Table of contents for January 2019 in FourFourTwo UK

Life is never dull at FFT and 2018 has been case in point. We have spent the last 12 months travelling far and wide to bring you the best stories and biggest names, occasionally putting ourselves in harm’s way in the process. We went to Israel for one of the country’s most heated matches between Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Sakhnin, and almost got kicked out of the stadium. Over at Milan’s Milanello training ground, we listened to manager Gennaro Gattuso recount the time he stabbed former team-mate Massimo Oddo with a fork, and risked life and limb by heading to Belgian club OH Leuven to talk ostriches, among other things, with Nigel Pearson. We also asked Mo Salah to pose with a crown (before his now famous chant had caught…

“I MET WENGER AT HIS HOUSE AND THOUGHT ARSENAL WAS A DONE DEAL. THAT WAS A BIG CROSSROADS MOMENT FOR ME” CLUBS 1999-2004 West Ham 1999 Swindon (loan) 2000 Birmingham (loan) 2004-06 Tottenham 2006-18 Manchester United COUNTRY 2001-2015 England HOW CLOSE WAS HE TO JOINING ARSENAL? WHAT WENT WRONG FOR MOYES AT UNITED? SHOULD HE HAVE GOT MORE ENGLAND CAPS? “I’m just a lad from Wallsend in the North East, nothing special, no better or worse than anyone,” the typically self-effacing Michael Carrick tells FFT . But plenty would disagree, including Alex Ferguson, who brought Carrick to Manchester United from Spurs in 2006 and watched him develop into what he once hailed “the best central midfielder in English football… I think he’s the best English player in…

Derby vs Nott’m Forest December 17 The hotly-contested Brian Clough Derby won’t be any less feisty for taking place on a Monday night Arsenal vs Tottenham December 19 Spurs last won the League Cup in 2008; Arsenal, in 1993 – now the rivals clash in the last eight Club World Cup Final December 22 Abu Dhabi hosts the annual event – can Real Madrid win it for a third year in succession? Inter vs Napoli December 26 On Boxing Day evening, sit yourself in front of the TV and watch two giants of Serie A go at it Rangers vs Celtic December 29 Having lost 1-0 at Celtic Park in autumn, Stevie G takes charge of his first Old Firm derby at Ibrox Man City vs Liverpool January 3 The…

Supposedly, it can be harder to play against 10 men than 11. But when AFC Uckfield Town ended up with just seven players on the pitch during an FA Vase clash, they were really testing the maxim that less is more. The East Sussex side were 2-0 up going into the final half hour away at AFC Croydon Athletic, before four visiting players were sent off in a mad 15 minutes in which the hosts – who had themselves been reduced to 10 a little earlier on – pulled a goal back. It seemed his side were sitting Ucks, but manager Anthony Storey unleashed a tactical plan to see out the final stages. “We kept a back four and put two in centre midfield, so it was 4-2-0,” Storey tells…

“IT WAS STRANGE - KNOWING THAT I’D BE SUSPENDED FOR THE WORLD CUP FINAL - BUT I DIDN’T LOSE MY FOCUS AND SCORED” Germany 1 England 5 September 1, 2001 World Cup qualifier “One of the most important matches of my career was a negative one. That was a new experience, to lose so heavily at home with the German national team. We got a lot of criticism, and as a young player it wasn’t easy to deal with. But we went into the play-offs against Ukraine and I scored once in Kiev, then twice in the second leg at Dortmund. That was so important, as Germany always go to the World Cup. The media and the fans had a different view of me after that.” Man Utd 2 B…

Jamie Beatson Journalist, 32 Murray Davidson Midfielder, 30 Q: St Johnstone won the 2013-14 Scottish Cup – whose semi-final brace took them to the final? JB: It was Stevie May! ✔ MD: Stevie May. Sadly I wasn’t involved, but I remember it well! ✔ 1-1 Q: St Johnstone played how many competitive games in July this year? JB: Four, and also two friendlies before then! ✔ MD: I played in all of the Betfred Cup matches, so the answer is four. ✔ 2-2 Q: When did the Saints first qualify for Europe? JB: Willie Ormond’s great Saints team finished 3rd in 1970-71, so we were in the UEFA Cup in ’71-72. ✔ MD: I’ll guess at 1980. ✘ 3-2 Q: Steven Anderson has the club’s appearance record – in which…

