way to the top and blossoming in front of our very eyes as the top in-ring heel in the company right now. He’s grown into his cocky persona and has more than held up his end of the bargain in segments with Cena and Heyman on the mic, two seasoned performers by all accounts.

Most importantly, he continues to deliver in the ring. A big part of the reason fans gravitated to the likes of CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan is their in-ring performances; the undeniable talent that should remind Vince McMahon of the wrestling industry superseding ‘sports entertainment’.

It’s the organic relationship a performer develops with the crowd that truly marks the beginning of a star; you can’t force them down the crowd’s throats. If they are particularly entertaining on the mic, that’s one way to get things started and garner some interest, but ultimately it’s their in-ring delivery that wins the fans….wait for it….over.

Fandango had a catchy theme song, Adam Rose had a catchy theme song; but those things only capture the crowd’s interest for so long. Rollins put on a masterful performance in Sunday’s WWE World Heavyweight Title triple-threat match and as he stood in the ring following Brock Lesnar’s retention, it felt like a moment where the crowd applauded a heel who had gone the distance to give them what they wanted. Seth Rollins had arrived.

Roman Reigns however, has been booked to arrive. He was already the powerful big-hitter in the Shield, then he had the stellar Survivor Series and Royal Rumble performances prior to the groups break up. The foundations were being laid.

Following his return from injury in December 2014, it was painfully obvious that Reigns was being primed for a Rumble victory and thus Wrestlemania main event. In the fans eyes, that accolade should go to a deserving individual who has paid his dues and earned the right. To be force-fed a new hero from such a distance is insulting to a fan base who have increasingly yearned to be heard while the product continues to slump.

The fans appeared to contradict themselves by anointing Reigns ‘Superstar of the Year’ at the Slammy’s in December. Whether he truly won that award or it was another piece to the puzzle we shall never truly know. If we were to take it at face value though, perhaps we only have ourselves to blame.

If the creative direction of the Rumble wasn’t bad enough, the booking of it hit an incredibly deplorable low.

The return of Bubba-Ray Dudley was a nice surprise, especially appreciated by the Philadelphia crowd and their ECW roots. The Dudley Boyz had been linked with a WWE return last year but all talk appeared to have died down – it was a rare surprise entrant that actually constituted a surprise. It would have been better if D-Von had also been in tow, of course, but R-Truth certainly wouldn’t have minded.

Giving so much spotlight to Bray Wyatt, Rusev and Dean Ambrose was also a welcome move in light of their development in recent months.

That’s where the positives end though. No eliminations appeared to serve as a platform for a feud. Having the Big Show and Kane, two waning superstars whom have left the fans tired with their longevity, feature in the final four, was outright awful booking. They were never, ever going to win. Ever. All suspense was lost from that moment.

Daniel Bryan entered number 10, and exited at number 11. He spent just over 10 minutes in the Rumble, a record bettered by Jack Swagger, Big E and Stardust. The WWE so often talks about ‘drawing’ and what superstars bring eyes to the product. One might bet the vast majority of paying customers wanted to see Daniel Bryan on Sunday.

Dolph Ziggler, the coveted number 30, lasted 2:19. This was by far the most ridiculous decision, as all prior booking suggested that Ziggler would play a central role in the event. His rallying displays during Intercontinental bouts in spite of The Authority, the phenomenal, what should have been career defining performance at the Survivor Series, and lastly, his recent firing meant finally some due spotlight had found its way to the Show Off.

The WWE knew they needed a hot face to enter 30 after the backlash they received last year and fresh after being rehired (all storyline firings are final you know…), Ziggler’s entrance and involvement in storylines at the very top of the card could have easily justified a Rumble win.

Instead, he was flung out in the same, almost nonchalant fashion that Daniel Bryan was. How Bryan, Ziggler and Reigns didn’t comprise the final three I’ll never know. It surely isn’t incredulous to think that to keep the fans invested in the finish, they must not be able to predict it. Why do Big Show and Kane need to be involved?

Mizdow also lasted a total of 18 seconds. It seems as, off the back of one of the most poorly received Rumbles in history in 2014, the WWE went out of their way to suppress any superstar the crowd truly support.

Possibly the worst of all, they obviously thought bringing out The Rock at the end would quell any boos raining down on Reigns. Whilst he received a massive pop upon his music hitting, The Rock was suddenly Triple H circa 2000 for holding Reigns hand in the air. The look on his face said it all; he knew the fans weren’t buying it.

Positioned correctly, Reigns Vs Lesnar has all the recipes for a classic match. Reigns certainly looks like a legit star, and has the size and power to make you believe he could run with Lesnar. If Lesnar were to be the monster heel he’s been for 80% of his entire WWE tenure, the young Reigns endeavouring to usurp him is a story waiting to be told. On paper, it’s perfectly logical.

However, there’s a few problems with Vince’s dream scenario. First off, with Lesnar’s contract running down and no word of him re-signing, everybody knows he’ll drop the title to Reigns. That’s a reason not to care right there.

Secondly, the fans, like they did back in 2003, have come to love Lesnar again for the once in a lifetime athlete he is. You just can’t deny how special he is. In spite of all the frustrating part-time appearances and apparent lack of love for the business, it’s not his fault the WWE pay him so much to do so little. Where Heyman normally carries the load in terms of hype and promotion of bouts, Lesnar featured more heavily in the run up to his Royal Rumble triple threat match with Rollins and Cena.

He has a palpable intensity that people never get tired of watching. Every time he threatens to go, fans are always desperate to see it because his character is, bar none, the most believable on the roster. He sold brilliantly in the build up to the match, which he isn’t as famed for as he should be, and delivered his best in-ring performance since returning in 2012 in the eventual title bout.

It’s a fine balance between being able to surprise and shock the audience and giving them what they want. Everybody thought Steve Austin was a lock to win the 1999 Rumble, but they delivered a big swerve in having Vince McMahon become the victor. McMahon/Austin was the hottest feud in the industry at that point so belittling winning the prestigious event was a worthwhile risk; it was another milestone on a fantastic angle.

Batista returning heavily pointed to his win last year. Everybody also knew that Cena would face The Rock at Mania 29 for the title and therefore he would win the 2013 Rumble. The fans can only take so much of lazy, obvious writing and pine for their voices to be heard. I honestly don’t know if there has ever been a less creative start to a feud than how Rusev and Cena kicked off after the Rumble.

It’s not Reigns time yet, no matter how much the WWE might want it to be. He would be better served in a triple threat match with his former Shield team mates at Wrestlemania. That match would draw and could feasibly be for the number one contendership for the WWE WHT.

