The Offside Treble – Diego Costa in hot water, Paul Lambert is staying put and a snap-happy little Becks
Jen returns this week to talk about Diego Costa’s antics against Liverpool, why Aston Villa should keep the faith with Paul Lambert and Brooklyn Beckham posts pictures of him and his Arsenal team-mates.
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Stomp
This week Diego Costa made a boot-shaped impression during Chelsea’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg (which is almost as difficult to type as it is to say) win against Liverpool. The Chelsea forward looks to have dug his heels in to not one, but two Liverpool players, Emre Can and Martin Skrtel, and has been banned by the FA for three matches, with Chelsea unable to appeal following the decision reached by the independent commission hearing.
Although Costa does have form in this area, Blues boss Jose Mourinho customarily was quick to deny any wrongdoing- claiming Costa’s fancy footwork was accidental. More likely, says Mourinho, is an unnamed pundit (who he cares enough to mention but not to identify – he doesn’t know his name, THAT’S HOW LITTLE HE CARES about this pundit) is whipping everyone into a frenzy about what a bad lad Costa is, because he hates the cut of Mourinho’s jib. This is the second time this week where Mourinho has been in the press for making provocative statements.
It was announced this week that Mourinho would be fined £25,000 by the FA for his recent accusations about a “campaign” by various (giant reptiles masquerading as) people (no doubt) to influence referees against Chelsea. On a separate but related point, if you are to Google one thing this week, make it David Icke’s “Turquoise Phase”.
Keep The Faith
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is once again feeling the heat as fans call for him to move along with the team scraping together 12 points in the last 18 games and sitting just three points shy of the relegation zone. Having joined the team in June 2012, Lambert’s had a relatively lengthy run at Villa, especially considering it’s his second least successful win rate (30% apparently) as a manager since his first position with Livingstone back in the 2005/2006 season. The emotional rollercoaster has continued this season for Villa, who already waved goodbye to former coach, Roy Keane, after only four intense and terrifying months, back in November.
In ominous time-honoured tradition Villa Chief Executive Tom Fox (great name), who joined the club from Arsenal in August last year, has this week given his backing to Lambert and club owner Randy Lerner (GREAT name), who is rumoured to be on the verge of shutting up shop at Villa . It’s a fickle world, is that of the football manager, and Fox knows there’s always more going on at a club than what fans see on the pitch. Sacking the manager, the default remedy for any flailing club’s board, isn’t always the solution, in his humble opinion. Speaking of club owners, Fox has seen him pacing the room during a match – that man is dedicated.
Snap out of it
Finally this week, famous Beckham spawn Brooklyn has posted some pictures on Instagram of his #squad at Arsenal under-16s. Despite Pappa Becks’ longstanding association with Manchester United, North-Londoner Brooklyn is a Gooner, and is joined by both Brothers Romeo and Cruz who play with the Gunners’ under-13s and under-10s, respectively.
Baby Becks’ snap (which sits alongside another snap of the youngster in a woodland area with a skateboard – categorically the wrong mode of transportation in that setting) reveals, well, his squad and some Adidas tracksuit bottoms. This is news guys. NEWS!
He’s not the only Instagrammer out there, though! No – Wayne Rooney has been throwing back Thursdays like a mother, with a picture of himself from back in the day with his all-time favourite sportsperson EVER, convicted Rapist Mike Tyson. And we talk about role models.
Read more from Jen Offord here!
The Offside Rule 
If this had been a Liverpool player he would have had another game tacked on for contesting the charge plus 5 more for the second offence on another player in the same game. But they are all scared of Mourinho, plus it’s Chelsea, it’s London and there is an oligarch pulling strings, it’s like this weeks episode of Silent Witness on the Beeb.