Early Doors - Your morning briefing blog

Worst. Miss. Ever. Of all time. Part Deux.

Mon Apr 07 08:42AM

It's going to be okay, Perhaps no one saw it?

If you believe any of the baloney Early Doors comes out with, Nicklas Bendtner's calamitous cock-up in last week's showing of 'Arsenal-Liverpool - The Original' was the worst 'miss' of all time.

But pit two Championship sides against each other in a pressure-laden FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and a new contender is sure to emerge and throw his hat into the ring for the dubious title.

Step forward please, Mr Kayode Odejayi.

The Barnsley centre forward was presented with a golden opportunity (and that's the 24-carat stuff, none of that fool's gold) to draw his side level with Cardiff when he was played clean through on goal after 66 minutes of his side's biggest game of the season.

But he could only find the side netting - on the wrong side of the post.

Who knows what happened to him. The pressure of playing for a side that last reached the FA Cup final in 1912 was probably playing on his mind as he bore down on goal. Or perhaps he knew his performance was under close scrutiny, given his poor form this season. Or perhaps it was just that - he is simply not good enough.

At least that seems to be the popular consensus. The miss sparked shouts of "me mam could've put that one away" in the crowd, but ED suggests that to be far from the case.

Odejayi may not be able to hit the proverbial barn door for Barnsley this season - two goals in 39 appearances, enough said - but surely you'd back him over the mother of your average man in the street to find the back of the net.

It's unlikely that a 50-year-old woman would have been able to run 40 yards to get to the though pass, let alone control the ball and connect with a shot in the general direction of the goal, something which Odejayi at least managed to do.

It was a bad miss, no doubt, but cut the guy a bit of slack - he'll have to live with that moment for the rest of his life. Already his career is in real danger of becoming defined by That Miss - see, it's already taken on an identity of its own.

- - -

'Boro goal machine' proclaimed the banner unfurled at the Riverside during Middlesbrough's clash with Manchester United over the weekend.

And who could argue with such an astute prognosis? Certainly not ED. George Camsell's incredible 59 league goals in 37 games and 63 goals in all competitions during the 1926-27 season is certainly a record to be marvelled at, and one that is unlikely ever to be beaten.

If ever anyone deserved the accolade 'goal machine' it was Camsell.

Funny, though, how the sketches accompanying the words on the banner made Camsell look a bit like Afonso Alves.

We can only put it down to coincidence, even though Alves finally came good at the weekend, opening his account with a brace that made the Brazilian the toast of west (and possibly north?) London on Sunday night.

ED will admit that it may have a little bit of egg on its face this morning - and not just because it forgot to clean up properly after breakfast - considering the bashing Alves has received since arriving on Teesside.

Short of issuing a full apology to those Boro fans who read these pages, ED will simply say that it takes something special to upstage Cristiano Ronaldo these days - and to think, the Portuguese netted his 37^th of the season in the same match.

- - -

Outstanding quote machine Nicolas Anelka has it tough. When not making hugely overly complimentary comparisons between himself and one of the best players the world has ever seen, the Chelsea marksman has to contend with being a well-travelled Premier League footballer.

Having played for a quarter of the top flight's teams - including three of the top four - means Anelka has to return to former clubs on a regular basis, and deal with the added pressure that brings.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been too adept at finding the net against old colleagues so far this season.

Saturday's outing at Manchester City was the Frenchman's sixth game against former clubs this season, and he is yet to get on the scoresheet.

When at Bolton, he played against Liverpool and City and since his switch to Chelsea, he has met Liverpool and City again, along with Arsenal.

He has faced another former club in the Champions League but the end result against Fenerbahce was the same - no goals.

He can't even score against future employers, as demonstrated when he failed to find the net for Bolton against Chelsea before his move to Stamford Bridge.

But there's still time to get one over a former employer this season with the return leg against Fener coming up this week, followed by a last day Premier League clash with Bolton. And of course, there could be the small matter of a Champions League semi-final against Arsenal or Liverpool.

Interesting - and true.

- - -

FIGURE OF THE WEEKEND: 166,336 - the combined gate for the weekend's FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley. Good news for the suits trying to recoup a bit of money on the new stadium, bad news for fans of atmospheric semis at Villa Park and Old Trafford.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: "People forget, I did not come back here with everyone welcoming me, out on the pitch, arms in the air, waving to the crowd. They all say they did now, but when I walked off at Aston Villa after the first game all the banners said 'Judas bastard', stuff like that. If I had not got them out of relegation, they would have slaughtered me." Not wanting to spoil the party, Harry Redknapp points out he has a longer memory than most Pompey fans.