Interestingly, Vince stated during his interview with Steve Austin that he didn’t believe Cesaro had developed a connection with the fans yet, that something was missing. Anybody could see that following the Andre the Giant memorial win Cesaro was over. Not getting over – he was over. His giant swing and unique, powerful move set had the crowd onside. You have to question what Vince really heard from the fans, or if he indeed heard what he wants to hear.

The CEO clearly has an undeniable track record of creating great stars in this business, but in an age where social media and fan interaction is at an all-time high, is the process and presentations of stars simply different?

Side note in amongst rambling rant: Why not put some stars in a tag team that aren’t being used in the title scene? The Rock and Mick Foley capitalised huge on this back in late 1999 and I would argue that helped catapult the Rock to the superstardom he achieved. It helps the division and potentially expands the character. Daniel Bryan and Kane are an excellent example of this in modern times, the rub that gave Bryan really gave him the extra edge.

Bo Dallas is a character that has flopped in recent times, yet he is a real life brother of Bray Wyatt. Perhaps use that as a feud? Or make Dallas darker and make them a team? Brothers have a history of making for deep stories within the WWE. But hey, what do I know!

The WWE rectified their mistakes last year and created one of the most memorable storylines in recent years as Daniel Bryan rose to the mountain top in a change of plans. It’s imperative they heed the Royal Rumble crowd’s warning, before Reigns is rejected beyond repair.

Redknapp’s Rangers revolution should be revered

After speculation arose in the media this week that Harry Redknapp’s reign at QPR may be meeting its climax, is it time for the west Londoners sought a new direction?

The R’s currently find themselves in the Premier Division’s relegation zone in 19th place. However, one 3-0 victory would catapult them up to as far as 12th. Although life in the top flight is often defined by small margins, QPR are far from the lost cause they had plunged to before Redknapp’s appointment.

The 67-year-old London-born Redknapp took the reins from now Stoke boss Mark Hughes at the back end of November 2012. The Hoops had only picked up four points from their opening 12 games and although there appeared to be adequate time to turn it around, the unsustainable transfer model the club had operated under truly shackled Redknapp in his attempts to reshape the club.

Chairman Tony Fernandes can rightly be commended for his enthusiasm to progress QPR and make them an established top-flight side. However, he must also accept some of the blame for the clubs immediate plight for putting his blind faith, and thus chequebook, in Hughes.

It’s a trend with Fernandes; it started even before Hughes made his way to the hot-seat. Neil Warnock set the precedent by bringing in notorious troublemaker, part-time playmaker Joey Barton, making him the highest paid player in the clubs history at £70,000-a-week. You’d expect that kind of money to get you a top-end Premier Division midfielder and as good as Barton can be on his day, is he really good enough to negate the constant marks against his character? What has he really done to earn that kind of money?

With someone like Mario Balotelli, he’s proven on the world stage to be a deadly goalscorer (at least, he was!), so you can see the incentive to take a risk with him on your books. To me, with Barton it’s not so obvious.

Shaun Wright-Phillips came in for £60,000-a-week. SWP was a player in clear decline since his early City and then Chelsea days and was rapidly approaching 30; that’s not a smart investment.

Once Hughes took up the mantle the damage really started. Bobby Zamora (£70,000), Djbril Cisse (£60,000), Nedum Onuoha (£55,000), Park Ji-Sung (£70,000), Robert Green (£50,000), Esteban Granero (£65,000), Stephane Mbia (£50,000), Jose Bosingwa (£65,000), Juilio Cesar (£75,000) and Junior Hoilett (£50,000) were all added during his tenure, sending a bill previously occupied in the upper echelons by the likes of Clint Hill and Shaun Derry through the roof.

There’s a litany of problems with these transfers, almost too glaring to remonstrate. A lot of these players had already rode the high points of their career, and would have merely seen this move as an opportunity to make some good money.

Green has always been mistake prone. Granero couldn’t adapt to England. Onuoha had been playing right-back in a very good Man City side, not trying to marshal the heart of a struggling team’s defence. Zamora had one good season at Fulham, how at 31 was he deemed worth that wage?

Don’t get me wrong, nearly all of the players named above have their uses, in particularly Zamora, who has proved an excellent foil for his strike partners. But the money attributed to them? Absolutely not.

You could argue that only Julio Cesar justified the reputation he arrived with. Hoilett was certainly a major disappointment after an electric spell with Blackburn Rovers – I too would have taken a chance on him truth be told (as of course, my opinion comforts Mark Hughes).

Redknapp’s would be rescue mission had some high-profile signings of his own. Loic Remy was by far and away the best signing of the Fernandes era and gave QPR a fighting chance of survival in the 12/13 season.

Redknapp also brought in Christopher Samba, a proven Premier League defender seemingly in the prime of his career. Although the initial outlay of £12.5m and £100,000-a-week in wages appeared to escalate an already alarming spending trend, QPR did insert a clause enabling them to sell Samba back to Anzhi in the event of relegation for £12m – which they did.

That more calculated approach served as a platform for the club moving forward. One of the bright sparks in their relegation campaign was on-loan Spurs winger Andros Townsend, but even these signings couldn’t compensate for the damage inflicted from prior reigns.

During the ill-fated 12/13 campaign, QPR had a wage bill of £78m, which was 128% of their entire turnover. That’s a wage bill bigger than that season’s Champions League finalists, Borussia Dortmund, and also last season’s finalists and La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid, who boast a wage bill of just £54m.

This revolving door era at Loftus Road saw 25 different first team signings which ultimately led to QPR having no real kind of style or purpose about their play. Instead, they were just a group of experienced pro’s frustrated by the clubs slide towards the trap door.

Following relegation, Redknapp had the chance to rebuild QPR in the summer of 2013 through his own eyes.

His tenure has spawned a more calculated approach in QPR’s dealings which appear more business sensitive and linked to a collective vision. For instance, Steven Caulker, Charlie Austin and Alex McCarthy (ahem) are young and promising English talents who are hungry to play in the top-flight. They represent some resale value if they were to be moved on. Austin’s worth in particular has probably trebled since his £4m move from Burnely.

Austin has undoubtedly been a revelation in west London and his 13 league goals so far have been pivotal to the clubs survival contention. In fact, Austin has been involved in 59% of all of QPR’s goals, the highest contribution from any player in one team in all of Europe’s top five leagues (Spain, England, France Italy & Germany).

Austin failed a medical with Hull prior to his switch to Loftus Road, but Redknapp saw the ex-non-league star as a calculated risk worth taking, for the money involved. That deal in itself represents an entire different outlook to chucking top, top money at ageing foreigners like Bosingwa.

Redknapp has done well to restore a British core to his side. His deals have been relatively cheap but have managed to acquire a balance of experienced and exciting signings, including the likes of Richard Dunne, Karl Henry, Jordan Mutch (Ok, he was £6m), Danny Simpson, Matt Phillips and Rio Ferdinand, the latter of whom took a 75% pay cut.

