Football Betting Tips: The 85th minute bet

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If you place a correct score bet in the 85th minute of a football match, you’ll typically receive odds of 1 to 2. Let’s say that Chelsea are playing Manchester United. With 85 minutes gone, the score’s still 0-0. If you bet £10 on the score remaining 0-0 and you’re right, you’ll receive your £10 stake back plus £5.

Bookies aren’t stupid and the reason that you get these odds is because you’ll typically win and lose often enough to wind up losing more than you win if you place a correct score bet in the 85th minute. However, with a little bit of nous and initiative, you can quite easily beat the odds and make this a highly profitable strategy.

Score draws are amongst the safest games to try this strategy out on. If a game is tied 2-2 in the 85th minute, chances are that both teams will be content to pick up a point and won’t bother going all out for the winner.

The Manchester United v Chelsea example is actually one of the worst to place a bet on. The English Premier League is the most watched football competition on the planet for a reason - it’s wildly exciting and unpredictable, and there’s far more likely to be a last minute winner, or even several goals in the dying minutes, in the EPL than in most football leagues. Typically the lower the prestige of a league, the less likely teams are to be gung-ho about grabbing a last gasp winner. The strategy is generally a lot more likely to succeed in, say, the Danish second division than it is in the English Premier League.

If a team’s scored early on and have been going all out to protect that lead since the early part of the game, the 85th minute correct score bet becomes an especially attractive proposition. If their opponents haven’t managed to overturn the advantage by the 85th minute, are they really likely to pull it off in the dying moments?

There are extenuating circumstances which should ward you off placing one of these bets. If a red card’s recently been issued, or if some other major event has upset the balance of the game, you’ll probably be better off leaving it. If a team scores an equalizer around the 80th minute, they’ll probably be more likely to be pushing for a winner at the tail-end of a game than if a draw had looked a likely outcome since the start.

Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule about not using this strategy for English Premier League games, especially when it concerns games like Manchester United v Chelsea. Top of the table teams are often happy to grind out a draw against each other rather than risk an important loss.

When Manchester City hosted their derby rivals United earlier in the 2010/11 season, Roberto Mancini never looked concerned with doing anything more than stopping United getting the full three points, while Alex Ferguson equally seemed to deem not losing to their fiercest rivals of far greater importance than going all out for a winner. In cases like this, when a game’s got draw written all over it, if nobody’s scored by the 85th minute, a 0-0 correct score bet is probably a fairly safe punt.

The key to making this strategy work is thinking it through. The most important thing is not to bet if you sense there may be more goals left in the game. The best way of using this strategy successfully is picking a low-scoring or fairly even game and then hoping that nothing dramatic occurs in the last few minutes.

 

Written by Tom Wilkins

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Random Special: The World’s Shortest & Tallest Football Players in Professional Football Today

Kristof van Hout

Football players come in all shapes and sizes. Their physical attributes can often, but not always, determine how and where on the pitch they play. From towering goalkeepers to target-man strikers, from miniscule midfielders to pocket-rocket wingers, here are the shortest and tallest football players playing professional men’s soccer today.

 

World Football’s Tallest Football Players

Unsurprisingly, a goalkeeper tops the tallest football player list. Belgian giant Kristof van Hout currently plays for India’s Delhi Dynamos and is officially the tallest football player in the world. Measuring an impressive 2.08m (6ft 10 in), he barely has to raise his arms to reach the 8ft crossbar.

Croatian goalkeeper Vanja Iveša comes close to the Belgian giant alongside Chinese striker Yang Changpeng. Both measure 2.05m (6ft 8½ in). Changpeng, dubbed “China’s Peter Crouch”, had a trial for English Premier League side Bolton Wanderers in 2006, but never signed. He currently plays in China.

Next up are the Norwegians. Striker Tor Hogne Aarøy (2.04m) currently plays for Norwegian second division club Aalesunds FK. His fellow countryman and striker Øyvind Hoås (Hønefoss) is only a fraction shorter at 2.03m, as is Hasle-Lören IL defender Even Iversen and goalkeeper Kjell Petter Opheim. Completing the quintet is AS Monaco’s Lacina Traore also at 2.03m (6ft 8 in).

 

Lacina Traore (center)

The world’s tallest football player list is wrapped up with a more familiar name in Serbian centre forward Nikola Žigic, who is a powerful striker for England’s Birmingham City measured at a height of 2.02m (6ft 7½ in).

