DOCSLIB.ORG

Big Fat Ron's Claret & Blue Army

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Big Fat Ron's Claret & Blue Army BIG FAT RON’S CLARET & BLUE ARMY by Chris Nee ntil their relegation in 2016 Aston Bosnich were directly protected by Paul Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Middles- Villa had enjoyed and endured McGrath and Shaun Teale, for many the brough and Sheffield United were all U perhaps the widest range of best defensive pairing since the club seen off in December 1992 and January fortunes of any of the Premier League's won the First Division in 1981. With 1993, and Ipswich were the next visitors ever-present teams. Steve Staunton and Earl Barrett man- as February began. Yorke scored the ning the flanks Villa's defence weren't first but his effort was overshadowed by In the Championship they were poorly going to allow easy pickings for anyone. a brilliant looping volley by Saunders, a equipped for their own expectations, the real high point for the new signing in his past looming large as they struggled to Kevin Richardson was a fearsome exceptional first year at Villa. come to terms with the fact that suc- leader in the middle of the park and was cess - real success - requires oligarch- ably assisted by Ray Houghton, while The unbeaten home run also took in a level spending. record signing Dean Saunders and his memorable 2-0 win over Wednesday in frequently injured strike partner Dalian a game that peaked early thanks to In among the unthinking demands for Atkinson became known as the Deadly Yorke's finishing touch at the end of an owner Randy Lerner to sell to some- Duo thanks to their goalscoring exploits excellent passing move just minutes body, anybody, who's richer than he is, in the laced-collar strip of the West into the game. there remained a large section of the Midlands' most storied club. Villa support who weren't really sure Every outfield player except Teale what they even wanted anymore. Garry Parker and Dwight Yorke were touched the ball but more telling was Then, two owners later, they were back also useful contributors, with a trusty the statement of intent from a team that in the top flight, ahead of schedule and stable of support players available to was, by now, back in first place and almost by accident, the fifth best team Atkinson when the need arose. going all out for the title. The Holte End in the second division suddenly thrust was at its very finest - loud, rowdy and into the first once more. Despite the optimism, Villa toiled early throbbing - hailing its table-topping on and were clearly in need of the goals players at the top of its lungs. The Premier League, ratified by the that eventually arrived with Saunders in Football Association in 1992 after Bert September 1992. They didn't win until It was a bold but ultimately unrequited Millichip spied an opportunity to under- their fifth outing of the season and it display of faith. Villa's run-in began to mine the Football League after taking wasn't until a memorable 4-2 win go wrong with a defeat against Norwich against the tone of its post-Hillsborough against Liverpool that Atkinson's team as United's grip on the trophy started to blueprint for the game, is a frequent really got going. Saunders scored twice tighten. target for football's traditionalists and against his old club on his home debut Villa supporters number heavily within but the headlines belonged to Ronny Three wins and a draw followed the loss those ranks. Rosenthal, the unfortunate Reds player at Carrow Road but defeats to Black- responsible for one of the sport's all- burn Rovers, Oldham Athletic and It might have been very different had time great missed sitters that afternoon. Queens Park Rangers ensured that the first season had a different conclu- Atkinson and Villa ended the season sion. Villa kicked off the 1992/93 sea- Saunders scored six goals in four staring at a Premier League table son knowing that quiet Saturday after- games and Villa grew. An unbeaten whose ten-point gap between United in noons would be few and far between. spell of ten games eased them from first and Villa in second did nothing to Larger than life manager Ron Atkinson, early September into mid-November reflect how close it really was. formerly of West Bromwich Albion and and six of those games were won to Manchester United, had joined Villa leave Atkinson the manager's men in The nadir of Villa's collapse was the from Sheffield Wednesday and had a third position. loss at home to Oldham, whose victory season under his belt before the begin- that day was the result of a single Nick ning of the inaugural Premier League The highlight of that spell was a sensa- Henry goal and became part of their campaign. tional solo goal by Atkinson the player own Premier League story as they at Selhurst Park, topped off by an battled to avoid relegation. For Villa, it Atkinson has latterly been publicly umbrella-laden celebration after the was the day that