Relax, the crisis is over, for now. Manchester City won a football game, and everything’s now ok, until they next fail to win a game, and then the vultures will circle once more. There will be talk of the manager moaning, of him cracking up on the touchline, manically waving imaginary yellow cards around, greying by the day, inching closer and closer to his own Kevin Keegan moment when he will stare wild-eyed into the camera as a terrified Geoff Shreeves looks on in the background, ranting “Is football, we played well, but is difficult, is long season, is red card, is need for players, and I tell you what, I would amore eet, amore eet, to get more players.”

Leading up to the Wigan game, the press told us City were in a slump, going through a rocky spell, the season was threatening to unwind. One goal later, and the form table for the last six league games shows the top team, with 13 points, to be – Manchester City. They are three points clear at the top of the table (the gap has never been greater than five), are still in the Carling Cup (though with a tough task ahead), so the crisis basically amounted to exiting the FA Cup having played 80 minutes with 10 men. Is football.

As Joleon Lescott commented only yesterday:”It has been funny, None of the boys thought we were cracking or something was going wrong. Then suddenly a big thing is made of it in the media. It was crazy. We sat there and thought: ‘Wow, we must have arrived’. People were saying we weren’t going to win the league and we are thinking: ‘Hold on a minute, we have lost two cup games’. I don’t think we are doing too badly.”

Now the press can concentrate on Arsenal instead. Perhaps Darlington fans should stop moaning – after all, Arsenal’s situation is far worse if some of what I have read recently is to be believed.

But there always has to be a “big” club in crisis – it’s pathetic, and unnecessary, but it seems an integral part of the footballing world. Arsenal are already in their second crisis of the season, Liverpool have had a few, City stagger from one crisis to another, and Manchester United and Chelsea have had a fair few too. And it only seems to be big teams too – a crisis seems to equate to not winning all your games and being in dange rof missing out on the cash-cow that is the Champions League.

City could still win a treble this season. They probably won’t, but the fact is it’s possible. But lose on Sunday to Spurs and they will be back in the mire despite being assured of top spot as their two closest challengers head into a tough spell of fixtures. As for Alex Ferguson, he’s been reported as coming to the end of his reign for a decade now, the United team written off more times than you could mention. Crisis after crisis, but they struggle on. Such troopers.

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It’s been said by me before, but it’s all a result of the exhaustive coverage the sport now gets, the need not only to report news but create news too. To exaggerate, to speculate, to sensationalise. And there’s clearly a market for it. Coverage is everywhere, 24 hours a day, on the television, online, even lonely men in their bedrooms can write endlessly on the topic (oh, hang on…). There’s not enough to talk about, so let’s make mountains out of molehills, and create a storm.

And then there’s the pressure on teams and managers, the lack of time to get results, to build a club up slowly. Instant results are demanded by fans, the media, and by impatient fans. No wonder a bad result is painted as a low ebb in the club’s history, the manager was a disgrace, the left-back isn’t good enough, change is needed, the club’s a laughing stock.

A crisis is the real possibility of the club you support and your father and grandfather supported going out of business, out of existence. Crisis is your team’s players not being paid, the administrators being called in, relegation, point deductions, a future with no hope. A big team having a bad month is not a crisis. They can change the manager, spend some more of the Premiership millions and try again. Or they can have a disappointing season and try again the following year. But as Darlington head towards oblivion, Talksport is dedicating a phone-in to Roberto Mancini’s actions on the touchline, and the world of football has officially got its priorities all wrong.

It’s part of how those who cover our beautiful game see everything along two distinctive lines. Everything is black and white, either brilliant or terrible. Players are world class or rubbish. There’s no such thing as an average run of results, you’re either doing well or in crisis. No one cares about the real crises though – the really big problems that are affecting clubs, players or managers. The Premiership is king, and two defeats on the bounce in the “EPL” is akin to anything Wimbledon fans had to endure.

So just remember, the next time your team has a defensive crisis, or a striker crisis, or a mascot crisis, a catering crisis, or the board are having crisis talks, or your club as a whole is in crisis – just keep calm and trust your manager. Give it a week and they’ll be challenging for the title.

