After Micah Richard’s claim that Fabio Capello “had his favourites”, I look at the top five Manager’s pets and how their relationships panned out.
5) Fabio Capello and John Terry
Although it was Capello’s choice to strip Terry of the armband after allegations surfaced of Terry’s reported affair with Wayne Bridge’s former girlfriend, Capello quickly reinstated him after the failure in South Africa. And when the FA went above Capello to strip Terry of the armband a second time, it was too much for Capello, who publicly criticised the FA which ultimately cost him his job and place at Euro 2012.
4) Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry
When the relatively unknown manager Arsene Wenger was made Arsenal manager, he had a signing that would change the club forever, Henry had come through the Monaco academy under the guidance of Wenger, and in 1999, Wenger reportedly paid £11 million pounds for the Frenchman, the rest they say, is history. Despite scoring 174 goals and winning two premiership titles and three FA Cups, his European success would come away from Arsenal and Wenger. More recently, Wenger resigned the 34-year-old on loan to boost Arsenal’s struggling season, and by scoring two winning goals in his four appearances, he certainly did that.
3) Harry Redknapp and Peter Crouch
Redknapp first became Peter Crouch’s manager at Southampton, and Crouch quickly became Southampton’s main striker scoring 16 goals which tempted Liverpool to spend £7 million on the lanky striker. Crouch’s spell at Liverpool would last just two seasons before Redknapp resigned his striker for £11 million pounds to bring him back to Portsmouth where the pair lifted the FA Cup. The following season saw Redknapp move to current side Tottenham Hotspurs, and it wasn’t long until Redknapp splashed the cash again to bring Crouch to White Hart Lane, forking out another £10 million pounds to sign his favourite striker, and although Crouch failed to make a lasting impression at Spurs, he will be hoping Redknapp gets the England job.
2) Jose Mourinho and Ricardo Carvalho
The Mourinho/Carvalho partnership has seen them win the Uefa Cup, Champions League, the Portuguesa Super Liga, the Premiership, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and the Copa Del Ray. Their partnership spanning nearly a decade has been arguably the most successful in world football and Mourinho has splashed out £26 million to keep his trusty centre half with him at Chelsea and Real Madrid.
1) Sir Alex Ferguson- Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes
From the Class of ’92 only two remain, and at the weekend Ferguson called Giggs and Scholes United’s greatest ever players and that is some accolade. A twenty year partnership between the three has seen them win everything there is to win in English and European football and I’m sure if Fergie had left United for another team, he would have spent big to bring these two with him.
Tell me your best and worst manager/player combos by tweeting me @deanmears.
[ffcvideo file=”tfcb5″ type=”mp4″ image_type=”jpg”]