TALKING POINT: On last Friday's subject of the biggest disappointments at your club, it cheered us greatly to find out we weren't alone in our judgement of a certain Brazilian. "Afonso Alves, without a doubt," proclaimed suzetkd, prior to the striker's scoring exploits against possibly the best team in Europe.

And for today, better contenders for worst miss of all time than poor Odejayi, please.

COMING UP: Team of the Week, Weekend Winners and Losers and Around the World in 80 Goals. In fact, everything but the kitchen sink. But what use is one of them at work on a Monday morning anyway?

- - -

Comments1 - 30 of 47
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
From tontonsky on Mon Apr 07 08:57AM
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for the lack of Boro bashing this morning, also for acknoledging Alves! Champions League next season! Well maybe for Alves when Chelsea snap him up in January! Worst miss...Has to be former "boro goal machine" Yakubu yesterday against Derby; my mams, mam could have scored that!
From amarzy on Mon Apr 07 09:00AM
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Come on, you can't compare the two misses, all Bendtner had to do was get out of the way, no pass to run onto or control or even shot to be put on target! Even my mum could've done that!
From sikka316 on Mon Apr 07 09:00AM
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Worse miss ever was definatly Kanu's goal line clearance for west brom. He hit it over i think....what a tool
From raulpeeves on Mon Apr 07 09:24AM
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Diego "World Beater" Forlan had an AWFUL miss in the CL when he was playing for MU against JUVE, even though it was in the last minute and we were 4-1 up so luckily it didn't cost us. Bendtner's will remain for me the "worst miss" ever still
From double_t_uk2002 on Mon Apr 07 09:33AM
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Worst miss this season - ED (erectile dysfuntion?) missing out on the battle between Southgate and Ferguson - what was that all about - can only assume Ronaldo's diving techniques!
From geelte on Mon Apr 07 09:35AM
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For me the worst miss, if you can even call it that was from Milan Osterc for Slovenia against Jugoslavia in Belgrade. He ran alone against the GK and fumbled and fell on his face. Well, he wouldn't have scored anyway.
From gjesensek on Mon Apr 07 09:39AM
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What about that infamous spot kick that was drilled into oblivian by a certain Italian at a certain world cup? Here's a first hand breakdown..."When I went up to the spot I was pretty lucid, as much as one can be in that kind of situation. I knew Taffarel always dived so I decided to shoot for the middle, about halfway up, so he couldn't get it with his feet. It was an intelligent decision because Taffarel did go to his left, and he would never have got to the shot I planned.
Unfortunately, and I don't know how, the ball went up three metres and flew over the crossbar." Understatement of the year Roberto!
From adogshow on Mon Apr 07 09:40AM
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today's article is as boring as the two semi-finals at wembley.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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From laurence.odea on Mon Apr 07 09:42AM
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worst penalty miss for me has got to be.... Diana Ross, but even she could have done better than Bendtner.
From sikka316 on Mon Apr 07 10:13AM
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In my youth, my shots on goal would often be accompanied by the cry, "Rosenthal!" - which gives you some insight into my footballing abilities...
From rachael_blah on Mon Apr 07 10:24AM
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Adogshow maybe you need to rethink the worst miss
Roberto Baggio??? REALLY????
Are you forgettin Beckham's brilliance in the quarter final shootout vs Portugal in Euro2004??????? Personally i thought his expression while he looked down at the grass after the ball went into orbit was 'PRICELESS'
From jpaes28 on Mon Apr 07 10:29AM
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Worst miss ever? That would depend on how long a person has been watching football surely? Don't think theres a genuine answer to the question ED, footie goes a long way back, and not everyone would remember half the misses from yesta year let alone the players!!!
From barny1158 on Mon Apr 07 10:35AM
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Suppose one can't forget the crucial penalty misses by the England team over the years though. Shame theres too many to actually pick one out !!
From barny1158 on Mon Apr 07 10:40AM
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Ha! I've just seen this on the Yahoo! Eurosport Message Boards: http://uk.messages.eurosport.yahoo.com/Football/Co
mpetitions/threadview?m=tm&bn=UKS-FO-premiersh
ip&tid=7544&mid=7544&tof=1&frt=1 Why didn't ED pick up on this photo!!!!
From rubenheimer on Mon Apr 07 10:43AM
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jpaes28, fair enough! that was a priceless moment! and if your english that one really bites! but the reason i reckon that one is one of the biggest misses is mainly cos it was on the world stage! (not to say Euro is not, but u get my point?) i mean, wars can be started with misses like that! but certainly becks is up there. any others you have in mind?