reality bit and the shunned because of despicable words former Ipswich Town and Sheffield challenge died. The mood around Villa that were at odds with a long history of Wednesday man had weaved his way Park was as disbelieving as it was enlightened actions, but in 1992 he was through the Wimbledon team and distraught, the silence punctuated by just Big Ron. Weighed down by gold chipped the goalkeeper in the rain. knowing glances between shocked and shaded from the spotlight by status Villa's title challenge was consolidated supporters: this had been their chance. sunglasses, he was a true believer during the winter by their superb home Villa and Doug Ellis went on to miss whose confidence and preference for form. more opportunities to push on in the exciting football were infectious as the 1990s. new league got underway. Seven consecutive home victories became a run of eleven home games The money that flooded into the top Atkinson had a formidable side at his unbeaten and provided the foundations level of the game in the years that disposal. If a reliable spine is an indica- for what became a stern test for eventu- followed left Villa, a club rendered tor of a great team then it's little sur- al champions Manchester United. In- unambitious and occasionally rudder- prise that Villa challenged at the top of deed, Villa briefly went top in January less by its chairman, trying to swim up a the table. and again in February as they and the waterfall. Red Devils, under more than a little European Cup-winning goalkeeper Nigel pressure from Norwich City, battled for It got worse. But Big Ron's Villa in Spink and his flamboyant deputy Mark the top spot. 1992/93; now that was football. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Aston Villa Competition
    12 Times Guardian Sunday Times Janua Date: 12 January 1991 Opposition: Aston Villa 1991 ry Competition: League Alert Spink tosses spanner in creaky Liverpool works Much is lost in translation Aston Villa 0 - Liverpool 0 SOCCERSPEAK was much in the air at Villa Park on Saturday. 'Dr Jo Venglos has a THE excellent Nigel Spink may have been working overtime in the Aston Villa goal, world-wide reputation as a coach and his achievements over the years have been but one could not help thinking that the Liverpool machine was still not operating superb' in other words, the Villa players can't understand him. to full capacity at Villa Park on Saturday. It seems only a matter of time before And again, 'Peter Withe's arrival as first-team coach was a big surprise' in fact, the they are overhauled in the championship race by Arsenal. deal was set up more than three months ago. Mechanical analogies, of course, are more pertinent in relation to Arsenal than It was an odds-on certainty, after Aston Villa finished runners-up to Liverpool last they are to Liverpool, and could be one reason why England's undisputed season, that they would struggle this time. A poor season always follows a good champions may find themselves relinquishing their title for the second time in one. It is the story of Villa's life, and Saturday's bumper crowd of more than three seasons to the London club. Liverpool lack the adaptability and fluency in 40,000 was another reminder of the club's under-achievement.
    [Show full text]
  • Cat £750 As Genuine) at £50
    1929 UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION CONGRESS 1 Reproduction of plain FDC with Postal Union Congress London special H/Ss. (Cat £750 as genuine) AT £50 1935 SILVER JUBILEE 2 Forgery of Westminster Stamp Co. illustrated FDC (Cat £550 as genuine) AP £24 1937 CORONATION 3 Illustrated FDC with London W1 M/C. Cat £20. AT £8 1940 CENTENARY 4 James Chalmers of Dundee FDC with Dundee CDS. Cover a little tatty but very rare. UA £195 5 Plain FDC with printed address "British Pavilion, New York World's Fair London" with London CDS. Cat £40. AP £24 1953 CORONATION 6 Plain FDC with Royal Automobile Club reg CDS. Some foxing around stamps & reg label. Extremely rare - only known on plain handwritten cover. AW £85 1960 GENERAL LETTER OFFICE 7 Illustrated FDC with Eastbourne slogan "International Postal Conference Eastbourne". Cat £160. AT £85 8 with Eastbourne slogan "International Postal Conference Eastbourne". Cat £160. AT (see photo) £95 1961 CEPT 9 with Torquay slogan "CEPT European Conference of Posts & Telecommunications". Cat £15. Neat AW £2 10 with London slogan "Post Office Savings Bank 1861-1961". Weak strike of slogan but very rare. Cat £225. AT £125 1962 NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY YEAR 11 (Ordinary) with Castle Bromwich, Birmingham CDS. Relevant - Castle Bromwich is a heavy industrial site. AT £85 1963 PARIS POSTAL CONFERENCE 12 (Ordinary) Dover Philatelic Society Official FDC with Dover Packet Service special H/S. Cat £45. AP £20 1963 NATIONAL NATURE WEEK 13 (Ordinary) with Brownsea Island Poole special H/S. Cat £120. UA (see photo) £60 14 (Ordinary) with Sandy Park Road reg CDS.