Ferdinand represents the kind of shrewd signing that Redknapp has become famous for (though I wouldn’t say that to his face…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5fwF...) and someone with his decorated trophy cabinet can lend some unique wisdom to a young starlet like Caulker, all the while gaining some extra tread on his well-worn tyres in the process.

QPR have struggled on their travels this year, but have only succumb to defeat by a solitary goal away to Chelsea, Arsenal and Southampton to name a few. It’s their home form that has won back over a crowd - disillusioned with watching unmotivated mercenaries - with their rabid and tenacious, never say die play.

The appointment of Glenn Hoddle as Redknapp’s number two must also be applauded. Religious aspersions aside, Hoddle was not only an incredible player but widely regarded as an excellent coach. He’s arguably (certainly, in my eyes) the last manager to actually coach England to play a style.

This QPR side has developed a character that was sadly absent during their last stay in the top-flight. Redknapp deserves a chance to find the right formula away from home, steer them to safety and continue building on the carefully laid foundations that seek to restore a famous club of its identity.

To do Wenger's legacy justice, he needs to hand it over

It’s important to preface any Arsene Wenger article with sufficient and deserving acknowledgement of the Frenchmen’s revolutionary impact on Arsenal as a football club. For there to be such a perpetual outcry of underachievement emitting from the Emirates, it is indeed one of the greatest markers for the work Wenger has done since he arrived in North London back in August 1996.

This however, isn’t a celebration of the record-setting strides Wenger has achieved in his near on 18 years with the Gunners.

This is an appreciation for the club that Wenger has built today, that now needs to be carefully passed into new, dynamic hands.

Despite having been league champions in 1989 and 1991 before the Premier League’s inception, by the time Wenger made his way over from Japan Arsenal had disintegrated into an upper mid-table side come cup specialists, renowned for grinding out unattractive 1-0 victories.

By 2006, Arsenal were three-time Premier League champions, four-time FA Cup winners, double winners TWICE, completed a season unbeaten away from home, became the ‘Invincibles’ and narrowly lost a Champions League final to a Barcelona side well on their way to being considered one of the greatest outfits of all-time.

In the eight years that followed a glory-laden era in the red half of north London, Arsenal racked up five fourth place finishes, three third place finishes, runners-up twice in the League Cup, one Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Manchester United no less, but more importantly to Wenger, a new stadium.

Wenger’s vision for Arsenal to become one of Europe’s true super powers far exceeded the brand of football his side should play, it reached all corners of the club. With the unconditional support of his biggest advocate, David Dein, the former Monaco boss set about investing in the clubs future which started with the £10m construction of their training ground in 1999.

Wenger’s main goal however was to build another stadium, once he realised nearby housing prevented the expansion of their 38,419-seater home Highbury. The financial benefits and ever expanding fan base thanks to their continued Wenger inspired success made the move a no-brainer from the get-go.

In July 2006, two short months after their Champions League heartache in Paris, Arsenal opened the brand new 60,272-seater Emirates Stadium catapulting their capacity from ninth biggest in the top-flight, to second.

Now, its antecedent that finance should come before anything else in a venture like that, especially having seen how the purse strings came to bring successful clubs like Portsmouth, and a team as historically powerful as Leeds, to their very knees in the last decade.

To cut a long story short, the cheque book did indeed bring Arsenal to their knees, but in the polar opposite way to the aforementioned pair.

Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Robin Van Persie, Alexander Hleb, Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri and Alex Song all left in that eight year, trophy-less span for big fees to great success. Rivals Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all capitalised and won league titles with these former Gunners in the interim, while the others left for Barcelona where they won multiple domestic and European titles.

Over the period in question, Arsenal received £219.2m in transfer fees whilst forking out £218.32m, meaning they actually made £880,000. Wenger’s men managed to qualify for the lucrative Champions League in all of those eight seasons too, showing what an initial strain the Emirates Stadium brought them.

On that note, Wenger has shown remarkable consistency by qualifying for Europe’s premiere competition 17 seasons in a row and indeed 15 years of interrupted progression through the group stages.

Somewhere along the line, what should be a bit of Arsenal trivia became the gauge of success.

Arsenal’s transfer strategy naturally had to adapt and the wise Wenger sought to buy young, promising talent from the continent. He wanted to groom and mould his starlets into not only leading Premier League performers, but a new Arsenal.

Wenger may well have been financially restricted in his efforts to make Arsenal a permanent resident at the elite level, but there was no excuse for aiding their rivals like he did. He allowed four of his top stars to move to a budding Manchester City and win medals almost immediately; Wenger did the hard work of establishing all of those individuals from relative obscurity before allowing City to reap the rewards.

Fabregas wanted to go to Barcelona, Robin Van Persie wanted to go to Manchester United. It’s all well and good being the nice guy and succumbing to player’s wishes, but not when they directly conflict with your own interests. Allowing Fabregas to return home to Catalonia wouldn’t directly hurt Arsenal, whereas RVP would lead United to the 12/13 League title finishing the Golden Boot winner with 26 goals. Why not cash in on him abroad?

For all of Arsenal’s merits in their European endeavours, they’ve still exited at the last-16 stage four years running. That is undoubtedly a backwards trend, usually stemming from their inability to win their group resulting in the toughest draw possible.

Last summer’s acquisition of Mesut Ozil for £42.5m signalled a new era for Arsenal, the end of the stadium induced transfer oppression and the beginning of the heavyweight gala signings. Arsenal’s top three most expensive signings of all time have occurred in the last 18 months, starting with Ozil at the top, swiftly followed by Alexis Sanchez for just over £30m, and Danny Welbeck for £17m on August’s deadline day this year.

Before that deal, the record transfer was Sylvain Wiltord’s £13m move in 2000. Amongst the figures does indeed lie a story – somewhere along the line, Wenger became more interested in protecting his ‘brand’ of football than winning titles.

Take last summer for instance. Chelsea’s forward line of Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto’o only managed 19 league goals between them, whereas even Everton loanee Romelu Lukaku managed to record 15 league goals.

Boss Jose Mourinho wasted no time, or expense, in solving his goalscoring issues as prolific Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa, Loic Remy and club legend Didier Drogba headed up a new front trio as the other four were shown the door.

Long-serving stalwarts Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole both sought pastures new to enjoy the winter of their careers and find new tread on their well-worn tyres. Mourinho’s answer to those established departures came in the shape of the best left-back in La Liga for at least the last two years, Filipe Luis, and a proven creative Premier League commodity in former Gunner, Fabregas. Who did Wenger get to replace Thomas Vermaelan?

Everything Mourinho does is about winning. He makes no apologies for his ambitions and isn’t interested in building a dynasty or increasing a clubs profile – it’s about success and success only. The Portuguese tactician spots a void in his team and he fills it with what’s best conducive to his strategy and what’s proven in the marketplace.

