It is part of the makeup of every football fans DNA. Indeed, going out to purchase the new seasons colours and new kit is a summer ritual which has stemmed back the long twenty years the Premier League has been around as we know it. Whether young or old, to wear the colours truly signifies a fans connection to their beloved brethren and replica shirts indeed represent a large source of income for the teams and clubs we idolise.
But as with anything, there is a much darker side to football fashion; a much uglier and aesthetically displeasing side. We thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and select the twenty worst Premier League football shirts in history. For the jerseys you are about to see, if you bought one, shame on you! To walk down the high street in one of these not only would have taken guts but also a worryingly blind faith within consumerism.
As we fast approach the 20th anniversary of the Premier League we have decided to look back at the 20 worst football kits of this time.
Click on this Wolves monstrosity to see the top 20 worst Premier League kits of all time
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If anyone truly believes the following kits are nice or have another shocker to add to the gruesome collection you can follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
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Let me make it clear right from the start – I love Steven Pienaar.
Not in the sense of a schoolgirl crush on the latest baby-faced singer to come off the conveyor belt, but in a way induced by the little South African’s ability to play the game we know and love so very well and the way Everton’s performances are transformed from the mundane and predictable to the almost sublime when he plays.
Therefore like many others, I am at a loss to understand why Pienaar was not an equally roaring success at current owners Tottenham; it’s a mystery. Or is it such a mystery given the wealth of midfield talent Spurs have at their disposal? Parker, Bale, Van der Vaart, Krancjar, Huddlestone, Modric, Lennon, Sandro, Livermore – there are not many players around who would be guaranteed a starting place in any team with such vaunted competition.
If Pienaar could have produced the kind of form for Tottenham that he has enjoyed since returning to Everton, the pint-sized player may have turned out to be an inspirational purchase for Harry Redknapp. Spurs knew they were getting a talented footballer for a knock-down price, given the inflated sums being spent on the transfer merry-go-round at the time.
Also it may have been perceived as bolstering the squad for a side that could and probably should have secured Champions League football this season, although it was somewhat undeservedly snatched away from them by Chelsea’s bizarre Champions League victory against Bayern Munich this weekend.
But overall you have to question the motive behind Spurs signing Steven Pienaar in the first place (when money might have been better spent on a defender to cover the injury concerns surrounding England internationals Michael Dawson and Ledley King).
Well obviously Pienaar is a good player and was available at the time, you might think that this would be reason enough, but when you consider the Spurs side when Pienaar was acquired, it was difficult to see where the South African would fit into the team; a fact that Pienaar himself must surely have considered.
At Everton, Pienaar predominantly played from the left of midfield, a position he made his own and here he established an almost telepathic relationship with Leighton Baines that produced much of Everton’s attacking threat; he did very occasionally revert to the right or even into central midfield but it was on the left that his play gained most plaudits.
Essentially then Spurs bought him as a left-sided midfielder but the club already had a world-class left-winger in the shape of the multi-million pound rated Welsh international Gareth Bale. It therefore begs the question as to whether Spurs really needed him? And the probable answer to that is simply, no.
There have been suggestions in the media that Pienaar was signed simply as a financial investment by Daniel Levy; a good bit of business. Because of Pienaar’s impending contract expiration in the summer of 2011 and his apparent stance regarding his wage demands at the Toffees, Everton decided it was better to cash in during the January transfer window rather than risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
Given the circumstances though they had to accept a fraction of the midfielder’s real worth, Tottenham acquiring his services for a rock bottom price of £3 million. Given Pienaar didn’t have a dramatic dip in form or even pick up a nasty injury, Spurs would have a good addition to their squad, albeit on the bench for the most part, and would almost certainly be able to recoup if not make a profit on the 30 year old if circumstances changed.
What Harry Redknapp’s involvement was in all of this is uncertain; you could speculate that he did in fact not have much of a say in Pienaar’s signing but only those involved will know the facts surrounding Pienaar’s move from Goodison Park.
However, Redknapp doesn’t seem to be the type of manager that would allow his Chairman to act as a puppet master. I did wonder, when David Moyes swooped for Pienaar in January, whether the South African would be able to recreate the form he regularly produced at Goodison Park before his move south; fearing that due to his relative inactivity since leaving the Blues he would be a shadow of his former self.
