Mourinho's Notebook - December 12
Coping With the Pressure
It's a tough job for football managers when things aren't going your way. We've seen Arsene Wenger turn the other cheek as Gunners fans hurled terrible abuse at him after the loss to Stoke last week (Check out Social Media Stunners below for a brilliant fan reply to that saga from Gunnerblog!). But Arsene's worries are nothing like Nigel Pearson's at Leicester City. The Foxes still haven't won a game since beating Manchester United 5-3 in THAT game... and they've barely scored a goal since.
Pearson's been charged by the FA for using "abusive and/or insulting words towards a spectator". He has a few days to respond before he presumably sees a fine or touchline ban.
The incident came in the aftermath of the 3-1 loss to Liverpool, where he allegedly told a fan giving him some attitude to "fuck off and die".
He then refused to apologise, intimating that some fans can give it but not take it (obviously true), though club supporters groups have condemned him and at least one supporter's group chairman labelled Pearson as "arrogant".
LCFC play Manchester City at home on the weekend. Good luck with that one, fellas.
"I've had run-ins with fans in the past and sometimes, in the heat of the moment, these things happen. But there certainly won't be any apology, let's put it like that." - Nigel Pearson
Caulker Balked
QPR have denied reports that defender Steven Caulker ended up in hospital after being involved in a scuffle at a team Christmas Do. Not the hospital bit, that's definitely true, but the scuffle bit. They say he slipped at a team lunch gathering the day after the 2-0 win over Burnley. Sounds suspiciously like the 'slipped in the shower' excuse but we'll give them that.
The supposed, denied alternation occurred when a woman may or may not have spilled a drink over Rio Ferdinand, which may or may not have led to a brawl between some players and other pub-goers that may or may not have left Caulker with blood 'pouring' from his head and may or may not have had Joey Barton acting as peacemaker.
The Statement:
"Following Saturday's Premier League win versus Burnley, and with no further fixture for nine days, the club can confirm players were allowed to have a Sunday lunch together. Steven Caulker was not involved in an altercation. He did suffer a cut to his head, which he received treatment for at hospital before being discharged on the same evening."
Harry Redknapp's Obligatory Quote:
"I'm not into Christmas parties, not for footballers. I think it's more aggravation than it's worth. It's a changing world out there and there's always someone out there with a camera on their phone.”
Bit of a Grinch stance there from Ol' 'Arry, though at least he's up with the modern trend of Camera Phones.
Abedayor Update
Following on from last week, when we had the ridiculous story of Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor seeming to accuse his own mother of black magic to jinx his career and his match performances, he's been released on leave to return home to Togo. For personal reasons. Hmm...
