Sunderland’s Darren Bent went ‘Tweeting’ mad when he personalised his Umbro Speciali football boots.
Darren Bent hit the headlines in the summer for using his Twitter account (http://twitter.com/DBtheTruth) to have a go at Spurs chairman Daniel Levy for holding back his transfer from Spurs to Sunderland. Now he’s becoming renowned for his Twittering, he’s decided to publish his Twitter account name on his football boots.
Darren Bent in his personalised Umbro Speciali football boots
Bent débuted the new personalised football boots when Sunderland drew 2-2 with West Ham.
Bent didn’t get on the scoresheet, but has a modest tally of eight goals from ten games.
The Umbro Speciali featuring Bent’s Twitter account name and logo
Bent has also used the Twitter community to help him decide upon his next pair of football boots which will see him featuring a dynamite design on the sole of the football boot.
Bent will feature one of these three designs on his new football boots
We’ve seen initials, children’s names, squad numbers and more used in boot personalisation, but is this the most bizarre boot personalisation you’ve come across?
Let us know the most unusual one you have come across below in the comments, or Tweet the Footy Boots team at http://twitter.com/Footy_Boots
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was the main attraction in the Spanish capital last night at the unveiling of the inaugural Castrol Rankings – the world’s first rankings based on the actual performance of every football player across Europe’s top five leagues.
Whilst all other football rankings are based on opinion, these have been created using 100% objective analysis and accurate data to measure every pass, every tackle and every single move of over 2000 players. It hopes to draw a line under the age-old debate about who are the best performing players, and may even answer the much-disputed question of who is the greatest current footballer?
12 months in development, the Castrol Rankings are updated on a rolling monthly basis, so from now on football fans can regularly check whether Kaká is out-performing Gerrard, or whether Messi is proving more effective than Thierry Henry (which he’s not by the way – see below).
Fans can also customise the rankings by player nationality, position or club, allowing them to compare the players or teams they support.
As for the player currently topping the charts, that honour goes to Barcelona’s Thierry Henry.
His efforts in front of goal are what have made him the stand-out player of the last year. The French international scored five goals and provided three assists during Barca’s successful Champions League campaign and has contributed a further 18 goals and eight assists in La Liga during the 12-month period all of which have helped him become the world’s best performing player.
The key to Henry’s success has been the accuracy of his shooting with the forward finding the target with an impressive 70% of his shots compared to an average of 42% across the five main European leagues.
Henry currently leads the way with 978 points, 14 ahead of his Barca team mate Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo is in third on 914, Gerard Pique 4th with 909 and with Fernando Torres in 5th with 903.
The last month has seen three of the biggest names in football boot manufacturing bring out a signature product.
At the end of September, PUMA came up with the first new boot of the current football season with the highly visible, and so we’ve learnt since, very impressive v1.10.
A week later and Nike added to their current collection with a brand new boot, the CTR360. What followed was one of the most impressive debuts ever of a new football boot as CTR ambassador Cesc Fabregas ran the show against Blackburn at the Emirates, setting up four goals and scoring one himself.
And this weekend, following their launch on Monday, the top names in the adidas stable will showcase the new Predator_X in the English Premier League and beyond.
At Footy Boots, we’ve been lucky enough to road test all 3 boots (v1.10, Predator_X, CTR360) and we can assure you that all of them perform.
Sure, there are a couple of design features on each of them that might grate but in the main, they each do what they say on the tin, even if some of us might question a few aesthetic aspects across the range.
So, that leads us on to today’s poll which is this:
Which brand’s new footwear will have the biggest impact on the game in the immediate and long term future?
Of course, it might be too early to tell. adidas haven’t even got their boots seen on a pitch as yet and each boot has been tailored to a different market be it speed, control, power etc. But with such a high source of knowledge, expertise and opinion available to us through Footy Boots readers, it’s a question we’re going to pose anyway!
Make your selection below and then qualify your argument by commenting below.
