Vidic wants one last crack at rivals

By David Lee Wheatley

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic signalled the end of an era when announcing his intention to join Inter during the summer at the completion of his Old Trafford contract. After eight glorious years of service, mainly under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Serbian centre-back has decided to move on in order to experience a new adventure in Italy.

Today, he leads the Red Devils into battle against arch-rivals Liverpool for the last time before he leaves for pastures new and the 32-year-old is relishing the opportunity to help his beloved United to secure a key victory in the ongoing battle to put the reigning champions season back on track.

Four places and eleven points currently separate the two sides, but unusually it's the Merseysiders in the ascendancy on this occasion. Their progress this season under Brendan Rodgers has seen the Anfield giants touted as possible title contenders for the first time since 2009, when they finished 2nd in the Premier League under Rafa Benitez. Meanwhile, Manchester United have suffered a dramatic fall from grace since Alex Ferguson's retirement at the end of last season and they go into this afternoon's clash as underdogs.

Vidic and Rio Ferdinand formed a formidable central defensive partnership throughout their first five years or so together, but injury and age have caught up with both recently. However, the club captain will hope to keep a clean sheet against the odds in his team's quest to somehow snatch a top-four spot in last-ditch fashion.

To do so, he and his team-mates will have to keep a rampant Liverpool forward line quiet and that would appear an almost impossible task. Suarez and Sturridge have plundered 45 goals between them and their pace will cause huge problems for a creaking United back-four. Should Vidic and co. pull off a shock and stop them from scoring, it would certainly be plausible for the likes of Mata, Rooney, Januzaj and Van Persie to give Liverpool something to think about at the other end of the field.

Only time will tell if Vidic can sign off in this biggest of fixtures in style. But, a betting man would say he can't, despite so many past glories with the club.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Legend Rivaldo retires

By David Lee Wheatley

Former Brazil international forward Rivaldo announced his retirement yesterday at the ripe old age of 41.

Now president of Brazilian Serie C side Mogi Mirim, with whom he played his final match, Rivaldo pulled down the curtain on a fine career having featured alongside his 18-year-old son in a 1-1 draw with XV de Piracicaba.

He leaves the game having won the World Cup in 2002 as a crucial part of triumvirate Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and himself, while he also helped his country to the final four years prior. A Ballon d'Or winner in 1999, the Paulista native scored 34 times during 74 caps for his country despite rarely playing as an out-and-out striker.

Having moved to Europe when signing with Spaniards Deportivo La Coruña from Palmeiras in 1996, the young South American quickly found his feet in La Liga. His 21 league strikes caught the attention of the biggest clubs across the continent and he was off to Barcelona only a year into his time in Spanish football.

A glittering five-year stay at Camp Nou saw the club lift the Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup once each, while Rivaldo's considerable influence assisted the team in claiming the domestic league title twice consecutively in 1998 and 1999.

Of course, Rivaldo will also be remembered for the incident at the 2002 World Cup when a ball was kicked towards his thigh by a Turkish opponent before he inexplicably slumped to the ground while holding his face in apparent agony. It was one of the most blatant examples of play-acting ever to take place on a football field.

Thankfully, Rivaldo's talent as a footballer far outweighed such shenanigans and he followed up his World Cup winners' medal with a splendid UEFA Champions' League victory at new club Milan in 2003. The Coppa Italia and UEFA Super Cup also came the Italian giants' way that same year, but Rivaldo failed to make a single league appearance in the second season of his stint at the San Siro, thus leading him to a brief homecoming with Cruzeiro on loan.

Olympiakos was his next permanent destination after the end of a short loan spell back in Brazil and he got into the groove straight away when scoring many sublime goals for the Greek side. After three years there, AEK Athens took him on for one campaign previous to an unusual move on to Uzbek side Bunyodkor, accompanied by a mega-money contract. This started a worldwide farewell tour of sorts for Rivaldo, as he also went on to play for São Paulo and then unknown Angolans Kabuscorp before returning to his home country for good with São Caetano and finally back to his very first club Mogi Mirim.

It's been an incredible journey from his early days in the game, with a best period undoubtedly enjoyed in the famous colours of Barcelona. Not only is his longevity a mighty impressive statistic to behold, but also his silky skills on the ball, ability to find a killer pass and an unerring accuracy in front of goal were attributes which blended together to make him one of the finest and most versatile footballers of his generation.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Puyol calls time on career

By David Lee Wheatley

Inspirational Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has decided to leave the club at the end of this season, much earlier than expected after serious injury ruined his campaign.

The 35-year-old has been troubled by numerous knee problems recently, causing him to miss Euro 2012 for his country, while also limiting the defender to just 12 appearances for Barça so far during 2013-14.

Puyol had hoped to make another triumphant comeback for club and country as he'd done following previous injuries, but it wasn't to be. After nineteen hugely successful years in association with FC Barcelona, the defensive lynchpin has been forced into the decision to rescind the final two seasons on his current deal in order to avoid punishing his body any further.

Three years with Barcelona's 'C' and 'B' teams taught a young Puyol his trade prior to a surprise debut for the Blaugrana in October 1999, when pressed into action as a second-half substitute by Louis van Gaal away at Valladolid. He never looked back, cementing the right-back slot with a total of 37 appearances that season.

