Wrestlemania 32 Preview

 

Wrestlemania 32 Preview

Wrestlemania. THE Wrestling event of the year. Its the time of year where every old wrestling fan, and all the people bored on Twitter and Facebook, tune into the 'show of shows'. However, this year is slightly different. One, there is a LOT of injured Wrestlers that have been ruled that have been ruled out of the PPV (John Cena, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins to name a few). Two, there is frustration among fans that the main event, Triple H vs Roman Reigns, is predictable for Reigns to win his third WWE World Heavyweight title because Triple H is semi-retired and there is no other main event babyfaces (good guys for those who don't regularly watch Wrestling) to carry the WWE until ex-champion Seth Rollins returns. Anyway, Wrestlemania is still a massive event in the Sporting calendar and in this post I will be breaking down the matches that will feature in Wrestling's thirty-second annual grand event, Wrestlemania.  

 

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (30 men enter for the Andre the Giant Trophy)

This will be the third annual Wrestlemania Andre the Giant Battle Royal Memorial Battle Royal in which 30 men will compete for the Andre the Giant Trophy of the legendary French pro-wrestler in his iconic stance. The last two winners have been mid-carders in Cesaro and Big Show so expect someone you almost certainly forgot about to win this Battle Royal.

WINNER: Kane (just picked a random mid-carder to be honest).

 

 

The Total Divas (Brie Bella, Paige, Natalya, Alicia Fox, and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. & Blonde (Naomi, Tamina, Lana, Emma, and Summer Rae)
It's a shame that these ten 'Divas' will most likely do nothing more than screaming, pulling hair and/or throwing rabbit punches in this match (except Paige maybe because she's the only developed one in this tag match aimed to give men over the age of 13 something to look at without having to think too hard). I won't go to in detail with my opinion on the so-called 'Divas Revolution' that has taken place in WWE over the last ten or so months but in short, it only gave a handful of 'Divas' (can't stand that word) a platform to show their legitimate wrestling ability. Unfortunately, I see this being an awful match with a win for the Total Divas.



WINNER: The Total Divas.


Kalisto(c) vs Ryback (for United States Championship)
Well, this match is going to be quite bad. I, like a lot of fans, thought that there would be a multi-man ladder match for the US title that would actually be fairly decent from a group of mid-carders with good ladder spots. But this match won't be good due to Kalisto being a botch machine when he's got some eyes on him and Ryback tries too hard to be a 'beast'. Not interested one bit in a singles match between these two.



WINNER: Ryback.

 

The Usos vs The Dudley Boyz
Again, this looks like a match that no-one will be massively interested in seeing as the Usos are boring and the Dudley Boyz are too old and past it with their gimmick of being old-fashioned and 'extreme'.



WINNER: The Usos.


The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs the League of Nations (Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev and King Barrett)
I feel like a broken record here but again WWE have created yet another match that I'm not at all bothered about. Mostly due to the New Day being one of the weirdest things that Vince McMahon has thought of (although there have been a lot of them) and the League of Nations are an awful group.



WINNER: The New Day.

Chris Jericho vs AJ Styles
The actual lay-out of the feud aside, meaning the stupid chants that they do when they walk down to the ring at each other, this match could be very interesting for two reasons. One, to see how these two fantastically technical Wrestlers work together in what should be their best match of their feud. Two, to see if WWE will have a repeat of Wrestlemania 31 and have Styles lose his first Wrestlemania match (like they did with Sting against Triple H last year). I'm very excited to see how Styles does and hopefully wins in the year that he has featured at both NJPW 's (New Japan Pro Wrestling) Wrestle-Kingdom, their flagship show, and WWE's flagship show, Wrestlemania.



WINNER: AJ Styles.


Seven Man (Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, The Miz and Stardust) Ladder Match (for the Intercontinental Championship)
So in this match, there will be quite a few good spots with ladders and then some quite boring brawling in and around the ring. The realistic candidates for winning this match are Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Dolph Ziggler. I think that a Owens vs Zayn feud will appear from the ending of this match so I think that Owens will retain the title, potentially costing Zayn the belt at the last second.



WINNER: Kevin Owens.


Charlotte vs Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks (for Divas Championship)
Women's Wrestling has been the best it has been since the days of Lita and Trish feuding, in which they once main evented RAW (but probably won't reach those heights again). Charlotte, being Ric Flair's daughter, is the favourite to walk out champion but with Sasha and Becky being two of the best women Wrestlers I have seen make it hard to predict. I think Charlotte will win however due to WWE playing it safe and continuing with Charlotte as champion, and therefore confirming that they're not that confident in Sasha or Becky as champion.



WINNER: Charlotte.