And ensure you come back to Footy Boots on Monday morning as we’ll be reporting on which players turned out in the new Predator_X and which colourway they chose.
Which of the following football boots will have the biggest impact, both immediate and long term, in the market place?
Manchester United striker Michael Owen has revealed his surprise at the low match ratings he has received over the past few weeks. The 29-year-old has been happy with his displays of late, but hasn’t received rave reviews from pundits.
Speaking after scoring in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Barnsley in the Carling Cup, Owen said that he thought he ‘played well’ after starting against Bolton in the Premier League, but only received a match rating of ‘three or four’ in the newspapers.
Then, after admitting he played ‘pretty average’ against Barnsley on Tuesday, he was surprised to see that he scored ‘seven out of ten’ in some reports. The former Real Madrid man believes that this is because scoring goals is ‘how people judge’ him.
Regardless of how well he plays, Owen believes that unless he scores a goal – he won’t get very good ratings for his performance. Overall, he is of the opinion that he deserved ‘a five in the Barnsley game and seven or eight from the Bolton game’.
Much of the discussion in recent months, of course, has been about Owen being able to force his way into the international set-up once again. Although the player himself said he was only focused on club matters at the moment, he has received support from one of his team-mates.
Jonny Evans said that Owen always ‘gets in really good positions’ when he comes on and that he made the goal against Barnsley ‘look easy’.
As for Owen himself, well maybe he is concentrating on what other people think of him a little too much. He should try and let his performances and goals do the talking. Then, the praise and improved football betting odds will come his way.
Phil Brown says he’s confident about keeping his job at Premier League side Hull City despite the departure of the club chairman.
Hull were forced to call a press conference after Paul Duffen decided to quit the top flight strugglers.
Former Hull chairman Adam Pearson has been linked with a return to the KC Stadium to replace Duffen after he stood down as Derby chairman on Wednesday.
Hull recorded some impressive results after their promotion to the EPL but struggled in the second half of last season and have continued to do so in the early part of the new campaign. They currently lie in 18th place.
Speaking to media, Brown said:
I think the players are one million per cent behind me and hopefully that will show in the performance on Saturday.
As you’ve seen on the training ground there are some bright lively players looking to put their case forward to play on Saturday.
The support of Paul Duffen was there for everybody to see, that’s gone now. What is around the corner you can only guess, and only time will tell who his replacement is.
I don’t think it was on football results, I think it was on the business of football. It’s difficult to separate the two, but you do tend to run a business as well as a football club.
I run the football side of things and I remain in charge for the game on Saturday.
I’ve spoke long and hard with Paul Duffen and Russell Bartlett, the owner, in the last couple of days. He is in extensive talks with a replacement and something will be announced after the game on Saturday.
It doesn’t affect me in terms of my position, as has been made reference to by Russell Bartlett in conversations I’ve had with him over the last 24 hours.
It’s been fascinating to read the comments which have come in since we revealed the first official images of the adidas Predator_X football boot.
It seems they fall in to two categories – there’s the “Oh my God, what have they done to a once great looking boot” contingent and then there are the “hats off to adidas, a brilliant job” supporters.
Of course, most are having to go on looks alone. Even with possession of all the technical data, there’s no substitute for getting a pair of boots on your feet and trying them out for yourself. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing at Footy Boots for the past couple of weeks – putting the Predator X through its paces.
So, have adidas come up with a winner or have they created the DeLorean of the football boot world? In my view, there’s no doubt – the Predator X is a belter.
Comfort / Fit
Some things just feel right from day one and the Predator X is very much part of that category. I was trying a pair in size 8.5 and whilst the boots were ‘off the shelf’ they felt like they had been made bespoke.
The Predator X is one of the most comfortable boots I’ve tried on in many a long year. To simulate the feeling, imagine your Grandad pulling on his faithful old slippers that he bought for 10 shillings and a coupon out of the Daily Mail circa 1970! I first wore these for practice on a pretty hard surface but encountered no blistering what so ever. That’s still true 3 games in.