From adogshow on Mon Apr 07 10:50AM
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As a Pomepy fan we are over the moon with what Harry has done for our club, but sometimes, even he has to realise that the fans are the lifeblood of the club. Yes we were upset when he left for them down the road, and sceptical when he came back, but most of us will forever appreciate whhat he has done, and can't wait for May the 17th
From pompey_bob on Mon Apr 07 11:00AM
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A really good game between Middlesbro' and United after a fairly dreadful one between Arsenal and Liverpool. I was beginning to think all the Boro bashing was due to an unfortunate romantic experience between ED and a Teeside maiden. I recall my worst miss at school was hitting the corner flag after being a yard away from an open goal. I stubbed my toe a la Beckham. I wonder if there is a high moral climate at Arsenal with Arsene telling the boys to keep their legs closed and Bendtner taking this to heart even on the pitch.
From james_ssmith on Mon Apr 07 11:04AM
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Well as a Liverpool fan i am truly ecstatic with this pearl of a miss. Cast your mind back to May 2005, Istanbul... the final few minutes and Shevchenko's "beautiful" shank/Dudek's amazing reaction save over the bar from 3 yards out! Pure Joy!!
From the_kop2003 on Mon Apr 07 11:04AM
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rubenheimer...BRILLIANT PIC!!!
dogshow...we could go on & on & on...there are a million different ones for sure!!!!
From jpaes28 on Mon Apr 07 11:16AM
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no doubt! but football would somehow lose that special something if we didn't have these incredible gaffs!
From adogshow on Mon Apr 07 11:27AM
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These lazy upstarts , setting themselves up for glory by missing one easy chance in front of goal. Do you have any idea how hard it is to miss chance after chance , game after game for a whole season ? I could have scored 70 goals that season but wanted a different sort of fame. "Fame i,m gonna live forever ,remember,remember ,rememmber my name .... HESKEY !yeah thanks E
From gossagemartin on Mon Apr 07 11:33AM
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These lazy upstarts , setting themselves up for glory by missing one easy chance in front of goal. Do you have any idea how hard it is to miss chance after chance , game after game for a whole season ? I could have scored 70 goals that season but wanted a different sort of fame. "Fame i,m gonna live forever ,remember,remember ,rememmber my name .... HESKEY !yeah thanks E
From gossagemartin on Mon Apr 07 11:33AM
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These lazy upstarts , setting themselves up for glory by missing one easy chance in front of goal. Do you have any idea how hard it is to miss chance after chance , game after game for a whole season ? I could have scored 70 goals that season but wanted a different sort of fame. "Fame i,m gonna live forever ,remember,remember ,rememmber my name .... HESKEY !yeah thanks E
From gossagemartin on Mon Apr 07 11:33AM
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These lazy upstarts , setting themselves up for glory by missing one easy chance in front of goal. Do you have any idea how hard it is to miss chance after chance , game after game for a whole season ? I could have scored 70 goals that season but wanted a different sort of fame. "Fame i,m gonna live forever ,remember,remember ,rememmber my name .... HESKEY !yeah thanks E
From gossagemartin on Mon Apr 07 11:33AM
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These lazy upstarts , setting themselves up for glory by missing one easy chance in front of goal. Do you have any idea how hard it is to miss chance after chance , game after game for a whole season ? I could have scored 70 goals that season but wanted a different sort of fame. "Fame i,m gonna live forever ,remember,remember ,rememmber my name .... HESKEY !yeah thanks E
From gossagemartin on Mon Apr 07 11:33AM
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not only was that a sh!t comment, u repeated yourself 5 times, get out of here lol
From double_t_uk2002 on Mon Apr 07 11:59AM
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The Diego fofrlan miss that double _t_uk WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS NOT IN A CHAMPINOS LEAGUE MATCH. IT WAS A SUMMER PRESEASON FRIENDLY just to correct you
From omorehia on Mon Apr 07 12:16PM
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daniel Guiza vs real madrid on Saturday night. quite apoor miss. alex hleb on saturday no composure to control the ball one on one iwth the keeper.
From omorehia on Mon Apr 07 12:18PM
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The worst miss I've ever witnessed was on Actua Soccer on the original playstation. I played an amazing throughball to Andy Cole, who ran into the penalty area. Just as I was about to shoot, he turned round and pelted it up the other end of the field to concede a corner. Pretty accurate game actually.
From wrchuter on Mon Apr 07 12:20PM
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