 

 

Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose (No Holds Barred/Street Fight)

Brock Lesnar is always guaranteed a big match at Wrestlemania, as he attracts the most attention for the run to Wrestlemania from casual fans and just general Sports fans. This may not be the main event of Wrestlemania that Lesnar, and his manager Paul Heyman, push for but it is a big match with an opponent that is built for this type of match. Following on from their mini feud before, during and after Fastlane, Ambrose is hell-bent on proving he can beat Lesnar, like some have since he returned in 2012. Lesnar is like he has always been since he first left the WWE in 2004, aggressive and not the littlest bit bothered of speaking in order to promote the match. I think Lesnar will win because he's due a win after not getting a shot at Triple H and the WWE World Heavyweight title. Unfortunately, Ambrose is going to take another loss in quite a frustrating PPV run for the 'unhinged' Superstar.



WINNER: Brock Lesnar.

 

 

 

Shane McMahon vs Undertaker (Hell in a Cell) (if Shane wins he will gain control of RAW)

Now this is a weird one. Bizarre, but very weird. In February, Shane McMahon returned to WWE after six years away building successful businesses and announced he wanted to gain control of RAW, too many fans' joy. Vince then said well that's all great but you've got to beat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania... in Hell in a Cell. Well, fantastic. In a way. It had been largely rumoured that Undertaker vs John Cena was the planned match for Wrestlemania. However, with Cena out for Wrestlemania, it's quite clear that Vince needed a plan B for the Undertaker. For me, the Undertaker hasn't been the same big-name since he lost his Wrestlemania streak to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30 but it's still amazing to think that Shane, a guy who hasn't wrestled since 2009 and looks very old, is wrestling in a very dangerous situation for control of RAW (which the majority want to see). To be fair to WWE this maybe the one match that pulls a lot of the casual fans back into the WWE viewing figures for a decent amount of time.

In terms of who wins, I want Shane to win because it will be interesting if there might be a brand split for the first time since RAW and SMACKDOWN joined together in August 2011. But does that mean fans are expected to boo the Undertaker at Wrestlemania? In front of a record Wrestlemania crowd? I don't think the fans will do that. One thing is for certain though. ALOT of interference will happen (surrounded by some crazy spots). Possible interferes? Sting? Vince? Who truly knows. Anyway, I think that Shane will win because they wouldn't had built up this angle on the road to Wrestlemania up if they were going to just have the Undertaker kill it. AND, if Undertaker loses, it will be his last Wrestlemania and therefore subsequently destroying any hope of a dream Wrestlemania match next year with John Cena. I'm predicting this to be the match of the night, purely for drama purposes.



WINNER: Shane McMahon.

 

 

 

Triple H vs Roman Reigns (for WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Now this is where it gets hard to swallow to for regular Wrestling fans. Prior to this year's Royal Rumble, which was for the WWE title and not for a World title shot at Wrestlemania like the winner usually gets, Roman Reigns was the champion after Seth Rollins was forced to vacate the title after getting injured at a house event. Reigns lost the title at the Rumble (as he should have, being against 29 other competitors) and Triple H won the Rumble and the title. Reigns then gained a championship shot by defeating Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar at Fastlane.

Quite rightly, many are annoyed that Triple H keeps appearing in big and irregular events in order to sustain his personal feelings in regards to main event storylines and PPV outcomes. However, I'm pretty sure Reigns will win and launch into the next big Superstar that WWE want him to become (due to John Cena not getting any younger). Therefore, I can understand why Triple H is holding the championship until Wrestlemania, to give Reigns his Wrestlemania moment. But the fans won't be happy and this will be were Wrestlemania could end in a course of boo's.



WINNER: Roman Reigns.

 



10 Things WWE Want You To Forget About CM Punk

 

10 Things WWE Want You To Forget About CM Punk

It's fair to say that many WWE fans are still one of the following in regards to CM Punk having left WWE in 2014. Annoyed. Angry. Not bothered. The ones who start the 'CM Punk' chants whenever they see Roman Reigns. Writing rumour articles on his expected return. OR have completely moved over to UFC at the time Punk signed for them. Many, many articles have been written about the things WWE want fans to forget about Punk and his career and I'm jumping on the bandwagon, as you can see by the title.

 

 

10, The 'CM Punk' chants

Whenever the current state of WWE becomes boring and pathetically painful to sit through, often featuring Roman Reigns and/or the New Day, fans often chant 'CM Punk! CM Punk!', due to fans' perspective of Punk as an ideal anti-establishment status quo promo King that he was in the middle to end of 2011. Now, WWE do't acknowledge these chants outright on TV but they surely want to them to go away and be replaced with chants such as 'This is Awesome'.

