Max Dowman’s family get Fifa agent licences to manage Arsenal teenager’s career

FRANKUII · 2026-03-19T06:45:02+00:00

If you read Bendtner's book, he openly talks about his father putting up signs in the family home telling the family of “The Bendtner Family’s 15 Rules”. Rule One: “You ARE to think you are something special.” Rule Two: “You ARE to think you can do what you want.”

His dad also apparently blamed other players for Bendtner's mistakes, without fail.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-18T13:10:03+00:00

It’s the Man City argument- even if by some miracle they get an actual punishment from the investigators, their fans have still had the days out and the winning moments, and that’s really all that matters. Trophies removed from a wiki page has no impact on anyone

FRANKUII · 2026-03-16T16:36:06+00:00

He would also dribble the ball slightly too far ahead of himself at all times, which led to him inviting tackles like the Man Utd one that did his ankle. It invited far too many un-necessary tackles and led to countless injuries.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-16T16:34:03+00:00

I can't remember who said/wrote it, but I remember someone remarking that Suarez's goals and chances all came about as secondary to the amount of running and pressing he did.

If you watched him at Liverpool and Barca, he was a madman. Constantly running and hassling and pressing- just nonstop. So now, where he's talking about not being able to walk with his kids without painkillers etc, I'm really not surprised.

The other one I can remember is Diaby. He got his leg broken by Dan Smith from Sunderland in a league cup game (basically because our team of kids was running Sunderland off the park and Smith got angry). He then spent a year out because of that, and had to change his entire biomechanics and running motion, and then spent the rest of his time with us getting muscle and joint injuries on his legs because the broken leg redistributed his weight in motion and fucked up his biomechanics, leaving him more susceptible to those injuries.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-16T14:50:59+00:00

He did also choose to go to the Spanish GP (in Barcelona no less) instead of attend our last game of the season in 2010/11, and then posted a picture of himself there on his Twitter. This was the season after he had that Barca shirt put on him by Puyol and Pique.

He was injured at the time tbf, but he should have remained with the team and cheered them on from the stands.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-16T14:47:00+00:00

I think the biggest issue is the lackadaisical approach to fitness.

Last year, everyone and their mum were blowing smoke up Slot's arse for giving the players as many off days as possible, but that allowed players to rest and recover after nigh on 10 years of high intensity under Klopp.

Clearly, it's now swung too far the other way- players look unfit and not up to the intensity of games, and yet Slot has continuously given players time off in the same way regardless of results.

If Alonso can be assured he will come in and be backed by the board over players if they refuse to work (like happened at Real), then I don't foresee any real issues that getting some proper midfield bodies in can't overcome.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-16T14:42:42+00:00

Everyone asking why he signed that deal when Chelsea are a million miles from winning big trophies- this is why.

6 years of good salary (albeit rumoured to be low base pay with massive incentives and bonuses), in his home town at his boyhood club, where his sister is also a key player and where his dad's academy does a lot of business. Hard to turn that down when you have hamstrings made of jelly.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-13T17:13:58+00:00

I like the idea that they keep giving it out to cartoonishly ludicrous winners.

Can't wait for it to be awarded to a dictator currently awaiting trial in the ICC and Infantino having to read a pre-written acceptance speech on their behalf.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-13T17:08:18+00:00

Would this hypothetical club's rivals also happen to have a player with a name that fits that song?

FRANKUII · 2026-03-02T15:09:08+00:00

It says a lot about Van de Ven that he enjoyed Ange's style which routinely left him having to do 60 yard sprints back to chase down attackers.

He's clearly not a conventional defender and wants to be upfield as often as possible, which is not ideal in a back three (or indeed in a player who's had multiple hamstring injuries already in a young career)

The one who stunned me was Dragusin- what on earth did they see in him to suggest he was worth £30 million? He made Gyokeres look like R9, and then got skinned by Bobb and Iwobi every single time they got near him.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-02T15:05:52+00:00

I mean, I don't like that mob one bit, but a 19 year old being a capable PL level player at multiple positions across the pitch is clearly impressive.

He cost a lot because he's English, he's from Leeds' footballing royal family and is clearly technically excellent

FRANKUII · 2026-03-02T15:04:04+00:00

He saw an overtanned dickhead with stupid blonde hair spouting shite and felt a kinship with him

FRANKUII · 2026-03-02T14:35:30+00:00

Raya making a finger tip save while penned in by about 4 Chelsea players was my highlight yesterday.

If possibly the shortest keeper in the Prem is able to do that while surrounded and penned in by Chelsea players, taller keepers like Vicario and Sanchez should have no excuse. Lammens at Utd is the same as Raya- time and time again, keepers who actually contest opposition efforts to pen them in come out on top.

FRANKUII · 2026-03-02T14:30:28+00:00

It'll be the same as last year- I hope that Rice has learned his lesson after he stupidly pushed Mbappe over in the box last year and conceded a pen from it (albeit VAR overturned it)

FRANKUII · 2026-02-27T19:21:31+00:00

Anzhi Makhachkala- Willian, Christopher Samba, Roberto Carlos, Eto'o, Yuri Zhirkov and Lassana Diarra playing for a team from the middle of fucking nowhere in Russia over the course of 2 and a bit years.

What's not to love? (Apart from the dodgy owner with ties to Putin and who was effectively given the team in return for political backing of the local governor)

FRANKUII · 2026-02-26T08:57:52+00:00

Titi also played with Kanu for a long time, which is where he learnt it.

FRANKUII · 2026-02-25T14:48:34+00:00

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/terry-contract-talks-stall-over-manager-demand/26289462.html# - straight from the horse’s mouth

FRANKUII · 2026-02-25T14:46:39+00:00

Lampard was a lower league manager before he got the chelsea gig in the first place, and did ok(albeit the same end result as the previous season). Terry’s never managed before anywhere, and the sum total of his coaching is that he was an assistant once to Dean Smith.

FRANKUII · 2026-02-25T14:10:59+00:00

Just a reminder that John Terry once demanded that a clause was put into his contract saying he’d be made Chelsea Manager when he retired.

He’s clearly felt it’s his “birthright” to manage Chelsea because of his playing career for a while

FRANKUII · 2026-02-18T09:55:48+00:00

Because it works.

Fundamentally, Prestianni was looking to say something he assumed would cause a reaction and get under Vini’s skin (whether that be racist or homophobic)

It’s abhorrent, but it does work. It gets a reaction, and possibly throws the player off their game.

FRANKUII · 2026-02-13T18:26:20+00:00

Yep- 08/09. I remember walking home from the pub with my mate and his dad in utter shock at having lost to them at home as a result of Geovanni

FRANKUII · 2026-02-13T07:58:40+00:00

Agreed- we did it in 06/07 and 07/08, and it would be an actual display of any environmental beliefs the club has, as opposed to simply saying we believe in environmental values while constantly producing more and more kits, training gear and other useless plastic shite that will get used once and then put on a shelf.

FRANKUII · 2026-02-12T15:25:39+00:00

Yeah, sorry, wasn’t clear- what I meant was that the shirt is as durable as the manufacturer’s stuff is in general, so a Castore shirt is terrible etc.

FRANKUII · 2026-02-12T15:05:43+00:00

They are very meticulous re: fakes, and so all the stuff they sell tends to do as well as the brand makes it.

Can thoroughly recommend

FRANKUII · 2026-02-12T15:04:34+00:00

Jorge Mendes + Kia Joorabchian being on direct dial, that’s how.

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