How wrong I was, Pienaar almost immediately recaptured the form that once made him a firm favourite with the Goodison faithful, perhaps at times surpassing the performances that once earned him so many plaudits in his first stint with the Toffees. Furthermore his relationship with Baines seemed to spontaneously re-ignite, almost as if he had never been away.
Those who have followed his progress since his return the Blues will be well aware of the impact he has had on Everton’s resurgence in 2012 but to put things into perspective. Steven Pienaar attempted four more through balls than anyone at the club, attained the most assists of any Everton player and scored four goals equalling his previous best goal tally in the league.
His presence not only reignited his partnership with Leighton Baines, the two combining to great effect down the left, but Pienaar has probably aided Baines in heading both the number of chances created (67) and number of crosses (242) statistics at the club.
As Everton look towards the summer and the impending transfer activity when the window opens, Steven Pienaar must be top of the Moyes wishlist. The increasingly tedious and demoralising issue of lack of funds still remains and should Tottenham put too high a price on Pienaar, Moyes may fail to get his man, especially as there are reports that other clubs are showing interest in the midfielder.
The Mail have recently suggested that Sunderland’s Martin O’Neill may be keen on the player; a club likely to overwhelm Everton’s financial limitations and subsequently further dent Everton’s hope of resigning Pienaar. All of this could have been avoided had Everton been a little more street smart in their transfer dealings in January.
Had Everton, as Howard Kendall has this week indicated, introduced some sort of clause that would give Everton buy-back priority this summer and an agreed fee, all this hassle could have been evaded; Kendall although did admit that ‘hindsight is a wonderful thing’ when it comes to matters such as these.
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One thing both Everton and fans can draw some hope from is the fact that Pienaar clearly loves the club, and hopefully you would put money on Everton being Pienaar’s desired destination for the start of the 2012/2013 Premier League season.
He knows he is worshipped at Goodison Park, can guarantee a starting place and has a chance of gaining European football at a club showing tremendous improvement (but for a few hiccups along the way).
Pienaar’s signing is imperative, and the Everton board should be pulling out all the stops to provide Moyes with the finances to make Everton serious challengers for a European place at the end of next season (maybe even a cup). I will be searching down the side of my sofa for any spare change, because the Toffees may have to pay more to get their man than they might have originally anticipated.
Mark Hughes worked with the players he had last season to keep Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League. After Tony Fernandes bought the club at the end of the summer transfer window, Neil Warnock found himself panic buying in preparation for the new season. Warnock signed a whopping 16 players last season for Queens Park Rangers, but it’s Mark Hughes’ time to bring in his new squad.
Hughes could be looking to reunite with some of his previous signings made at Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City. Hughes might want to sweep in and make a shrewd move to sign Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz, who has recently been loaned out to La Liga side Real Betis from Manchester City. Mark Hughes signed the two footed striker during his reign at Blackburn Rovers in 2007. However in 2008 Mark Hughes replaced Man City Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Mark Hughes continued to take a liking to the Paraguayan and signed him again at City in 2009. So who’s to say he wont do it again to beef up the QPR strike force which already consists of Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora.
There has also been speculation that Mark Hughes is set to make an ambitious signing to bring Christopher Samba back to England. The Congolese defender was invited by Mark Hughes to undertake a five day trial at Blackburn Rovers which resulted in a signing for the Rovers. In February Samba completed a move to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala however since being at the club he has endured a difficult time being the victim racist abuse from a certain incident during a game against Lokomotiv Moscow in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was to return to the Premier League this season alongside Mark Hughes.
With Paddy Kenny being linked to Leeds United, a transfer move to Elland Road will not be too much of a shock as Kenny will be reuniting with previous manager Neil Warnock. This makes room for a potential summer reunion for Mark Hughes with Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given. Hughes wants to take advantage of Villa’s recent turmoil and wants to snatch the 36 year old Republic of Ireland international. There is also speculation that if unsuccessful an offer is to be vacant for West Ham’s No.1 Robert Green.
Mark Hughes certainly has a lot of options available to him, with various relationships with players from previous clubs is an advantage for Queens Park Rangers as they get to dabble in the contacts to aid the future of the club.
Tweet me if you think these will be crucial signings for QPR @gmileham1
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With only a few days until the Euros kicks off in Warsaw, many Premier League managers will be keeping a close eye on the tournament with a view of adding numbers to their squads. There is plenty of talent that will be on display in Poland and the Ukraine, with many likely to be available at the right price come the end of the tournament.