Look at his attacking midfielders. Andre Schurrle, Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar are all terrifically talented individuals in their own right, but to be part of Mourinho’s team they’ve had to display athleticism and hunger to underpin a necessary work ethic. Juan Mata and Kevin De Buyne, another two excellent players, were guided to the exit for not being able to comply with Mourinho’s demands.

Wenger however, seems almost contrite in his big money signings. Of course, he’s spending the kind of money the fans have pined for, but is it more of a token gesture rather than logically applied?

Mikel Arteta, the 32-year-old, uncapped Spaniard, continues to anchor the Arsenal midfield and act as the protective force for the Gunners back four. In his absence, 30-year-old three-time French international Mathieu Flamini is his deputy.

One look at Nemanja Matic or Fernandinho of rivals Chelsea and Manchester City respectively and the gap in quality is profound. Arteta is a comfortable receiver off the back four, but he’s not Arsenal’s primary need in that role. Similarly, Flamini’s raw aggression and desire doesn’t compensate for his unreliable distribution. And Abou Diaby is a non-starter.

Wenger has recently been quoted as saying he will look to renew Diaby’s contract at the end of the season. Whilst it’s probable such a deal would be on a pay-as-you-play basis, and the French international is certainly a talented player, on the rare occasions you get the pleasure to see it, when does Wenger draw the line?

Diaby currently earns £65,000-a-week. The former Auxerre man signed a five-and-half year deal on December 31st 2009 and has only managed 32 league appearances in five subsequent seasons. For you mathematicians out there, that’s £16.9m spent on Diaby over that period. For a man so stringent with the clubs finances Wenger seems incredulous to Diaby’s worth, or lack thereof.

It appears Wenger refuses to address the most obvious deficiencies in his side that any common fan could detect. Arsenal are statistically the shortest side in the Premier League, in an age where the physical and athletic aspects of the game are more vital than ever. The Gunners have been crying out for a commanding defensive midfielder and centre half, yet Wenger either hasn’t been able to sign the fitting individual (although there has been multiple chances) or worse still, he doesn’t see the problem at all.

Wenger also seems to think Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny is an impregnable, undroppable partnership, too. They both however, featured in Arsenal’s away drubbings to the top four last season: 6-3 loss at Manchester City, 6-0 loss at Chelsea and a 5-1 loss at Liverpool.

Long-serving Wenger has undoubtedly elevated the club far beyond anyone’s expectations since he first arrived back in 1996. He’s given the club state of the art facilities, a world-renowned, aesthetically pleasing brand of football and he’s managed all of this whilst making sure the club is debt free and self-sufficient, enabling them to thrive in the new Financial Fair Play era.

But they’re not thriving. Wenger has done tremendous to get the club to this position, but now either doesn’t know how to capitalise, or has forgotten.

The great Arsenal sides mentioned earlier boasted formidable spines. Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure were the predominant ‘Invincibles’ defensive pairing, and they had Gilberto Silva and the imperious Patrick Vieira in front of them. Thierry Henry was a huge, palpable presence at the point of Arsenal’s attack and most of all, he was a winner – a champion.

Even 1998’s double winning side had Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Emmanuel Petit, Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright. All leaders, players who stood up and were counted.

I don’t need to waste time drawing comparisons on today’s squad to accentuate this point.

The players in the Premier League you associate in that class are the likes of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, John Terry and Gary Cahill, someone Wenger could have easily had if he would have shelled out the £7m Bolton asked for. He hesitated, Chelsea did not.

The time has come for a new man to come in and look at this club objectively without sentiment and board room motivations. Wenger cannot detach himself from what he has built and remains stubborn in his vision, no matter how far his rivals go to disprove it.

Jurgen Klopp or Diego Simeone strike me as the most tangible and realistic targets to succeed Wenger. Both are champions (ignore Dortmund’s form this year) and have excellent track records in the transfer market. The worst thing Arsenal could do is try and smooth over a transition in the same vein that Manchester United did with David Moyes – the club shouldn’t want to continue their recent trend.

But retaining the clubs identity and ethos is relatively easy when it appertains to success. Wenger may see ultimate sacrilege in compromising the former, but the fans, the highest paying fans in all of Europe, only care in the latter. 

Manchester United’s Balance, Or Lack Thereof

We all like a marquee signing. Invariably, the big money players in the world are the ones that will excite and deliver – namely goal-scorers. You see, the fee is in the produce, and the reason why clubs have paid vast sums for Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Neymar, Luis Suarez etc is because their worth can be correlated statistically. Goals win games, and if you can prove you can score or create goals, you are a valuable commodity in the market place.

If you look at the last ten transfers to break the world-record fee, all of them are either strikers or advanced midfielders. In fact, you’d have to go back to Ruud Gullit’s £6m move to Milan back in 1987 to even make a case for a defensive player laying claim to that distinction. The Dutchmen was actually deployed right-side of the front three in his Milan days, it wasn’t until he joined Sampdoria and then Chelsea that he was deployed as a sweeper/defensive midfielder. So, a loose claim indeed.

Also, goals are a glamorous and attractive quality, something kids pertain to superstars and idols, thus the player has money making potential commercially. The importance of this can be seen in Real Madrid’s and Ronaldo’s, at the time, world-record breaking £80m transfer.

Madrid reported in 2010, a solitary year after the Portuguese superstar arrived in the Spanish capital, that in shirt sales and Ronaldo memorabilia alone they had already recouped the vast majority of the massive outlay it took to prize him away from Manchester United.

Given his unprecedented success four years on, who knows how much money the current Ballon D’or has made the Spanish giants.

Anyway, what does this mean for United?

Simply put, Louis Van Gaal has concentrated far more on appeasing a fan base exposed to uncharacteristically insipid play rather than rebuilding a squad now bereft of leaders.

Angel di Maria, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw – there’s nothing wrong with those signings in isolation. But could the £16m spent on Marcos Rojo perhaps have been more wisely invested in a centre-half? I agree it can’t hurt to have too much firepower, but Falcao’s addition (incredible cross for Van Persie Vs Leicester by the way) will probably serve to force LVG into playing a front two, stifling the influence of Juan Mata and the development of Adnan Januzaj.

My point is, they could have coped up front, especially given these arrivals signalled the end of Danny Welbeck and the, in my opinion, vastly underrated Javier Hernandez. Tyler Blackett, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling on the other hand, are simply not equipped to marshal a Manchester United defence yet for a variety of reasons, ranging from experience to overall quality.