 

 

9, His feud with Jeff Hardy

Not the matches from the feud in 2009 between the two of the most athletic wrestlers in WWE's recent history. What WWE want you to forget is the real-life edge to the feud that came from the clash between Hardy's drug-filled lifestyle and Punk's straight-edge lifestyle. At one point, Punk said that Hardy knew a thing or two about buying narcotise but didn't know he could get some from a Doctor. A week after Hardy left WWE in late 2009, he was arrested for trying to move illegal drugs. So WWE would like you to forget their personal clash and remember the matches they had.   

 

 

8, The Shield was his idea

On Colt Cabana's podcast, Punk stated that WWE Creative approached him with the idea of a heel stable that would feature Big Show and Daniel Bryan. Punk quite rightly said this was stupid and wanted a three man NXT heel stable, that would allow for Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Creative were fine with this up until the very last minute when they decided to have the group, later called the Shield, attack everyone and not have Punk allied with them. WWE want you to remember the spring of the Shield and not that Punk came up with the actual idea himself.

 

 

7, He wasn't a fan of Roman Reigns

In relation to the previous point, Punk wanted a heel alliance made up of NXT stars. WWE were fine with this but they want current Number 1 Good Guy Roman Reigns to be a part of it. Punk accepted but didn't really approve (which didn't really matter considering he wasn't even allied with them).

 

 

6, His time in TNA

Punk had a brief time in TNA during 2002 to 2004 but the WWE NEVER mention TNA at all. This was evident in the WWE's 2012 release of 'The Best In The World' DVD that detailed Punk's life and career up-till the 2011 Money In The Bank PPV. That's all well and good but WWE left out his time in TNA before moving to WWE's development system. They were happy to mention Ring of Honor, where Punk had signed his WWE contract on the ROH belt, but didn't mention TNA as they didn't want fans to remember that one of their best Wrestlers hadn't just come straight from Ring of Honor.

 

 

5, His lawsuit with a WWE Doctor

Punk is currently involved in a lawsuit with a WWE Doctor that didn't treat his concussions and staph infection and has therefore lead to WWE becoming annoyed by the case's long-winded nature and the sheer fact that it just won't go away.

 

 

4, He had the best match of Wrestlemania 29

The Wrestlemania 29 card had three good matches (Brock Lesnar vs Triple H, Punk vs Undertaker and Cena vs The Rock II). Punk's match was hands down the best one. Due too not being in the Wrestlemania main event for the third year in a row, Punk quite literally put his body on the line to prove a point to Vince and co backstage. And he did, with many saying that the match should have gone on last. On Cabana's podcast, Punk recalls his discussion with Vince after the match with Punk saying that he hadn't watched it back because he was there. I'm pretty sure that Vince would look back now and say that it should have closed the Wrestlemania 29 card instead of Cena and Rock's underwhelming rematch.

 

 

3, He had the longest WWE Championship run of the Modern Era

Punk held the WWE Championship for 434 days between the 20th November 2011 till 27th January 2013. You would think that WWE would want to promote this and reference it as the sixth longest reign of all-time but when you consider the way that things ended with WWE and Punk, you'll understand why they want you to forget about Punk's historic title reign.

 

 

2, He was fired on his Wedding Day

After Punk initially left the company after the 2014 Royal Rumble, he was suspended for two months. Evidently, WWE then fired Punk and sent him his termination papers on June 13th 2014. However, that day was Punk's wedding day. Punk obviously took this personally like any other normal person and this is most likely the final nail in the coffin for Punk never returning to WWE.

 

 

1, The Pipebomb Promo still has relevant factors

When Punk took to the mic on 27th June 2011 and cut one of the best promos in Wrestling history, the Internet ate it up and analysed it to the death. However, what WWE want you to forget about the 'Pipebomb Promo' is that it STILL is relevant to the way in which WWE run five years later. A few examples being Vince McMahon being out of touch, the reliance on part-timers to boost ratings/views, the lack of respect and opportunities for genuine professional wrestlers and the number of 'kiss-asses' in WWE history.

 

Ultimately, it doesn't seem likely that Punk will return to the WWE and quite subsequently, he will have a good run in UFC for the next few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



China: The Next Football 'Super League?'

 

China: The Next Football 'Super League?'

 

Over the last month that included the transfer window, it hasn't been England that has been making headlines. Or Spain. Or Italy. Or France. Or Portugal. In fact, no country in Europe has been making headlines with their overall spending as a country. That country is China.