    [Show full text]
  • Up Front in the Second Half
    Only 12 members of the DAVID BECKHAM 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup championship team will make the trek to Australia Thai for the six-team Pacific Cup May 31-June 11. Buddhists Five players were dropped from contention for the Olympic honor star team earlier this spring, and three Manchester United star others are out with injuries: Carla David Beckham has been Overbeck (knee), Michelle Akers immortalized by a Thai (shoulder surgery) and Briana fan who carved a sculp¬ Scurry (shin splits). The Pacific ture of the English player Cup has been changed to a inside a Buddhist temple round-robin tournament (five at a spot normally re¬ SUKREE SUKPLANG/REUTERS games) after the withdrawal of served for angels. Scotland and North Korea. THE GOLDEN IMAGE OF DAVID BECKHAM STANDS ONE FOOT TALL AND IS COVERED A one-foot high statue IN GOLD LEAF. of Beckham covered in » U.S. ROSTER gold leaf has been placed at the Goalkeepers — Jennifer Branam, Siri until 1997, when he began to foot of the main Buddha image VOGA WALLACE Mullinix. Defenders — Christie Pearce, work for Bell Atlantic phone Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Danielle in Bangkok's Pariwas Temple company, where he won an Slaton, Kate Sobrero. Midfielders — alongside about 100 statues of More than a Lorrie Fair, Nikki Serlenga, Sara Whalen, award for excellence in 1999. Shannon MacMillan, Julie Foudy, Kristine minor deities. "Voga was a terrific person," Lilly, Aly Wagner. Strikers — Mia Hamm, "Football has become a reli¬ throw-in artist Cindy Parlow, Tiffeny Milbrett, Christie Welsh said U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Gone? the Sad Demise of Ireland’S Once Irish Gone?
    KEVIN O’NEILL WHERE HAVE ALL THE IRISH GONE? THE SAD DEMISE OF IRELAND’S ONCE IRISH GONE? WHERE HAVE ALL THE WHERE HAVE RELEVANT FOOTBALLERS Contents 8. Acknowledgements . .9 8. Introduction. 12 1. The Demise . .19 2. The Way We Were . .47 3. Inside the Walls. 81 4. Home Is Where the Hurt Is . 109 5. Underneath the Stars . 139 6. Kerr-Plunk and the Dokter’s Medicine . 158 7. The Kids Are Not Alright. 183 8. The Road to Fame Or Failure? . 206 Chapter 1 The Demise S a teenager, Thomas Morgan, from inner-city Dublin, had Sir Alex Ferguson in his living room, A trying to persuade the 15-year-old midfielder to abandon his plans to join Blackburn Rovers. They were emerging as title rivals to Ferguson’s Manchester United and he was keen for Morgan to move to Old Trafford. Morgan chose Blackburn, signing for the Ewood Park side in 1994. A year later, Blackburn won their one and only Premier League title. But despite training with the league-winning squad, and making the bench for league and European matches, Morgan found himself released – and without a club – almost three years later. It was only weeks before captaining the Ireland Under-20s to a third-place finish in the 1997 World Championships in Malaysia. Put simply, Morgan fell by the wayside as Blackburn – and their Premier League rivals – regularly shunned the promotion of youth in favour of big-money signings. The 19 WHERE HAVE ALL THE IRISH GONE? birth of the Premier League in 1992 ushered in an era of stellar signings, compounded by the Bosman ruling in 1995, which removed obstacles to foreign players playing in England – a double whammy which would change the fortunes of Irish players for ever.