To put these giants of the game into perspective, towering Stoke City striker Peter Crouch measures in at 2.01m (6ft 7 in).

 

World Football’s Shortest Football Players

Height profiles for the world’s shortest football players seem to vary depending on the source – official club websites often differ from other soccer stats resources. However, Brazilian attacking midfielder Élton Jose Xavier Gomes, who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al Fateh, would appear to take the accolade for top-flight football’s shortest player at only 1.58m (5ft 2 in).

Elton

A whole host of footballer’s measure in at between 1.60m and 1.63m (5ft 3 in - 5ft 4 in), many of them technically gifted South American midfielders like Elton. The Brazilian contingent of shortest football players comprises Madson (5ft 3 in), Carlinhos Bala (5ft 4 in) and Joãozinho (5ft 4 in).

From Argentina come Maximiliano Moralez (5ft 3 in), Diego Buonanotte (5ft 2 in), Juan Cuevas (5ft 4 in) and Franco Niell (5ft 4 in). Completing the Latin American connection are Ecuadorian midfielder Christian Lara (5ft 4 in) and Mexican Elgabry Rangel (5ft 4 in).

Diego Buonanotte

One of the few Europeans to challenge for a position amongst the world’s shortest soccer players is English midfielder Levi Porter. Porter, currently contracted to Shepshed Dynamo playing at the semi-professional Midland Football League, is 1.60ms (5ft 3in) tall.

Lionel Messi, World Football Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or winner, is not the tallest of footballers. However, at 1.69m (5ft 5 in) he is still some way off from joining the ranks of the world’s shortest football players.

 

 

Written by TG Dunnell

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Football/Sports Tips: How to Effectively Communicate With Your Players

Communication is key in any sport, especially team ones such as rugby and football, where the success of the club depends on effective management of large pools of talent. Keeping track of the well-being, health and fitness of each individual player is essential to manage your resources and ensure that the group on the pitch is able to get the best results. It can also help you to avoid injury, overrunning certain players in the build up to important events, and overseeing opportunities as they arise.

 

Face-to-Face Communication

Whether you are training or giving the team a talk during half time, it can be difficult to get your message across clearly both to the team as a whole, and individuals who need specific advice or criticism. Especially during intense situations such as games, mistakes made by players can be frustrating for the coach and manager, but a negative approach to communication can only have adverse effects. In any situation, try to build a criticism into a compliment. Tell them what they were doing well, then how they can improve their game, and you are much more likely to get a positive response.

Listening is as important for coaches and managers as it is for the players. Instead of giving them a 5-minute talk on where they have gone wrong and how they could improve, get them more actively involved in the conversation. Ask them where they think things went wrong, and talk through their situation to come to a solution. By being approachable and willing to hear what the athletes themselves have to say, you might also be surprised at how many of them are perfectly capable of self-diagnosis, and ask for advice of their own accord.

 

Interacting off the Pitch

However much you might try to cover every base in the time spent with your players, you inevitably can’t keep track of each player at all times. Yet understanding their feelings and physical situation is crucial to effective team management, and a passing comment during training from a player might easily get lost in the pipeline. Equipping your players and your organisation with sports performance management software allows you to interact off the pitch.

Your players can fill in surveys on their performance and fitness, whilst you can co-ordinate their training and development remotely, accessible on mobile devices to fit around the busy lives of every member of the organisation. By doing so, you can secure on-going communication with your team, and make sure that everything is professionally tracked and recorded.

In a modern world where mobile technology offers the opportunity to interact any time, anywhere, as a sporting organisation or individual, communication on the pitch is only one half of the picture today. Investment in sports performance management software and makes interaction with your players easier and more effective. Combined with an approachable and positive style of coaching and management, you can get the best out of your team to watch the success speak for itself.

 

Article by Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. Kelly loves the great outdoors, interesting places and fine foods. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellyGGrassam. This article is written with support from The Sports Office.

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Football Entertainment: Soccer Saturday Bingo

Soccer Saturday is a football institution in the UK and Ireland and has been ever since its inception in 1992. Broadcast on Sky Sports, the premise of the program is simple in that there is a host and four studio guests that review the Saturday afternoon football matches that play as they happen. There are also roving reporters at many of the other matches around the country and these are visited throughout the afternoon.