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Six days ago Liverpool supporters were celebrating after watching their side triumph over Cardiff City in an enthralling Carling Cup final and pick up their first piece of silverware in six-years.

Kenny Dalglish’s Anfield project fully kicked into gear after penalties victory last week but that all came crashing down to earth on Saturday as their hopes of Champions League football took a huge hit. A home defeat at the hands of fourth placed Arsenal left them 10 points behind adrift of the Gunners. Despite their cup win ensuring Europa League football next season Dalglish was keen to lead the Reds into battle with Europe’s elite teams but that dream is all but dashed.

This week on FFC discussion has surrounded whether Liverpool’s Carling Cup win can propel them onto better things and Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita admits he’d be open to moving to Merseyside.

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Best of FFC

Liverpool’s transfer priority this summer?

Reasons for optimism at Liverpool?

Mixed bag of results has become a recurring theme at Anfield

Barca ace talks up Liverpool move

Transfers would provide a real statement of intent for Liverpool

Simply the catalyst Liverpool needed?

Let me not go to Anfield in peace! – ‘The Football Coffee Break Episode 5′

Caption Competition: Family love on show at Wembley

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Best of WEB

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1 win in 7 games, 4th place gone…but it’s okay we won the Carling Cup – Liverpool Kop

Captain fantastic or selfish scouser? – Live4Liverpool

Dirk Kuyt – Working Class Hero – This is Anfield

Cup Success: Cheers and Caveats – The Tomkins Times

Is Carragher finished? Try telling him that – Live4Liverpool

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Quote of the week

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“Every member of the squad has contributed to this and worked really hard to get here. Now we need to see if we can kick on from here. I think this will inspire the players. I don’t think anyone has ever won a trophy at Wembley, the Millennium [Stadium] or Europe and not come away without enjoying it. It must give you a taste for more. That doesn’t mean to say it’s going to happen but it can have an impact.” Kenny Dalglish following Liverpool’s Carling Cup triumph

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Match Highlights

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The world of football has perhaps the shortest of memories. New players seem to come and go every season, having either struggled to live up to expectations, found themselves unable to settle or simply moved on to bigger and better things.

Quite often these ‘stars’ fail to live up to the glories of their early careers, slumping down the league system or moving to far-flung areas of the globe in search of that final football fix. Hype, injuries and unfair expectations have claimed a fair few victims down the years, damaging the potential of a lot of players.

This list looks through some of the men who have graced the Premier League, before quietly slipping out of the back door and onto the footballing scrapheap. There will almost certainly be a few names that spring to mind, but here’s a list of ten, who have become forgotten men.

Click on Michael Bridges to unveil the top 10 forgotten Premier League players

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A goal in injury time rescued a point for Tottenham, as they drew with Stoke 1-1 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

Cameron Jerome had put the Potters into the lead after 75 minutes, and with the clock ticking down it looked like it would be four defeats in a row for Harry Redknapp’s men.

However a last-gasp Rafael van der Vaart strike ensured that spoils were shared.

Redknapp was pleased to get a draw considering the circumstances, and admitted that it is difficult to pinpoint just why his side have lost their way slightly.

“Stoke are never an easy team to beat,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.

“They were solid and you know I said before the game, we had to be careful from set-plays and we got punished from a set-play.

“I really couldn’t see us scoring because we huffed and puffed and hit the bar with Gareth (Bale), but I was thankful in the end with that goal.

“I mean, we all want three points at home but maybe a point will be important at the end of the day but we just seemed to have lost our way a bit.

“We’re not playing with quite the same fluency that we were a few weeks ago. It’s difficult to put your finger on it really but we just don’t seem to be shifting the ball around like we did.

“One or two of us look a little bit off the pace, a little bit jaded but you know we go to Chelsea on Saturday for a big game, so we have to pick ourselves up again and we have to go there and try and get a result.

“They’ve got to be more patient. They get carried away with the crowd at times and started playing from back to front to quick. We’re a footballing team that plays and people have got to be patient. They can’t worry about the crowd being inpatient because we had lots of passes.