The incandescent United of yesterday died with Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Just as Jose Mourinho carries that ‘winning is everything’ demeanour, Sir Alex’s troops were almost obsequious to his character and the institution he created. SAF ruled, and to be a part of his magical dynasty players had to fully submit themselves to the cause. It was intrinsic (no exceptions: David Beckham, Jaap Stam)

No longer do you feel United could score right up until the final seconds. No longer do you feel like Old Trafford is a fortress which gravitates its players to victory. The club’s identity is waning.

LVG has only taken five points from Swansea (h), Sunderland (a), Burnley (a), QPR (h) and Leicester (a) to kick-off the Premier League campaign, and also hasn’t had any European competition to worry about.

David Moyes on the other hand managed seven points in his opening five games via Swansea (a), Chelsea (h), Liverpool (a), Crystal Palace (h), Man City (a). Those facts speak for themselves.

One would imagine LVG will be afforded more time and fans patience due to his pedigree and elite club experience. It could be argued that’s harsh on Moyes, who was always going to be sacrificed as some kind of martyr due to his lack of top-level exposure. Truth be told, it was always going to be a near-on impossible task to follow SAF, but following last season’s wounding experiment LVG should be able to stamp his own authority on this United side, whereas Moyes seemed to attempt to accommodate remnants of SAF’s success, hoping it would yield similar results.

I’m not readily dismissing LVG’s reign, more highlighting what’s in store until January at least. The Red Devils will certainly be able to score goals with the plethora of talent available in advanced areas, but as the embarrassing Leicester defeat showed they aren’t just vulnerable at the back, they’re fragile.

Conceding five to a newly promoted team is a stinging blow, admittedly. However, score-lines sometimes do take a life of their own on the day, and it isn’t a true reflection of the team. Two examples from 2001: Germany 1-5 England & Manchester United 6-1 Arsenal.

Now, was England really four better goals better than Germany? Of course not. Germany went on to finish runners up to Brazil in the World Cup nine months later. It highlights how momentum and desire in a rivalry can be equalisers. In relation to United’s Leicester defeat, you have to remember – everyone still wants to beat Manchester United – it’s the name.

Interestingly and relatedly, Arsenal added Sol Campbell that summer following the February humiliation at Manchester United. By the end of the following season, they had won the Premier League and FA Cup double.

When United reverted back to a flat back four for the trip to Leicester, I found that a slight concession on LVG’s part from his ideals to the Premier League’s harsh reality. But whatever formation he tries to utilise, he doesn’t have the personnel with character and presence to provide a reliable defensive platform. You can make a case for all of United’s defenders merits and areas where they excel, but collectively they don’t mesh as a solid unit or exude the in your face defiance Vidic & Ferdinand reverberated around the team.

I also think Carrick plays an understated role in helping transition the ball from defence into the creative players. He takes ownership and is willing to go and collect the ball to dictate a tempo, whereas Blind and Herrera, who both are decent individuals with promising contributions to be made, are still adapting to the Premier League. I always personally found Carrick rather non-descript for England, but for United his influence is a subtle but effective one. His return from injury will provide a familiar and reliable outlet.

As Arsenal did in the summer of 2001, LVG needs to address the alarming lack of leaders and overall ‘winners’ at the core of his team. The red half of Manchester’s spine isn’t what it once was, and gala attacking signings can only do so much to dissipate the depressing memory of Moyes’ reign.

Improve the defence – it’s probably not the most potent or eye-opening journalistic revelation you’ll ever read. Still, it’s a fact that has alluded SAF’s successors thus far and that in itself at this juncture is a nefarious act in itself.

West Ham's admirable transfer approach

There’s something all-English and attractive about West Ham United. Perhaps it stems from their influence on our heroic 1966 World Cup winners, or maybe it’s the quality production line that has proven to be the gift that just keeps giving down the years.

London’s east-end club has certainly given this nation its fair share of players. Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe have amassed 383 international caps between them and bagged 62 goals.

Between them, they have won every honour available in club football. 18 Premier League titles, nine FA cups, nine league cups, two Club World Cups, one Europa League and three Champions League medals.

Even if England have faltered at the quarter-final stage numerous times during the aforementioned players careers, they have no doubt reached the mountain peaks in football. Whilst World Cup honours are of course unparalleled accolades, I don’t go along with the notion that if you don’t do it there, you can’t be considered great (Lionel Messi IS one of the greatest to ever play the game – fact).

As any Hammers fan will know, none of these players achieved these feats at Upton Park.

Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe were the last of the prestigious batch to depart the Irons back on 2004 (Both for Tottenham) and since then the Hammers have spent three seasons in the Championship, have finished no higher than ninth in the Premier League, had Carlton Cole as their top scorer for a remarkable four seasons in a row and lost a titanic FA cup final to Steven Gerrard. Sorry, Liverpool.

A string of less than imposing foreign imports on the pitch and upheaval in the boardroom has contributed to a turbulent time for the club. In the 10 years in question, there have been three different owners varying from the stable Terrence Brown, the eccentric and ambitious Eggert Magnusson to today’s combination of ex-Birmingham chairman David Gold and David Sullivan.

Seriously, remember some of these names that have walked through the illustrious doors at Upton Park?

Sebastian Schemmel, Yaniv Katan, Savio (£9m!!), Diego Tristan, Lars Jacobson Titi Camera, Hayden Foxe and Ragnvald Soma all turned out in the claret and blue since the turn of the century. 154 appearances in all competitions that bunch racked up.

Sam Allardyce took the reins in 2011 and has sought to steady the ship with his combative but generally result yielding style. Promotion via the play-offs in his first season, followed up by 10th and 13th place finishes have given the West Ham faithful renewed hunger for more.

After a slog of sorts to mid-table safety last term, Allardyce’s Andy Carroll embodied fashion is no longer compatible with West Ham’s progressive ideals.

Careful not to run before you can walk, Hammers.

West Ham have done terrific work so far this window. The £7m acquisition of Cheikhou Kouyate, 24, from Anderlecht must be considered a coup given the reported interest from top European clubs in the Senegalese international.

A very mobile and athletic 6”3 centre half is an exciting option in a position West Ham were incredibly depleted last term. Basically, you don’t sign Roger Johnson on loan if you’re swimming in options.

Aaron Cresswell, also 24, is another shrewd move from Big Sam and must be considered a snip at £3.75m. The Liverpool-born left-back finished second for assists in the Championship last season laying on 13 goals for his team mates.

His set-piece prowess has been likened to Leighton Baines, and he certainly provides a threat from dead balls as well as whipping in from wide in open play. Joey O’Brien and Matty Taylor could only do so much for West Ham, this is undoubtedly another area strengthened.

Diego Poyet, 19, son of Sunderland manager Gus, is another strong signing who earned rave reviews for his performances in a Charlton shirt since his debut in January of this year. A classy and creative defensive midfielder who was named Charlton’s player of the year after only 20 appearances, has joined West Ham on a free transfer after his contract ran down, though Charlton will receive some compensation down the line.