While the premise would make the program sound boring, the fact that it has been on air for 22 years is down to the on screen chemistry of the host, Jeff Stelling, and the studio guests makes the program watchable each and every week. The studio guests are currently former Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, former Arsenal defender Paul Merson, ex Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson and Celtic and Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas.

As a result of the on screen chemistry between the five in the Soccer Saturday studio as well as their familiarity with each other as well as the passion of these football men appearing while watching the matches we are often treated to a display of football analysis that is usually reserved for time spent in the pub with your mates, except on prime time TV!

The nature of the program, as well as the occasion faux pas from the studio guests, has led to many spin offs for people to join in at home. The most famous of this is the Soccer Saturday drinking game where shots of beer or Jagermeister are to be drunk at times of different things happening during the program.

However, for those of us that do not want to spend our Saturday afternoon’s getting heavily drunk we have come up with a bingo version of the game that allows you to play the same game without being unable to function for Saturday evening!

To play, just print off this bingo card from Butlers Bingo or write down the below situations and hand them out to all of the people playing the game. The winner is the first person to get all of their situations to appear on screen.

  • A goal is scored
  • A sending off
  •  Half time
  • Chris Kamara is talking
  • Paul Merson uses stupid rhyming slang (i.e.”he’s hit the beans on toast”!)
  • Swindon Town appear on the vidiprinter
  • Dundee appear on the vidiprinter
  • Phil Thompson says ‘Stevie Gerrard’
  • Jeff makes an ‘A Trialist’ joke
  • Your team scores two goals
  • Jeff calls Kenny Deucher ‘The Good Doctor’
  • Hartlepool score a goal
  • A pundit shouts off camera
  • LeTiss is mentioned in connection with a takeaway
  • Chris Kamara says “it’s unbelievable Jeff”
  • Jeff mentions “dancing in the streets of TNS
  • Jeff says “its Doom and Gloom at…”
  • The team ‘Keith’ is referred to as just being one guy
  • Brighton & Hove, or Daggers & Redbridge are jokingly referred to as two different teams playing the same oppo
  • When Arbroath striker Kevin Webster scores and Stelling says “ohh, Sally will be pleased”
  • Something bad happens to Craig Bellamy (injury, og, booked, arrested for assault etc.)
  • Northampton Town appear on the vidiprinter.
  • Jeff sings “I feel good” when James Brown scores for Hartlepool

These are just a taste of the situations that occur during Soccer Saturday, and feel free to add more of your own making to spice up for your Soccer Saturday bingo session! Once you’ve played this, jump online to play free games at any bingo site. You can win big and use it to spice up your Soccer Saturday fun!

Would you prefer to just play football instead of sitting at home? So basically you want to be a professional footballer? Click here!

 

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Football: What does it mean and how us fans shape our lives around it

There comes a time where we must all grow up. Young boys stop playing with little action figures and move on to games consoles, young girls stop wearing their mothers make-up and start wearing their own. We all go to secondary school, reach an age where an interest in the opposite sex grows and we watch more shows created for an older fanbase, as opposed to the kid’s TV we used to enjoy.

We can change our minds so easily when we grow up. We outgrow almost everything from our childhood, be it a show, a board game or an obsession with our favourite teddy or toy that never left our side. Even hobbies find their way of slowly drifting from our routines and finding their place in our memories, never to be forgotten.

One thing that seldom changes, however, is relationships. Some even grow stronger. Childhood friends become school friends, school friends become work friends, maybe even partners. Having an affinity with something rarely changes, and it’s the same with football.

Football can shape the childhood of children so easily. We watch and become transfixed by one player, one team or just the sport in general. For children in football mad families, it is inevitable that they will watch football from early. As a young boy in an Arsenal mad family there was no other team I was ever going to watch, and when I did watch I was hooked by Thierry Henry.

He was my first idol, the first player I fell in love with. And even today, the sight of Thierry Henry or the mere mention of his name buckles me up and takes me down the greatest evocative road I’ve ever journeyed on. Reliving the moments that lit up my childhood, experiencing those moments again. Just fantastic.

To this day, as an 18-year old, I will admit that if it come down to going on a date with a beautiful female or going to watch the Arsenal, I’d pick Arsenal. She may be upset by that so I’d invite her along. If she says no then that’s her problem, not mine. However strong that may sound, football has played a part in my life so huge that living without it would be fairly difficult. It’s an escape, and the same for many other people.