 

 

In the space of 10 days, the Chinese Super League transfer record was broken three times (Ramires signing for Jiangsu Suning for £25 million, Jackson Martinez signing for Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao for £31 million and most notably former Liverpool target Alex Teixeria to Jiangsu Suning for £38.4 million). The Chinese Super League transfer window runs until 26th February and they have also captured some other notable names into their league, such as ex-Everton striker Nikica Jelavic and ex-Birmingham City striker Obafemi Martins.

 

 

Why are the CSL spending like they're Real Madrid or Manchester City? Well, it seems like a politically backed push as President Xi has said to be a huge fan of Football and that China want to host a World Cup in the near future. It has also been made compulsory in the Chinese curriculum, so except some Chinese wonder-kids on the horizon.

 

There have already been some negative comments in regards to these buys, as Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said that it wouldn't be sustainable and might ruin the development of the national league. The alternative side is that the commercial side of Football will have taken note of the already filthy rich league, an example being Manchester City going to China for their participation in the International Champions Cup (glorified tournament if there ever was one).

 

My opinion? It might be sustainable for the summer transfer window to come but beyond that I can't see the same number of household-ish names going to the country with a 1.3 billion population and money to burn. Ultimately, I feel that fans (and a little later) European clubs will become annoyed with the transfer policy of the CSL and be extremely reluctant when discussing bids from them. China will then have to turn to its grassroots/academy systems, something ex-Everton midfielder Tim Cahill was heavily involved in until his recent announcement that he will be leaving Shanghai Shenhua. At the moment, it seems like another MLS situation in which players go there for the final move of their career but hopefully China invests in their academies and grassroots level in order to sustain this significant and welcoming momentum/expose from Football fans.  

 

 

 

Alex Teixeria is currently the Chinese Super League's record signing, at £38.4 million from Shakhtar Donetsk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Modern Football Mavericks: Mario Balotelli

Modern Football Mavericks: Mario Balotelli

What is a Maverick?

A Maverick is an unorthodox or independent-minded person. In regards to Football, these individuals has gone against the rules set by clubs, organisations (e.g. F.A) and even those that fans expect any other player to follow. Some are loved and some are hated, and in this mini-series of posts, I will be looking at how they have become a Maverick and what this means for them on and off the pitch.

Name: Mario Burwuah Balotelli

D.O.B: 12th August 1990

Club: AC Milan (on loan)

Career Information: Lumezzane (2006-2007), Inter Milan (2007-2010), Manchester City (2010- 2013), AC Milan (2013-2014), Liverpool (2014- Present), AC Milan (on loan, 2015- Present).

Honours:
Club
Inter Milan
Serie A 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
Coppa Italia 2009-10
Supercoppa Italiana 2008
Champions League 2009-10

Manchester City
Premier League 2011-12
FA Cup 2010-11

FA Community Shield 2012

Country (Italy)
UEFA European Football Championship Runner-Up 2012
FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 2013

Individual
Coppa Italia Top Goalscorer 2007-08
Golden Boy Award 2010
FA Cup Final Man of the Match 2011
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 2012
UEFA European Championship Joint Top- Goalscorer 2012
Serie A Team of the Year 2012-13

Why Always Him?
Mario Ballotelli. The Bad-boy of Mavericks. A Premier League fans favourite for the off-field antics that made headlines at both ends of the newspapers. Mario has had quite an up and down career so far and at the age of 25 hasn't got that many moves left. On loan from Liverpool at AC Milan, Mario looks like he may move away from Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp due to the selection order of strikers at Anfield. Anyway, here is the Mario Ballotelli story so far containing fireworks, bust-ups and some classic Mario attitude.

Ballotelli was born to Ghanaian parents but was fostered when he was three by an Italian couple. Mario received Italian citizenship on his 18th Birthday. He said after the ceremony "I am Italian, I feel Italian. I will forever play for the Italian national team." After a trail at Barcelona failed, Mario signed for Inter Milan. In November 2008, Mario became the youngest player to score in the Champions League (at 18 years and 85 days). Mourinho then butted heads with Mario over his effort with training. Along with racist chanting from opposition Serie A fans, Mario made a bone-headed decision to wear an AC Milan shirt. Ballotelli later said on Inter's website "I am sorry for the situation that has been created recently. I am the first person who has suffered because I adore football and I want to play, and now I am waiting in silence so I can return to being useful to my team. I want to put the past behind me, look to the future and concentrate on the upcoming commitments and make myself ready." Mario's behaviour on the pitch brought disapproval from his teammates, with Zanetti publicly saying "Mario needs to focus on doing what he can do on the pitch, he can't allow himself to behave like this."

