Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i FourFourTwo UK

Here are some things we learnt while making this issue. Steve McClaren is happy sharing a cup of tea with us, less so a cocktail with oversized cocktail umbrella. Sorry Steve – we had to ask! (p12). Luka Modric has a sunglasses-wearing porcelain pooch in his living room – a minor distraction when talking Champions League victories in his ultra-modern Madrid pad (p72). Mo Salah loves the new chant Liverpool fans are serenading him with. It’s just as well, as we were worried he wouldn’t be snapped with a crown, but the Reds’ ‘Egyptian King’ was happy to oblige (p36). It’s not easy carrying a whole onion bag’s worth of balls – not that it stopped us from asking Man City goalkeeper Ederson to do just that (p52). And Heung-min…

“THERE WAS THIS FA UMBRELLA LYING AROUND SO I THOUGHT, ‘I’LL USE THAT, SUPPORT THE FA AND KEEP MYSELF DRY!’” CLUBS 1979-85 Hull 1985-88 Derby 1987 Lincoln (loan) 1988-89 Bristol City 1989-92 Oxford MANAGER 2001-06 Middlesbrough 2006-07 England 2008-10 FC Twente 2010-11 Wolfsburg 2011 Nottingham Forest 2012-13 FC Twente 2013-15 Derby 2015-16 Newcastle 2016-17 Derby There’s a big queue snaking along the High Street in Yarm, a few miles west of Middlesbrough. A celebrity’s in town and all the locals are determined not to miss him. However, the man they are waiting to see isn’t Steve McClaren – it’s Rick Stein, signing some cookery books at the local Waterstones. Instead, McClaren greets FFT a couple of doors down at the smart Italian eatery Cena Trattoria, turning up virtually unnoticed. That…

“NO ONE GAVE US A CHANCE. THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE WE COULD BEAT BAYERN IN THEIR OWN BACK YARD - WE MADE HISTORY” Crystal Palace 2 Blackburn 1 April 29, 2000 First Division “I was 19, went on loan to Crystal Palace and scored my first professional goal at home to Blackburn. I’d been playing for Arsenal’s reserves before that, so going into men’s football was a big difference. I had to prove to myself that I was good enough. I felt at home at Selhurst Park and nearly signed for Palace, actually – I still have fond memories of the club.” Man United 0 Arsenal 1 May 8, 2002 Premier League “Winning the league at Old Trafford has a special taste, especially when you are on the visiting side –…

The Illustrated History of Football: Hall of Fame David Squires (Century, £14.99) The admired illustrator released his first book just over 12 months ago and, such was its success, has followed it up with another. In his latest effort, the Australia-based Swindon fan, known for his sketchings in The Guardian, looks at the legends of the game (and Jan Aage Fjortoft). He’s able to combine his brilliant illustration skills with jokes about the stars and amusing cultural references about the likes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage. There’s something for all ages – legends featured range from Liverpool manager Bill Shankly and Brazilian winger Garrincha to Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry. Be astonished by Zlatan Ibrahimovic karate-chopping an orca, Darren Peacock getting his kit off for a magazine shoot and…

If you’re a big Boca fan, why not customise your car with this faintly terrifying item. Wearing a No.10 on the shorts, it’s presumably based on club icon Diego Maradona – and looking at its crazed eyes, maybe the 1994 Diego, when he scored against Greece, virtually headbutted the camera, then got sent home for failing a drugs test. The toy costs a hefty 130 Argentine pesos, but the conversion rate means that’s £5!…

Danish dynamite Secures 1985-86 Serie A title with Juventus and goes on to star for Denmark at the World Cup in Mexico, netting a solo goal in 6-1 win over Uruguay. Dream team Helps Barcelona become European champions for the first time in their history, seeing off Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley in 1992 courtesy of Ronald Koeman’s free-kick. History-maker Returns to Wembley in 2013 as he guides Swansea to maiden major trophy, thrashing Bradford 5-0 in the final having ousted Chelsea over two legs in the last four.…