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“You can’t lump the ball forward against Stoke because they have two centre-halves who are good in the air. We had to just be patient. With 30 minutes to go, we just panicked a bit and started playing too quick,” he concluded.

Spurs drop to fourth place due to Arsenal’s win, and with the gap between them and Chelsea five points, the trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday becomes all the more important.

By Gareth McKnight

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It’s been another tough week for referees. Well, one in particular. Martin Atkinson took charge of the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and after misjudging the severity of Mario Balotelli’s challenge on Alex Song last week, he preceded to draw more unwanted attention to himself by guessing over whether a ball had crossed the goal-line, and guessing wrong. Chelsea went on to win 5-1.

The argument over goal-line technology is almost redundant now, as it seems to be on the way. The FA have confirmed that goal-line technology could be introduced to English football as soon as next season. Two systems are under testing by FIFA at the moment and by July there may be a green light to implement it domestically. Or not.

But balls over lines wasn’t the only talking point, and far from it. Ashley Young will be thanking Atkinson for at least taking a little bit of the exposure off him. Having yet again propelled himself into the air as if he had just detonated a land mine, Young was once more bending the rules for maximum profit. And yet again, fans seem to be confused over the rules of football.

There seems to be this creeping acceptance that contact in a penalty area means a penalty. Never mind that two players contacting together could mean equal blame, it seems that many think touching an attacker within 18 yards of the goal is an open invitation for a spot-kick. Commentators say it all the time. Co-commentators say it even more. Pundits repeat it. Fans regurgitate it. And it’s all utter hogwash. A penalty from a foul results from a trip, or an attempted trip (intent CAN be enough to exact punishment). Standing still and committing the heinous crime of letting a player kick your standing leg is not a foul. Except for the defender, perhaps. And it is so annoying how it has been generally accepted that players can “win” penalties nowadays, be it Ashley Young or Adam Johnson, that somehow this is just part of the game. Well it clearly is, but that doesn’t make it right. Let’s just accept racist remarks, hooliganism and poor-quality burgers if that’s the case. And let’s keep proclaiming that “raising your hands” is an excuse for the referee to send you off. Or the ball touching your hand in the penalty area is a just cause for punishment.

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Back at Wembley, and only a few minutes after Chelsea’s controversial goal, Spurs were back in the game, with a perfectly legitimate goal that still resulted in a slating by some for the referee. A slating due to him doing his job perfectly. As tweeter after tweeter asked why Cech wasn’t sent off, it seemed that denying a goal scoring opportunity still counts to some even when a goal is scored. Go figure. Though Mike Parry, ex of Talksport, still thinks the rule is “last man”.

The rule was brought in to stop cynical professional fouls by defenders. That’s why it does not require a red card for Peter Cech, a decision that logic would suggest would be ridiculously harsh anyway, punishing the defending team twice over. In theory Bale could have deliberately missed the shot and got a red card for Cech and a penalty into the bargain, as was debated by the commentators at the time, but surely not, as even if Bale had missed, he clearly had a goal scoring opportunity. Cech would have been similarly cheated to have been dismissed.

Martin Atkinson was back on our screens and in our thoughts once more in midweek as he hung behind the goal as one of Howard Webb’s multitude of assistants, generally overseeing things and keeping a straight face. Cue more questions from fans about what the point is of assistants behind the goal – they don’t anything, hey, they don’t even have a flag!! And as we all know, no one can function without a flag. So if this is your view of them, then please stop. I’ll leave it to a tweet by the journalist Jonathan Wilson to set the record straight.

FFS. How is this hard to grasp? Goalline officials speak to refs on mics. We have no idea how much or how little they say.

A bit harsh, but it gets the message across. Maybe we should give them flags, just to stop people whinging.

The same game brought plenty of other talking points. Ribery showed Ashley Young and co. a thing about diving, hitting the deck as if knee-capped on a minute-by-minute basis. Then there were claims for a penalty in the first half as he went down after having his shirt grabbed at. That grab however didn’t cause the fall, slight as it was, so I can’t see any problem in not awarding a penalty. But in the second half perhaps Bayern Munich had better claims for penalties after two tackles in the area. This led to the usual guff and oft-quoted assertion that the defender “got something on the ball”, as if this excuses him from any punishment whatsoever. When will commentators realise that you can touch the ball in an attempted tackle and still foul the opposing player?