On 12th August 2010, Mario signed for Manchester City for €21.8 million. In December 2010 Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, saying that only one of the past winners was slightly better than he was – Lionel Messi. I know, its an easy comparison. He also claimed not to know of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, the player he narrowly beat to the award. To be fair, Wilshere is made of glass and probably won't retain his place in the Arsenal bench anytime soon. After the FA Cup final, Mario said shit in an interview and then causally said "Can I say that?." No Mario. You can't. Anyway, Mario was charged for violent conduct for the kick against Scott Parker and was suspended for four matches, three for violent conduct and one for his second sending off and was also banned for three games (one for the two yellow cards and two for the previous two red cards in the same season). Mario then providing the assist to the most historic goal in Premier League history as Manchester City won the Premier League for the first time. In December, Ballotelli tried to get out of being fined two weeks wages by going to a hearing but after one day dropped his claim and accepted the fine. Roberto Mancini, who managed Mario at Inter and Manchester City, has said "The problem is because of his age, he can make some mistakes. He's Mario. He's crazy but I love him because he's a good guy."

On 29th January 2013, AC Milan announced that they had signed Mario Ballotelli for €20 million on a four-and-a-half deal. Mancini said that Mario could restore his reputation and become one of the best forwards in the World by moving back to Serie A. Milan's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, said "Balotelli in Rossoneri is a dream that has been realized. It is a transfer that everyone wanted: club, president and fans." On 22nd September 2013, Mario missed a penalty in a competitive match for the first time in 22 matches. Pepe Reina saved the penalty as Milan lost 2-1 to Napoli. On 14th August 2014, Ballotelli moved to Liverpool for £16 million to fill the void of Luis Suarez. Mario was never going to fulfil that gap and had a very empty time at Anfield before being loaned to AC Milan for the rest of the season.

Now this where the real Maverick stuff happens that has created Mario's cult following online and across the stands. During his time at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho said he was 'unmanageable' and it really seems like this is true and therefore it means that he is one of a kind due to his temper and child-like mentality. However, Mario can be serious when he wants to be and in 2010, he was photographed in the company of two noted Mafia mobsters (as you do). When Mario was at Manchester City, he drove around Manchester with £5,000 and said "Because I am rich" when asked why he was doing this by a police officer. He also threw darts at a youth player, as you do. He also had a hilarious incident in involving him needing assistance with a bib.

Perhaps the most famous Balotelli moment of all-time was when he pulled off his top after scoring in a 6-1 win over city rivals Manchester United and revealed the words 'Why Always Me?'. This was after Ballotelli set off fireworks in his bathroom, as you do. On 1 December 2014, Balotelli was accused of racism and antisemitism for posting an image on Instagram of the video game character Mario. Now to most people on social media, this image is very common to prove various things about yourself to people you don't really like and Mario was usually criticised for this. In response to criticisms, he wrote: "My Mom is Jewish so all of u shut up please". In 2012, Balotelli featured in GQ where he and British musician Tinie Tempah were named as the best and second-best dressed men in the world respectively, which is fair considering how rich they both are. Balotelli is a fan of mixed martial arts, as he has stated in the past that he would love to compete in the sport professionally if he were not a footballer. Balotelli owns several cars, including a Range Rover Evoque, Ferrari 458 Spider, Bentley Continental GT, Maserati GT, and Audi R8 V10.


Mario Balotelli is a good Footballer, not amazing, but he is simply the craziest Modern Football Maverick. From bust-ups to smoking on a train in Italy to fireworks, there is never a dull moment on and off the pitch with Mario and I hope he returns to the Premier League on a consistent basis, just not for Liverpool.




























 

Premier League review 2015/16: August - December

Premier League review 2015/16: August - December

 

The first half of the Premier League 2015/16 season threw up a lot surprises following Chelsea's unsurprising title win last season. The champions have absolutely plummeted in their performance, with a lot of key players such as Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard underperforming for the London club. However, the headlines of the season so far have been Leicester City who have developed one of the deadliest partnerships in recent memory. It is of course Riyhad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. Vardy has been the man of the season so far, scoring fantastic goals and making Premier League history by scoring in 11 consecutive games. His rise from non-league Football has captured the headlines of the back pages and the Twitter timelines of Football fans. In this post, I will look at the League's most significant matches and moments from August, October, November and December.

 

 

August 

The opening weekend of the Premier League season Leicester get off to a flying start with a 4-2 win over Sunderland. Jamie Vardy scored his first goal of the season in 11 minutes and demonstrated Leicester's new-found purpose under Claudio Ranieri. Also, the first goal of the season was an own goal by Kyle Walker. Reece Oxford took Ozil for a BTEC as West Ham beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates. City beat Chelsea 3-0 on 16th, which Jose called a 'fake result'. Bournemouth then beat West Ham in a 4-3 thriller and Callum Wilson scored an impressive hat-trick. On 29th, Palace beat Chelsea 2-1 and West Ham won for the first time in 51 years at Anfield. Leicester had emerged as the dark horse of the Premier League.