Mauro Zarate, 27, is an exciting signing who many fans may remember from his loan stint with Birmingham back in 2008. It could be argued he’s not a natural born goalscorer, but his feet and inventive style could be the imaginative outlet West Ham have tendered to bypass in recent years. An absolute steal on a free transfer and well worth a punt.

At the point of writing this, Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia, 25, is undergoing a medical ahead of a proposed £13m transfer to West Ham. This deal will no doubt be the deal capturing the fans imagination.

Three goals at the World Cup finals, as well as a strike against England in the weeks prior, put the Pachua forward on all of Europe’s radar. Valencia struck 18 times in 23 games for the Mexican side as well as having a record of 7 in 13 for his national side. That indicates a predator.

But do West Ham have cause to be concerned? Cast your mind back four years ago to when West Ham signed another impressive star of the World Cup from Mexico.

His name was Pablo Barerra, an electric right-winger who had shone brightly with his direct and pacey displays for Mexico in South Africa. The Hammers paid £4m to prize Barrera away from his club Pumas before shipping him out on loan to Real Zaragoza only a season later - with no goals or assist to his credit.

Big Sam is also said to have tabled a £9.5m bid for Ukraine international Yevhen Konoplyanka, 24, last week, though Dnipro are understood to be holding out for the players release clause of £12m.

Whether they manage to pull of that deal or not, that’s excellent ambition from the club. I’ve been super impressed by the diminutive winger every time I’ve watched him play and he especially gave Glen Johnson a torrid time during our qualifying campaign for the finals in Brazil (which is becoming a less impressive feat to be fair). I don’t see why he cannot be a part of a top four club for sure, and he’s certainly leagues above Stewart Downing and the every trying Matt Jarvis.

Should the expected Valencia deal come off, that takes West Ham’s spending to just under £24m, which suggest that the board are fully behind the manager and he’s going all out to make a change.

The most the Hammers ever spent in a transfer window was just over £34m back in the 2006/07 season fresh off the Magnusson takeover. £14m of that war chest was spread over Callum Davenport, Julian Faubert and Luis Boa Morte, by the way.

Either way, I think that’s a marvelous body of targets this summer and it certainly bucks tradition for Big Sam. All of the players are of a good, young age and are exciting, productive players. He’s addressed problem positions from last season and is clearly looking to inject the squad with some more palpable creative influences, which is certainly more pleasing on the eye to a paying crowd.

It’s a prosperous time for the Hammers faithful. The right steps are being taken to move the club forward and not just battle their way to mediocrity every year. A club with the heritage and roots to the core of English football of West Ham, certainly deserves as such.

Five famous football admissions

After Holland’s Arjen Robben admitted to diving during his country’s 2-1 victory over Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup, I thought I’d take a look back at some other startling revelations to cause widespread shock down the years. And no, Bill Clinton is not in this list.

Ashley Cole’s response to Arsenal’s £55,000-a-week contract offer.

Granted, Ashley Cole went on to be probably the best left-back in the world for close to a decade, but when England’s resident number three departed Arsenal in 2006, everyone knew that there had been a contract dispute, of sorts. It turns out that Cole was left “trembling with anger” at the 55k offer and it nearly made him “swerve off the road.” Way to alienate yourself from every working class man in the country, Ashley.

Paul Pogba’s Manchester United departure.

This wasn’t particularly astounding at the time, but since the young Frenchmen has left Old Trafford he’s become a pivotal part of Serie A champions Juventus, a dead-cert starter in the French national team and won the European Golden Boy award. In hindsight, quite how this gem was allowed to leave on a free transfer baffles even the keenest football intellect. Sir Alex told MUTV he was “quite happy” at Pogba’s departure and and added: “I don’t think he showed us any respect at all.” Following a seventh place finish and being force-fed Tom Cleverley’s less than extensive repertoire, the United faithful are left wondering how happy Sir Alex really was!

Paul Merson’s drug problem.

Back in November 1994, then Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson took the unprecedented step of admitting he had a serious cocaine problem. Though the episode is rather amusingly chronicled in his autobiography ‘How Not to Be a Professional Footballer’, it was a first in the Premier League for a player to seek help like that. With the aid of the FA, Merson went away to rehab for three months before returning to contribute to Arsenal’s business end of the season. How many lessons he has learned since, only Ladbrokes could tell you.

Roy Keane’s tackle on Alf Inge Haaland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_st29mlQwU

The video is great. Well, I think it is, Alf probably doesn’t.

Everybody has seen this tackle. During a Manchester derby back in April 2001, Roy Keane let fly what could accurately be called a ferocious, running, knee high stamp on Norwegian Alf Inge Haaland. It was an apparent retaliation for the Man City man’s claims that after Keane committed a foul a few years prior, he was lying on the ground and feigning injury to avoid punishment. Uh oh.

In his autobiography ‘Keane – The Autobiography’, the United skipper said: “I’d waited long enough. I f****** hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.”

“Even in the dressing room afterwards, I had no remorse. My attitude was, f*** him. What goes around comes around. He got his just rewards. He f***** me over and my attitude is an eye for an eye.”

Thomas Hitzlsperger comes out as homosexual.

In January 2014, German international Thomas Hitlsperger was the first player in Premier League history to openly come out as gay. After bringing the curtain down on his career following a brief spell with Everton, aged 31, Hitzlsperger made the revelation claiming he had only come to realise his sexuality in the last few years. Whilst playing for VFB Stuttgart in 2007, Hitzlsperger broke off his engagement to his longtime girlfriend Inga, only a month before they were about to be married. Who knows, maybe Inga found some scant consolation following his announcement seven years on.

Biggest Pops in Wrestling History - What Makes a Moment

For all of the great moments in wrestling, none of them would stand the test of time or live long in the memory if the crowd didn’t play their part.

As the WWE pushed towards a more child friendly product, the crowds have strayed away from the 18-30 male demographic that ruled the attitude era and beyond. Of course, this has an impact on live crowd reactions, as children and chaperoning parents aren’t going to be half as raucous and rowdy as an alcohol fuelled 21-year-old.

Still, the shocks and surprises that the WWE still generates in today’s business manages to whip the fans into frenzies and let loose great crescendos of noise in spite of the internet’s best efforts to spoil them.

This past Monday was one of the best in terms of crowd reactions in a long time. Hartford, Connecticut, is hardly famed for its atmosphere in the same vain as say Madison Square Garden or Chicago, but it goes to show if you give the fans enough to cheer about – they shall.

A Jack Swagger face turn, returns for Chris Jericho, The Miz and AJ Lee on top of the continuing focus on the ascension of Roman Reigns, has piqued the fans interest. Even with the golden goose, Daniel Bryan, on the shelf.