People shape their lives around football. Socially and professionally, everything is built around football. Unfortunately though, not for me, professionally speaking. I work when most Arsenal games are on, and as an 18-year old I’m sadly unable to dictate when I work.

Money comes first when you’re building for a future. Needs must. But it’s not the same for others. People book days off from work to go to games. Even if they’re just going to watch it down the pub with some friends, football comes first.

It’s a strange connection, as people who don’t love football are unable to comprehend the feeling felt by fans when a goal is scored, a pass is misplaced or the ball is controlled. All these footballers are really are just normal people who can kick a ball better than the rest of us, but it’s not as simple as that.

As kids we idolise these men and treat them as superheroes and when we grow up we just sit back and watch in awe. They become parts of our lives and on the back of interviews and performances we end up feeling like we know them.

It even influences the way we use social media, particularly on Twitter. Many people you’ll find on there use it solely to air views and discuss football. There’s something about mixing social media and watching football that results in a narcissistic belief that our views are superior to others. Opinions in the world vary, but on social media the passion we hold for our clubs exudes into 140 characters and any objection comes across as disparagement. So, naturally, we bite back.

Peronally speaking as a reserved individual, football provides a platform for conversation. With not many interests other than the beautiful game finding a middle ground is difficult, and relating to people is rare. With all this in mind, football is the most important thing in my life and it’s played a huge part in the development of me as a person. It’s taught me many different emotions and even a few swear words along the way. Like millions of my fellow humans, I don’t know where I’d be without football.

Football elicits emotion that is not comparable to anything in life. Loyalty to your club is not a choice, it is an obligation; something that is very much permanent; like a birthmark, or a mole - something we cannot remove from ourselves. No matter how frustrating we may consider our connection with a football club to be, there is no doubt that however illogical perserverance through frustration sounds, it would sound even more illogical to contemplate removing your loyalty.

So loving football isn’t necessarily a choice, it’s a requirement. And it’s fun to be part of a community that’s so widespread yet united as one. It’s a wonderful feeling. And that’s why football will always come first.

 

Written by Ryan Goodenough

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Personal Feature: Three top players I wish I had seen in their prime

Football has long played a huge part in the lives of many people, and football players have left many memories for those who have witnessed their talents. Memories that can be passed on and kept alive for future generations.

Having been born in 1995, I’d perhaps be considered part of the last generation to have witnessed the greatest players from 2000 onwards, and I would consider myself fortunate enough to be at the age where I am able to pass on some wonderful memories. There’s nothing like football to make you feel old.

Being a kid and growing up learning about football is a truly mesmerising experience. Your eyes open to a world full of professionals who have mastered their craft, transfixed by skill, technique and innate ability combined with the rewards for hard work. Past or present, some footballers have lit up the world more than any player of their generation can dream of. It’s due to the learning of football that I’m writing this.

I have learnt a lot from other people, books, videos, documentaries, and because of that learning I am familiar with some of the greatest players to ever play without ever being alive to see them at their best.

So, as to not digress any further, here are  players that I wish I had seen play

 

3 - PELE

Probably the greatest goalscorer of all the time, the Brazilian scored over 1000 goals for Santos and grabbed 77 goals in his 92 games for his country. Pretty impressive. He is also the only player to ever win the World Cup three times.

During his international career, he helped create Brazil’s synonymy with the beautiful game, taking them to a new level alongside some great teammates. He could dribble at pace, score goals, had skill and a great mind, as proven with his famous ‘runaround move’ around the Uruguayan ‘keeper in the 1970 World Cup.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele was given the nickname “O Rei do Futebol” (the King of Football) and will go down as perhaps the greatest Brazilian footballer ever.

 

2 - EUSEBIO

Alongside Pele, The Black Panther as he was known, took goalscoring to a new level, and the pair were perhaps the Ronaldo and Messi of their time. Two players above everyone else, scoring goals for fun. With so much power and athleticism he became an unstoppable force in Benfica’s quest to dominate Europe, and was a similar feature in Portugal’s National Team too.

After his recent passing, many players who have had the pleasure of facing him spoke fondly. A gentleman in the game, a player who was almost impossible to stop, one of the best ever - many things were said, and all positive. Born in Mozambique, he was signed by Benfica after rejecting a trial from their rivals, Sporting. They missed out on one of the greatest players ever.

