19.2.14

Outside The Box - Top 5 Stories of the Week


1.     Premiership Manager Merry Go Round Spins Again


Rene Meulensteen has been sacked by Fulham after only 75 days and 17 games in charge, and replaced by former Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath. This comes after a week where Fulham pulled out an amazing draw against Manchester United and narrowly losing to a last minute winner against Liverpool.
Now there’s a couple of things here, firstly how in the hell can Shahid Khan the chairmen of Fulham make a decision like this? He backed Rene to the hilt in the January transfer window, they bought some really really good players and moved out some players who didn’t give a damn about the club, and the two games they have had to use these players (they weren’t available for the FA Cup game), they have showed tremendous potential. Rene was put in charge with players he didn’t want, and when he had the players he wanted he put together a battaling hard working team that played fantasticly, but as is the case these days, he wasn’t given any time to prove what he could do. Now Felix has come into the club, if he keeps them up, then he will get all the credit, but I will firmly put 99% of credit to Rene for moving out the deadwood and bringing in some great players.
The behaviour of the owners at Premier League clubs this season has been god awful. They have been making some god awful decisions that go against the traditions of football in this country, and the Premier League bosses need to really think long and hard about their processes in deciding if someone is a fit and proper person to run a club, otherwise football as we know it will lose all the passion and heart that brought the working man to the game, and instead be a business run by people who  care more about the bottom line than cups and glory.

2.     Manchester City Receive Approval To Increase Their Stadium


Manchester City have been given approval to increase the capacity of their stadium from 48,000 to 62,000 to make their stadium the second biggest in Premier league.
Having been to the majority of the grounds this season, my favourite ground has been the Emirates, but a close second was the Etihad. Looking at the graphics they have produced, I may have to reconsider that stance.
Along with the extra revenue that will be coming in from the fans, comes the ability to strengthen their position with the fair financial rules coming through soon. Manchester City will be a might to deal with for years to come.

3.     Nile Ranger Is At It Again


Nile Ranger has been arrested in Northumberland this week after allegedly breaking the terms of his bail. Nile Ranger is currently on bail pending a charge of rape, and as part of the terms of his bail release, he was ordered to stay away from the Northumbria police area until the case was heard. Last week he was spotted in a Newcastle nightclub and was promptly arrested.
Nile Ranger is a strange character. At one point he had the world at his feet, but because of his personality or issues from his past, he has wasted every single opportunity he has been given. I’ve been watching his career, as I saw him as kid playing and he was the most amazing talent I had ever seen, and then I heard about his background and I felt really sorry for him. But I guess he is destined to waste all of that talent that most people would give their arm for. Shame.

4.     Casey Stoney Comes Out As Gay


Casey Stoney, the England & Arsenal  Ladies Football captain, came out as gay in a move that has rightly been seen as a hugely significant and brave move from her.
She has said that her inspiration was Olympian Tom Daley coming out as Bisexual this year, and I applaud both of them for their bravery.
In 2014 we live in a world where we know that highlighting the colour of someones skin or Ethnic background is wrong, why can’t more people in the spotlight reveal their sexuality without the fear of repercussions, either within the changing room or from the stands? With the bravery and courage of people like Casey and Tom, I’m hoping we are close to that acceptance.

5.     When Is A 17 Year Old A 41 Year Old? (Allegedly)


On a brighter note, there has been a lot of hoo ha (yes that is a real word) in Italy regarding Lazio’s Cameroon midfielder  Joseph Minala after he posted a picture of himself on twitter. Joseph is listed as being 17 years old, but people who have seen photos of him are very suspicious of that claim. Along with this, there are claims that he told a Senegal Paper that he was 41 and was turning 42 in August. According to the paper, he has lied about this age so that he could send money back to his family in Cameroon.
Lazio on the other hand have published the official documents that prove that he is the age that he say he is, but people are still questioning the legitimacy of his age. Have a look at the photos yourself at: http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/12/lazio-reveals-official-documents-to-prove-17-year-old-joseph-minala-is-not-41-4301765/
My opinion, I think he looks 50, lol. Anyway, if he’s got the fitness of a 17 year old then that’s something that can’t be faked at the age of 41, so I guess the proof will be if he’s in the Lazio team in 5 years time.

Thanks for reading, if you got any comments about what I’ve said, or if you spot a story in the next week that you want me to add in this blog next week, hit me up on twitter @haydngleed.  

No comments:

Post a Comment