In a summer bereft of football, the release of fixture lists this week provide some form of respite for fans starved of action. Away trips are plotted, long weekends at some of the more far-flung fixtures are planned, and best mates are pleaded with not to hold their wedding on a certain date as it clashes with “the big one”.

But among all this, select fans from League One teams will also be studying the Conference fixture list, specifically AFC Wimbledon’s home games. This isn’t to do with loyalty to the London team, per se, but there are plenty of supporters who will object to visiting the MK Dons and will choose to visit Kingsmeadow when their team is away at the Stadium M:K.

Even though it’s now been seven years since the FA gave permission for Wimbledon FC to be moved to Milton Keynes, many fans still remain angry at the so-called franchising of the Dons and have never accepted the Pete Winkleman-owned vehicle.

But to observers from countries such as USA and Austrlia, where franchising is the norm, the fuss over one team (and not even a large team at that) relocating must seem somewhat confusing.

Not the first, maybe not the last

The MK Dons aren’t the first team to have upped sticks and moved in search of more money. The majority of teams who do this are often at non-league level, usually merging two teams to create an artificial club, as opposed to moving the club elsewhere. Rushden and Diamonds, Hayes and Yeading, and Dagenham and Redbridge (who themselves came from Redbridge Forest, another merged side) have all done this in the past.

But the actual uprooting of a club from one part of the country to another is still rare and, before the Dons, the most high profile move came back in 1913. Woolwich Arsenal from Plumstead were moved from south east London up north to Highbury, right by the tube station, and simply renamed The Arsenal.

At the heart of all this was, even back then, money. The club’s chairman, Henry Norris, also owned Fulham and had originally attempted to merge the two clubs. When that failed, Norris identified prime space in the capital in which to establish a football club and, despite protests from fans at the time, Arsenal moved north. The rest, as they say, is history.

Given that Arsenal were so successful in their relocation, it is fair enough to ask why more clubs didn’t simply move to a more profitable and accepting area if they were struggling for money.

The importance of community

First of all, it’s worth noting that Arsenal’s success didn’t just come about because of the relocation, although this did play a large part in their subsequent growth. Arguably, Norris’ feat of talking Arsenal into the First Division in 1915 had as much to do with fast-tracking them on the way to where they are today.

That year, Arsenal had finished 5th but, for no good reason and with more than a suggestion of dodgy dealing, were promoted at the expense of Wolves and Barnsley, both of whom finished above the Gunners. Norris, somehow, talked Arsenal into the top division.

But the idea that teams can be traded between cities, like players move between clubs, is one completely alien to the English game. Franchising just doesn’t enter the English mentality of football.

Many teams were started as works teams. Woolwich Arsenal was formed by workers at the munitions factory. Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United) was formed by workers on Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways. It doesn’t take a genius to guess at the origin of Horwich Railway Mechanics Institute, another team who relocated (to Leigh) in the belief it would help the club.

If it wasn’t workers looking for a kickabout, then often the church played a large part in forming teams. Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and Bolton, among others, were all formed around or by local churches. You wonder what the founders would have made of what the clubs have become today.

The majority of the clubs, then, were so rooted in their communities that it seemed inexpedient to move them to elsewhere. Even with some of the smaller league (and indeed non-league clubs) football was inextricably linked with the community. When the team was doing well, it often coincided with an upturn in the fortunes of the rest of the area.

Even in a short time the history and identity of the football club became interwoven with the history of the area. Rivalries were established, and football teams became badges of regionalistic pride. Liverpool v Manchester United, Swansea v Cardiff, Newcastle v Sunderland, even Exeter v Plymouth were all caught up in something that went beyond football. Franchising these teams and taking away the cultural identity would be unthinkable.

MK Dons mark 2

This may be a slightly simplistic way of explaining why franchising is so contrary to the principles of English football. The length of history and community roots means it would be seen as an abomination if somebody tried to uproot, say, Southampton to a place without a league club such as Cornwall.