He had pace, a powerful shot, strength and many other attributes that propelled him to excellence. Admittedly, I’m not the most knowledgable when it comes to Eusebio, but he’s a player that I’ve enjoyed watching back. If only I could’ve seen him first hand.

 

1 - GARRINCHA

“When he was out there, the pitch was a circus ring, the ball a tamed animal, the match a party invitation. Garrincha nurtured his pet, the ball, and together they created such mischief that people almost died laughing. He jumped over it, it gambolled around him, hid itself away, skipped off and made him run after it. And on the way, his opponents ran into each other.”

Eduardo Galeano, a Uruguayan writer, puts it perfectly. Garrincha played football to entertain; to enjoy himself; for the fun of it. He was not worried about the money, the occassion or the opposition: he would take on any right-back in the world, and beat him. He cared only for football and women.

Give him the ball and he would provide many people with pure joy. While Pele may stand as the greatest Brazilian player ever, Garrincha will always be the most adored. His Botafogo and Brazil team-mate Amarildo, who replaced Pele in the 1962 World Cup after his injury, states that Garrincha is the only player who is loved by every one. Fans of rivals love him like the fans of Botafogo; he belonged to Brazil.

With a turbulent lifestyle and bent legs, Garrincha’s talent was outstanding. However, that turbulent lifestyle ultimately cost him. After retiring from football, he was no longer able to sweat out the alcohol he was drinking and it took its toll, leading to his death. It’s his incredible story that drew my interest in him. Learning of his life and watching old clips of him has been great fun, although it would have been more fun to have seen him live.

Taking on a defender then turning back to take him on again is something not done in today’s era, but done all the time by Garrincha. He was an entertainer, rightly nicknamed Alegria do Povo and undoubtedly a joy to watch. Just a shame I never had the opportunity.

 

Some other names:

Personally speaking, I couldn’t simply pick just 3. That would be far too difficult, but after much deliberation I decided I had to.

However there were some others in the running:
Marco van Basten, a player I fell in love with during Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial. You could see the class with every touch of the ball, even flicking it over the head of one defender (Steve Bould if I remember correctly) and unleashing a sweet left-foot volley which was saved by Mart Poom.

As an Arsenal fan there are many players I wish I’d have had the pleasure of watching. Liam Brady, Charlie George, Paul Davis and Bob Wilson to name a few, and as a follower of the Brazilian National Team Socrates and Zico spring to mind as well. Puskas is another who has intrigued me. Many great players have graced football pitches over the years, and many have left memories in the minds of fans. Memories to be cherished and passed on.

Divulging into the history of the sport is a pleasure for many young fans, and maybe in 30 years time another teenager will be sitting there wishing they could’ve witnessed the brilliance of Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho or whoever, but one thing’s for certain - players come and go, but great players remain.

Thank you for reading.

 

Written by Ryan Goodenough

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Special Feature: How Poker Can Improve Your Football Game

Most players focus on physical fitness when training for football, but that only gets you so far. In order to be the best player you can be, you have to get your head in the game as well.

There are plenty of creative ways to train your mind for football, but playing poker is probably one of the most obscure ones you’ll come across. Nevertheless, it could enhance your skills in more ways than one.

Let’s take a look at how poker can improve your football game.

 

Reading Your Opponents

Poker is a game of strategy much like football is. It requires the ability to read other people you are playing against and identify their strengths and weaknesses. When you’re on the football field, you need to be able to see similar strength and weaknesses so you can adjust your strategy and ultimately score a goal. A little time at the poker table could be just what you need.

You can learn from a person’s body language and his playing style in a poker game. Subtle twitches can indicate hesitance and a lack of confidence worth tapping into. If you can pick up on those signs in a soccer game, you will be able to dodge other players and successfully get the ball to someone else on your team. Your mind will be in the game then.

 

Maintaining Your Aggression

In order to intimidate your opponents in football or in poker, you need to be a bit aggressive. That doesn’t mean you have to start punching people in the face. It just means that you have to exude enough confidence to make people start questioning themselves.

If you can learn to be confident when you play poker, you can take that same mindset into a football game. Make the other players feel like you are superior to them. Make them shudder at the idea of playing against you. Then you will have an easier time scoring a goal.

 

Holding Your Bluff

You don’t always have to have a good hand to win in poker. You can make other people think you have something you don’t. In football, you can make people think you’re going to move one direction when you have other plans entirely.

This isn’t bluffing, so to speak, but it is a matter of manipulation. If you can begin reading players in poker, you can start to see what you can do to make them fold under pressure.