Many of the players on show will be all too familiar to top-flight gaffers, and those of us who spend a little bit of time of Football Manager, but as is the case with major international tournaments, players with smaller reputations will have the chance to perform in one of the biggest shop windows.
This list looks at 20 players who are likely to be the subject of admiring gazes from scouting teams this summer. Who know, some of these men may be turning out in your club’s beloved shirt next season:
Click on Sebastian Giovinco to unveil the top 20
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Chelsea and Tottenham are set to go head-to-head for the signing of Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, according to The Daily Mail.
The Poland international has impressed for both club and country over the last 12 months, and scored the first goal of Euro 2012 this summer.
Despite reports that Manchester United and Arsenal were keeping tabs on the eastern European marksman, the Blues and Spurs are now also thought to be interested.
The Stamford Bridge club are looking for a replacement for Didier Drogba, who left the outfit on a free transfer this summer, and have made no progress in their attempts to sign Hulk or Radamel Falcao.
Spurs meanwhile have handed new boss Andre Villas-Boas funds to spend this summer, and need a new striker after Emmanuel Adebayor’s loan spell ended and Louis Saha was released.
It is believed that the Portuguese trainer has already recommended Lewandowski to the White Hart Lane board, and the London pair will now fight it out for the Bundesliga star’s signature.
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Saturday afternoon saw the new-look Cobblers play their first game at Sixfields against Chelsea Under 21’s, a match that was quick on the heels of last Wednesday’s 4-0 win at Cogenhoe.
It was a pretty good display from the Cobblers and the new recruits impressed despite a 2-1 defeat. The Cobblers team included trialist goalkeeper Connor Roberts who was released by Everton at the end of last season. A crowd of 1,527 turned up at Sixfields which was not bad for a game against a young set of future stars which included last season’s loanee goalkeeper Sam Walker.
Chelsea began the game well with good control of the ball and pushing hard at the Cobblers, but as the game entered the 17th minute the home side had the first opening of the game. Ishmel Demontagnac’s volley was deflected following a good knock-down from fellow new boy Clive Platt. A few minutes later Chelsea had their first chance as Adam Phillip coasted past a couple of Cobblers defenders and saw his shot go narrowly over the bar. On 24 minutes a cross from Chris Hackett was headed goal-wards by Clive Platt but was straight at Walker in the Chelsea goal. Following this Chelsea went straight up the other end as Lewis Baker hit a shot from 20 yards that sailed just wide of the goal. There were not many more chances during the first half and it goal-less at half-time.
The second half started and it was end to end stuff as both goalkeepers were made to work hard to keep a clean sheet. The fell to the Cobblers when Chris Hackett floated in a free kick that was met by John Johnson whose header just went wide of Walker’s post. Next it was Hackett himself who had a chance following a great through ball from Ben Tozer but unfortunately for Hackett, Walker’s fingertips got to the ball to tip the shot past the post.
On 63 minutes the deadlock was broken when Connor Roberts saved a shot from Chelsea but unfortunately the save fell straight at the feet of substitute Alex Kiwomya who tapped in to make it 1-0. On 75 minutes the Cobblers had a chance to equalise after a Ben Harding knock down was met by Ben Tozer who saw his shot end up going wide. On 78 minutes it was game over a curled effort from Chelsea’s Rueben Loftus-Cheek was again parried away by Connor Roberts, the ball fell to Cobblers left back Joe Widdowson but unfortunately for him his attempted clearance hit Kiwomya and found its way into the back of the net. The final 10 minutes was frantic stuff from the Cobblers with them coming close through Alex Nicholls, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Anthony Charles who forced a fine saves from Walker.
All in all it was a good run out for the Cobblers and Chris Hackett was deservedly chosen as man of the match by the match sponsors which topped of an impressive first appearance at Sixfields for the former Millwall man.
Clive Platt played well, winning near enough every header and holding up play impressively.Ishmel Demontagnac did ok but I was not overly impressed by him. He made a couple of good runs during the first half but by the second half we did not really see much but I am sure there is more to come from him. Joe Widdowson had a solid game at left back, he looked pacy and made some timely challenges and was unfortunate with the way his attempted clearance deflected of the Chelsea front man for their second goal. Alex Nicholls looked bright and added a bit of pace to the front line and seemed to link up well with Platt.