“I CAN’T WAIT TO MEET ARJEN ROBBEN. I USED TO PLAY AS HIM ON FIFA - NOW WE’LL BE ON THE SAME TEAM!” You have played 65 MLS matches on the wing for Vancouver Whitecaps – why have you thrived at such a young age? When I was 15 and coming through, other players around me never made it easy in training sessions. They played against me like it was a real game, so no excuses, no handicap. Football is a man’s game and I got used to it really quickly. I adapted well at a young age and I’m happy with how everything’s gone so far. How will you remember your Whitecaps career, as you leave to join Bayern Munich? They’ve given me all the tools I needed to…

ZLAT’S THE WAY Zlatan’s interview in FFT 294 was top notch: able to have a joke, as well as saying how amazing he is. The guy’s a winner. Mark Anderson WORLD AT HIS FEET It was sad that Adriano struggled following his father’s death – despite their fame and fortune, footballers are human. Rob Ramsey WAZZA PROBLEM? Why the gripes about Wayne Rooney’s farewell game? Lukas Podolski got one and he wasn’t even record goalscorer. Stuart Green TAKING THE MICHAEL On TV recently, Michael Owen called Neymar a flat-track bully, but at Liverpool he was a flat-track bully, too. Alan May WHEN HARRY MET P45 Harry Kewell was silly to join Notts County – now he’s gone, five of their last six managers have lasted less than a year. David…

It wasn’t just football at which fabled Stoke and Blackpool winger Sir Stanley Matthews flourished. The Wizard of the Dribble was no mean tennis player, winning both the men’s handicap singles and doubles at South Shore in July 1956. Daughter Jean (left) and son Stanley Jr (right) also won titles, the latter lifting the Boys’ Singles crown at Wimbledon six years later. “It was a lot of pressure living up to the Matthews name,” he admitted. “I was expected to win.”…

Dukla Prague ’93 away kit All that cult folk band Half Man Half Biscuit wanted for Christmas was one of these (for their Subbuteo set) and it’s pretty easy to see why. Yellow fever. Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradona! Never let it be said that the ex-England keeper is still bitter about the Hand of God. Each Shilts save earns you skill points to move up the table. It’s blocky brilliance. d’ Gagne Avance Next-big-thing Enzo Scifo’s 1985 single begins with a sax solo and continues with some up-tempo whimsy. He looks like a Geography teacher.…

Anthony Moore Our Geordie Art Editor spent a lot of time and love on this month’s issue. “Our ‘Photos of the Year’ feature was a treat to design, and I could have filled the entire magazine with great football photography... hang on, I’ve just had a great idea for a future issue of FFT!” Harriet Drudge The London-based scribe grilled England and Lyon star Lucy Bronze. “Lucy was a great person to interview; eloquent, confident, yet also incredibly humble. I couldn’t believe she called her volley against Man City ‘flukey’! Hopefully we see more ‘flukes’ next summer!” Andrew Murray FFT’s staff writer spent 10 hours negotiating Britain’s motorways to chat with David Silva. “I’d just got back from a week in Gran Canaria with my other half and we’d stayed…

HIGH: 1999 Lifts FA Youth Cup as West Ham annihilate Coventry in the final LOW: 2003 Relegated from Premier League with record-high 42 points tally HIGH: 2004 Named in PFA First Division Team of the Year before joining Spurs LOW: 2006 Denied Champions League place on final day after ‘Lasagne-gate’ HIGH: 2008 Wins Premier and Champions League titles with Man United LOW: 2009 Champions League final loss to Barcelona – his lowest moment HIGH: 2013 Bags fifth league title and voted United Players’ Player of the Year…

Hi Mark. Now, there’s only one place to start: Do you get jealous when you see another man using a leaf blower? Definitely – they’re brilliant, aren’t they? I was thinking about this recently. I was sweeping up my driveway and thought I needed a blower. It was made worse by one of my neighbours coming round and saying, ‘It’s a long way from scoring a goal at Anfield to brushing your drive.’ That’s not on. At least you can think about scoring a goal at Anfield while doing chores, which most of us can’t... Exactly – it’s not the best thing to say. I could have responded, but it’s not in my nature. What does he expect, that we’re not normal people who have to do normal things? I’ll…