Mohamed Salah looks up and notices a football hurtling unexpectedly towards him. He immediately adjusts his body weight onto his tiptoes and kills it dead with his left foot. He lifts his head, with its mop of curls, already scouting his next move. A stunned silence greets the Liverpool winger’s outrageous first touch. A second football is fired into Salah’s path. Again he moves adroitly to control it in an instant, and again the Egyptian star considers his options. Instead of hushed amazement this time, however, the gathered throng rises in delirious rapture. Why the differing reactions? The latter prefaced Salah firing Liverpool 4-1 up against Manchester City, chipping keeper Ederson 68 minutes into the Reds’ win against the unbeaten Premier League leaders and sending 50,000 febrile fans into ecstasy…

 It’s not every day you get to have a nose around the trophy room of a Champions League winner – especially when that player is known for keeping a low profile. “THE DRIVE TO RETAIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE WAS UNBELIEVABLE – WE WERE ALL PREPARED TO DIE FOR EACH OTHER” Luka Modric’s genius has been renowned for several years, but 2017 felt like the year in which the playmaker finally cemented his status among the elite class of modern footballers. His trademark scheming in the heart of the Real Madrid midfield not only helped Los Blancos win a 12th European Cup, but halted a lengthy – by their standards – five-year wait for a La Liga title. He is also now captain of the Croatia national team (“I can’t…

Short, squat and with thighs like tree trunks, Gerd Muller was not your typical striker. But he was famous for his acceleration, much like the BMW 02 Series bought by Der Bomber in 1973 alongside wife Uschi and daughter Nicole. The 1970 Ballon d’Or winner must have been on less of a wedge than his captain at Bayern Munich, Franz Beckenbauer. Der Kaiser darted around in a 2800 CS, which cost at least twice the price. Still, that being said... What. A. Coat.…

Who? A part of the mighty Wimbledon team in the Premier League’s early years, his ’90s curtains helped the Dons to eighth and sixth-placed finishes in the top flight before moving on to Oxford United and ending his career in non-league with Crawley and his hometown, Sutton. A clever move… He didn’t stop there, either. Shortly after his 2007 retirement, the former midfielder made cameos on The Weakest Link and Ken Bruce’s PopMaster on Radio 2, yet couldn’t quite be tempted with a career as a quizzer. “I did consider it, but that Anne Robinson really put me off if I’m honest,” he said. “She’s a mean lady.” The Simple Life Now back in Sutton, the ex-Dons man – capped three times by England U21s in ’94 – lives a…

Short shorts Who loved short shorts? Er, pretty much everyone, especially during the pre-gym days of the 1980s. Even waspish wingers had to display their chicken legs for all to see. Get ’em out! Lotto Stadio boots Famously sported by Ruud Gullit and Dino Zoff, the green-flash wheels were an ’80s design classic so chic that they could have come straight from the streets of Milan. The Italian game had never been so stylish. Hey Johnny Dutch legend Johnny Rep’s gerund-heavy 1980 ditty Singing in the Morning excitedly jangles “walking on the ceiling, feeling like you’re dreaming”. It includes a fabulous spoken-word intro of his morning routine.…

A lot of elite strikers are blessed with pace – how are you still able to score so many goals without electric speed? In the Premier League, you have much less time to think – one or two seconds is the difference between scoring a goal and not scoring, or making a good pass which results in a goal. To make up for that difference, you have to make your decisions as quickly as possible, because speed – whether it’s in your head or feet – is key to being a successful striker. You must also be really intelligent with your movement and the runs you make. That can overcome a lot of things. A fast brain can be just as dangerous as a fast body. So, is the Premier…

Jesse Lingard The Man United man may just be the most improved player in the Premier League after a string of star strikes. Adrian The West Ham keeper grabbed the head of team-mate Cheikhou Kouyate against Spurs rather than the ball... Lukas Podolski More than 1,000 fans rocked up to see the former Arsenal player open his kebab shop in Cologne, where he started his pro career. Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte The Man United and Chelsea gaffers have been trading verbal blows like schoolkids. ‘He started it, Miss!’ Matthew Tipton Warrenpoint Town’s player-boss brought himself on during an Irish Cup tie, but was sent off within three minutes after getting booked twice. Oops. Mark Hughes Stoke sacked Sparky after the humiliating FA Cup loss against fourth-tier Coventry – the…