It’s also why the football community reacted so strong to Wimbledon’s relocation. The Dons may not have been pulling in the same sort of crowds as other London Premier League clubs, but they had plenty of history, including their rise from non-league to FA Cup winners.

Moving the club to Milton Keynes left 3,000 displaced fans and, ever since the formation of AFC Wimbledon, both teams have argued that they have the rightful claim to the old Wimbledon’s history and trophies (although both, strictly speaking, are new teams).

There’s also a feeling that teams who are ‘franchised’ and take over a team’s league position are interlopers who haven’t earned the right to play at such a level.

It’s why the spectre of Methyr Tydfil moving to Bridgend was met with horror from both Methyr’s fans and the wider footballing community.

Owner Wyn Holloway, who’d taken the club to the brink of liquidation, raised the spectre of the club moving from the valleys to the Welsh town as he looked to offload the club. It wasn’t just the club that was for sale – it was the Martyrs entire place in the football pyramid.

Although Bridgend were in the League of Wales, Methyr, in the Southern Premier, would have been an interesting and attractive proposition for any side looking to break into the Conference or the League. Thankfully, the scheme came to nothing and the authorities appeared lukewarm at best to the idea.

Holloway and Bridgend are unlikely to be the last to try and relocate a club away from its spiritual home, as owners or ambitious businessmen look to do a quick one. Thankfully, the footballing authorities seem reluctant to view the Wimbledon situation as anything other than a one-off at this current point in time, although that’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.

Made in America

This all may come across as a criticism of the current American model of football. It isn’t meant to be. Indeed, if the MLS had tried to replicate the way English football was born, it would have probably died an unlamanted death a long time ago.

If you’re looking to establish a major football league in a country that hasn’t previously been known for its love of the game the franchise method is, at the moment, quite possibly the best way to go about it, as both the States and Australia’s A League are currently showing. It also makes more sense to implement a system that’s closer to what the public are used to with other sports.

And as the game grows and the clubs develop their own history, rivalries and even places in the community then that attachment to an area grows – just look at the current situation with DC United.

The MLS side are having issues over their stadium, raising the spectre that one of the MLS’ best-known teams could be forced to move, or franchised to another city. DC United fans, along with bloggers, are campaigning to keep the club in the capital.

There’s nothing wrong with franchising done in the right time and place. But that time and place isn’t the English game. Moving a club from its roots still feels wrong, and no matter how many years pass, AFC Wimbledon will no doubt continue to get “away” fans partaking in their own small ongoing personal protest against the creation of the MK Dons.

“Football “Franchises” – Right or Wrong?” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

They echo throughout fields all over the UK during the football season, and on many occasions have been known to give players a lift. I’m talking about football chants.  From Fernando Torres’ “Liverpool’s Number Nine” to “Glory Glory Man United,” songs and chants are a massive part of what makes football such a unique sport.

Some of the best chants out there rarely get the credit they deserve. And for those rare few who can come up with a proper chant, it’s time you stepped into the spotlight. In other words: it’s time to give credit where credit is due for those who come up with unique chants about their favourite club or player.

Directgov’s ‘Get On’ program decided to take matters into their own hands this year with the introduction of a ‘Chant Challenge’ that allowed supporters from all over the country to try their luck at coming up with the most unique chant possible.

Football legend, John Barnes, along with Barnsley FC’s resident poet, Ian McMillan, took on the task of going through over 300 entries to find nine finalists. The finalists, who represented such clubs as Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland AFC, will be going to London in August prior to the beginning on the season to face-off for the chance to be crowned the chant-off champion.

“Chants are a great way of getting behind your team and can make a real difference to players on the pitch. I was really impressed by the level of skill and imagination that came through in the entries,” Barnes said.

The competition has been a huge success in its inaugural year, and has even garnered support from Liverpool’s Fernando Torres (Liverpool supporters sent in the highest number of entries), and Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs.