In soccer, you can use those reading abilities to psyche the other players out on the field. Adjust your body language, speed, and sight to indicate a move that contradicts your true plans. You can get through a game much easier after that.

 

Keeping Your Focus

Concentration is a large component of poker and football alike. If you cannot focus on you opponents and the game as a whole, you could be caught off guard. It is difficult to practice concentration on the playing field because you have to move your body and your mind at the same time.

With poker, you can use your brain alone. Once you get your mind trained to pay attention, you can get your body to follow suit.

 

Planning Your Strategy

Poker may seem like a game that happens one card at a time, but it actually involves a complex set of moves. Much like a chess player, a poker player has to think about his moves and his opponent’s future moves before deciding how to act in a hand. Should he check, wait for a bet, and then raise? Should he bet strongly from the start to weed out the potential for luck?

Both activities require the ability to think three steps ahead of the other player. You can improve your chances of strategizing on the fly after playing poker.

 

Releasing Your Stress

At the end of the day, poker doesn’t have to be serious and intense. It can just be a fun game to play with your buddies. If you’re stressed out from work, school, sports, and more, you may simply want to let loose from time to time. Poker is a great way to step away from reality and take the pressure off yourself for a while. Learn to use it to your advantage.

Whether you’re preparing for the World Series of Poker or the FIFA World Cup, you can benefit from the skills listed above. Tune into your true capabilities, and you will be unstoppable on the field.

 
Author bio: Curt D Peterson is an avid gamer, who also loves writing. He has for years played in poker tournaments around the world and made a living off it. He has also ghost written a number of articles that have been featured in reputed journals.

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Lacina Traore: AS Monaco nab another gem in the big Ivorian

Eto’o, Willian, Carcela Gonzalez, and now Traore. Everything that owner Suleyman Kerimov wanted for his beloved Anzhi has all gone completely wrong, and a team that has not won once in 19 Russian Premier League games has now lost its one remaining star.

The lanky 23 year old Ivorian striker Lacina Traore has finally left the stricken ship of Anzhi Makhachkala and moved to steadier waters at AS Monaco, but I wonder just why it took him so long to move.

While tall strikers aren’t always the most elegant, Traore defies the stereotype. Standing at a massive 6ft 8 inches, he certainly can win any aerial duel, but that isn’t his strongest attribute at all.

His technical skills are second to none, and Monaco should feel lucky that they managed to secure the purchase of one of the hottest strikers in European football for the past few seasons.

If you’re wondering just how I can call him one of the best forwards in Europe, well I forgive you. His move to Anzhi from Kuban Krasnodar was barely given a mention after the club secured the signatures of players such as Eto’o for example, but if you‘ve seen any games in which he’s played in, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Still only 23, he already seems to have been around for a long time. I can still remember watching him in the UEFA Champions League for CFR Cluj, and then he already looked like a promising young forward. And when he made the move to Russia with Kuban I realised just how talented this guy is.

While his height may make him at face value stand out from the others, I can’t say that I’ve seen too many headed goals from him. With his feet he is a gifted player, and some of the goals that he has scored in Russia have been spectacular.

None of those goals incidentally were scored with his head. He really made his name in Russia with Kuban, and he scored some real stunners there. His unforgettable goals against Rostov and Zenit in particular made Anzhi want to splash the cash on him, in a fee that equated to around 18 million euros.

And even if his time with that club didn’t end too sweetly, Anzhi fans will have happy memories of him as they reminisce about the good old days of early 2013 and 2012. The days when their club was on the lips of every football fan and expert.

His move to the French Ligue 1 of course shouldn’t come as any surprise to the Anzhi faithful. But for Traore, it’s not going to be an easy road now. Whereas at Cluj, Kuban and Anzhi he was practically always the first name on the team sheet, he’s going to really have to earn his place with Monaco.

With players of the highest calibre such as Falcao and James Rodriquez up front, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him struggle to get in the first team. Not because he isn’t up to their level, but because the competition is just so fierce.

And Monaco themselves seem to understand that. Even before it became official that Traore is a Monaco player, rumours were circling that he would be sent out on loan for the remaining of the 2013/2014 season. That in itself isn’t anything particularly strange, in fact it happens quite regularly.