How can I improve my first touch? Ryan Brighton via Twitter HE ANSWERS Sofiane Boufal Southampton midfielder “I started working on my first touch when I was little – I played out on the streets with all my friends. Often you don’t have a lot of space to play in so you have to rely on your first touch to beat an opponent. Five-a-side’s a good way of replicating street football, as you’ll be playing on a smaller pitch and face lots of 2v2 and 3v3 situations. Over time, this will really improve your touch.”…

JAAP STAM “Jaap was brilliant – tough, hard as nails and very, very quick. He had this presence about him that would beat quite a lot of strikers before the match had kicked off. They knew they’d be in a battle from the first whistle to the last. He was a terrific lad off the pitch, too – everyone I played with at Man United was, and that’s why we were so successful together. I didn’t think he’d become a manager, though!” DAVID BECKHAM “Becks was down to earth and just a really great guy to have around. He worked very hard for the team, loved his football and is now a global superstar. I wouldn’t say he was world-class, but he was still a top player – you always…

Duncan Elliott: The snapper was sent to capture Man City’s keeper Ederson. “I don’t speak Portuguese and he doesn’t speak much English. I had to mime all my instructions – including screaming! By the end, I had managed to learn one word of Portuguese: perfeito – perfect.” Martin Mazur: The Argentine scribe visited Milan to meet renowned hothead Gennaro Gattuso. “Rino offered me the firmest handshake you could possibly imagine. Then he spoke at great length about his incredible career – including a few moments when he lost his temper!” Chris Flanagan: Our staff writer went to Belgium and spent a few days with ex-Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, now in charge of OH Leuven. “Given his reputation with the press, I feared it could get awkward. I wasn’t looking forward…

1 DEAR LORD... Chile The mountains There was only ever one way that Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner could celebrate his 30th birthday – posing topless while riding a horse in the Andes. With Rosenborg’s new campaign not due to start until March, Lord Bendtner enjoyed some time off by posting snaps of himself out in Chile, including his best impression of Vladimir Putin. It’s unclear whether Nicklas intends to follow this up by interfering with the US election or invading Ukraine. We’ll see... 2 GRAY GOES PINK England London Andre Gray’s time at Watford didn’t get off to the greatest of starts – only two Premier League goals in the first half of the season – though he has established a fetching new look since moving south. Gray’s girlfriend is…

“I COULDN’T HAVE PUDDING UNTIL ALL THE SPROUTS WERE EATEN, SO I’D SWALLOW THEM WHOLE” Hi Dean. To start off, FourFourTwo has got an odd Dean Windass story to tell you – is that all right? Hi mate. Go for it. OK, so FFT once went to a wedding in Beverley, near Hull. On the way there, somebody said: “I wonder if we’ll see Dean Windass.” It was clearly a stupid comment, but when we were parking the car, you were literally there, stood outside a shop. Was I really? Bloody hell, that is pretty weird. I must have been doing a bit of shopping, as that’s the only reason I’d have gone to Beverley – maybe getting perfume for the missus…

COMPARED TO: Yaya Toure. Kessie is a box-to-box Ivory Coast midfielder with an imposing physique and good technical skills. THE STORY SO FAR: The midfielder proved a standout performer in the Elephants’ run to the quarter-finals of the Under-17 World Cup in 2013. He moved to Atalanta aged 18 and, after a season on loan at Cesena in Serie B, impressed for his parent club in the top tier. Milan won the race for his services in June 2017, recruiting him on what is actually a two-year loan with an obligation to buy. While the San Siro side have struggled this season, Kessie has already become a key player for them and starred in December’s Coppa Italia win against city rivals, Inter. SOCIAL MEDIA: He has been showing off his…