    [Show full text]
  • Uefa Euro 2012 Match Press Kit
    UEFA EURO 2012 MATCH PRESS KIT Spain Republic of Ireland Group C - Matchday 2 Arena Gdansk, Gdansk Thursday 14 June 2012 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Contents Previous meetings.............................................................................................................2 Match background.............................................................................................................3 Match facts........................................................................................................................5 Team facts.........................................................................................................................7 Squad list...........................................................................................................................9 Head coach.....................................................................................................................11 Match officials..................................................................................................................12 Competition facts.............................................................................................................13 Match-by-match lineups..................................................................................................15 UEFA information............................................................................................................16 Legend............................................................................................................................17
    [Show full text]
  • September • 2011 Ireland and the Union Jack
    September • 2011 www.ianohio.com Ireland and the Union Jack... Page 9 Home to Mayo... Page 16 Good Bye Summer Out & About Ohio Events... Pages 18-19 Photo “Conor & Rua” by Brian Blarney 2 ianOHIO www.ianohio.com irish american news • September 2011 Fields of Glory… the nation, and the diaspora —author unknown abroad. Your chance to see it I was born in a country live from Ireland is Sunday, where people admire September 18th ~ PJ McIn- Their great sporting heroes tyre’s in Cleveland carries it and how they aspire live, and I am sure many oth- To stand upon mountains ers do as well. DO NOT miss and always be winners this spectacular day of song And never give less and sport. The speed, grace than their all and power of Gaelic Football and Hurling will take your I once met an old man breath away. who told me great stories There are a few other cel- Of legends of old John O’Brien, Jr. ebrations this month as well. who played hard for the The Pittsburgh, Muskegon glory and Indy Fests are all in September. Ak- Of lifting the cup ron has a new Irish festival as well. Pitts- in that moment of triumph burgh has been especially supportive of His memory’s kept me enthralled the OhIAN and of my writing and I will On the fields, the fields of glory be premiering a new cultural presenta- On the fields where boys become men tion at Pittsburgh Irish Fest. What Color On the fields, the fields of glory is your Irish – The Poets Know will be at May the best team win, win in the end 2:00 each day during the Festival ~ a mix of Irish, folk and world verse and poetry.
    [Show full text]
  • Promatch 1999 Series 4
    www.soccercardindex.com Pro Match 1999 - series 4 checklist □1 David Seaman □51 Francesco Baiano □101 Hamileton Ricard □151 Javier Margas □2 Tony Adams □52 Vegard Heggem □102 Paul Gascoigne □152 John Hartson □3 Martin Keown □53 Paolo Wanchope □103 Gary Pallister □153 Ian Wright □4 Marc Overmars □54 Dean Sturridge □104 Dean Gordon □154 Marc Keller □5 Ray Parlour □55 Alec Cleland □105 Mikkel Beck □155 Efan Ekoku □6 Emanuel Petit □56 Nicola Berti □106 Steve Simonsen □156 Marcus Gayle □7 Patrick Vieira □57 Nick Barmby □107 David Batty □157 Michael Hughes □8 Nelson Vivas □58 Slaven Bilic □108 Gary Speed □158 Neil Sullivan □9 Nicolas Anelka □59 Dave Watson □109 Rob Lee □159 Mark Kennedy □10 Dennis Bergkamp □60 Marco Matterazzi □110 Temuri Ketsbaia □160 Ben Thatcher □11 Paul Merson □61 Olivier Dacourt □111 Laurent Charvet □161 Bruno Ribeiro □12 Ugo Ehiogu □62 John Collins □112 Carl Serrant □162 Stig Bjornebye □13 Gareth Southgate □63 Duncan Ferguson □113 Alan Shearer □162 Trevor Sinclair □14 Ian Taylor □64 John Spencer □114 Shay Given □164 Danny Murphy □15 Mark Draper □65 Nigel Martyn □115 Stephan Guivarc'h □165 Nikos Dabizas □16 Riccardo Scimeca □66 Lucas Radebe □116 Andreas Andersson □166 Keith Gillespie □17 Alan Thompson □67 Gary Kelly □117 Dave Beasant □167 Julian Dicks □18 Mark Bosnich □68 Alfe-Inge-Haaland □118 Paul Kitson □168 Sean Dundee □19 Stan Collymore □69 Lee Bowyer □119 Steve Stone □169 Stefan Schnoor □20 Julian Joachim □70 Harry Kewell □120 Andy Johnson □21 Christian Dailly □71 Gunnar Halle □121 Jean-Claude Darcheville □22 Darren
    [Show full text]
  • Prescot E Programme
    WELCOME! We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our visitors this afternoon as PRESCOT CABLES AFC provide the opposition for this Pitching In Northern Premier League N/West Division Match. The Players, Team Management, Officials and supporters of our opponents are most welcome after making the long and tedious journey from Merseyside. The two Clubs met only once last season before proceedings were prematurely halted during March. On a boiling-hot early September Saturday, Dunston made their first ever visit to Volair Park in Prescot and fell behind to a third minute goal. The hosts had cashed in on a defensive slip and despite having plenty of time to rectify things, Dunston failed to put things right and were unable to breach a solid home rear guard. The 1 - 0 defeat provided a harsh lesson and a wake-up call as to how hard our new League would prove to be. The return game at the UTS Stadium fell victim to the atrocious weather conditions during February and was postponed on three occasions due to a frozen or waterlogged pitch. We also extend a warm welcome to our Match Officials this afternoon, Sam Parnaby who travels from Bishop Auckland and his Assistant Referees Daniel Van Hymus from Jarrow and Mark McMahon from Hebburn. Our FA Match Observer is Paul Newhouse who comes from Peterlee. Supporters old and new are very well appreciated and we hope you enjoy your visit to the UTS Stadium this afternoon. If you require any help or information about the Club and facilities, please do not hesitate to contact any Management Committee Member.