But if that’s the case, then why can’t he just stay at Anzhi on loan until the end of the season? Yes Anzhi aren’t exactly having a lot of success in the Russian league, but they’re into the knockout stages of the Europa League and match practice against high level opponents would still come his way.

Instead though he seems to be off to England. West Ham have been heavily talked about taking the Ivorian hitman onboard, and for them it would be a pretty good deal. West Ham lack strikers of a high level, and Traore could certainly help them keep their place in the top flight.

But for Traore, is it a good move? Well I’m not so sure. You see it happen quite a lot, when a player goes on loan somewhere and their parent club just seem to forget about them. And with players such as Falcao already in their team, that’s a very big possibility.

But of course, the counter argument would be that surely it’s better to at least get some time on the field than to just sit on the bench doing nothing. Whereas it’s true I think he would have trouble getting a first team spot right away, I think it would be more worth staying with Monaco and try to prove himself, than go away and be forgotten about.

He has the raw talent and skill to compete with and against the very best, and if Monaco are willing to give him a chance, they won’t live to regret it.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: PSG ready to reap reward of Ibracadabra’s brilliant failure

On the 72th minute mark in Sweden’s World Cup play-off 2nd leg with Portugal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had just struck back in his titanic individual battle with Ronaldo, driving a free-kick low and beyond the Portuguese wall, whizzing past Rui Patricio before the goalkeeper could even get down.

He had scored a header four minutes previously to equalise on the night and half the tie’s deficit, Ibrahimovic would have been forgiven, as he surveyed the Friends Arena in Solna that was awash with adulation for their captain, for massaging his already meteoric ego.

“You bought a Ferrari but drove it like a Fiat” he told Barcelona after he had left for AC Milan and here he was, showing his class and backing up such unbelievable arrogance. He had single-handedly dragged his country back into the ascendancy and within a single goal of World Cup qualification, this was a time when his narcissism could be revelled in.

Though Ronaldo had other ideas, seizing the beacon of wondrous footballing ability on show that night, as he ran home 2 more goals to complete a majestic hat-trick which sent Portugal to Brazil.

Ibrahimovic looked on in bewilderment, aware that he would have to witness next summer’s show-piece from a distance. A notable absence from a tournament that attracts the very best, company that he has repeatedly shown he is a part of. Though his self-admiration remained unmoved, “A World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worthwhile to wait for the World Cup” he proclaimed.

He is probably correct. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo inhabit a separate footballing plateau while Franck Ribery made a solid case for the Ballon D’Or before the Portuguese captain all-but secured it on Tuesday, though Ibrahimovic represents compulsive viewing.

“I save my energy so I can burst out with fast aggressive moves” he says in his autobiography, carrying the aptly self-effacing title “I am Zlatan”, and he does it often, lurking in the periphery of games before striking with a venomous display of his wonderful technique and power.

As a result, many perceive him in England to be an inconsistent flashbulb footballer, possessing class but showing it only sporadically, only when he fancies it. That however, would be a gross misjudgment of a player who has won titles in Italy, Spain, Holland and France, scoring 280 goals along the way.

49 of that tally have come at Paris St Germain, the French club he heads back to after his duty with Sweden in the aim of forgetting his personal disappointment of Tuesday night. “I talked to him yesterday and his behaviour and his state of mind was very good” said his manager Laurent Blanc, “Certainly he must be disappointed, but regarding his behaviour and state of mind, I find it very good”.

Blanc will be hoping he can continue, beginning with a trip to Reims on Saturday, his electric goal-scoring form that has seen the Swede net 21 goals in 19 games so far this season. PSG remain unbeaten at the summit of Ligue 1, clear by 4 points and boasting the most prolific attack with 27 goals, and comfortably into the next stage of the Champions League after his individual brilliance swept aside Anderlecht in Brussels.

On top of the 35 he hit last year to fire PSG to their first French title since 1994, he has repaid every penny of the 20 million Euros the Qatari-owned club paid for his services in the summer of 2012. In his first 5 games in the French capital he hit 7 goals, leading Jean Pierre-Papin to say he was from “another planet”. “We haven’t had a goalscorer like him in France for years”, he said, rather setting the tone for Ibrahimovic’s time in Ligue 1.

The Swede is not just a goalscorer either, instead graceful in the touch enough to provide 3 assists so far this season and another 22 chances created. A mammoth tally of 85 shots attempted suggests a striker of unyielding confidence and ambition, utilising hubris as his biggest motivator in the belief anything he tries will come off spectacularly.