The rules aren’t easy – a game built on the premise of 17 laws first drawn up in 1863, and given a major revamp in 1997, has 10,000 variations and interpretations of situations, which are tweaked on a yearly basis. Fans can’t possibly know them all, and some follow the game more than others of course, but I would expect national newspaper journalists to have a grasp of them, rather than tweeting to ask why Cech wasn’t sent off (I’m looking at you Darren Lewis). I spent so long arriving at games at the last minute I forgot the first kick had to be forward. Referees make some terrible mistakes, some are just not up to it in my opinion, but they are not helped. The ruling authorities have dragged their feet for years in helping them with the technology available, and they face a double whammy by being slated by fans and journalists alike that can’t even be bothered to check the rules.

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Chelsea fans, and some players, will be desperate to exorcise the demons of the 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United when they return to the showpiece of Europe’s premier club competition this weekend. The bitter disappointment of that night remains as a constant reminder of the club’s continual quest for the trophy. A win over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena would secure the most triumphant night in the west-Londoners history, but Ruud Gullit has intimated that Roman Abramovich would be just as pleased to see his team defeated.

Andre Villas-Boas struggled to maintain control at Chelsea and after being removed from his position as coach, Roberto Di Matteo was drafted in for the interim. Only expected to ride out an extremely average season, the Italian has surpassed his remit and taken his team to FA Cup glory as well as a Champions League final. He is now one of the favourites to secure the permanent post, and there would be little opposition should the Blues lift the ultimate prize on Saturday. However, Ruud Gullit has suggested Abramovich would be equally pleased with defeat in order to select the new manager freely. He told The Sun:

“I think there is somebody already in line. But will he still want the job if Chelsea win the Champions League? Would even Jose Mourinho want to come in and replace Robbie [Di Matteo], knowing he could not top what his predecessor had achieved? If Robbie wins the Champions League, it would suddenly put a lot of pressure on the next guy. So maybe the owner doesn’t even want to win the final.”

Given the history of the Russian owner’s whimsical hiring and firing of managers there is of course cause for some pessimism. But Abramovich’s sole aim since purchasing the club has been to win the Champions League. If he has a manager who can deliver that, why would he sack him?

Despite a disappointing season, Di Matteo has a chance to complete a double. The last Blues manager to guide the team to such a feat was Carlo Ancelotti in his debut 2009/10 season. When he failed to match that trophy haul the following year he was shown the door. There will be immense pressure to appoint Di Matteo if Chelsea defeat Bayern. Win, and the 41-year-old may get a shot but his reign at would come under severe scrutiny with improvements expected early next season. Surely lifting the title would prove he is worthy of the position?

If the Stamford Bridge outfit decided not to go with the former West Bromwich Albion manager, what other options are open to them? Fabio Capello has been linked to the position but he is out of experience at club level, similarly to France coach Laurent Blanc. Chelsea hired World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari but he failed to translate his exploits at national level to the domestic stage.

Jose Mourinho has also been touted for a return to the Bridge but he has reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid and would have little to gain by taking over at his former club so soon. Pep Guardiola is without doubt the stand-out candidate, but his decision to take a sabbatical makes him unavailable for the job. So why not trust in Di Matteo. He has proven to be a hit with fans and players alike whilst also securing the goods.

Chelsea are notorious for meddling in transfers above the head of the coach. Mourinho was explicitly disappointed at the signing of Andriy Shevchenko while it was clear that Ancelotti had little to do with the capture of Fernando Torres. The club’s executives will likely be able to retain control over such areas with Di Matteo in charge rather than a higher profile coach.

Yes, defeat for Chelsea would allow Abramovich more freedom to choose the man he wants to continue the job next season, but realistically he will not be hoping to lose. That is preposterous. Failure is not an option as it would mean the Blues would play no part in the tournament next season. The Russian billionaire is in charge of the club and is not one to crumble under media pressure. He is just a few hours away from getting his hands on the trophy that he so fervently craves. If Di Matteo can supply him with that, he will no doubt be rewarded handsomely.

