John Terry on his day is one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, and certainly an important player for Chelsea and England.

However, the 31-year-old is in danger of missing out on Euro 2012, after being stripped of his nation’s captaincy due to the ongoing allegations of racism against the Barking-born man. This, for sure, is not the first controversy to blight Terry’s career, as the following rap sheet shows.

• Fined two weeks wages for drunkenly mocking American tourists in Heathrow Airport in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
• Charged with assault and affray after a confrontation with a nightclub bouncer in January 2002, Terry was suspended from England duty and subsequently missed out on the 2002 World Cup. He was later cleared of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding, possessing a bottle as an offensive weapon and affray.
• In February 2002 Terry was caught on CCTV urinating into a beer glass and dropping it on the floor of an Essex nightclub.
• Fined £60 for parking his Bentley in a disabled bay.
• In 2004, Terry was reported to have gambled up to £40,000 a week on horse and dog racing with Wayne Bridge and Scott Parker.
• Sent off against Tottenham in November 2006 at White Hart Lane, and accused of racially abusing Ledley King. Questioned the integrity of referee Graham Poll, and was later fined £10,000 for inappropriate conduct.
• Before marrying Toni Poole in 2007, admitted to cheating on his partner up to eight times. Jenny Barker, 17, claims that Terry cheated on Poole with her in a public car park.
• Investigated by Chelsea and the FA for reportedly accepting a £10,000 bribe to show a reporter around the London club’s training ground without permission in 2009.
• In 2009 the centre back’s father Ted Terry was filmed allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover reporter, months after his mother, Sue, and mother-in-law had been cautioned for shoplifting.
• In January 2010 Terry was alleged to have had a four-month affair with Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel. Bridge was deemed as one of Terry’s best friends, and Perroncel was the mother of the left back’s child. Fabio Capello stripped Terry of the England captaincy due to the scandal, handing it to Rio Ferdinand.
• Accused of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in a 1-0 defeat for Chelsea at Loftus Road in October 2011. Investigated by the FA and police, Terry will stand trial in July 2012. Stripped of his country’s captaincy for the second time.

Terry may well look back at the above list with shame and regret once his playing days are over, as the constant controversies in his life have taken away from his ability on the pitch.

With England producing some exciting young defenders in recent times, Euro 2012 could be Terry’s last swansong at a major international tournament, but his involvement is now not assured due to his July court date.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

According to Castrol EDGE Performance analysis, both Manchester United and Chelsea’s wingers have been key to both club’s positive play this season, with Antonio Valencia, Nani, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge all enjoying impressive campaigns.

So far this season, only David Silva has provided more assists than Valencia, with the Ecuadorian’s teammate Nani in joint-third, along with Chelsea’s Spanish schemer Juan Mata. Indeed, Mata has hit the ground running in England, and has created more goal-scoring chances for teammates than any other player.

Andre Villas-Boas has also tended to use young England star Daniel Sturridge in a wide right role, with the striker providing two assists so far. However, Sturridge has still provided a potent goal threat from out wide, netting nine goals in the league this season, a joint-high for the Blues.

Premier League 2011/12 – Assists, Chances Created & Goals

The importance of the flanks to both sides is also highlighted by the number of goals the two Premier League giants have scored that have come from crosses. Indeed, only new-boys Norwich City have scored more goals after crosses than Manchester United, while Chelsea find themselves fourth in this ranking.

Premier League 2011/12 – Goals From Crosses

TORRES SHOWING SIGNS

Castrol EDGE Performance data shows that Fernando Torres has an impressive record against Manchester United, scoring four goals in nine appearances. Moreover, with Didier Drogba on international duty, the £50 million Spaniard will be crucial to Chelsea’s attack on Sunday.

However, despite glimmers of promise, Torres is still struggling to find his best form, and indeed he has not scored in the league since the 24^th September 2011. This can be explained by his poor shooting accuracy; in the last seven games, this has been languishing at 23.1%, which is worse than the 46.7% he averaged in the first fifteen games of the season.

Despite this, Torres’ work ethic has improved, perhaps suggesting an increase in confidence of late.  As a result, in the last seven matches he has averaged more touches, shots and tackles per game, creating on average 1.3 chances per 90 mins.