 

September

Chelsea's problems continued when they lost at Goodison Park 3-0. On the same day, United beat Liverpool 3-1 that includes two of the goal of the season contenders from Antony Martial and Christian Benteke. Leicester came back from two goals down to Villa to win 3-2, with Vardy at the focus of the comeback. West Ham beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad, applying big pressure to the big summer signings. On 26th, there were some amazing games that was full of goals (Tottenham 4-1 against City, Leicester 2-5 against Arsenal and Liverpool beating Aston Villa 3-2. The final game in September saw Everton beating West Brom 3-2 and involved Lukaku demonstrating his fight and commitment to vastly improving his mental attitude towards the game, even at the age of 22.    

 

 

October

In the first set of games, Sergio Aguero made Fantasy Football Players go crazy with how many points they do/don't gain by scoring five goals against Newcastle as City won 6-1. Leicester continued their amazing start to the season by beating Norwich 2-1 away from home and Twitter favourite Jamie Vardy scored again. Brendan Rodgers was sacked after a lucky point away to rival Everton at Goodison Park. On the same day, 4th, Arsenal mastered a 3-0 win over Manchester United and Arsenal fans once again were remembered how lucky they are to have Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. On the 17th, Manchester United won 3-0 at Everton on the day that Howard Kendall passed. City also won 5-1 at home to Bournemouth, with Sterling scoring a hat-trick. Newcastle then won a class game against Norwich, winning 6-2. Georginio Wijnaldum scored four goals in this eight goal thriller.

West Ham continued their decent run to the season by beating the champions 2-1, with long-time NHS patient Andy Carroll scoring the winner. Vardy scored in his seventh successive game against Palace. Big Sam became yet another Sunderland manager to beat Newcastle in his second game, with Sunderland winning 3-0. Chelsea went into meltdown as they lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool. On the same day, Leicester beat West Brom in a five goal game that included Vardy scoring in his eight consecutive game (if you haven't noticed yet, Vardy is a beast!).

 

 

November

On the 1st, Everton beat Sunderland 6-2 as Arouna Kone scored a hat-trick that every Everton fan was so proud of. On the 7th, Stoke beat Jose's Chelsea 1-0 and all the Chelsea manager could was sit in the team's hotel as he was serving a one-match stadium ban. Vardy then scored in his ninth consecutive game against Watford in a 2-1 win (aren't Leicester making this season decent for mid to bottom teams). The weekend after the international break, 21st - 23rd, there were some fantastic games. Everton beat Aston Villa 4-0, Liverpool beat City 4-1 and Jamie Vardy equalled Rudd Van Nistelrooy's Premier League record of scoring in ten consecutive games. Tottenham also demolished West Ham 4-1 in a game in which Alli and Kane showed their raw talent and desire to win the ball (something that England internationals seem to lack).   

 

 

December

The first round of December saw Stoke City win 2-0 against Manchester City, Leicester continue their fantastic form as they beat Swansea City 3-0 (with Mahrez bagging a hat-trick) and Arsenal beating Sunderland 3-1 even with key players such as Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla out injured. Also, Swansea parted ways with Garry Monk on the 9th. Manchester United continued their frustrating run of form with a less than specular draw with West Ham United. Newcastle then started December positively by beating Liverpool 2-0 at St James' Park. Bournemouth pulled off a great win against Manchester United. On the 13th, Liverpool scraped a 2-2 draw against West Brom, which they celebrated by walking to the Kop and holding hands. On the same day, Newcastle pulled off a surprise win against Tottenham with the impact of Perez and Mitrovic. Leicester's fairy-tale run continued when they beat the Champions 2-1. The following Thursday, Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea. Leicester then cemented their place at the top of the table for Christmas as they beat Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park, with Riyad Mahrez scoring two penalties. The following day, Watford smashed Liverpool 3-0, with Ighalo scoring a brace.

The final game before Christmas saw Arsenal beat City 2-1 at the Emirates. This game showed Arsenal's improved physical presence across the park and Mesut Ozil's fantastic vision as he racked up his 14th and 15th assists in setting up Theo Walcott and Oliver Giroud. On Boxing Day, title hopers Arsenal and Leicester both lost to Southampton and Liverpool respectively. Two days later, Stoke won 4-3 against Everton in an explosive game that saw a huge contender for goal of the season from summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri just on the stroke of half-time, as he perfectly looped Tim Howard from outside the box (sounds lame but it was fantastic!). The year ended with Sunderland losing to Liverpool as Christian Benteke scored for the second game in a row.

Leicester City duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have taken the league by storm in the first half of the season. 