Here are just a couple of the chants that were entered into the competition this year:

Don’t wave at us David Jamo
Just try to catch this corner
All through your mishaps
And crazy haircuts
We still support you
Just hoof your clearance

[to the tune of ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’]
Entered by Richie Turrell, Portsmouth supporter

I believe in a man of steel
His name is Lucas Neill
If you think he can score a goal
He’ll put you in hospital
I believe in a man of steeeee-eee-eeel
Our boy, Lucas Neill!

[to the tune of ‘I believe in a thing called love’ by The Darkness]
Entered by Jordi Greig, West Ham supporter

FA Cup Opposition Taunt

Oh when we get to Wembley in May
We’ll think of teams we thrashed along the way
And you’ll be watching when we win the cup
You’ll be so gutted when we lift it up
We’re going through to the next round baby
You know whose winning and it isn’t you
We’ll think of you in the next round baby
All of your hopes and dreams are blown away
What a magic day.

[to the tune of ‘Warwick Avenue’ by Duffy]
Entered by Lee Dooley, Manchester United supporter

So there you go! If you think you’ve got a chant better than some of the above, then I’d suggest you throw your hat into the ring next season to see if you’re good enough to be one of the nine finalists.  Make sure you take a look at Get On’s chant competition page in August to see who wins the right to record their chant in the studio with John Barnes.

“Football chant challenge gives fans something to sing about” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Carlos Tevez is out, Dimitar Berbatov is out, Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Giggs are in. The paper claims it’s a real ”insult” to Tevez to be left out, but we’re not sure why as no-one has expected him to play from the start with all the focus on his future.

John O’Shea keeps his place at right-back and Cristiano Ronaldo continues his not-going-to-give-the-ball-away-as-much effort as a lone striker. So it’s pretty much exactly the same team as against Arsenal in the semi. Except Darren Fletcher of course.

Transfer gossip now, and there are some pretty interesting deals going on if you believe the media. Chelsea, for some reason, are being linked with a new right-back. We all thought Jose Bosingwa had done rather well this season, but the Blues are apparently tracking Inter Milan’s Brazilian defender Maicon for £22m.

The Daily Star reckon that when Carlo Ancelotti takes over in the summer, he’d just love to take him along for the ride. Probably wouldn’t please Jose much, but he has given his backing to the Italian for the Stamford Bridge post.

Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, is looking to Fulham for his defensive stability next season. Brede Hangeland has done a good job at the heart of the Cottagers defence, and his extra height and power has caught the eye of the Frenchman, according to the Sun. But would he really spend £15m on him?

The Sun also have the news that ‘Arry Redknapp is keen to raid his old club once again for full-back Glen Johnson. Liverpool are believed to be in the prime position to sign the England defender as they need a player to shout back at Jamie Carragher when he gets in a mood; but Tottenham may swoop for their fourth right-back in the past year.

Once an England player, Dean Ashton gets the treatment (and he’s used to that) in the Daily Mirror. The paper thinks he’d be offloaded to Newcastle or Aston Villa in the summer, but someone would have to take a big chance to take the injury-prone striker anywhere.

However, Newcastle won’t be signing anyone decent if they go down and Sebastian Bassong could be the first to leave, says the Times.

Another team struggling for top flight status, Sunderland, could turn to Hamburg manager Martin Jol next season, according to the Daily Star. Quite why the Dutchman would want to trade a chance at the Bundesliga title and possible qualification for Europe for the drudgery of another relegation battle is beyond understanding. So he’ll probably just stay put.

And finally, Chelsea have cancelled their plans for an FA Cup parade. Not because they haven’t won it yet. Not because it’s a mere consolation prize given they really wanted to claim the Champions League. But because of the CREDIT CRUNCH! We know Roman Abramovich has been cutting costs, but if one of the world’s richest men can’t even get a open bus tour together, we know it’s bad.