*improvements highlighted in yellow

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Mark Hughes was very active on transfer deadline day, signing ex-Liverpool front man Djibril Cissé from Lazio and re-uniting himself with Bobby Zamora from Fulham. Castrol EDGE Performance analysis shows that with an impressive shooting accuracy of 57% and the ability to create a chance for his teammates every 40 mins, Zamora looks set to play an important role in QPR’s battle to avoid relegation.  But it was Cissé who made an immediate impact by scoring on debut in QPR’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

However, Hughes should not automatically dismiss the striking options that were available to him before his January spending spree.  In particular, 34 year old Heidar Helguson has been in form for the Hoops, scoring 8 goals in the league this season at a chance conversion rate of 26%.  This compares favourably to Zamora’s 5 goals at 22% and Cissé’s meagre 2 goals at 5%, as well as the misfiring Jay Bothroyd and Jamie Mackie.  Indeed, with the lowest conversion rate in Serie A for 2011/12, Cissé’s goal on QPR debut came as something of a surprise.

There are also interesting differences in the trio’s styles of play; whereas Cissé has attempted 34 dribbles this season, Zamora and Helguson have attempted 11 and 1 respectively, reflecting the Frenchman’s continuing reliance on speed and the ability to run at defenders. As a result, Cissé achieved 6 assists for Lazio this season, which is more than both Zamora (5) and Helguson (2).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is without doubt one of the most interesting, but controversial players in the current game. Flashes of brilliance for the Etihad Stadium outfit, Inter and Italy testify to the 21-year-old’s ability, but scandal and strange off-field behaviour have never been too far away in the attacker’s short career to date. Currently suspended by the FA for kicking out at Tottenham’s Scott Parker, here is the flamboyant forward’s rap sheet:

• Born to Ghanian parents Thomas and Rose Barwuah, Balotelli had a life-threatening intestinal illness as a child that he survived. Taken into the care of Francesco and Silvia Balotelli at the age of three, Balotelli accused his biological parents of ‘glory hunting’ when they tried to make contact with him after he became a professional footballer.
• Signed for Inter back in 2006 from Serie C side Lumezzane, Balotelli had a trial at Barcelona at the age of 15 but did not make the grade.
• Made 59 appearances for Inter, scoring 20 goals. Won three Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia, one Supercoppa Italiana and the Champions League in 2009-10.
• Infuriated Inter fans when he wore an AC Milan shirt in a television interview, was reportedly seen shopping in the AC Milan superstore, and his numerous fallings out with Jose Mourinho blighted his time at the San Siro.
• Moved to Manchester City in August 2010 for a fee of £24 million, following Roberto Mancini to England.
• ‘Mad Mario’ has been involved in a raft of motoring incidents; he has been fined £10,000 in parking fines during his time in the United Kingdom, has had his car impounded 27 times and crashed his Maserati sports car within days of having it imported from Italy. Turned the backyard of his English mansion into a quad bike track.
• Balotelli is not shy when it comes to flashing the cash; when pulled over police the striker had £5000 in his wallet. When asked why he was carrying so much money by the police officer he replied: “Because I am rich.” In December 2011 he dressed up as Santa and handed out money on the streets of Manchester; the same month Balotelli also donated £200 to his local church, before paying for a £1000 round in a bar the same day.
• Disciplinary matters have blighted his career – Balotelli has been sent off against West Brom, Dinamo Kiev and Liverpool. Fined £100,000 for throwing a dart at a City youth player.
• Let off fireworks in his house the night before a Manchester derby, before becoming an ambassador for firework safety. Broke a curfew before a game against Chelsea to go to a local curry house, where he was involved in a mock sword-fight using rolling pins.
• Scored in the said Manchester derby and unveiled a t-shirt with ‘Why Always Me?’ on it; City went on to win 6-1 at Old Trafford.
• Has been involved in training ground bust-ups with Vincent Kompany, Jerome Boateng, Carlos Tevez and most recently Micah Richards.
• After City won the FA Cup in 2011, Balotelli said: “This season I have been s***. Can I say that?”, on live television.
• After he won the European Golden Boy trophy in 2010, Balotelli claimed to have never heard of runner up Jack Wilshere and stated that Lionel Messi was the only player in the world better than him.
• Incensed Roberto Mancini by trying an audacious pirouette finish when through on goal in friendly match against LA Galaxy in the United States; was instantly substituted.
• Made his international debut against Ivory Coast in August 2010. Was spotted using his iPad on the Italy bench in a game against the Faroe Islands.
• Was summoned in September 2011 to give evidence in a high-profile Mafia court case in Italy.

And finally, there was this:

Super Mario is becoming an ever-more important member of Manchester City’s squad, and his talent in undeniable. On the international scene, he seems to be in Cesare Prandelli’s preferences currently, and is set to star for Italy at Euro 2012 this summer. However, most football fans are captivated by the Italian’s unorthodox behaviour away from the game, with the above list set to grow in years to come.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

How do professional footballers prepare for a match?