From the first time you lace the Predator X up, the innersole moulds itself to the foot which, when aligned with the Thermoform technology, produced an incredibly comfortable fit.
Some Predator purists will doubtless bemoan the lack of a fold over tongue but personally, with the asymmetrical lacing / wrap around collar, I felt the fit was snugger than ever.
Durability
For the Predator_X, adidas have come up with Taurus calf leather which is super soft but also boasts impressive water proof and anti-abrasive qualities. Indeed, it’s so soft that it’s possible that protection levels maybe a little lower than in previous models. Though, having not been stamped on yet I couldn’t say for certain.
As with almost all adidas boots, they are well ‘put together’ and while only time will tell, I’m not expecting them to start falling apart any time soon.
Feel
With the Predator X, adidas were keen to try and get the players foot as close to the ball as possible.
New Opitfit technology achieves that by bringing the upper materials in all areas as close as possible to the top of the foot. It seems to work too. OK, we’re not talking barefoot, beach soccer here but if you feel the need to run at pace with the ball under close control, the Predator X will give you the confidence to do so. Equally, if you’d rather knock the ball off to a team mate, you’ll get a great touch when doing so.
The new kicking zone of the football boot, which is a rugged but lightweight mix of rubber and silicon, is interesting. It looks and feels pretty similar to the material on pimpled table tennis bats and when you strike the ball cleanly on this zone you certainly feel like you’re getting a bit of grip on the ball.
The grip clearly will help enable spin and swerve and, as adidas claims, it does seem to be pretty effective when wet as well as dry. The downside for me is the positioning of the Predator element. If I am striking the ball with my body over the ball, like in a deadball situation, I regularly strike on the zone. However most of the time during open play I’m not making contact with the Predator element, so it gets minimal usage.
Swerve Lab Test
The new PowerSpine is also a welcome addition for me offering an extra level of rigidity. And, for what it’s worth, I’m not overly sorry to see the back of the PowerPulse element. All that talk of ‘moving Tungsten powder’ brought back too many painful memories of 3rd year chemistry, which I wasn’t that good at (O level, Grade C in case you were wondering).PowerSpine Lab Test
What I felt when running and striking in the Predator X was the support the PowerSpine provides. Whilst not being restrictive, it was helping to keep my foot straighter when knocking the ball about and while the increase in power wasn’t overly noticeable, I was pleasantly aware of the extra reinforcement.ConclusionI can understand some people’s initial concern with the aesthetics of the Predator X. It does have the look of a football boot which draws its inspiration from previous versions rather than standing out as a brand new model. But the more I look at it, the more it grows on me and any concerns you may have will vanish when you get the boots on your feet.
They are supremely comfortable and seem to be true to size. The new technology has purpose and succeeds where it needs to. The mantra of the Predator – power, swerve and control – has been adhered to and you certainly can’t accuse the boots of being gimmicky.
I suppose it could be argued that they could be a touch lighter and at £135 they are not cheap. But then, quality rarely is. And these boots are quality.
Real Madrid were humiliated in the Copa del Rey last night, losing 4 – 0 to a side best described as a village team.
Madrid, who spent around £230 million in the summer, were thrashed by Alcorcon who play in the Segunda Division B, the third tier of Spanish football.
Although Madrid were without some of their best known players such as the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Iker Casillas, they still fielded a strong team including Karim Benzema, Raul and Guti.
The Spanish giants haven’t won the ‘Kings Cup’ since 1993 and were also embarrassed by another lowly side as recently as last season when they went out of the competition on the away goals rule to Real Union.
Speaking after the loss, coach Manuel Pellegrini said:
There’s no reason or explanation for how the team performed. We hope our fans can forgive us.
I am not thinking about my job or about resigning, only the next match.
We’ve seen it 3,200 times before: a team who were tremendously motivated and were able to play at their best.
I saw them in recent games, we had reports, but they played very well.
The PUMA v1.10 is a boot that knows how to make an entrance. After making it’s bow in a startling yellow colourway exactly a month ago it’s still a point of contention everywhere.