Seasons are coming to a close around Europe, and while many big names will make moves in the upcoming summer transfer window, we’re also going to see a few notable managers change clubs in the near future. With that in mind, today’s transfer news and rumors roundup has a little managerial news from around Europe mixed in with the regular player transfer gossip.

Brazil

Corinthians Pursuing Tevez Loan Deal?

Corinthians are exploring ways to try to engineer a loan deal for Carlos Tevez. Tevez starred at the Brazilian club before making the jump to England, and with his time at Manchester United seemingly almost up, his old club are looking to pounce. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I think Manchester United will do all they can to sign him if possible, but if he doesn’t sign for United, you’ve got to love the thought of a rejuvenated Ronaldo and Tevez playing alongside one another. Would he jump for it?

England

New Chelsea Manager Ancletti to Target Tevez?

The chances are high that Tevez could remain in the Premier League even if he doesn’t sign with Manchester United, and one of the clubs who could make an approach for him is Chelsea, who are set to name Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Hiddink certainly would’ve been their best choice, but it wasn’t to be. Chelsea will be looking to add to their front line, especially if Didier Drogba finally leaves, but even Roman Abramovich might not be willing to stump up 32m for Tevez.

Mourinho Turns Down Manchester City Offer

According to Italian news reports, Jose Mourinho has turned down a 12m offer to manage Manchester City. (Goal.com)

Analysis: This contradicts with reports that I’ve read that made it seem silly that Mark Hughes’ job was ever under threat, but maybe that’s being said because City couldn’t land the replacement they wanted.

Liverpool and Manchester City After Gourcuff?

Liverpool and Manchester City are both being linked with Bordeaux loan star Yoann Gourcuff. The 22-year-old French international midfielder has been huge in Bordeaux’s run towards the Ligue 1 title, scoring 12 league goals and assisting on 10 more. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Considering the season he’s had at Bordeaux, AC Milan’s new manager might see him as a key asset for next season. But if Milan put him up for sale, he’s going to cost a pretty penny.

Arsenal to Bid for Ajax’s Vermaelen?

Arsenal are reportedly ready to make a £7.5m bid for Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen. The 23-year-old Belgian international has also been recently linked with Aston Villa. (The Mirror)

Analysis: As this season has shown, Arsenal need to add some depth to their back line, and Vermaelen’s versatile enough to fit in multiple slots. And with Kolo Toure potentially leaving in the summer, Vermaelen could immediately be thrust into a key role for the Gunners.

Aston Villa Chase Toulouse Striker Gignac

Aston Villa scouts have been keeping a close eye on Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who tops Ligue 1’s scoring charts with 22 goals. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: It would aid their hopes of making a sustained challenge for the top four and making a deep run in the Europa League to add another scoring option, but I don’t really see why they’d send Carew packing, seeing as how he’s been scoring when others haven’t.

Italy

Van Basten and Adebayor to Arrive at San Siro?

With Carlo Ancelotti set to take over at Chelsea, AC Milan are said to be lining up former Rossoneri star Marco Van Basten as his replacement, and Silvio Berlusconi says that ‘there is a good chance’ that the club will also land Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: There might have been some unhappiness about Flamini leaving for Milan last year, but many Arsenal fans probably can’t wait to see the back of Adebayor at this point.

Fiorentina In Talks to Land Crespo

Fiorentina have confirmed that they are in talks to sign Inter striker Hernan Crespo. The veteran Argentine striker’s contract at Inter expires this summer, so he will be available for free. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Crespo hasn’t made much of an impact at Inter in the last couple of seasons, but Fiorentina is where strikers go to rejuvenate their careers (see Mutu, Adrian and Gilardino, Alberto), so this would be a good move for him.

France

PSG in €10m Bid for Inter’s Vieira?