Your muscles produce heat as you exercise. Sweating is your body’s way of removing this heat to manage your temperature. If you replace the liquid lost as sweat, you’ll get dehydrated. Lose the equivalent of just 2% of your body mass and you’ll increase your body temperature, and reduce your mental and physical performance. You will also feel more fatigue after the game. Drinking an energy drink before, at half time and after a game is essential to keep your body functioning effectively for football fitness. However, water alone isn’t enough to maintain hydration. You’ll need an energy drink that also replaces salts and minerals lost through sweating.

Always start your training session in a hydrated state. You’ll be in good shape if you usually drink two litres of fluid over the course of the day, and drinking 350-500ml of fluid two hours before you train is good too. A great way to check your hydration is to monitor the colour of your urine. If it’s dark or highly concentrated, drink more fluid. Consume fluids containing the electrolyte sodium and/or amounts of salted snacks to stimulate your thirst and help you retain the fluid you’ve drunk.

Drinking lots of fluid at half time prevents significant dehydration and large changes in your electrolyte (principally sodium) balance. How much fluid you need to drink will depend on how much you sweat. This can be affected by the position you play, the level at which you play at and length of your matches. You will obviously need more hydration for a full 90 minute football match compared to a five-a-side game. Aim to maintain hydration at a body mass loss lower than 2%. This can be calculated, and monitored, by measuring the change in your body weight immediately before and after playing. Drinking 150ml every 15-20 min during any exercise will keep your fluid levels topped up. Isotonic sports drinks are the preferred drinks for endurance-based exercise.

It is a good idea to have a training plan that includes when you have finished playing. So after a match, replace the fluid and electrolytes you have lost. The main things to bear in mind as you rehydrate are the volume and composition of the fluid you consume. Plain water’s for rapid and complete rehydration. It stimulates high urine production and reduces your drive to drink. Fluids containing sodium help you retain fluids, stimulate thirst and improve the absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine. You should consume 1.5 litres of fluid for each kg of your body mass lost as sweat, you could use a popular sports drink to do this.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In August Manchester United and Wayne Rooney inflicted a resounding 8-2 defeat on Arsenal, with Rooney netting a hat-trick. However, since then it is Robin van Persie who has lit up the Premier League. The division’s top scorer has found the net 18 times in 21 appearances with a rate of 97 minutes per goal and 23% chance conversion, compared with Rooney’s 13 goals at a still impressive 114 minutes per goal and 19% chance conversion.

Robin van Persie vs Wayne Rooney in Premier League 2011-12

In terms of adding to all-round team play, the Dutchman has also been more influential to his team’s attacking play, with more assists (5), crosses (115) and chances created (48). However, Rooney sees more of the ball during a match with more touches and passes per game, reflecting his slightly deeper lying position for Manchester United. Rooney also boasts better pass (82%) and dribble (64%) completion rates.

MIDFIELD BATTLE VITAL FOR ARSENAL BUT UNITED HAVE THE EDGE

With the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas in the summer, and the loss of Jack Wilshere to injury, much of Arsenal’s resurgence after a difficult start to the season has been due to the performances of Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song. However, this weekend the Arsenal pair will be given a severe test by the efficient Michael Carrick and the tenacious Park Ji-Sung, who has scored against Arsenal in two of his last three appearances against the Gunners.

While the Arsenal pair are important to Arsenal’s attacking and flowing football with far more touches per game, assists, chances created (66 versus 19) and better dribble completion rates, they are inferior to the Manchester United pair in most other regards.

Park and Carrick both have higher pass completion rates at an impressive 89% and 90% respectively, with Park possessing an impressive 86% pass completion in final third. The United midfielders also have the ability to blunt Arsenal’s midfield creativity with their defensive attributes. Carrick wins the most duels of the quartet (71%), Park wins more tackles (72%) and Carrick casts doubt on those who question his defensive capabilities with the best clearance (one every 39 minutes) and interception (one every 20 minutes) rates. Despite this the Arsenal pair have conceded far more fouls (64) than the United duo (9).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Castrol EDGE analysis shows that Manchester City’s strength at the Etihad Stadium has been central to their challenge for the Premier League title.

Roberto Mancini’s side have won each of their last 15 home league games, a home winning streak only bettered once in Premier League history, by none other than their Manchester rivals United.

Interestingly, it was the Citizens who ended the Red Devils’ record-breaking run in that memorable 6-1 victory back in October.