Numbers relate to partners displayed at bottom of clubs’ official websites as of January 18, 2018 COMMITTED German third-tier outfit Magdeburg brought 1,500 fans to England for a friendly with Bolton U23s – lighting flares in an empty stadium…

ROY REINVIGORATED Pep Guardiola shouldn’t have won December’s Manager of the Month – give Roy Hodgson the recognition he deseves! Janet Risler MESSI’S BIG CHANCE If Lionel Messi wins this year’s World Cup, there is no doubt in my mind – he must be regarded as the best player ever. Michael Caldwell WHERE’S WARNY? In FFT 283, you asked us to spot England’s best boss, but I couldn’t see Neil Warnock. Was he behind Emma Hayes? Joseph Hayward A STEP TOO VAR VAR won’t solve all the referee controversies – why can’t we leave the game alone? Football was just fine as it was. Frank Charnock HARSH ON HUGHES Did Stoke really need to sack Mark Hughes? He’d have kept them up. Let’s just hope they shook his hand on…

GEORGE ALLAN 1895-96 19 games DANIEL STURRIDGE 2013 26 games MO SALAH 2017 26 games ALBERT STUBBINS 1946-47 30 games FERNANDO TORRES 2007-08 31 games ROGER HUNT 1959-60 34 games IAN RUSH 1980-82 34 games JOHN ALDRIDGE 1987-88 34 games SAM RAYBOULD 1900-01 35 games JACK PARKINSON 1903-05 35 games ROBBIE FOWLER 1993-94 36 games MICHAEL OWEN 1997-98 38 games JOHN EVANS 1953-55 39 games HARRY CHAMBERS 1919-20 44 games KENNY DALGLISH 1977-78 45 games GORDON HODGSON 1925-27 48 games LUIS SUAREZ 2010-12 49 games…

13 GOALS: NOT BAD FOR A SECOND-CHOICE STRIKER PLAYING IN BORROWED BOOTS – FITTINGLY, HE NAMED HIS HOUSE ‘TREIZE’ He had the perfect striker’s DNA: balance, electrifying pace, two good feet, leonine strength and a predatory nose for goal. With it, he left defences reeling during the 1958 World Cup, forever writing his name into football’s annals. Even Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the 17-year-old known as Pele who had begun the tournament as the youngest player in finals history and ended it with a winner’s medal for Brazil, was unable to match Just Fontaine’s scoring feats. Across six games, netting at least once in each, he bagged an amazing 13 goals for France. Sixty summers later, it’s still a record which looks untouchable. Fontaine’s achievement is all the more remarkable…

1 John Terry @johnterry.26 “Yoga can be used to focus on both body and mind,” reveals Hartley. “In a football setting, breathing techniques, mobility and activation moves are key.” 2 Benjamin Mendy @benmendy23 “He’s using electrical stimulation to activate his quads in a TRX double leg squat. It will build up knee strength as he continues to recover from injury.” 3 Fabian Delph @jamie_velocity “Delph’s doing a chest and shoulder workout with the Keiser Functional Trainer – a multifunctional piece of kit.” 4 Victor Moses @chelseafc “Hurdle drills help to develop pace, agility and coordination. They can be made part of pre-match warm-ups and low-grade plyometric circuits, too.” 5 Nacer Chadli @back2action “Band-resisted hip thrusts provide stability around the hip and reduce the risk of knee and hamstring injuries.” 6…

COACH ENVER Technical football coach While the hours away with countless videos of innovative training sessions that you can use to boost your game. Twitter: @CoachEnver JAMES COLLINS Performance nutrition consultant Eat and drink like a Premier League footballer with expert dietary advice from the former Arsenal nutritionist. Twitter: @JamesCollinsPN SHARON HEIDARIPOUR Football yoga specialist Top tips from the leading yoga coach help to reduce the risk of injury and keep you match-fit week after week. Twitter: @OneLifePerform…