From the Premier League - where Nicolas Anelka has been on blistering form in the v1.10 but Peter Crouch is yet to make the switch from the .08’s; to the Footy Boots community - where comments range from ’sickest cleat ever’ to ‘what were PUMA thinking?.
So which is it? Well, lets put it like this. Every new boot has two major talking points. What it looks like and how it performs. We gave the v1.10 a hard time on the former but fair’s fair. On the latter, this is a serious contender.
Comfort/Fit
After the ankle destroying endurance tests that were synonymous with wearing the v1.06 and v1.08 for the first time, I was wary of giving the v1.10 a run-out on a Sunday match with the boots only arriving on the Saturday. But wear them I did, and I was massively impressed. PUMA have finally started to get the fit right on their premier product.
For starters, whilst it doesn’t look like much of a change on first glance, the toe area has been reduced dramatically. Rather than the ‘too-roomy’ front end of the v1.08, the v1.10 has slimmed this area, down making a much welcome nod to the toe of the v1.06.
The heel has also had a revamp; PUMA’s ‘uni’ system seems to be following the trend that many boots have started taking- providing a snug fit that reduces friction by reducing the movement of the heel itself.
Durability
PUMA have taken some big gambles from a design standpoint on the v1.10. Whereas Nike and Lotto have favoured single-piece construction recently; PUMA have gone for a radical approach, with multiple components interacting to make the boot what it is.
Firstly, the v1.10 is one of the few boots to feature 2 materials in its upper. The toes and lace cover are made from a lightweight synthetic material (that bears very little similarity to leather, despite the product description claiming it to be synthetic leather). The closest comparison I can think of is the earliest model of the adidas F50 TUNiT, with a frictionless feel and thick cut to cover the laces.
The positioning of the new synthetic works surprisingly well with the other material in the upper, the v1 series trademark micro-fibre canvas. Whilst the canvas has always been tough to rip from contact with studs and blades, I’ve always had an issue with the material rubbing away against a firm surface (like dry ground or an artificial pitch) especially on the toe area, where I drag it along the ground when stopping, turning and striking. So having the firmer synthetic material in the way completely removes this issue.
Despite these marked improvements I can’t help but feel there’s a little bit too much going on the v1.10 for its own good.
The 2 uppers, heel counter, sole plate, rubber ‘seams’ and huge plastic PUMA stripe are all held in place by a Herculean amount of stitching. Looking at the boot there are double and triple-seams running all over the place! This in truth probably means they’re going to be able to take a lot of grief - a bit like covering a jigsaw in duct tape - but compared to the elegance of boots like the Zhero Gravity Tre and Mercurial Vapor you’ve got to wonder if there was a better solution.
Feel
Once again, PUMA’s latest is proving a divisive boot, with a multitude of contrasts all over the upper.
Thankfully I think PUMA have struck a decent balance. The micro-fibre canvas is a lot more cushioned and giving than the laminate synthetic, making a it a great choice to line the instep. This area hugs the arches of your feet nicely giving you a great area to receive passes and control the ball mid bounce – and despite it not being a priority it’s also a pretty good area to distribute from.
The most noticeable change from the v1 series previous incarnations is the inclusion of a lace cover, which is pretty much as expected. The surface on the front of the boot is absolutely huge when compared to some other boots, and there’s a slight curve that hugs the top of your foot for a nice clean striking area. Similarly, the reduced width in the toe area gives a feeling of being much closer to the ball when skimming passes with the outside of the foot.
One complaint is the near-frictionless nature of that part of the upper. As the F50 line grew from the first TUNiT to the F50.9, adidas toiled away at improving the grip of the upper – and I think PUMA could have learnt from this. It would’ve been nice to see a more adhesive coating on the upper in the style of Nomis’ WetControl to help with controlling balls coming in from high, as the triangle pattern on this model isn’t quite up to scratch.