Modern Football Mavericks: Jamie Vardy

Modern Football Mavericks: Jamie Vardy

 

 

 

What is a Maverick?

A Maverick is an unorthodox or independent-minded person. In regards to Football, these individuals has gone against the rules set by clubs, organisations (e.g. F.A) and even those that fans expect any other player to follow. Some are loved and some are hated, and in this mini-series of posts, I will be looking at how they have become a Maverick and what this means for them on and off the pitch.

Name: Jamie Richard Vardy

D.O.B: 11th January 1987

Club: Leicester City

Career Information: Stocksbridge Park Steels (2007 - 2010), FC Halifax Town (2010 - 2011), Fleetwood Town (2011 - 2012), Leicester (2012 - Present).  

Honours:

Club
FC Halifax Town

Northern Premier League Premier Division 2010-11

Fleetwood Town

Conference Premier 2011-12

Leicester City

Football League Championship 2012-13


Individual
Conference Premier Player of the Month: November 2011

Conference Premier Top Goalscorer: 2011–12
Leicester City Players' Player of the Season: 2013-14
Premier League Player of the Month: October 2015, November 2015
Most consecutive Leicester City league games scored in: 11 (9 August 2015 – 28 November 2015)
Most consecutive Premier League matches scored in: 11 (29 August 2015 – 28 November 2015)


If there ever was a more modern Football Maverick, its Jamie Vardy. For the duration of 2015, during Leicester City's Premier League matches, every Football fan thinks of Vardy's incredible journey to the top of the Football mountain. I mean ten years ago Jamie Vardy was a factory worker! Despite his right-wing and not entirely popular views, Vardy has stole the back-page headlines with his amazing work effort and goal-scoring ability. In this post, I will be looking back at Vardy's rise from factory worker to Premier League stardom.

In 2007, Vardy was earning £30 a week when he was playing for Stockbridge Park Steels. Two years later he had a trail at Crewe that didn't work out. He moved to Halifax in June 2010 for £15,000. After a decent time there, Vardy moved to Fleetwood Town after a year and a half. On 1st January 2012, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway offered £750k for Vardy but Fleetwood held out for £1 million which Blackpool never paid.

On 17th May 2012, Leicester bought Vardy for £1 million.

Yes. £1 million.

However, after a very disappointing personal season in which he only scored five goals, Vardy was considering leaving the club after supporters said he just wasn't good enough (well lets just say they said it is more extreme and explicit terms). Vardy only stayed due to Nigel Pearson being able to convince him. The next season, Vardy scored 16 league goals as Leicester won the Championship.

Last season, as Leicester escaped relegation by gaining 22 points since 4th April and finishing in 14th place, Vardy scored and assisted four times in Leicester's amazing 5-2 home win over Manchester United.

And then Vardy's story really started to come to life.

After being bottom at Christmas last season and almost being relegated, no-one saw Leicester being at the top of the table by Christmas (not even Gary Lineker). However, to the amazement of Football fans and Fantasy Football players, Vardy has paired up in a deadly duo with Algerian Riyad Mahrez to rack up an astonishing number of goals and assists that have taken the Premier League by storm and the traditional 'top four' club of the Premier League. On the 28th November, Vardy made Premier League history by scoring in eleven consecutive League games and completed it by scoring against Manchester United. Along the way to this amazing achievement, Twitter users started a trend called 'Chat Shit Get Banged', which bounced onto the social media site from a 2014 Facebook post from Jamie Vardy entitled with the new famous catchphrase.

However, what is forgotten about Vardy is that he is slightly aggressive and has caused some trouble off the pitch. In 2007, Vardy received a conviction for assault following an incident outside a pub, and had to play with an electronic tag fitted for six months. Many would say it unfortunately adds to his attitude and rough up-bringing and there is another incident that proves this. In August 2015, The Sun on Sunday published a video of Vardy at a casino the previous month, calling a man of East Asian origin a "Jap". The Leicester City striker apologised for a "regrettable error of judgement" and was fined by Leicester, who put him on an educational course. There is no place for racism in Sport and its a shame that players can think this behaviour is acceptable. Anyway, away from the dark side of Football, Vardy's rise to the top has proven to a lot of people that it is never to late to achieve your dream.
































Modern Football Mavericks: Xabi Alonso

Modern Football Mavericks: Xabi Alonso

What is a Maverick?

A Maverick is an unorthodox or independent-minded person. In regards to Football, these individuals has gone against the rules set by clubs, organisations (e.g. F.A) and even those that fans expect any other player to follow. Some are loved and some are hated, and in this mini-series of posts, I will be looking at how they have become a Maverick and what this means for them on and off the pitch.