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What do you make of Gullit’s claims? Let me know on Twitter @thwebber.

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There is a popular belief in society that all the best artists are crazy, for it is only these individuals who have the capability to produce something we’ve never seen or even considered before. What about footballers? Do they have to be mad to be brilliant? Surely the best players are those who can conjure something completely unique on their grassy canvas.

For all their positive attributes, the ‘workhorses’ or ‘no-nonsense’ defenders will only ever be truly loved by their own managers. As fans, our idols are those who dazzle further up the pitch, always flirting with the idea of doing some entirely unconventional. If I were to offer you the choice of a glass of tap water or a brash cocktail – containing equal measures of flamboyance and frustration – which one would you chose? The water is without question better for you and infinitely more reliable but you’ll still find yourself opting for the beverage with the umbrella sticking out of it, because of the unexpected excitement it might bring.

A perfect example is Paul Gascoigne, a player of effortless genius who had the unfortunate ability to match every extreme high with an equivalent low throughout his career. His lust for the ball when others shied away from it was inspirational and that was before he started to weave his magic. ‘Gazza’ is still idolised today, partly because of his exploits on the pitch but also because his off-the-field antics resonated with so many ‘normal’ individuals. You’ll often hear him described as a proper ‘character’ in football, as if he played the lead role in your favourite television programme.

Players like Paul Gascoigne, Paolo Di Canio and even the likes of Tino Asprilla all attracted legions of fans during their time in the Premiership. They were by no means perfect in the way they played football, nor did they dominate at the end of season awards, but they all possessed the uncanny ability to try something beyond the normal realms of comprehension. Instead of looking for the easy option, they would seek the most entertaining one and because they had the talent to execute such unusual moves, everyone fell in love with them.

Mario Balotelli undoubtedly represents the next talented star to blend both the brilliant with the bizarre. The Italian is blessed with flair, pace and textbook technique but he is not adverse to a fireworks display in his bathroom or leaving the house disguised as Feathers Mcgraw. Despite a series of ill-disciplined outbursts, the 21-year-old has notched 17 goals in 31 club appearances this season and deserves credit for carrying the torch in the absence of Carlos Tevez.

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Having endured a turbulent first season in the Premier League with more ups and downs than a typical rollercoaster, an air of doubt has surrounded his future at the club after a petulant display against Arsenal. He certainly lacks the composure of his elder team-mates but when he has the ball he is such a rare and intriguing spectacle that English football would be far less attractive without him.

Elsewhere in the world of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both seem able to be exceptional on the pitch without the accompanying acts of ludicrously. Messi may have a tattoo of his mum on his back and Ronaldo may be guilty of pantomime reactions when he’s fouled (and even when he’s not), but these appear futile compared to throwing darts at youth team members or an unannounced visit to a women’s prison.

In fact Messi can be further admired by the way he conducts himself on the pitch, he rarely complains, rolls around on the floor or waves an imaginary card after he’s been fouled for the umpteenth time. His maturity is an example to all young footballers but it will be interesting to see how he copes with the increasingly desperate measures the opposition will employ to try and stop him. Need I remind you of the legendary Zinedine Zidane at the 2006 World Cup.

The very best players compete without any boundaries or limits, they thrive on the adulation of the supporters but when the whistle blows and the lights go out, some will search for that same buzz in those less desirable recreational activities. Perhaps there is an argument that the modern day culture of the sport drives certain players to commit such acts of outlandish behaviour. We as a nation are more than willing to propel players to such dizzying heights of stardom only to berate and criticise them the moment they make an inevitable mistake.

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With sensationalised media coverage and the growing levels of expectation for club and country, players are constantly walking a tightrope of their own success. You may not have to be crazy to be brilliant at football, but some would argue that it certainly helps.

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Ipswich Town have had a week of good news and bad news. The bad news is that Paul Jewell’s main transfer target Joel Ward turned down the chance to sign for Ipswich and chose to sign for Crystal Palace.