He will only recoup more of that 20 million Euro fee if he can, together with Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Blaise Matuidi, use his unstoppable form to fire the Red and Blues into the latter stages of the Champions League. It would certainly be a way of leaving an abiding memory in the public as they prepare to set eyes on Brazil next summer.

There is a reason why that fee saw Ibrahimovic surpass Nicolas Anelka as the most expensive footballer in terms of combined transfers just as there was a reason why, on the eve of the World Cup play-off there was a projected image of Sweden’s talismanic striker beamed onto a building in Stockholm.

It was he, arms wide, like Sweden’s messiah, akin to the sculpture of Jesus Christ the Redeemer that looks down on Rio. Ibrahimovic’s arrogance means he will be the worshipped figure that looks distantly on to the hub of next year’s tournament.

His absence will be of detriment to the world’s game, but of great benefit to PSG. With a determined Ibrahimovic leading the charge, they are realistic Champions League contenders.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Footballers and their Cars: Their Top 5 Favorites In 2013

Love them or hate them Footballers are some of the highest paid professional sports players in Europe and the rest of the world. The also court a lot of controversy with their off-the field shenanigans of wild parties and wild women.

The one thing that most of them all do when they hit pay day is to buy cars,but not just any model cars, the kind that come with a limited edition logo and cost enough money to feed a small Peruvian village. Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris are amongst the many high priced cars that come with the celebrity and fame of being a footballer.

 

1.     RANGE ROVER SPORT

This year it would seem the Range Rover Sport is the most popular expensive toy for Premier League players. This Mother of all SUV’s has everything a boy would want, looks, performance and tricks. Its the kind of car you cannot ignore when you drive past it and it is intimidating enough to get the best Mercedes Benz move out of the way.

If cars were a reflection of the person who drives them, then Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent, Jon Obi Mikel, John Terry, Danny Rose, Javier Hernandez and Ryan Gigs should be described as intimidating, fast and tricky and maybe they are but who knows.

This powerful SUV has an impressive 385 bhp, a top speed of 140 mph and a price tag of £102,900!

 

2.     PORSCHE CAYENNE

The Cayenne is Porsche’s most successful SUV so far. Everyone who is anyone would love to own this car, if not for the power then for the genius of an SUV that runs like a racing car. This car has been a favorite of many soccer players like Liverpool’s Steven Gerard and Kolo Toure to Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, Robin van Persie, Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling.

Priced at £90,790 it is just right for these guys who pull in £70,000 a week! When pitted against the Rover, it is faster, and has more power, and has to be taken out on the open road once in a while to let it stretch itself and roar.

 

3. AUDI Q7

This is the Germany’s most impressive muscle car yet. It looks just as good as it runs and is favored by the likes of Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, Man United’s Rio Ferdinand and Luis Nani, Tottenham Hotspur’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Moussa Dembele.

The car is priced at £95,260, reaches 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 secs and has a top speed of 55mph.

 

4.     ASTON MARTIN DB9 

Britain’s best car is also probably the most expensive car with a serious following amongst footballer’s and Britain’s celebrities. It is sleek, cool and super fast. Darren Bent owns a DB9; Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata have also been seen in a DB9 so has Liverpool’s Glen Johnson, Man City’s James Milner and Livermore of Tottenham Hotspur.

This is a serious sports car with 470 bhp of horse power, a 4.6 seconds time o getting from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph. The price is a staggering £128,653.

 

5. BENTLEY CONTINENTAL

No best car’s for football player’s list would be complete without the inclusion of the Bentley Continental. Wayne Rooney has one, Samuel Eto’o has one, Ashley Young has been seen and David Silva of Man City has had this car for some time.

At £132,150 and with all the bells and whistles that come designed into this car, you wouldn’t think anyone would want to spend £20,000 “pimping” a car that is proud of its regal roots to say happy birthday to your girlfriend but if your name is Stephen Ireland and you had a guaranteed check of £70,000, you can do whatever you want to do, and he did whilst he was at Man City.

This is the same guy who tricked out his £97,000 Audi R8 to a white and blue trim, a petrol cap shaped into a Superman and alloy wheels with a number 7 to match his jersey number.

 

Author Bio - Bradley Taylor is a UK freelance writer who has a passion for cars and you’ll often find him writing about luxury cars. He’s also an avid Derby FC fan! Connect with him on Google+ and Twitter.

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