Longest streaks of home wins in the PL

Fellow title-rivals Tottenham will have to be at their very best if they are to halt City’s success in Manchester on Sunday.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Castrol EDGE performance analysis shows that Manchester City’s muscular full-back, Micah Richards, has rediscovered his best form this season, providing his star-studded City side with a potent and creative attacking threat.

In the clash with Tottenham, Richards will go head to head with Kyle Walker, who is currently ahead of the City man in the pecking order for the Three Lions’ right-back berth. However, in comparing their Premier League stats this season, the City man comes out on top in the attacking side of his play.

While both players have registered the same amount of goals and shots, Richards has already provided five assists (compared to Walker’s one), a figure only nine players overall in the Premier League can better so far. Richards has also been impressive with his delivery from wide areas, with 24% of his crosses finding a team-mate, compared to Walker’s 18% crossing accuracy figure.

However, in terms of basic defending, Walker has outshone Richards, winning a higher proportion of his tackles and making more interceptions.

Both players deserve their place in Fabio Capello’s next England squad, but Richards’ current form in the opposing half of the pitch offers the Three Lions a particularly valuable option from the right flank.

Premier League 2011/12 – Richards v Walker

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

According to Castrol EDGE Performance analysis, Gareth Bale has been one of the Premier League’s best performers this season, with the Welsh winger both scoring and creating regularly for his high-flying Tottenham side.

Indeed, so far this season, only two midfielders, Frank Lampard and Bale’s team-mate Rafael van der Vaart, have out-scored the former Southampton man, who has bagged an impressive six goals so far.

Creatively, Bale has also been in outstanding form this season, with only one player (of any position), David Silva, providing more assists while only Chelsea’s Juan Mata has set up more goal-scoring chances overall this season.

Premier League 2011/12 – Top Scoring Midfielders & Most Creative Players

Bale has been rewarded for his superb performances over the past year with a place in UEFA’s Team of 2011, with the Tottenham star the only Premier League player included. One wonders how long it will be before one of the giants of La Liga or Serie A will tempt the former full-back into a move to the Continent.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

A sense of nostalgia sets in when thinking of Pelé, arguably the best footballer of all times, and the one that gave “Futebol bonito” to Brazil and to the rest of the world. Pelé’s memorable moments include the bicycle kick, winning three world cups for Brazil out of their total of five, and being one of the best ambassadors football could ever want and need. Nostalgia is only present because we can no longer see Pelé play football, now at 71 years of age.

“When football stars disappear, so do the teams, and that is a very curious phenomenon. It is like in the theatre, in a play, where there is a great star. If the star is not well, the whole cast suffers.” – Pelé

Pelé paved the way for other world greats, inspiring the football played by John Cruyff and his Dutch national team, Ronaldo and the great Brazil team he led to victory in 2002, and an endless list of attacking footballers that combined a touch of power, with a whole lot of finesse, unquestionable talent, and desire to become the best.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pelé

Pelé’s career started on the streets of São Paulo in poverty, where at a young age, Pelé could not afford a football but used socks stuffed with newspapers or grapefruits as replacement. Now the biggest name in the history of football, Pelé began with a promise to his father, at only 9 years of age, that he will win a World Cup for Brazil one day. The influence of street football and futsal are very clear in Pelé’s playing style and what made him different from other footballers. He describes his career as a hard working career, that he wasn’t born the best, that he worked his way into becoming the best.

“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘born’ football player. Perhaps you are born with certain skills and talents, but quite frankly it seems impossible to me that one is actually born to be an ace football player.” – Pelé

When hearing Pelé talk about his career, one thing is clear above all – he’s grateful for everything football has given him. Often “O Rei” describes football as the source of everything he has and that as he gets older, the desire to give back to the game becomes stronger and stronger.

The Art of Pelé

My life has been covered in books, magazines, newspapers and television more times than I can remember but this is the first time that it has been captured through art.

Art is in my heart. As a sportsman I expressed it on the pitch through the beautiful game, and now with the Art of Pele, I have the opportunity to express myself on canvas.

Under the guidance of South African artist Athol Moult, Pelé has created a unique and colourful collection of 42 original art works. Bold and simple graphics capture the story of his extraordinary rise from selling peanuts on the streets to buy soccer boots, to scoring an incredible 1283 professional goals, 12 of them in World Cup final tournaments.

It’s a fascinating collection of snapshots documenting Pelé illustrious career – and you can see the making of the art below:

From each original piece there are Limited Edition Prints personally signed by Pelé, a highly valued item for the sport memorabilia collector or art enthusiast. There are also high quality prints of each original artwork.

To view the art collection, visit Art of Pelé.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News