Paul Parker
  • Adebayor an embarrassment

    Emmanuel Adebayor's antics at the weekend were totally embarrassing;
    he made a complete fool of himself.

    After everything
    Arsenal did to help make him a star, he threw it all back in their face with a
    show of utter disrespect.

    To run the length
    of the pitch to taunt the away fans after scoring for Manchester City
    was outrageous and dangerous.

    He incited the
    crowd and the FA should clamp down on him hard. The fans were not blameless but
    you simply cannot provoke them like that. It could have ended in a riot.

    Adebayor blames
    the fans for driving him out of Arsenal, but he would never think to

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  • City set up for a fall

    I think Manchester City have set themselves up for a fall by trying to stoke up a rivalry between themselves and United.

    They have annoyed Sir Alex Ferguson by putting up a huge sky blue billboard with a picture of Carlos Tevez and the words 'Welcome to Manchester'.

    Sir Alex said they were "a small club with a small mentality", and City will probably be delighted to have got a reaction out of him.

    However, I think they are missing the point. This year for them is not about catching United. It is about breaking into the top four of the Premier League, and their main rivals will be Everton,

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  • Wenger can’t handle rough stuff

    I was surprised to hear Arsene Wenger's comments about the way they were beaten by Manchester United, describing their physical performance as "anti-football".

    The way football is played in the Premier League these days there aren't really any sides who you could call rough, not in the same way that they used to be.

    I have got a lot of time for Wenger, I really appreciate the type of football that he preaches, but I can't agree with him on this one.

    It was good to see him showing emotion, such as when he kicked that bottle when their late goal was disallowed and got sent to the stands, but his

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  • Desperate City will freeze at Wembley

    Game of the weekend: Manchester United v Manchester City

    For all the hype surrounding the Manchester derby at
    Wembley on Saturday, City's inexperience on the big stage and general
    desperation for success will prove their undoing.

    United are ideally suited to negotiating semi-finals
    and steering his sides through the latter stages of big competitions is Sir
    Alex Ferguson's forte.

    For all the money that City have spent, they
    a deep instability at the helm, with Roberto Mancini only a few defeats from
    being dismissed and no foundation at the club.

    You don't go and get a Hugo Boss suit, then match

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  • City’s Anfield trip bigger than Wembley semi

    Manchester City travel to Liverpool this evening for a big clash which is a pleasant bonus for a Monday night fixture.

    City beat the Reds 3-0 at Eastlands back in August, but it was not quite the comprehensive victory that scoreline suggests. The result flattered City quite a bit, in my opinion.

    This game kicks off the biggest week of Roberto Mancini's reign as City manager. A win against a side still with an outside chance of European football is vital if they are to move back above Chelsea, who are currently two points above them in third with a game in hand.

    Then, five days later, they

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  • United defeat had been coming

    This weekend in the Premier League certainly served up its fair share of thrills and spills. There were plenty of goals, but that almost invariably means plenty of bad defending.

    Nowhere was that more obvious than at Molineux. I have been saying for a while that Manchester United's luck would run out and end their unbeaten run sooner or later, but never in a million years did I expect it to happen against Wolves. You have to go a long way back to find the last time the team at the bottom of the table beat the leaders.

    Perhaps the signs were there, though. Wolves have had some great results

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  • Blackpool can rock Arsenal

    GAME OF THE WEEKEND: Blackpool v Arsenal

    This is a match which sees a side which has a very defined and distinctive way of playing visiting a team which at times looks totally unorganised. However, neither seems to know how to defend, so I can see plenty of goals in this game.

    We are still to see a clean sheet for any team at Bloomfield Road this season, and I can certainly see that run continuing.

    Perhaps the unpredictable nature of Blackpool was the key to their success earlier in the season. Sometimes you would be forgiven for wondering if Ian Holloway knows what his players are up to, so

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  • Credit Carlo for Chelsea run

    Chelsea were so physically and mentally strong in their 3-0 win at Arsenal, it must have been like playing a team of robots for Arsene Wenger's side.

    I was very impressed with Carlo Ancelotti's side, who executed their game to perfection, and accompanied the organisation you expect from them with some genuine flair.

    Small wonder they are now odds-on favourites for the title. Ancelotti has done a superb job in the sense that he has been content to take a back seat.

    We are used to Chelsea managers with big personalities trying to stamp their authority on the club, but Ancelotti has been happy to

    Read More »from Credit Carlo for Chelsea run
  • Clubs must show grit in snow

    I cannot understand why so many top-flight games have been
    postponed in this modern age of undersoil heating.

    For example, the pitch at Hull's KC Stadium is immaculate, but their game with Chelsea has been called
    off because the roads around the ground are thought to be unsafe.

    In years gone by, fans never seemed to have a problem getting
    to grounds in ice and snow, and teams would play on with an orange ball in
    atrocious conditions.

    The only thing that would cause a postponement were a frozen
    pitch or a total lack of visibility.

    It is completely understandable that games in lower
    divisions,

    Read More »from Clubs must show grit in snow
  • All the pressure is on England

    I am really looking forward to seeing Wales take on England on Saturday. During my England career I was on the bench for two friendlies against Ireland and a Rous Cup match in Scotland, but unfortunately I never made it on to the pitch.

    However I, like everyone involved with England, understood the very unique kind of pressure involved in playing against another team from Britain or Ireland. It is not the same as playing another team of similar quality from the other side of Europe. There is so much national pride at stake. Anything less than a win - and even an unconvincing victory - can be

    Read More »from All the pressure is on England

Pagination

(438 Stories)

About Paul Parker

Paul Parker enjoyed a distinguished career for club and country. The versatile defender won 19 England caps and played the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. After spells at Fulham and QPR, Paul joined Manchester United in 1991, where he helped the club claim their first league title for 26 years, and won the Double twice. During six seasons at Old Trafford, he played with legends such as Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and David Beckham.

  • Bayern Munich muscle too strong for …

    Bayern Munich muscle too strong for …

    Arsene Wenger says Bayern Munich's financial strength will always keep them one step ahead of Borussia Dortmund. Continue reading → More »

    Arsene Wenger - 6 hours ago
  • Klopp hoping to have the last laugh …

    Klopp hoping to have the last laugh …

    If Muhammad Ali was once named the Louisville Lip, perhaps Juergen Klopp deserves to be known as the Stuttgart Smile. That famous grin regularly spreads across his face, goofy and infectious, whether provoked by one of his schoolgirl giggles or … Continue reading → More »

    Pitchside Europe - 15 hours ago
  • German finalists teach England how to …

    German finalists teach England how to …

    Jim White says England should pay close attention to Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and perhaps learn a lesson or two. Continue reading → More »

    Jim White - 15 hours ago
  • 10 extra reasons why you can’t miss …

    10 extra reasons why you can’t miss …

    Early Doors takes a light-hearted look at why the nation should be glued to Saturday night's all-German Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. Continue reading → More »

    Early Doors - 21 hours ago
  • Heynckes eyes fitting finale to stunning …

    Heynckes eyes fitting finale to stunning …

    Andreas Evagora looks at what Saturday's Champions League final means for the departing Jupp Heynckes. Continue reading → More »

    Pitchside Europe - Thu, May 23, 2013 16:18 BST
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