And the Winner is... Jose

No surprises then, as Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Ballo d'Or (otherwise known as the European Footballer of the Year award). Despite countrywide resentment of the Portugease maestro, few begrudging fans would deny Ronaldo his title. However, he has received some criticism from an unlikely source...

Thats right, Jose Mourinho's love of controversy has arisen again! Despite Ronaldo's astonishing 42 goals from midfield last season, culminating in Premier League, and Champions League titles, Mourinho insists one of his players ultimately deserve the honours. Despite poor Ibrahimovic finishing over 400 points behind Cristiano.

Having said that, the 'Special One' had been out of the headlines for a while, and where would be without him? Scolari is certainly comical, as through his broken English he declares 'they kill us,' but, he's certainly not 'Special.'

Welcome back to the headlines Jose, even if it is for a day, trust you to steal Ronaldo's thunder.

2008 Ballon d'Or voting

1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester Utd) 446 points
2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 281 pts
3 Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 179 pts
4 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) 133 pts
5 Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona) 97 pts
6 Andriy Arshavin (Zenit St-Petersburg) 64 pts
7 David Villa (Valencia) 55 pts
8 Kaka (AC Milan) 31 pts
9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan) 30 pts
10 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 28 pts
11 Marcos Senna (Villarreal) 16 pts
12 Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) 12 pts
13 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) 11 pts
14 Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid) 10 pts
15 Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 8 pts
16 Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) 7 pts
17 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) 6 pts
18 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) 5 pts
19 Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) 4 pts
21 Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United) 3 pts
24 Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), 2 pts

The not so Gallant Gallas...

Following his public attack on the Arsenal team, William Gallas was axed from the squad for the game against Manchester City, and has now lost his role as captain to Cesc Fabreagas. But, was he right to make his feelings on Arsenal teammates so public?

Fans have increasingly been voicing concerns over Wenger's regime, and noting the instability and uncertainty facing the Gunners. In light of this, it becomes apparent that Gallas voiced his 'concerns' in a time of maximum impact. The sensitive issues surrounding the manager had been overlooked by the club, however following the ex-captains' comments, can no longer be ignored.

Many within the club, including Wenger himself, feels the captain has attempted to usurp the management system, and his comments have only had the effect of undermining those in charge of the club. 

Gallas though, hardly presents himself as an iconic role model. His reaction to a 2-2 draw with Birmingham, thrust him into the spotlight, and his latest outburst has enhanced feeling amongst the football community about his position to criticise. Roy Keane for example, was also prone to outbursts during his playing career, but unlike Gallas, had earnt the respect of his peers, and demonstrated loyalty and commitment to a club, something Gallas has never done. 

The Great Houdini

The miracle worker is apparently at it again. For less than a month 'Arry has controlled the reins of struggling Tottenham, and has somehow turned them into overnight world beaters. But, why 'Spurs?

The veteran cockney, who only recently declared 'Pompey 'till i die,' left the South coast club to join the perilously placed London club at the foot of the Premier League, while Portsmouth sat in relative comfort, in the top half of the table. In Harry's words, he had joined a 'Big club,' but surely the struggle to keep them afloat would be too big? Obviously not...

Although his credentials are good, his CV is certainly not faultless, (as many a Southampton fan would tell you) but adding 10 points to the 2 amassed by the rejected Ramos, Harry has proved to the world he is still in his element as their 'Great Escape' looks set, just months after taking Portsmouth to FA cup glory, and European Qualification. 

In the future, the boss will probably be looked on as a Fratton legend, after taking them from a relegation threatened Championship side to an established Premiership force.  He has also written himself into Bournemouth folklore after their famous 2-0 cup victory over Manchester United. So what can Tottenham offer Redknapp?

After missing out on the England job, 'Spurs offers 'Houdini' one final encore before his retirement, in conjunction with his largest pay packet to date. (Surely not a motive for the scandal haunted millionaire?) He also has the opportunity to play with funds he's never before in his lengthy career, alongside an already impressive squad. 

By the end of the season, don't be surprised to see Tottenham in the top half of the table. However, it's not all good news for the great magician, as saving Gomes' Premiership career currently appears to need a miracle. Oh, wait...

A Little Respect?

The Football Association's 'Respect' campaign, launched at the start of the season, now finds itself under intense pressure from the managers who pledged to back it.

The campaign in recent weeks has been criticised by top managers who are losing faith in the countries top officials. However, could the mangers fighting back against the system, instead undermine the role of the referees further?

After a weekend where Joe Kinnear branded referee Martin Atkinson as 'Mickey Mouse,' the officials' are shown to need an increasing amount of support, rather than the diminishing amount on offer. Paul Jewell has also confirmed that a growing number of managers are considering a withdrawal in support for the campaign, just three months after its launch. 

Modern technology is putting match officials under increasing scrutiny, as endless replays seek to demonstrate the referees' supposed incompetence. Furthermore, the internet ensures that bad decisions can spread in minutes, and ultimately, condemnation of the officials increases. 

Unless technology of some form is introduced, match officials will be forced to compete with the replays used by pundits and analysts, who have the commodity of a replay button and endless angles. 

Withdrawal from the 'Respect' campaign however, only holds the potential to undermine officials. The F.A. has reported a success at a grass roots level. It is not however a coincidence that at a level of minimum budget and technology, the level of abuse is also increasingly low.

By withdrawing backing, mangers run the risk of offering a 'vote of no confidence' in the system of refereeing, and in a time when its becoming harder to recruit officials, this can only be a bad thing for the game.