Tottenham vs Arsenal February 10 Memories of Gazza’s ’91 FA Cup semi free-kick, as the north London derby returns to Wembley A Villa vs Birmingham February 11 JT & Co. face their struggling Midlands rivals in a Sunday lunchtime Championship showdown Real Madrid vs PSG February 14 So here it is: the acid test for PSG. Can they beat the holders in the Champions League last 16? Ostersund vs Arsenal February 15 FFT’s ballet-dancing underdogs of 2017 face the Gunners in the Europa League in Sweden Chelsea vs Barcelona February 20 Well, here we are again: the Blues against Los Cules in a titanic Champions League first leg League Cup final February 25 Manchester United edged out Southampton in last year’s final – who’ll lift the trophy this time?…

Think of footballers who have conquered the modelling world, and Deon Burton’s name isn’t the first that comes to mind. A member of the Jamaica World Cup squad at France 98, the ex-Derby striker has been starring in several advertising campaigns since he hung up his boots – but don’t expect to see him in his pants on a poster. Instead he’s doing shoots with Iceland, Tesco and the Hilton Hotels – most clients don’t know about his past. “Unless we get talking, most people have no idea that I’m an ex-footballer,” the 41-year-old tells FFT. “I did an Iceland ad with Peter Andre and they didn’t know until people started to put stuff on social media.” Burton got into the modelling lark when he was spotted during a shoot…

Answers 1) Gianluigi Buffon; 2) Jose Luis Chilavert; 3) Petr Cech; 4) Neville Southall; 5) Manuel Neuer; 6) Jorge Campos; 7) David Seaman; 8) Karen Bardsley; 9) David de Gea; 10) Fabien Barthez; 11) Gabor Kiraly; 12) Steve Ogrizovic; 13) Tim Howard; 14) Bruce Grobbelaar; 15) Harald ‘Toni’ Schumacher; 16) Rene Higuita; 17) Iker Casillas; 18) Kasper Schmeichel; 19) Peter Schmeichel; 20) Jens Martin Knudsen HE JUST HAD TO TAKE IT TOO FAR A Norwegian Liverpool fan has called his new baby girl ‘YNWA’ after anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. It’s pronounced ‘Unn-wah’, apparently... See more of Doug Nash’s illustrations at theartofgoalkeeping.com  or follow him on Twitter @goalies119…

Malcolm Roger Law lecturer, 48 Danny Grainger Defender, 31 Q: In which season did Carlisle appear in English football’s top division? MR: Has to be 1974-75 – a long time ago. 6 DG: It was 1974-75. 6 1-1 Q: Who scored the club’s first goal in League Two this season? MR: Danny Grainger? : DG: It was Luke Joyce at home to Swindon. 6 1-2 Q: True or false: Carlisle once beat Milan at the San Siro? MR: False – we beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, though! 6 DG: Definitely false. 6 2-3 Q: Before this term, in which season did Carlisle last reach the FA Cup Third Round? MR: 2015-16. 6 DG: I’m pretty sure it was 2015-16. 6 3-4 Player wins…

“BEING SACKED BY SWANSEA WAS A SURPRISE. THERE’S THIS SAYING: ‘IT’S EASIER TO CHANGE THE MANAGER THAN 11 PLAYERS’” You’re currently the boss of Al Rayyan – how does it compare to managing in the Premier League? It has been a great experience. Some people might think this is a completely different experience from European football, but the game is more or less the same wherever you go. We’re doing very well in the league and I’m confident we can fight for the title. You first moved to Qatar in June 2014 to manage Lekhwiya – was it a difficult decision to go there? You think about many things before going for a job but I was convinced it was a good opportunity. I’m happy with my decision and really…

@GaryLineker My New Year’s resolution is to stick to football and to stop swearing. Actually, f**k that @ToniKroos This career is unrepeatable. Darts means Phil Taylor! @FootballCliches “DIG A HOLE AND BURY ’IM!” Classic FA Cup away tie pitchside mic banter @LuisFigo My dear Mexico! @JonnyGabriel To put Coutinho’s £145m price tag in context, that’s an off-peak return from Newcastle to London King’s Cross bought up to two months in advance @chrishorricks31 The ’90s issue of FourFourTwo could well be the best issue of any magazine ever @RhysDavid87 FourFourTwo’s ’90s issue has BLOWN MY MIND!…