Paris Saint-Germain could be set to make a €10m bid for Inter midfielder Patrick Vieira. (Goal.com)

Analysis: It’d be a great opportunity for Vieira, but as the article mentions, PSG’s finances could be a stumbling block to this one. If they could beat Lyon to third and Ligue 1’s last Champions League spot, that would significantly help their chances, but the chances of that happening are now pretty slim.

Scotland

Duo Chase Hibs Star Riordan

Hibs striker Derek Riordan is a target for Lokomotiv Moscow and Premier League hopefuls Burnley. Riordan has scored 11 goals this season after returning to his old club following a forgettable spell at Celtic. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: After how things didn’t work out the last time he tried to make a step up, Riordan might balk at moving so quickly, but if it’s a can’t-resist offer, then Hibs might try to push him out the door. However, if said can’t-resist offer comes from Moscow, Riordan might do well to ask former teammate Garry O’Connor about his issues with settling during a short spell with Lokomotiv.

Daily Links

Find Football TV Schedules Online

Want to make sure you catch all of the big matches and don’t miss seeing your favorite club on TV? footballlens has you covered.

Football Ringtones for Your Mobile Phone

Looking to show the world your love for your favorite football club anytime your mobile rings? footballlens brings you the best resources for football ringtones.

Is Drinking a Problem in the Premier League?

Given the recent and very public issues involving a couple of Premier League players and alcohol, how serious of a concern is boozing in the EPL?

Tie-Breakers for Football Teams Level on Points

Ever wanted to know what tiebreakers various football leagues around the world use to determine champions if teams are tied on points?

“Transfer Rumors (18 May 09): Chelsea to make Tevez move, Liverpool and Manchester City after French star Gourcuff, Arsenal to rival Aston Villa for Ajax defender Vermaelen, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Shakhtar Donetsk v. Werder Bremen
Stadium: Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey
Competition: UEFA Cup Final
Date: 20 May 2009
Kickoff: 18:45 GMT, 14:45 EST

Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen will fight for the right to lift the UEFA Cup! footballlens will be bringing you the action live! Log on to the site 15 minutes before kickoff for the live-blog! In the meantime, feel free to leave comments or make predictions below!

Match Preview:

It’s the final year of the UEFA Cup, and the two squads that will compete for the prestigious and tradition-laden trophy have never lifted it before. Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen both want to win this trophy and would love nothing better than to close out this competition in style.

Werder Bremen have the bigger names and, according to the oddsmakers, are slight favorites. They have German internationals like Torsten Frings, Per Mertesacker, and Clemens Fritz. They have a dynamic play-making midfielder in Diego. They have former Chelsea hitman Claudio Pizarro and Portuguese international Hugo Almeida scoring the goals up front. However, Werder have been wildly inconsistent this season. They’re languishing in tenth place in the Bundesliga, where they’ve won 12 matches and lost 12 (pending next weekend’s final league match against leaders Wolfsburg). Despite their mediocre league form, they could win a Cup Double as they’re also in the finals of the DFB Pokal. Football really is a funny sport sometimes.

In the semifinals, Werder prevailed over their domestic rivals, Hamburg SV, with the help of one of the most fortuitous occurrences in recent football history. After losing the first leg by a score of 1-0 at home, Werder were leading the second leg by a score of 2-1 when a Hamburg backpass took a bad bounce off a plastic cup and went out for a corner. Frank Baumann then converted the gift corner for the crucial third away goal which propelled Werder to the Final. They’ll hope that they didn’t use up all their luck in the Semis, especially since they won’t have the aforementioned Diego. The Juventus-bound midfielder who compared himself to Zinedine Zidane is suspended for the match. Almeida is also out due to yellow card accumulation, while Claudio Pizarro and Markus Rosenberg missed Saturday’s 3-1 loss to last-place Karlsruhe with injuries. Mertesacker is likely gone for the rest of the season after having ankle surgery following the Semifinal victory over Hamburg.