One indesputable factor on the PUMA v1.10 is the FG sole plate. Once again the carbon fibre shank makes a welcome return - as does the nearly unchanged stud configuration. Thankfully the rear blades have been shortened a little, which gives a more even feel when stood on flat ground.
Conclusion
The v1.10 is a boot designed with the fleet-footed attacker in mind. Others need not apply.
Normally I’d like to recommend boots for certain positions and types of player, but the v1.10 is very specialized to the sorts of winger and striker that looks burn the defender and get it past the keeper.
The good news for fans of the v1 series is there’s plenty to love here. There’s a mass of features ticking away under the skin of these boots that all work well - and PUMA have done a great job of refining the fit for this year’s model.
And for everyone else, if you can look past some (very) perplexing design decisions there’s a boot with a lot to offer. It’s like having some of the classy features of a new BMW and putting them in the chassis of a Ford Focus. A bright yellow one. Covered in stitching.
However, you might want to look it at like going to see Amy Winehouse in concert. Get past the look and you’ll love the performance.
Tottenham Hotspur have submitted a planning application to Haringey Council for their new 56,000 seat stadium.
The new ground is set to be built next to White Hart Lane where Spurs will continue to play during the construction project.
It’s estimated the cost of the project, which also includes 434 new homes and a 150 room hotel, will reach around £400 million. Spurs hope to be playing in the new stadium by 2012.
Describing the ambitious project, club chairman Daniel Levy said:
We have designed what will be a vibrant area 365 days a year and not a stadium with dead space surrounding it.
Our desire from the outset has been to create a scheme of major benefit for local people and to deliver the most fan-friendly stadium in Europe.
The inclusion of a new single-tier stand combined with a fantastic stadium design demonstrates our absolute commitment to create the most atmospheric stadium for our supporters.
Every fan will have an exceptional view of the action and will find themselves closer to the pitch than at any other comparable stadium.
Liverpool broke their worst sequence of results dating back 22 years to deservedly beat Manchester United 2 – 0 at Anfield.
In doing so, they eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez who had recently over seen 4 successive defeats. As it was, Benitez went in to the match buoyed by the comments of managing director Christian Purslow added his weight to co-owner George Gillett’s message that the Spaniard’s position was not under threat.
Liverpool were in the ascendency for most of the game and displayed a fantastic work ethic and hunger, something that had been missing over the past month or so.
Fernando Torres demonstrated his world class with a 65th-minute opener, comfortably shrugging off the attentions of Rio Ferdinand before powering an unstoppable finish high past United keeper Edwin van der Sar at The Kop end.
And after United’s Nemanja Vidic was sent off for the third successive time against Liverpool and Javier Mascherano also saw red in a thunderous finale, substitute David Ngog raced on to Lucas’s pass to wrap up a fully-merited victory which puts the Merseyside club just 4 points behind the reigning champions in the Premier League.
Visiting boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that Liverpool were the better team but questioned a number of referee Andre Marriner’s decisions saying:
There were so many controversial things that happened we have to feel aggrieved at some of them.
The most controversial decision was Carragher bringing down Michael Owen. He was clear through.
The laws of the game were altered to prevent professional fouls of that nature and if Carragher goes off, he is their best player and their captain. It would have been a different game. They would have been under pressure.
The referee was only four or five yards from it so he cannot use a covering defender as an excuse. Michael was clean through. With Michael’s pace he is going to get away from him.
It’s here. One of the most keenly anticipated new football boots for a very long time, the adidas Predator_X.
We’ve tested the football boot and you can read our test of the adidas Predator X here - Predator X review
adidas has been producing the Predator for the past 17 years and with this version, the tenth in the series, they have created what they describe as “the most powerful football boot in the world.”
At its heart is the ability to maximise power, swerve and control. To achieve that this time round, adidas has created some bespoke technology for the football boot with the help of one of the greatest players ever to grace the game, Zinedine Zidane.
Speaking about the Predator_X, the former world player of the year said:
Having worn Predators throughout my career, I’ve always been amazed with the continued product development and what each new version of the boot bought to my game.