Name: Xabier Alonso Olano

D.O.B: 25th November 1981

Club: Bayern Munich

Career Information: Real Sociedad B (1999-2000), Real Sociedad (2000-2004), Eibar (on loan, 2001), Liverpool (2004-2009), Real Madrid (2009-2014), Bayern Munich (2014- Present).

Honours:

Club
Liverpool
Champions League 2004-05
UEFA Super Cup 2005
FA Cup 2005-06
FA Community Shield 2006

Real Madrid
Champions League 2013-14
UEFA Super Cup 2014
La Liga 2011-12
Copa del Rey 2010-11, 2013-14
Supercopa de Espana 2012

Bayern Munich
Bundesliga 2014-15

Country (Spain)
FIFA World Cup 2010
European Championship 2008, 2012

Individual
Spanish Player of the Year 2003
Premier League Goal of the Month November 2004
FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011, 2012
La Liga Best Midfielder 2012
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 2012

Most underrated Maverick of all?
When people think of cool, they think of a few memorable places and people. Milan. Paris. New York. Dubai. James Bond. Andrea Pirlo.

But only a few thing of Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard has always been the everyday man's (depending who you ask) favourite type of midfielder, as well as Maverick, as he strolls around in training, doesn't run in games (no matter how important they are) and always seem to be pictured with a beer in his hand at team gatherings (which I'm sure his wife would deny!). All in all, Alonso seems like a carbon copy of Andrea Pirlo. However, Alonso seems even more cooler and focused than the legendary Italian midfielder and I look at the Spaniard's achievements and attitude to the Beautiful Game.

At the age of 15, Alonso was sent to the Irish town of Kells as part of a student exchange programme and learned a lot of his English there. Alonso was friends with Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta but were scouted to different top Spanish clubs, with Alonso going to Real Sociedad's academy and Arteta going to Barcelona's academy. Alonso moved to the first-team at the age of 18 but moved to Eibar to gain massive first-team experience.

In his first professional season, Alonso made 30 appearances for Sociedad and ended up scoring three goals. The season after, 2003-04, Real Madrid failed to win Alonso's signature as they couldn't, or wouldn't match the £13 million price tag. Mikel Arteta then joined his childhood friend at Sociedad but the dream partnership in midfield was short-lived as Alonso moved to Liverpool for £10.7 million in August 2004. Alonso slotted in coolly to the Merseyside team but broke his ankle on New Day 2005 after a tackle with Frank Lampard that left the Spaniard injured for three months. When he returned against Juventus in Champions League quarter-finals second leg, he filled the hole left by the injured Steven Gerard and one Journalist from the Guardian said "This marvellously accomplished footballer testified in the Stadio delle Alpi that technique can overcome a serious physical disadvantage." Which is true. Alonso proves you don't need loads of physical presence in order to dominate a game. Alonso was part of the 2005 Champions League Final winning Liverpool team that infamously fought about against AC Milan to win 3-2 in the penalty shoot-out after a fantastic fight back from 3-0 down. Alonso then said about the win "This is the best moment in my professional career."

In January 2006, In a FA Cup win over Luton Town, Alonso scored two goals, the second from 65 yards and within his own half, subsequently winning a Liverpool supporter £25,000 from a £200 bet. Later that year in September, Alonso scored another cracker against Newcastle and commented saying "I think this was better. The Luton goal bounced a few times, this one went quite straight. The Luton one was left-footed – it was different – but I am quite happy to score the goal."

In the 2008 summer transfer window, there were reports that Alonso would leave the Merseyside outfit due to Liverpool chasing Gareth Barry (didn't you miss out there Rafa!). Alonso told the media "The fans couldn't have done more to show me how they felt... If I went out for lunch or a coffee, there was always someone who would come over and say, 'We'd love you to stay'. I'm just glad that, in the end, nothing came of it the transfer because it wasn't something I ever asked for." However Alonso did move to Real Madrid in August 2009 for £30 million due to 'differences' with Rafa Benitez. He then achieved a record number of points when he finished second with Real behind champions Barcelona, a total 96 points for Real. He had achieved this was Real Sociedad in 2002-03 and Liverpool in 2008-09. He won his second Champions League medal when Real beat Atletico 4-1, after extra-time.

Other information about Alonso is that he has stated that he is a Liverpool fan and has done during the later stages of his career. He is also the tenth most followed Sportsman on Twitter and the eight most followed Footballer on the site.

There has been a lot of comparison between Andrea Pirlo and Xabi Alonso due to their casual comments, laid-back approach to games and quality off-the-pitch antics. However, Alonso is one of the most technically gifted midfielders and calm Midfield players and is in my opinion the coolest Maverick ever.