However, the good news is that Ipswich have now made their first summer signing in Macclesfield right back Elliot Hewitt. The young Welshman turned 18 years old on Wednesday and this signing shows Ipswich are heading in the right direction.

Joel Ward put in some very encouraging performances at the back for Portsmouth last season and at 22 years of age he looked like just what Ipswich needed. Many see the club’s failure to sign Ward as bad news but others are actually pleased that the club failed to lure the former Portsmouth man to Ipswich.

If Joel Ward did sign for Ipswich he would have been joining the club for the wrong reasons. Over the last few seasons the Ipswich squad has consisted mainly of players who clearly don’t care about playing for the club and are only playing for the money. Their lack of passion and desire to play for the club was always clear to see.

It was obvious that Grant Leadbitter never cared about Ipswich because he only started to play well when his contract was coming to an end and he needed to sell himself to other clubs by playing well. Joel Ward is not necessarily in the same category as Leadbitter as he turned down higher wages to join Crystal Palace and be closer to his family. However, if Ward did accept Jewell’s offer it wouldn’t have been for the right reasons and it would have showed in his performances on the pitch.

The great thing about this week has been that Ipswich have signed a player who looks like he will be proud to wear an Ipswich Town shirt. Elliot Hewitt is exactly the right type of player fans have been crying out for. A young lad with the desire to make a name for himself and more importantly a desire to play for Ipswich. Picking the gems out from the lower leagues is a far superior transfer policy to what Ipswich used to do when they only searched for players in Premier League Reserve teams.

It seems that Paul Jewell may well have learnt the lesson that other managers have failed to. If he keeps up this transfer policy then there will be a different atmosphere at Portman Road next season. Fans will turn up to the games and see the team play with passion and determination whether they win or lose. It will be refreshing for the fans to see a new attitude within the team after so many years of seeing failed Premier League players lug around the fine pitch.

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A change in the teams work rate and philosophy won’t come with just one signing though.

It is concerning to think that Paul Jewell once named Grant Leadbitter as his Ipswich captain. At the time myself and most other fans were unhappy with the decision as I can’t think of a worse player to captain the side. It can hardly be inspiring for the team to play under a captain who doesn’t care about the club. Thankfully Paul Jewell did strip Leadbitter of his captaincy later on in the season and all we can do is hope that he has learnt his lesson. The next few signings will shape the team for next season and whilst the signings don’t necessarily need be young they need to want to play for Ipswich.

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While the world patiently waits for the new Premier League season to arrive, a flurry of activity relentlessly flows through every club, with players arriving and departing in equal measures. While there has yet to be a bank-breaking, marquee signing this summer, the media is awash with rumours of big name stars searching for new employers. Many of the players who receive the most coverage are star strikers. The men who pose the greatest goal threat for their respective teams are often the players held in highest regard, demanding lucrative transfer fees and generating excitement around any club. Whilst there are no doubts that there will still be a considerable amount of movement and new additions to the Premier League, these 10 players may be the most likely to claim the golden boot when next May arrives.

This list includes previous winners of the prized top scorer trophy, new signings that are untested in this league and outside bets who have shown enough talent in finding the net to acquire a place in this group of stars. While some performed admirably last campaign, some had relatively quiet seasons. Have a look at this list and see if you agree whether one of these players will add an individual trophy to their career come the seasons climax.

Click on Papiss Cisse to unveil the 10 candidates

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Newcastle have reportedly made a bid of £3.15m for Twente defender Douglas, Sky Sports claim.

The Tyneside club are eager to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2012-13 season, and will look to build on their fifth-placed finish from last term.

With Romain Amalfitano already been added to Alan Pardew’s squad, a commanding defender is next on the Geordies’ radar.

Douglas has impressed for the Eredivisie side over the last number of campaigns, and as such has been linked with a move to one of Europe’s big leagues consistently of late.

The Brazilian centre-half has also admitted that he is ready to leave the Enschede-based side for a new challenge, but manager Steve McClaren is said to be eager to recoup a handsome price for the South American.

As yet there has been no news on whether the bid has been accepted, with Newcastle looking to build on their acquisition of Cheik Tiote, who also move to the north east from Twente.

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By Gareth McKnight

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