In my opinion we still lack a solid centre-back with pace. On numerous occasions this pre-season we have been caught out when teams have floated the ball over our back four and unfortunately I think the current pairing of Langmead and Charles will be exposed to0 often once the meaningful action begins next month. We also need to try and stop getting players just running after the ball like headless chickens. Against Chelsea there was a free man out wide who was not found and if passing was thought about we could have been carved open a few more times than we actually were!
One man who was missing from the team sheet on Saturday was trialist Michael Hoganson who the previous week was offered a one year deal at Sixfields and told Aidy Boothroyd that he would like to miss the game to think the offer over. But following the game it turned out that he played for Derby County in their friendly against Burton Albion which has not pleased ADB and added spice to last night’s friendly against the Rams.
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Thierry Henry could make his third Arsenal debut in their FA cup clash against Swansea next month if he completes his loan move from New York Red Bulls, the Daily Mail reports.
The Gunners are in advanced talks with the MLS club and are expected to complete a deal that will see the Arsenal legend arrive for his third spell with them from the start of January.
A deal has been agreed in principle but the one issue which hasn’t is the length of Henry’s stay, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wanting to keep him till the end of the season while the New York Red Bulls want him available for the start of their season in March.
Henry is set to be the first arrival at the Emirates in January but Wenger hopes more will follow. Holland striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Crystal Palace starlet Wilfred Zaha have both been set as prime targets, with the latter seeming more likely to happen in the summer rather than in the upcoming window.
Another boost for the Gunners is that England international midfielder Jack Wilshere believes he is nearing full fitness again after making his return from a long term injury.
“I have got better every game. I’m maybe 90%,” Wilshere said.
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“I’m not sure. Every game that goes by I feel better and better fitness-wise.”
Arsenal despite being inconsistent, are still currently in all competitions and got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over West Brom on Saturday.
Hamburg are still eager to sign Tottenham attacker Rafael van der Vaart, The Sun claim.
The Netherlands international has played for the Bundesliga team before, and with his wife working in Germany a move to his former club or Schalke has been touted all-summer long.
Andre Villas-Boas is eager to revamp his squad before the end of the transfer window, with Van der Vaart one of the players in risk of being shown the door at White Hart Lane.
The German club have confessed an interest in re-signing the forward, but admit that a move depends on Spurs.
“There is not a lot of time — it is up to Tottenham. If we have a chance to sign him we will do everything to make it happen,” chairman Carl-Edgar Jarchow said.
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With Spurs interested in the likes of Willian, Van der Vaart’s role in the side is yet to be determined.
It’s been a busy week for Coventry City Football Club for all of the wrong reasons.
First we allow a two goal lead to slip at home to Bury and then the club choose to sack Andy Thorn four matches into the new season.
No managerial departure is ever surprising as it is part and parcel of the job but what is surprising is the timing of it. This seems to be a knee jerk reaction from the Coventry board and one that I am not particularly happy about.
Thorn’s record at the club hasn’t been great, far from it in fact but there are factors out of Thorn’s control which have had a major impact on this. First off we have to remember that Andy Thorn was very much thrown in at the deep end but he was able to give the club a new lease of life.
We as Coventry fans started to see the team trying to pass the ball and express themselves and we were all a lot happier. There were teething problems that everyone could see but this was always going to be the case when having a man in charge that had no management or coaching experience
By the end of the season we were getting somewhere and then the inevitable happened and the owners let us down by allowing the likes of Marlon King to leave. We then started the new season with a threadbare squad full of youngsters and we all knew we were in for another relegation battle.
January came and we were struggling but we were still very much in the fight. Then the inevitable happened again the club allowed their top goal scorer Lukas Jutkiewicz to leave and failed to replace him. We then really began to struggle and Thorn somehow pulled off the loan signings of Oliver Norwood and Alex Nimley. These two kept the fight alive but unfortunately the squad just ran out of steam after fighting for their lives all season.
Relegation was confirmed and I personally don’t think any blame can be attributed to Thorn. Under the circumstances I think even the best managers would have struggled to have kept us in the fight to the very end.
After relegation I think we were all wondering what was going to happen to our club and soon after relegation was confirmed the club issued a statement. This statement suggested the club would not only have a ‘bounce back’ budget with Thorn continuing as manager but also that there would be no knee jerk reaction with management and player changes and that stability was essential.