As for Shakhtar, they might not have the big names, but they’ve excelled by playing excellent defense while getting timely scoring up front from their Brazilian contingent. They may not be as celebrated as some of their countrymen, but Fernandinho, Jadson, Ilsinho, and Luiz Adriano have been getting the job done as Shakhtar have knocked off several of Europe’s best and most famous clubs en route to the Finals. Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow, Olympique Marseille, and domestic rivals Dynamo Kyiv have all fallen victim to Shakhtar’s brand of efficient football. Since entering the UEFA Cup from the Champions League, Shakhtar have only conceded four goals and have scored twelve.

Shakhtar will also come into this match in better domestic form as they’ve won their last six league matches in a row. They won’t have as many injury or suspension issues as Werder, as only midfielder Tomas Huebschman is suspended. If they defend they way that they’ve been doing, then it’s extremely likely that they’ll become the first Ukrainian team to hoist the UEFA Cup, and the final team ever to do so.

Who will go down in history as the final UEFA Cup Champions? Tune in and find out!

“Shakhtar Donetsk v. Werder Bremen – Live Blog – UEFA Cup Final – 20 May 2009” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

The Daily Mail ‘exclusively’ reveal that the Ecuador international is set to join Real Madrid after Latics boss Steve Bruce thrashed out a £21.5million deal with the Spanish club.

Despite the fact that Valencia does not feature on Real Madrid president-elect Florentino Perez’s wanted list the deal will apparently force the hand of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Although the players agent Diego Herrera said: “Real Madrid made an offer last week, but nobody from Wigan has told me of an offer from Manchester United.”

Valencia, 23, is seen by United as a potential replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who, as we all know, is permanently linked with a move to Madrid.

However, the Daily Star claim that Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is the one who will be on his way to Real if Perez returns as club president. £21m should just about do it.

According to the Daily Mirror’s Football Spy Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to move for Lazio’s £15million-rated striker Goran Pandev to beef up his attack. Presumably ‘Arry will have to get rid of one of Darren Bent, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Robbie Keane or Jermain Defoe from his beef-lacking attacking first.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s pursuit of AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has taken a new twist after it emerged that the club are reluctant to recruit the Italian’s trusted assistants, according to The Times.

Mauro Tassotti and Filippo Galli will not be following the Italian to Stamford Bridge as owner Roman Abramovich would prefer Ancelotti to work with the club’s existing coaching staff of Ray Wilkins and Paul Clement.

But Milan loan-star David Beckham has revealed in The Sun how the players are begging Carlo Ancelotti not to quit the Rossoneri for Chelsea.

“Every single one of the Milan players loves him, adores him and doesn’t want him to go,” Beckham said.

Newcastle United could play themselves out of a £140m takeover if they are demoted from the Premier League this weekend. The Guardian reports that investors from the United States and the Middle East are lining up an offer to buy out unpopular owner Mike Ashley – but it all hangs on the club avoiding relegation.

And finally… an interesting story in The Independent claims top-flight footballers in England are routinely surrounded by gangsters who pose a threat to their reputations and tempt many towards criminality. That is according to a former Premier League player just released from prison after serving four years of an eight-year term for his involvement in a drugs ring.

There haven’t been too many Italians that have made that considerably bold step leap of moving from the proverbial comfort zone of Serie A to the Premier League. Although if young Federico Macheda needs any advice on how he may be able to forge a long and fruitful career at Old Trafford then he may be best served having a quick glance at my run down of five of the best (and worst) Italians to have plied their trade in England’s top flight.

Some of the names on this list are remembered with fond memories of success and silverware. These Italians made a difference when they stepped on the pitch. Some of the other names, however, make some supporters cringe to this day. One look at a couple of these names will have some people throwing their hands up in disgust.

It’s time to take a look at the best and worst Italy had to offer the Premier League. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Italian invasion!