Below are my top 20 ‘crowd pops’ since I started watching back in 1998. It’s worth mentioning that crowd reactions to heels are also vital, but in this instance I’ll focus on the positive reactions. And yes, it was incredibly hard to put these in order!

Kane Tombstone’s Tori (2000)

The basic narrative here is: the McMahon-Helmsley faction was in full swing terrorising any faces on the roster. Kane had recently returned from a few months of exile where before that, he had been tag-team champions with X-Pac. In this time, Kane had fallen in love with Tori (somehow) which had humanised the Big Red Machine. Eventually, the tag-team split and it came out that X-Pac had been doing the nasty with Tori during a Christmas break. After a couple of PPV matches where X-Pac never really got his come uppence and the extended absence, Kane finally returned with the late Paul Bearer in tow. After weeks of nearly giving the harlot what she deserved, Kane finally did. The crowd’s reaction when Kane doesn’t choke slam her is priceless - a tombstone, which was increasingly rare in these days, was a fine substitute. Ahhh, the original masked Kane.

1:00 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW0nDvZRnqw

Edge Spears Jeff Hardy of a 20ft Ladder (2001)

Any wrestling fan knows about the origins of the now famous TLC match. Tables, Ladder and Chairs was bred from three young, exciting teams who took the WWF by storm for almost two years during 1999-2001. The Dudley Boyz brought the tables, Edge and Christian brought the chairs with their conchairto’s and the Hardy Boyz brought ladders to the party. The development of this match was so organically conceived out of their rivalry, it’s quite incredible it’s now an entire PPV. At Wrestlemania 17, Edge performed his finishing manoeuvre on the ever willing Jeff Hardy from 20ft high to shock the world over. No one had ever seen anything like that before at that point.

0:29 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pMFzmV1PpI

HHH runs down to help Stephanie after Randy Orton RKO’s her (2008)

This is the absolute best of Orton. When he was an unstable, crazy heel who did whatever the hell he wanted as the head of his stable, Legacy. After punting Vince McMahon in the head weeks earlier, his son Shane McMahon was seeking retribution and challenged the Viper to a match on Raw. After suffering the same fate, Stephanie, then General Manager, was RKO’d after checking on her brother. HHH, then of Smackdown, ran down to the ring to his wife’s aid setting up a feud that culminated at Wrestlemania 25 and named PWI feud of the year for 2009. What made this especially intriguing, is that this was one of the first times the WWE was considered to have broken the ‘fourth wall’ by admitting HHH and Stephanie were married in real life.

2:49 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV2fk5ezYUQ

Undertaker returns to reunite the Brothers of Destruction at Raw 1000 (2012)

Just a real feel good moment for loyal WWE fans. The Brothers of Destruction had everything you could wish for in a great tag team. They had a strong connection with the fans, interesting characters, with juxtaposing yet parallel back stories and most of all, absolutely excellent in ring performers. After their dominant run in 2001, there was only ever really so long they could actually be kept together – their solo lights shone far too bright to be restricted to the tag division. The Undertaker, after being a staple of Smackdown for over 10 years, returned to help his brother Kane clear the ring of glorified jobbers on the flagship shows 1000th episode.

2:00 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StOIV45UdSI

Chris Benoit defeats HHH & Shawn Michaels for World Heavyweight Title (2004)

To those of you who are newer fans of WWE, I think from an in ring stand point, Dolph Ziggler represents Chris Benoit from 15 years ago. Benoit was debatably THE best in-ring worker and technician in the industry for many years before the WWE finally let him have a run with the top strap. Benoit had the immense talent of translating his personal intensity into his move-set and produced great story-telling. When he finally reached the mountain peak, at the expense of two of the WWE’s greatest ever superstars, it was a momentous moment for Benoit and all of the fans that had pined for him to receive the recognition he truly deserved. The touching moment where he stood in the ring with real life best friend Eddie Guererro, who had retained the other World Title that same night, was something wrestling fans truly cherished. Unfortunately, we all know why that doesn’t receive the coverage it should nowadays.

1:30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eibD8zMSA4M

Dolph Ziggler cashing in Money in the Bank (2013)

Which moves us nicely onto Dolph Ziggler. Although he was technically a heel, the fans couldn’t help but admire the Show Off’s ridiculous work-ethic and general capabilities. After holding the brief case for nine months, Ziggler finally cashed in on an increasingly stagnant champion, Alberto Del Rio, after Jack Swagger had let rip on the Mexican’s ankle. Unfortunately this title run didn’t satisfy the crowd’s Ziggler cravings as he dropped the strap back to Mexico’s greatest export a few short months later following a concussion. Still, the fans truly enjoyed the moment he won.

0:01 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKqtFqpRLEk

John Cena drafted to Raw (2005)

Imagine how this would be greeted now? Well, back in 2005, it was a very, very big deal. Cena had just begun his first of what has now become 15 World Title reigns and had been the hottest thing on Smackdown for at least two years. His Doctor of Thuganomics character had really took off with fans, and he was finally morphing into the character we see today, which was welcome back then.

0:01 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU7lIAg2uJM

Chris Jericho defeats HHH for WWE Title (2000)

This technically never happened – and not in the way Chris Benoit never happened – but the fact that HHH had referee Earl Hebnar reverse his decision about 20 minutes later. At this time, Jericho had been in the WWF for just under a year but had certainly managed to ruffle Stephanie’s feathers in the process with his famous slutty slurs. This enabled Y2J to goad The Game into a title match to kick-off Raw. The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla had never tasted World Title gold to this point, and no one expected any different. HHH had been incurring problems with Hebnar in the weeks prior to the clash, and after pushing Hebnar one time too many, Y2J snuck an unlikely win to send the Pennsylvania crowd into raptures.

13:18 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Su_XnbpDM

Brock Lesnar & The Big Show break the ring during WWE Title match on Smackdown (2003)

In the words of then Smackdown announcer Tazz: “Holy Shit!” These two behemoths had history thanks to Paul Heyman and his changing allegiances, which led to this championship match on Smackdown. After a stellar back and forth contest, Lesnar would attempt a superplex from the top rope, a feat never previously achieved on The Big Show. The result would bring the match and broadcast to a grinding halt with the fans going delirious over the scenes.

0:40 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4GnJvUpsAQ

Rock returns to save Mick Foley from Evolution (2004)

The Peoples Champ made random and sporadic appearances after leaving the company full-time after his loss to Goldberg at Backlash 2003, but this appearance had been building for months. Mick Foley originally retuned as a co-GM at the call of Linda McMahon alongside Eric Bishoff after the former WCW boss disposed of Stone Cold Steve Austin as his partner at Survivor Series 2003. After being challenged to face then Intercontinental champion and Evolution member Randy Orton for his position, Foley opted to walk out, prompting calls the hardcore legend was a coward. For months after, Orton and his fellow Evolution members taunted Foley, who of course would eventually call in the help of his former Rock & Sock Connection partner. This bit of aid from the Rock would lead to a 3-2 handicap match at Wrestlemania 20.

