vallierojas: Tiki-taka: Guy Branston's interesting negotiations with Barry Fry

Monday, September 26, 2011

Tiki-taka: Guy Branston's interesting negotiations with Barry Fry

When he signed for Peterborough, the player's contract talks took place in a Ladbrokes where his wages were bet on horses

Bradford City's Guy Branston has been telling the Yorkshire Post about negotiating contracts with Barry Fry. When he signed for Peterborough, he met Fry in a Ladbrokes to read the terms: "I said: 'This is wrong, I am due another �100 a week.' 'It's only fucking wrong if this horse doesn't win,' he said. I asked what happened if it won and he said: 'You get what you want.' It won but it still wasn't over as Barry said: 'Forget that, it's all on this dog race.' This was worth about �5,000. Thankfully, [the dog] won. Mind, even then he tried to get me to go double or quits."

Allardyce a Hammer who's forever throwing towels

West Ham United's Sam Allardyce says "if I don't deliver promotion I'd tender my resignation". Interesting ? at Bolton he did quit, at Blackburn he said he wanted to quit but wasn't allowed, and at Newcastle he said he would never quit in any circumstances. His tactics might not change much but his approach to resignation never stops.

A Scouser with a grievance and a ray of sunshine

There is an extraordinary quote in the People from Sir Alex Ferguson about his dilemma whether to pick Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney against Basel: "Wayne always wants to play, so do I face a moaning-faced Scouser and go with the instinct of playing Owen?" "Moaning-faced" is a new one on us but no stranger in Fergie's mirror.

Goal of the weekend

Joe Cole, Lille v Lorient

Cole scored more goals in the first 10 games of 2008-09 than he's managed since, but anyone who doubted his ability was silenced by a stunning goal in this 1-1 draw, the first by an Englishman in Ligue 1 since Chris Waddle in 1992.

Statistics of the weekend

5 In 47 appearances since Christmas 2009 Shaun Wright-Phillips ? substituted in the 86th minute of QPR's match against Aston Villa on Sunday ? has played the full 90 minutes just five times

1 With five games played, and the visit of Sunderland to come on Monday night, only one Norwich City player has started every league game. The other Premier League clubs average 5.3 ever-presents each

7.7 Percentage of available points won by Bolton at Arsenal in the Premier League ? three from a possible 39 in 13 meetings, with no wins. Their overall Premier League percentage is 39.8

Meanwhile ? in Germany

The Bayern Munich defender Breno was arrested on Saturday under suspicion of setting fire to his own house. The player's rented villa was destroyed on Tuesday night, causing damage estimated at up to �1.3m, while his wife was away and his three children were staying with a family friend. While the club's president Uli Hoeness called the decision to arrest the 21-year-old "out of proportion", "very dubious" and "inhuman", the coach Jupp Heynckes said the incident coincided with the player being told that he needs a new operation on his injured knee. "I imagine this was the trigger," he said. "If you're out for a long time and then you're told you need another operation, then you are going to be sad."

Rob Bagchi

Simon Burnton