The first time I remember someone losing their temper, it was my mother and I was maybe eight or nine. I had stuck a poster of the Italy midfielder Salvatore Bagni to my bedroom wall. It was an advert – he was wearing the latest line of Dr Martens flip-flops. He was a big hero of mine. The thing that struck me the most about him was that he always played with his socks rolled down to the ankle, not pulled right up to the knee like all the other players. It may seem like a weird thing for a young boy to focus on, but I loved the fact that he played unprotected with those stocky legs exposed. My mother said I had to take the poster down. As…

“Where do I find the gilets?” Tim Sherwood and friends visit the club shop in half-term 1987. Nice. Bathing bonanza Luther Blissett celebrates Watford’s promotion in ’79 with a cosy bath. They’re still standing – yeah, yeah, yeah And all in a nice neat line, too. It was a big deal when lifelong Hornets fan Elton John became the chairman in 1976. Man, did they rocket up the Football League. Telling it like it is Whistle in-hand and legs out, boss Dave ‘Harry’ Bassett knows best... “Stand up if you like top gear” For only £2.25, you too can wear a top-notch Watford cap. Bargain. Running on empty A “mystery” prize sounds odd, right? What’s with those quotation marks? Soaring to success Partnership with delivery firm Eagle Express equals bird…

IN ONE SENTENCE The ultimate defensive formation, originated in Switzerland during the 1930s but most commonly linked with Inter Milan’s side of the ’60s and Argentine boss Helenio Herrera (left). THE BOLT Austrian manager Karl Rappan first dropped a sweeper behind his three-man defence at minnows Servette. The ‘door-bolt’ tactics took them to a pair of Swiss titles and Switzerland to the last eight of the 1938 World Cup finals. SOMETHING FISHY Legend has it Italy fell for the formation when Salernitana’s manager Gipo Viani – looking to shore up his back-line – saw trawlers deploy a reserve net to catch fish that slip through the first. The club won promotion in 1946-47. FREE HITTER Increasingly used by Serie A’s big boys, the battitore libero (‘free hitter’) was a regular…

Number of years since Wolfenden Committee’s inception it had taken for the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality between consenting adult males to be passed in parliament. THE BEATLES DIARY January 16 4,000 holes found in Blackburn, Lancashire January 16 Custody of Guinness heir Tara Browne’s children decided January 17 John Lennon reads the Daily Mail January 19 Recording starts February 10 40-piece orchestra records 24-bar middle section February 22 A Day in the Life fi nished May 26 Album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band changes musical history…

“There were exciting scenes at the match between Sunderland and Newcastle. There was a record attendance of about 40,000 with the result that accommodation was at breaking point, and finally the crowd overflowed onto the field of play. One fellow began a heated altercation with two constables, who grabbed hold of him and – the game having been stopped – attempted to take him across the field. He resisted stoutly. Wrenching one of his arms free, he dealt one of the constables a stinging blow to the head, and was set to follow it with another when they threw him onto the ground, one seizing his legs while reinforcements were called for. The crowd broke in again later, and two mounted constables had to be brought to the enclosure. The…

1 Kettlebell swings If you’re keen to get your heart and lungs burning like they do in a match, then this exercise is an ideal place to start. “Moving resistance at high intensity will really raise your heart rate,” reveals Goff. “Make sure you hinge at your hips, as this isn’t a squat and swing. Keep it nice and tight, but don’t over-arch the back.” 2 Clean and press This full-body movement ensures that you build a durable engine and strong exterior. “This works hundreds of muscles and is perfect for developing power. Start off at the ground, or mid-shin if you don’t think you have the mobility. Drive through the hips before dropping into a front squat and then driving back up to your head.” 3 Weighted dead bug…