6:42 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w1aRjwsvUs

CM Punk defeats John Cena for WWE Title at Money in the Bank (2011)

This was another feel good moment for the fans who knew that CM Punk had been overlooked as the top guy for way too long. After memorable feuds with The Undertaker and Jeff Hardy to name a few, it was Punk’s time to knock off resident poster boy John Cena. Bar the children buying his merchandise, the fans had grown tired of Cena and needed a change, and the famous ‘Pipebomb’ promo given a few weeks earlier and only heightened the situation. For the first time in a long while, fans genuinely did not know who would win. Everyone knew Punk’s contract was running out too, would this be the last time we saw him? Will Punk leave with the title? Nobody knew. But Chicago, Punks hometown, was certainly going to have its say.

41:30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt2BGKAOz8

Brock Lesnar returns (2012)

The beast incarnate returns. Brock Lesnar was the hottest thing in wrestling for the two brief years he graced the WWE during 2002-04. Lesnar departed in 2004 after a frankly terrible match with Goldberg at Wrestlmania and it truly wasn’t the note he deserved to go out on. When he turned up in Miami 8 years later the night after Wrestlemania 28, the fans were more than ready to welcome the powerhouse back into their lives.

11:30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjGo2m7XnQk

John Cena returns from injury at Royal Rumble entering number 30 (2008)

The leader of The Cenation had his pectoral muscle completely torn from the bone in October 2007 after a routine hip-toss on Mr. Kennedy. He was expected to be out for between seven months and a year. However, in true superman fashion that WWE fans will be accustomed to with Cena, he managed to return at, and win, the 2008 Royal Rumble a mere three months later. Triple H does a masterful job of selling his return as he had been well on his way to winning the Royal Rumble match until Cena’s entrance at number 30.

1:45 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGIqAiUGdLI

The Rock returns to Team WWF during Alliance angle (2001)

Though this was obviously still a richly compelling and exciting angle, this period in wrestling is mostly remembered for what could have been than what it actually was. The five on five Survivor Series match could have been the NWO, Goldberg and Booker T for the Alliance, not Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, Stone Cole Steve Austin, Rob Van Damn and Booker T. Anyway, The Rock got a rematch against Stone Cold in a cage match for the WWE Title the night after Vince McMahon screwed him at Wrestlemania 17. Triple H, who had serious problems with Austin in the months leading up to ‘Mania, interfered and shockingly aligned with Austin, thus creating the two-man power-trip overseen by Vince McMahon. Of course, Triple H would suffer a debilitating quad injury which put that story line to bed earlier than intended, but upon the Rock’s return after four months away, no one knew if The Great One would side with WWF again after Vince McMahon’s foul play.

12:24 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVF8WFqYQHk

Linda McMahon stands up from comatose state (2001)

This is one of my personal favourites. As dedicated as Shane and his father Vince McMahon are to the business, and they are willing to do just about anything in the ring, they just aren’t excellent in-ring technicians. Any worries that fact would spoil there Wrestlemania 18 match were swept aside by the layered story telling the match exuded. From Trish Stratus as Vince McMahons side-chick, Stephanie’s ambition to be her father’s only special girl, Shanes acquisition of WCW and finally, the awful treatment and sad state of Linda McMahon, Vince’s now estranged wife – this match had it all! The finish is right up there in terms of entertainment, and the crowd goes literally nuts when Linda rises to her feet and gives Vince a shot to the go-nads.

0:04 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6hr6xgu6bM

The old Stone Cold Steve Austin (2001)

During the Rock’s aforementioned 2001 exit, Austin engaged in an unexpected heel-turn by aligning himself with long-time nemesis and WWF owner, Vince McMahon. As time went by, Austin mellowed into a scared and cowardly champion, who sought hugs from Vince and would sing him songs courtesy of his guitar. When WCW and ECW formed the alliance and invaded the WWF, Vince needed the ‘old rattlesnake’ to repel the other promotions advances. When the whole WWF locker room was being outnumbered and outfought by the alliance, only one man could save the day…. *glass smashes*

1:55 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8ySy3wxjM

The Rock & Hulk Hogan Raw after their Wrestlemania match (2002)

The crowd’s interaction during this whole segment is phenomenal. Hogan can barely get his promo out through the noise, it’s awesome. This is the night after their ‘Legend Vs Icon’ match in which the Rock, probably the hottest face in the business at that point, got the victory. The crowd started to sour towards the ‘Brama Bull’ for defeating Hogan, and in turn, started to cheer for Hogan who had returned to the company with the NWO a bonafide heel.

The whole thing! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuc-LKVeTP0

Daniel Bryan during the Title unification ceremony (2014)

Similar to the one above, Triple H is trying to get out a promo that the crowd just simply won’t let him. The Authority is trying to sell and promote the upcoming unification match between Randy Orton and John Cena, but the whole arena isn’t interested in that or what HHH has to say – only Daniel Bryan. The Authority had congregated a collection of former champions, Bryan included, to stand in the ring with the announcement to give the match some credence. Even Shawn Michaels struggled to help contain the incredibly loud fanbase.

0.17 onwards! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsESZMBJhXw

Austin helps Mankind win his first WWF title (1999)

This is commonly considered the loudest pop in WWF history if YouTube is anything to go by. A number of factors contributed to the simmering atmosphere during this titanic battle. Firstly, The Rock was in full swing as a heel champion for The Corporation, a group run by the despised Vince McMahon. Secondly, Mankind (Mick Foley) was led to believe he was the Corporation’s hand-picked champion leading into The Deadly Games Tournament for the vacant WWF Title at Survivor Series 1998, for which he was screwed in the final in Bret Hart-esque fashion, like the previous year. Steve Austin, who was still very much a thorn in The Corporation’s side, had his sights set on the title himself, but showed he would do anything to see it leave The Rock’s waist. With the help of a babyface DX too, Austin made a stunning entrance to make history.

0:29 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KybuIy0wKXk

HHH returns after 9 month quad injury (2002)

This is just the ultimate reception. You have to remember, HHH was by far and away the most hated man in the entire industry upon his injury in 2001. In January 2002, he made his long-awaited return to the house the WWF built, Madison Square Garden. It was an incredible sign of respect for his abilities as a wrestler that the crowd gave him the loudest ovation on record that just kept going and going. No matter how you feel about The King of Kings, his commitment to the business and the lengths he’ll go to for the entertainment of the fans should never be questioned. That night, everyone gave him his due.

0:01 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhFpy9p_30o