Here’s a unique Christmas gift for the football fanatic in your life. They can re-watch their favourite ever stunner on YouTube, sure – or they could stare at the wall instead. That’s because, if you really love a particular goal, you can now mount it as an infographic courtesy of The Goal Hanger. “I wanted a tribute to Steven Gerrard in my own living room,” explains Richard Horsted, the Liverpool-loving graphic designer behind the project. “You can’t really put up a kid’s poster, though, can you? I wanted something a little more grown-up, so I designed my own poster celebrating his Champions League goal against Olympiakos. Then I did some for my mates – it just spiralled from there.” Horsted, who designs infographics for a news agency by day, has…

Boy wonder Scores first Whitecaps goal at 15, a late winner to send Vancouver through in CONCACAF Champions League. Nets again in the next round to beat New York Red Bulls. National hero Canada’s youngest ever player is joint-top scorer at the 2017 Gold Cup, aged 16. Soon he helps the Canucks win hosting rights for 2026 World Cup with FIFA speech. Big move Agrees to join Bayern Munich in January 2019 on deal until 2023. Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool had also been linked with moves for the wing wizard.…

fourfourtwo@futurenet.com FourFourTwoUK FourFourTwo ✱ STAR LETTER FOLLOW VICHAI Like the whole football world, I was saddened by the tragic death of Leicester owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. It was clear from the response to his death that Vichai was a truly remarkable man. He transformed Leicester from Championship also-rans into Premier League champions in just six years, and was a man with a generous heart. Any aspiring club owners would do well to follow his example. Nice guys do win titles. Janet Risler BENZEMA: UNDERRATED In last month’s ‘What’s on your mind?’ [FFT 294], someone suggested that Karim Benzema’s goal record for Real Madrid isn’t good enough. I’m writing to debunk that myth. Benzema recently became the third player to score in 14 successive Champions League seasons, after Raul and Lionel Messi,…

1 DEJAN SAVICEVIC 1994 MILAN 4-0 BARCELONA Having been a part of Red Star Belgrade’s 1991 European Cup win over Marseille, the Yugoslav joined the Rossoneri. But Fabio Capello couldn’t find a regular slot for Savicevic, who watched the ’93 final defeat to Marseille from the stands. He bided his time and started against Barça a year later in Athens, where his audacious lob from a ludicrous angle gave Milan a 3-0 lead two minutes into the second period. 2 LARS RICKEN 1997 DORTMUND 3-1 JUVENTUS When FFT turned 20 we usually took 16 minutes to clamber out of bed, but a 20-year-old Ricken needed 16 seconds to make his mark on the ’97 final in Munich. Thrown on by Dortmund coach Ottmar Hitzfeld with BVB 2-1 in front with…

Luka Modric may have received most of the plaudits as Croatia defied expectations in reaching July’s World Cup final, but one compatriot in particular made a not insignificant contribution to the cause. Ivan Perisic, the fleet-footed winger from Omis – a small port town in southern Croatia – not only scored the goal that swung that semi-final in the Vatreni’s favour, but also hit a first-half equaliser in the final. “Well, the year isn’t quite over yet, although it’s certainly been one to remember,” Perisic modestly tells FourFourTwo ahead of Croatia’s recent UEFA Nations League game against England. “The success we enjoyed in Russia was undoubtedly the greatest and most precious of my career, but I’ve had some pretty successful times at Inter over the last 12 months, too.” Indeed,…

Niall Quinn Who? Charming, beanpole striker with 92 caps for the Republic of Ireland and close to 500 appearances for Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland. His lethal partnership with Kevin Phillips propelled the Black Cats into the Premier League in 1998-99. And kept them there. What’d he do next? Became one of the game’s good guys. He donated all of the proceeds from his 2002 testimonial to charity, and paid for 80 Sunderland fans to get taxis back from Bristol in 2007. They had been kicked off a flight home after chanting about his infamous Disco Pants. Niall Quinn’s taxi cabs are the best... He was chairman at the time and became a freeman of the city, having installed Roy Keane as manager, who guided the Black Cats back to…

FIRSTS JANUARY Mobile phone call in Britain FEBRUARY Episode of Eastenders MARCH Foreign owner of luxury store Harrods, Mohamed Al-Fayed MAY Album to sell over 1 million CDs, Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits NOVEMBER Microsoft Windows OS released 10 Michael J. Fox is only 10 days older than Back to the Future co-star Lea Thompson, despite her playing the part of Marty McFly’s mum, Lorraine. MIX TAPE OF THE YEAR Raspberry Beret Prince Elegia New Order I Am Damo Suzuki The Fall Into The Groove Madonna Hounds Of Love Kate Bush You Spin Me Round Dead Or Alive…