    [Show full text]
  • EPL 1994-95 Team Cards
    1994-95 BLACKBURN ROVERS (HOME) STARTERS PP SP GS SB G PK R SH0T Tim FLOWERS GK 39 0 0 - 921 -- Ian PEARCE DR 22 6 0 915 -3 Henning BERG DC 40 0 1 921 -1 Colin HENDRY DC 38 0 4 921 7 Graeme LE SAUX DL 39 0 3 921 4 Tim SHERWOOD AM 38 0 6 922 -1 Stuart RIPLEY DM 36 1 0 920 -3 Jason WILCOX DM 27 0 5 917 -1 Mark ATKINS AM 30 4 6 919 0 Chris SUTTON F 40 0 15 924 0 Alan SHEARER F 42 0 24 10 928 2 BENCH PP SP GS SB G PK R SH0T Jeff KENNA DL 9 0 1 920 3 Paul WARHURST AM 20 7 2 915 -3 Tony GALE DC 15 0 0 912 -3 Robbie SLATER DM 12 6 0 911 -3 Alan WRIGHT DL 4 1 0 911 -3 David BATTY DM 4 1 0 908 -3 Mike NEWELL F 2 10 0 908 -1 Bobby MIMMS GK 3 1 0 - 908 -- Kevin GALLACHER F 1 0 1 907 3 Richard WITSCHGE DM 1 0 0 907 -3 1994-95 MANCHESTER UNITED (HOME) STARTERS PP SP GS SB G PK R SH0T Peter SCHMEICHEL GK 32 0 0 - 922 -- Gary NEVILLE DR 16 2 0 916 -3 Gary PALLISTER DC 42 0 2 926 1 Steve BRUCE DC 35 0 2 923 2 Denis IRWIN DL 40 0 1 1 925 -1 Paul INCE AM 36 0 5 924 -2 Ryan GIGGS DM 29 0 1 921 -2 Brian MCCLAIR DM 35 5 5 924 -2 Andrei KANCHELSKIS AM 25 5 14 922 6 Mark HUGHES F 33 1 8 924 -2 Eric CANTONA F 17 1 12 927 4 BENCH PP SP GS SB G PK R SH0T Andy COLE F 21 0 8 4 925 0 Lee SHARPE M 26 2 3 920 -1 Roy KEANE DM D 23 2 2 919 0 Keith GILLESPIE AM 3 6 1 917 1 David MAY DC 15 4 2 916 5 Nicky BUTT DM 11 11 1 915 -1 Paul SCHOLES AM 6 11 5 914 3 Gary WALSH GK 10 0 0 - 914 1 Simon DAVIES DM 3 2 0 911 -3 David BECKHAM AM 2 2 0 911 -1 Phil NEVILLE D 1 1 0 911 -3 Paul PARKER D 1 1 0 911 -3 Kevin PILKINGTON GK 0 1 0 - 910 -- 1994-95 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (HOME) STARTERS
    [Show full text]
  • Diaspora and Rootedness, Amateurism and Professionalism in Media Discourses of Irish Soccer and Rugby in the 1990S and 2000S Marcus Free
    Diaspora and Rootedness, Amateurism and Professionalism in Media Discourses of Irish Soccer and Rugby in the 1990s and 2000s Marcus Free Éire-Ireland, Volume 48, Issue 1&2, Spring / Summer 2013, pp. 211-229 (Article) Published by Irish-American Cultural Institute DOI: 10.1353/eir.2013.0000 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/eir/summary/v048/48.1-2.free.html Access provided by University of Limerick (14 Oct 2013 06:44 GMT) Marcus Free Diaspora and Rootedness, Amateurism and Professionalism in Media Discourses of Irish Soccer and Rugby in the 1990s and 2000s This article explores the tensions between conceptualizations of the nation in terms of diaspora and rootedness, and between ama- teurism and professionalism, in Irish media discourses of Irish soccer and rugby in the 1990s and 2000s. Given the article’s broad scope and limited space, detailed theoretical elaboration and extensive ex- amination of discursive data will not be possible.1 Rather, the article offers a tentative overview of how these tensions have been manifest- ed in Irish print and broadcast media, and of how they have evinced fantasies and anxieties about sporting achievement as indicative of collective national achievement. The popularized notion of diaspora in Irish society in the 1990s facilitated the transformation of Ireland’s history of emigration into a narrative of emigrant success in the global economy. Emigrant profes- 1. The conceptual and analytical frame informing the article draws on vari- ous perspectives on the discursive construction of national and gender identity. See, for example, Eileen Kennedy, “Watching the Game: Theorising Masculinities in the Context of Mediated Tennis,” in Sport and Gender Identities: Masculinities, Femininities, and Sexualities, ed.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Offers for This Catalogue Will Close on : WEDNESDAY, 24Th JUNE, 2020