It took Puyol five long years ensconced within the first-team before a first major title arrived, but in 2004-05 he played an instrumental role as captain of Frank Rijkaard's side as they sealed the domestic league championship. A year on, he lifted the Champions' League trophy in Paris, as the Catalan giants saw off the challenge of Arsenal in the final.

At international level, the versatile Puyol assisted Spain in their successful quest to reach the pinnacle of global football when winning both Euro 2008 and, most impressively, the World Cup on the African continent in 2010. Playing regularly in the heart of defence by that stage for both Barcelona and Spain, Puyol was the rock upon which both teams built their astonishing run of success.

Back at Barça, the highly respected Catalonia native eventually led his club to a total of six La Liga titles, three Champions' League wins and two victories each in the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA World Club Cup and the Copa del Rey, throughout a period largely dominated by the 'tiki-taka' pass-and-move style of play encouraged by Pep Guardiola before he took a sabbatical from the game.

This time around, it's a three-way battle at the top of the Spanish league for honours between Barcelona and the two big Madrid clubs, while the Blaugrana still appear to possess a fantastic opportunity to secure another Champions' League triumph following their precise dissection of Manchester City in the first leg of their last-16 clash. If all goes well, Puyol could yet be signing off with another two trophies to his name come the end of a glittering career with his beloved Barça.

Whatever does occur between now and the season's end, the La Pobla de Segur-born star will go down in the history as one of the club's greatest servants. Tough, uncompromising and above all a winner, Puyol has made the most of his ability in leading Barcelona through an era to cherish and savour. He will be sorely missed around Camp Nou when he goes.

Twitter: @davewh1980

FA must throw book at pitiful Pardew

By David Lee Wheatley

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew stooped to an all-time low this afternoon at the KC Stadium when getting involved in an astonishing touchline fracas with Hull City midfield man David Meyler, resulting in referee Kevin Friend sending the fiery Londoner to the stands after 72 minutes had elapsed of a match easily won by the visitors.

Meyler, in a rush to grab the ball after it ran out of play, ushered Pardew to one side as he went by; an action that was admittedly unnecessary. However, what came next was quite literally stunning: Pardew approached the Irishman with aggressive intent, the two going head-to-head before the 52-year-old directed an apparent head-butt in the direction of Meyler's cheekbone.

It's the latest in a long line of misdemeanours from the one-time Crystal Palace player during a turbulent managerial career at the helm of Reading, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic, Southampton and now Newcastle.

There was that infamous shoving match when in charge of the Hammers in 2006 with Arsene Wenger, for which both men received FA charges. Then the white-hot north-east derby atmosphere got the better of the Wimbledon-born boss when squaring up to then-Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill during the March 2012 draw between the bitter rivals, which also saw Magpies' goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman sent from the dug-out.

Most would think (or at least hope) Pardew would've learned to keep his cool in such circumstances by that stage, especially given that he is subjected to the high-pressure world of top-flight football on a regular basis. Alas, it was not to be, as he proceeded to push a referee's assistant in August 2012 next to Pardew's technical area with United one-up at home to Spurs. Furious Pardew insisted the ball had gone out of touch for a throw-in to his side and felt so aggrieved at the lack of a flag to the extent that he was compelled to 'do a Di Canio' on an official. For that, he was hit with a two-match touchline ban and £20,000 fine - nine games less than Di Canio received 14 years prior and only double the money.

Pardew's rap-sheet resembled something from the Shawshank Redemption (!) by then and yet he still continued unabated with his crazy behaviour. In January of this year he aimed a foul-mouthed rant at opposite number Manuel Pellegrini, as Manchester City ran out 2-0 winners following a feisty St. James' Park encounter in which Newcastle star Cheick Tiote had a goal wrongfully chalked off at a critical stage of the game. His language towards the Chilean was so colourful that Pardew condemned himself to community service of sorts by helping out with local projects close to his heart, despite the FA's reluctance to hand down further punishment to the beleaguered United manager. It was a nice gesture from the Newcastle supremo and earned him back a little self-respect in the wake of another ill-judged temper tantrum.

However, today's outburst displayed a nasty streak the levels of which have been rarely witnessed in the history of the Premier League and the authorities will have a task on their hands deciding exactly what sentence to give the under-fire Magpie manager.

He should be setting a fine example for his squad to follow, but what kind of example is this?

Thanks to their leader's antics, the United players will sadly get little attention for their resounding win over the in-form Tigers, while the incident firmly places the spotlight on much-maligned owner Mike Ashley as regards an appropriate response to such unbelievable scenes.

The Sunday Express newspaper was banned by the club for its assertion that Pardew would be sacked if they lost to Aston Villa last month, a fate they avoided in any case. This might well be an opportune moment for Ashley to pull the plug on Pardew's reign in light of his gross misconduct at the KC Stadium, thus making the Express' report seem not too far from the truth just two matches on from that desperately needed victory over Villa.

If Pardew does lose his job, he will have only himself to blame.

Twitter: @davewh1980