Football Filtered #5

Hello and welcome to my latest look at what has been passing through Football Filter this week.

The release of ‘The Damned United’ in UK cinemas this week brought back into the focus the life and times of Brian Clough. The legendary manager, the subject of a TV documentary in midweek, also featured in several newspaper articles, recalling his, er, unique brand of man-management. This article in the INDEPENDANT looked at some the rules he enforced on his players back in 1968. One of which was that no player “was allowed to order sports gear or goods of any kind for himself without his permission of the Trainer”. Nicklas Bendtner would have been quaking in his lime green boots.

With an England match this weekend David Beckham was the focus of an article in THE GUARDIAN. The former Three Lions skipper, being the true pro he is, insists he is focused on helping England to the World Cup rather than the possibility of breaking Bobby Moore’s caps record on Saturday.

Meanwhile his England team-mate, Steven Gerrard, has been tipped for the PFA player of the year award by his club boss Rafa Benitez. The midfielder has almost single-handedly dragged Liverpool back into the title race with four goals in his last two league games. But Spaniard Benitez told THE STAR that his captain can get even better in years to come. He can start be re-creating his club form for England. How about eh Steve?

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is known for being outspoken, but his outburst this week was surprising even for him. Fresh from controversially re-naming Wigan’s ground the DW Stadium; Whelan launched a stinging attack on fellow chairman, and sportswear store rival, Mike Ashley. “Mike Ashley has no class whatsoever. I think he has got what he deserves at Newcastle,” was one of the phrases muttered by Whelan, the consequences of which have been discussed over at WHEN SATURDAY COMES.

From one Ferguson to another. Sir Alex’s son Darren believes his father will finally leave the post he was held so illustriously over the past twenty years next season –if United overtake Liverpool’s records of 18 league titles. Ferguson junior, himself a manager at Peterborough, told THE GUARDIAN he thinks......

Read the rest of my guest blog over at Football Filter