“The rude awakening received by England in Paris on Thursday – when they lost by 5 goals to 2 – had its echo here today, as Scotland suffered an even more crushing defeat with Austria beating them by five clear goals. Forty-thousand Austrians were wild with excitement at the finish, and many invaded the field of play to carry off the stars shoulder high. Scotland were hard pressed in the early stages, when the half-backs had difficulty in breaking up the penetrating Austrian attackers. However, just when the visitors seemed to be holding their own, Austria scored. Inside-left Schall beat the goalkeeper, Jackson, from close range. Then Zischek, the outside-right, put Austria two goals up. Outside-left Vogel made the score 3-0 and Zischek scored a fourth. Scotland retaliated with some…

DAVID BECKHAM “As England captain, David set an example – he had 80 or 90 caps and was still practising free-kicks after training every day. He was perfect for me, as I knew he could put it on my head from anywhere. I think I was good for him, too, because I thrived on his crosses. He teed up quite a few of my England goals – the header against Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 World Cup, one in Estonia, and another against Croatia when he zipped the ball straight onto my chest. For me, there’s been no better crosser in world football.” LUKA MODRIC “He’s such a special player – I don’t think I ever saw him give the ball away at Spurs, even in training. Harry Redknapp…

1 HONDA’S HAMMER HORROR Australia Melbourne You have to be pretty tough to play for Melbourne Victory, coached by former Millwall menace Kevin Muscat, but even he wouldn’t have expected Keisuke Honda to turn up wielding a hammer. Melbourne play some of their games at the newly-renamed Marvel Stadium, so Honda – who combines A-League playing duties with a role coaching Cambodia – dressed as Marvel’s Thor in tribute. Muscat still probably two-footed him as soon as the cameras were off. 2 IL VENOMENO Italy Milan Even the tifos are a strategy game at the Milan derby. Inter are nicknamed Il Biscione, or ‘The Big Grass Snake’, so their fans unveiled a huge snake tifo (pictured) in the Curva Nord. But Milan knew it was coming and had a response…

Answers 1) Yussuf Poulsen; 2) Alfred Finnbogason; 3) Hirving Lozano; 4) Wahbi Khazri; 5) Felipe Baloy; 6) Grzegorz Krychowiak; 7) Ricardo Quaresma; 8) Paolo Guerrero; 9) Gabriel Mercado; 10) Andreas Granqvist; 11) Jose Gimenez; 12) Nacho; 13) Juan Quintero; 14) Takashi Inui; 15) Yann Sommer (OG); 16) Artem Dzyuba; 17) Renato Augusto; 18) Thomas Meunier; 19) Ante Rebic; 20) Benjamin Pavard HE’S DONE A ROBINHO At his unveiling, Miguel Cardoso thanked Deportivo La Coruna for hiring him... except he was actually taking the reins at rivals Celta Vigo. Oopsies…

Unai Emery: El Maestro Romain Molina (Tales From, £18.99) El Maestro examines in forensic detail why Arsenal fans can be optimistic about Unai Emery’s future in N5. Most revealing is how Emery took over Lorca Deportivo in his first managerial role and guided them to promotion from the third tier, then to the brink of La Liga a year later on a shoestring budget. Emery used his encyclopaedic knowledge of Spain’s lower-league players to wildly overachieve with Lorca, and at the root of his vision was a clear tactical plan. But this biography doesn’t ignore his disastrous six-month spell with Spartak Moscow, nor the fact that several Valencia players found all of his tactical analysis long-winded. Emery learned from his mistakes without losing his attention to detail, and El Maestro…

When Nacional were drawn to face Fluminense in the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana, one fan decided he had to see it – so he set off on a 22-day hitchhike to Brazil. Despite having just $100, Nacional fan Richard Fernandez left Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, and duly headed north for Rio de Janeiro – a journey of some 1,500 miles. But things went a bit wrong when the truck driver who was giving him a lift got robbed. While the thieves were busy emptying the truck, they sat Fernandez down in a room and said he could grab whatever he wanted off a table covered with cocaine, beer and marijuana. But then they pinched the $60 he had left. Somehow, he still made it to Rio to see Nacional draw…