Five successful Italians in England

Gianfranco Zola

If you had to compile a list of the foreign players that have changed the face of the Premier League I’m pretty sure this ‘clever little so-and-so’ would rank towards the top of nearly all of your selections.

Zola was Chelsea’s creative spark during the late nineties helping guide the West London club to their first FA Cup triumph in some 27 years.

The diminutive, pocket-rocket playmaker would go on to win another FA Cup in 2000 as well as a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1998 (Chelsea’s first European trophy since 1971 would you believe) amongst many other personal and team accolades.

Paolo Di Canio

The king of controversy, whether you loved him or despised him, Di Canio certainly made a significant impression in English football.

He may well be most remembered for that now rather infamous push but there was certainly more to Di Canio than petulant behaviour and goaded reactions.

Despite failing to claim any silverware during his time in British football, Di Canio’s goals and bad boy attitude made him an instant hero with West Ham fans and who can forget one of the greatest goals ever scored in the Premier League.

Gianluca Vialli

It’s hard to categorically state that Gianluca Vialli was an overriding success during his playing career in England because at the end of the day, he wasn’t.

This was mainly due to the fact that he rarely saw eye to eye with his then manager Ruud Gullit which was a shame as Vialli definitely possessed the ability to warrant more playing time in Chelsea blue.

Although I am going to tepidly place him in this category purely because when he was selected, he rarely failed to disappoint. As well as winning the FA Cup in his first season with the Blues (including two goals in the 4-2 comeback victory over Liverpool), Vialli scored 40 goals for Chelsea and went on to do a pretty decent job as manager of the club too.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

Don’t tell me you’ve never done it? You know, the Ravanelli! Park football was never to be the same again after this ‘white feather’ revolutionised signature celebrations with his shirt over head routine.

Ravanelli announced himself in England with a hat-trick on his debut for Middlesbrough against Liverpool in 1996 and despite enduring an ultimately disappointing season of relegation, the silver haired hit man notched up an impressive tally of 31 goals.

The Perugia born striker would go on to join Derby County later in his career and although he managed nine league goals in his first season with the Rams, he couldn’t prevent the club from sliding into the First Division.

Roberto Di Matteo

Another one of Chelsea’s Italian trio who adapted superbly well to his new English surroundings and was one of the main catalysts behind the clubs 1997 and 2000 FA Cup successes.

Di Matteo was the master of the pass and he wasn’t half bad at finding the back of the net from range either. During six years with Chelsea, Di Matteo made 175 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals and winning six trophies along the way.

The Swiss born midfielder was sadly forced to retire from football in 2002 after failing to recover from a serious triple leg fracture but he’s since shown that he’s something of a dab hand when it comes to the tactics board too!

Five unsuccessful Italians in England

Massimo Taibi

Manchester United fans look away now! Massimo Taibi, the somewhat calamitous Italian goalkeeper will be rather regrettably remembered for his disastrous one year spell with the English giants.

Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4 million to bring the Venezia stopper to Old Trafford and despite playing a blinder in his debut against Liverpool, the signs thereafter were pretty ominous.

It would be against Southampton in only his third game in England that Taibi would make his most glaring blunder. A gem for every conceivable football gaffe DVD released ever since as he allowed Matt Le Tissier’s tame 35-yard effort to spill under his body and into the empty net.

Taibi would play only one further game in a Manchester United goalkeeper jersey. A 5-0 defeat to Chelsea which ended United’s 29 game unbeaten run. Need I say anymore?!

Rolando Bianchi

It all looked rather good for Bianchi when he first joined Manchester City. A goal on his debut against West Ham was followed up with a 20-yard strike against Bristol City in the Carling Cup a few games later but his Eastlands career effectively failed to come to life thereafter.

With Sven Goran Eriksson shelling out nearly £9 million to land a player who the season before had been one of the top scorers in Serie A with lowly Reggina, you perhaps would have expected a better return than five goals in 24 games.