    OFFERS CATALOGUE NO. 1 – 2020 Offers for this catalogue will close on : WEDNESDAY, 24th JUNE, 2020. You will be notified of either your success or failure approx 7-10 days after the closing date. PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME & ADDRESS ON YOUR BID FORM. Minimum bid is £2.50 unless otherwise stated. For further info please see inside front cover or our website. 1. ABERDEEN press action photo 1940s 8 x 6 min £7 v Dundee 2. ABERDEEN press action photo 1940s 8 x 6 min £7 v Dundee U 3. ABERDEEN press action photo 1940s 8 x 6 min £7 v Kilmarnock 4. ACCRINGTON STANLEY v Oldham 57-8 cover split tear min £4 5. ACCRINGTON STANLEY v Southport 56-7 nof min £5 6. ACCRINGTON STANLEY v Workington 58-9 tc min £6 7. ALBION ROV v Gala Fairydean 85-6 SC min £3 8. A’SHOT v Burnley 91-2 min £3 9. A’SHOT v Reading 55-5 FAC min £3.50 10. A’SHOT Handbook 64-5 min £4 11. AMERICAN BI-CENTENNIAL CUP 1976 inc England min £5 12. ANDERLECHT ticket v Leeds 00-01 min £3.50 13. ANDERLECHT v W.Ham 75-6 ECWC Final min £20 14. AP LEAMINGTON v Southend 74-5 FAC min £3 15. ARSENAL v Burnley 48-9 tc min £5 16. ARSENAL v Burnley 50-1 min £4 17. ARSENAL v Charlton 45-6 slcell sotp min £5 18. ARSENAL v Charlton 48-9 tc min £5 19. ARSENAL v Charlton 50-1 slcr min £3.50 20.
    [Show full text]
  • That Didn't Qualify
    10 THAT DIDN’T QUALIFY GARETH BALE (Wales) THE undoubted star of the Champions League Final, the only focus of Bale’s summer will be whether he stays at Real Madrid or not. Wales finished third in their group behind Serbia and Ireland. HE’S VIRGIL VAN DIJK (Holland) THE new Dutch captain’s imposing presence improved the Liverpool rearguard after his arrival in January, but the 26-year-old won’t be in Russia after his side struggled in a group with France and Sweden. ALEXIS SANCHEZ (Chile) ONE OF AFTER a marvellous couple of years, winning two Copa America titles, the Chileans ran out of steam in the latter stages of South American qualifying, finishing sixth, enabling the Manchester United man to get a rare summer off. LEONARDO BONUCCI (Italy) THE Azzurri’s play-off defeat to Sweden led to the removal of manager Giampiero Ventura. Bonucci was recently named captain by new boss Roberto Mancini. OUR EDIN DZEKO (Bosnia) THE 32-year-old striker has scored 65 goals in the last two seasons for Roma. However, Bosnia had a terrible qualifying campaign, finishing third in their group. RIYAD MAHREZ (Algeria) THE Leicester winger is closing in on a 80m move to champions Manchester City but won’t be at the World Cup after Algeria picked up just four points from a four-team qualifying group. DAVID ALABA (Austria) THE Bayern Munich regular for seven seasons is still only 25 years of age. Linked again with a move to Real Madrid, Alaba is on vacation after Austria OWN finished fourth in Ireland’s N THE neighbouring PAUL LENNON speaks EXCLUSIVELY group.
    [Show full text]