Bradley Stokes was looking for a club – and found one with his name written all over it. Literally. He plays for Bradley Stoke Town FC. “I came up with the idea after moving to Bristol for work,” says Stokes, who recently hit a hat-trick from centre-back. “But I’ve played for them since September and no one mentioned it – just my team-mates.” In early November, though, Bradley Stoke Matters got wind of it. National and even international press followed. “It’s nice to see more turn up at training or matches,” says the 23-year-old. “That’s the main thing: publicity for the club and the town.” Then there must be a merch opportunity? Football hasn’t seen such fine nominative determinism at play since Wolfgang Wolf managed Wolfsburg. “I haven’t had any…

@GaryLineker Claudio Ranieri? Really? @GalacticKeegan People think Paul Lambert is a bit of a misery but that man is all heart. I once texted him and got a reply saying, ‘Insufficient credit. Please top up your phone’. I hadn’t even noticed and yet he goes out of his way to let me know. Class. @benmendy23 You know nothing, John Stones. Congrats on your first win as a captain, bro. #wepledgeallegiance @FootballCliches Bad weekend for nominative determinism: Chinese outfit Dalian Transcendence have been relegated. @RichJolly Marcelo Bielsa’s first three league defeats as Leeds manager have come against teams managed by Garry, Tony and Darren. Hipsters 0, Blokes Who Sound Like Plumbers From Dagenham 3.…

As I was driving back home on the freeway, a car on the other side suddenly swerved across into my lane. I tried to avoid crashing into it, but then all hell broke loose. My car went off the road and overturned. Everyone outside was screaming, trying to pull me out. My left arm was bleeding and I started to feel a lot of pain. At the hospital, I was told they would have to amputate the hand. At that moment I could only think, ‘But what about my football career?’ I thought that was the end – career done. But I was wrong. I got a second chance. My name is Hardlife Zvirekwi – a nod to the difficulty my parents faced while raising me and my siblings. I…

“It’s my ball, I’m going home...” Why would you go for lime green on the Derby programme cover? Top bird John Gregory enjoys his Christmas chef outfit too much for comfort. Essay time Usually you let your cover image do the talking. Not the Ram mag. Got milk? Defender Charlie Palmer didn’t just deliver Derby tackles and headers. “Who’s nicked my goal?” And you thought an Etch A Sketch drawing was wrong for the cover. Dean’s new wheels Striker Saunders loves shiny slacks and excessive use of headlamps. “Who’s a good boy, then?” Not Bobby Davison (left) or Mark Lillis (right) up against this terrier. Put it on a poster Chanelling his inner Lord Kitchener, the Derby gaffer seeks lucky souls. Digging her heels in The groundsman probably tore his…

GETTING TOGETHER Amid reports suggesting some US amateur baseball sides paid their squads to play in a series of friendly matches, 10 teams set up the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1871 to organise competitive fixtures against one another. ATHLETIC PROWESS Teams contested 27-35 games over the season with no ‘home and away’ format, champions Philadelphia Athletics winning the most. In 1876, the National League replaced an increasingly weak Association and is still the world’s oldest pro sports league. THE ORIGINS Keen to play more competitive football than just in the FA Cup, Aston Villa’s William McGregor invited a dozen sides, including Accrington, Bolton and Wolves, to form the Football League in 1888. McGregor had read about America’s efforts in the paper. UPS AND DOWNS Preston picked…

ADIDAS COPA 19+ adidas.co.uk Is anybody good enough to play in boots this dashing? Almost certainly not, but Adidas insist this is their most progressive boot to date, designed to deliver the perfect touch. It may be worth reserving those perfect touches for five-a-side, however. That is if you value your shin bones and want to avoid the wrath of an embittered defender, taking their frustrations out on your legs Kevin Muscat-style. Ask yourself, ‘Is it really worth it?’ For these little beauties, undoubtedly. SONY 1000XM2 WIRELESS HEADPHONES sony.co.uk This Christmas, ignore your Monopoly-loving relatives like a star striker stepping off the team coach with Sony’s superb noise-cancelling headphones. Packed with tech, these comfy cans boast a 30-hour wireless battery life, an accompanying mobile app and Sony’s ‘atmospheric pressure optimiser’…