Bianchi will blame injuries and a lack of playing time for his failure to adapt, although I’m sorry Rolando but I just don’t think you were quite ready for the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

Marco Materazzi

You never hear too much about Materazzi’s time on Merseyside. A controversial World Cup winner who went on to become a mainstay in the Inter back four but not before an ill-fated spell with Everton.

Yes back in 1998 a fresh faced Materazzi joined the Toffees for £2.8 million and manager Walter Smith was confident that the Italian had all the credentials to ‘handle the Premiership, no problem.’

32 games and four red cards later and Marco was on a plane back to Italy, never to be seen at Goodison Park again.

Pierluigi Casiraghi

It’s difficult to label Casiraghi as an undisputed flop and failure of English football as, to be fair, he suffered a serious knee ligament injury that ultimately brought an end to his playing career.

One goal in 15 games didn’t exactly represent a prolific goalscoring record for Chelsea and Casiraghi’s luck seemingly ran out in November 1998 when he collided with West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop that would prove to end his days a player.

The now Italy under 21’s gaffer didn’t help his cause at Stamford Bridge when he lashed out at the club for not offering him sufficient support. Although after ten operations, you can’t help but understand his frustrations.

Bernardo Corradi

Although not quite as bad as a Jonathan Woodgate debut, Corradi hardly left City fans with any real room for optimism when in his first competitive match for the Manchester based club he was sent off after 63 minutes.

It would take 13 games before Corradi would find the net for City, a brace against Fulham in fact, but only one further goal would come for the Siena born striker during a pretty horrendous spell with the Eastlands club.

To compel the misery of Manchester City fans, Corradi received his marching orders once again, this time for diving in the derby against Manchester United. Not the best thing to do when you have Stuart Pearce as a boss.

“Italian invasion: Five of the best and worst Italians to ever play in England” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

The more interesting story concerns Arsenal, with the News of the World claiming that the Gunners are considering cashing in on their niggle-friendly forward. He’s yet to sign a new £70,000-a-week contract at the Emirates and Monsieur Wenger could use that money to strengthen elsewhere – notably at the back!

The Sunday Mirror suggests Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is top of the hitlist.

And if you choose to believe the Mail on Sunday, then he’ll need to raise some cash as that paper claims Arsenal’s transfer kitty for the summer is just £13m.

There could be more offloading if you believe the Observer, as plans are afoot to limit Premier League squad sizes to 25.

So, I guess we’d better talk about Carlos Tevez. Well, over at the News of the World the paper is claiming that Manchester United fans are so angry about his apparent exit that they hurled bottles and sprayed beer (what a waste!) at the entrance to Old Trafford.

And the Sunday Express rehashes the predictable story that Rafa Benitez will come in to nab the striker, making him his top summer target. And the News of the World also says the Reds are set for a £350m financing deal.

The Sunday Mirror reveals that six Premier League clubs are chasing Tevez.

More from the Red Devils, and CR7 who is surely only a matter of hours away from “signing for Real Madrid”. He’s told the News of the World that he loves it in rain-filled Manchester.

On a lighter – and quite frankly more interesting – note, Federico Macheda was thrown out of United’s title party at the Living Room nightspot…. not for pulling his trousers down or anything stupid like that but because he’s only 17! And not old enough to be in such a sordid establishment… It’s in the News of the World.

Down the league now and with Ricky Sbragia likely to step down at Sunderland following next season’s finale the News of the World reckons Slaven Bilic will swap Croatia for the north east.

Let’s round up the News of the World’s transfer titbits:
Aston Villa want Stewart Downing
Bolton will pay £2m for Joey Barton
Fulham could pay £6m for Wigan’s Paul Scharner (£6m?!)
Mark Hughes targets two from Benfica
Lucas Neill could move to Olympiakos
Liverpool want Javi Martinez
The race is on to sign Joe Ledley
Sunderland target Stockport goalkeeper
Keane to take Healy to Ipswich