Well it didn’t take long for this statement to be forgotten about as the exodus of players began. Players continued to leave and players only began to arrive about three to four weeks before the new season started. These new arrivals were all free transfers up until the arrival of Barton who has been rumoured to have cost in the region of £50,000.
So an almost complete overhaul of the squad despite the club previously stating there would be no major changes and all done on what can only be described as a shoestring budget rather than a ‘bounce back’ budget. I have heard a few Coventry fans suggesting that because we have brought in nine new players we should have improved as a team and I’m sorry but what planet are these individuals on.
We have lost good players worth in the millions and yet we have only spent in the region of £50,000 to replace them, in what way is this going to improve us as a team. There still seems to be this unrealistic notion amongst certain Coventry fans that we are a big club and we should be winning every game we play in League One. A huge reality check is needed as we are a club who doesn’t own their ground and doesn’t even own their training ground. We are in serious financial difficulty and are being run by people who have no idea about football. To top it all off it looks as if we are going to average around the 10,000 mark for attendances this season and all this does not suggest a big club it suggests a club that is struggling to survive.
Four games in and Thorn has been sacked despite the team remaining unbeaten. Yes we have surrendered leads in these games but what is Thorn supposed to do about individual errors by the players and officials. McDonald missing an almost open net against Yeovil as well as the referee not giving a penalty after McDonald was brought down in the box. Then Malaga’s header which crossed the line and wasn’t given against Sheffield United and finally the numerous chances wasted in the first half against Bury. We could have so easily had five, seven or even nine points from these opening three games but it just wasn’t to be.
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Sacking Thorn after just four games is just ridiculous. By no means is he a brilliant manager but this is a new team and it is finally his team even inspite of the budgetary restraints that have been put upon him. But he has been given no time at all to show what his team could do and you cannot judge a new squad of players four games into the season.
This for me is just another example of how much of a joke our board and owners are. We now have a situation where a manger has got to come in with a squad of players that are not his and has no chance to add to it himself, that is of course if we can actually afford another manager. It is more likely we will appoint Shaw or Carsley which isn’t going to change anything as again it will be someone who has no managerial experience.
Sacking Thorn in my opinion was wrong and is another disruption that we as a club could of really done without.
When Sir Alex Ferguson’s decided to splash £24 million on Robin Van Persie you’d be forgiven for being a touch sceptical regarding his intentions. Looking at it from a neutral perspective there didn’t appear to be any justification to backup spending such an exuberant sum of money on an injury-prone 29-year-old. None what so ever. That was until Van Persie started to do what he does best. Score goals. Four in his first two starts, including a hat-trick on the South Coast last Sunday, has beyond any shadow of a doubt elevated him to first choice at Old Trafford. Saying that, Wayne Rooney’s horrific leg injury a fortnight ago has aided the Holland international in taking over his mantle during the Premier League season’s opening weeks. But with Ferguson instigating a tactical evolution theres a thought that Van Persie is the ideal man to spearhead the new 4-2-3-1 formation that the United boss has started to implement. The question now being posed is ‘Where does Rooney fit in?’ Shinji Kagawa has impressed in the hole behind the central striker whilst Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Nani are all battling for a place out wide. Answers on a postcard.
This week on FFC which United youngster is finding it hard to break into the first team and will Rooney’s injury lay-off give him the chance to get himself into shape for the season ahead?
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Best of FFC
Has Ferguson hastily overlooked this at Old Trafford?
The Boy’s a bit special…Angelo Henriquez
Manchester United deserved better than this outburst
A Blessing in disguise with regards to Wayne Rooney
Apparent transfer interest from United left full back puzzled
United starlet growing frustrated at Old Trafford
United and Chelsea on transfer alert as Dortmund ace considers future
Premier League chairmen to discuss transfer spending limit
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Best of WEB
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Fulham Fans Don’t Know How Lucky They Are – Red Flag Flying High
Enough with the cop outs, Wayne – 7Cantonas
Defending the indefensible – United Rant
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“We’ve put it down as a blip, but we know we have to do better.” – The Busby Way
Where Exactly Is Nani’s Career Heading? – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“I get more of the ball, I’m involved loads and, after one game, I even think about playing there permanently, but only later in my career. Once I feel that I haven’t got the sharpness needed to get away from defenders, I’ll probably drop back into midfield for a couple of seasons so I can still influence the game.” Wayne Rooney reveals he could drop back into midfield in the future