With Predator_X, I’ve been working with adidas to help lend my football experience to their product knowledge to truly deliver the next step in boot technology.
As well as using Zidane’s unique know-how and insight, adidas has put the football boot through extensive testing via some of their big name ambassadors so you can expect the likes of Steven Gerrard (if fit), Karim Benzema (changing from his adiPure II’s) and Michael Ballack to wear the football boot this coming weekend for it’s on pitch debut.
Predator X Technology:
Power
A brand new ‘Powerspine’ has been inspired by the revolutionary ‘fingersave’ technology that now exists within adidas goalkeeper gloves. Positioned in the inner sole of the boot, the ‘Powerspine’ minimises the energy lost when players strike a football through a reduction in the “kicking flex” in the forefoot area.
This additional energy is transferred into the ball and away from the fragile ligaments and bones that exist at the top of the foot.
Through vigorous testing the Predator_X is proven to have on average 7% more kicking power than the most recent Predator football boot.
Swerve
The ability for players to swerve the ball has always been the stand-out technical innovation of the Predator football boot and a new material has been used on the Predator_X to further enhance this.
Positioned on the kicking zone of the boot, the Predator element is a mix of rubber and silicon meaning it is lightweight but impactful.
The positioning of the Predator element has been slightly altered to maximise the swerve players are able to achieve. These changes result in an increase in swerve and a proven consistency no matter what the weather conditions.
Control
To enhance control, it is the belief of adidas that the space between a player’s foot and the top of the boot must be minimal. Optifit technology brings the upper materials in all areas as close as possible to the top of the foot.
Thermoform technology has been incorporated on the side of the boot which acts as memory foam to enable a perfect fit time and time again.
The football boot is constructed from Taurus leather which combines a weather and abrasion proof material with lightweight features. The inclusion of the medial split and mono-tongue provide stability and support.
Launching alongside the football boot is a full range of Predator X clothing and accessories.
Read the Footy Boots test of the adidas Predator X - Predator X review
Retail sale: 14th November
Lead Colourway: Black / Red / White
Secondary colourway: White / Yellow / Brown
When you are looking to bring out a new version of the world’s best selling football boot, it probably helps to have some serious input from someone who’s been there, done it and got several T-shirts in to the bargain.
That was exactly the criteria employed by adidas when designing the Predator_X as they called upon the three time World Player of the Year, World Cup and European championship winner Zinedine Zidane to assist in the process.
Zidane achieved his greatest moments as described above when wearing adidas Predator boots so the former French international was keen to add his know how and experience to the adidas team as they developed the Predator_X.
Indeed, Zidane seems to have a passionate interest in not only the new boots but the entire range of adidas boots which stood him in such good stead throughout his career.
You can see him test the Predator_X in this new video as well as look back at some of the highlights of his playing days.
Before we revealed the first official images of the Predator X, we shared these images which show two of the brands iconic players putting the new Predator_X through its paces.
It’s no secret that adidas are putting great store by the Predator X, the tenth version of the Predator line which has been in production since 1992.
So who better to test the new football boot ahead of their launch than England star Steven Gerrard and Real Madrid legend Raul.
The Predator X will be given it’s on pitch debut over the weekend of 31st October / 1st November after which the football boots will go on retail sale on 14th November, but you can pre order the Boots here - Pre-Order.
There are two initial colourways - the Predator classic Black / White / Red and the White / Brown . Yellow.
Manchester United and Chelsea may have won in the Champions League in midweek but what has been a relatively poor few days for British clubs in Europe continued last night.
With Arsenal only managing a draw and both Liverpool and Rangers being beaten at home in the CL, British fans would have been hoping for more success in the latest round of matches in the Uefa Europa League. Sadly, the supporters of Everton, Fulham and Celtic were to be disappointed.
Everton went down to their heaviest ever European defeat, losing 5 – 0 away to Benfica. David Moyes had 11 players unavailable because of injury and it showed as they were torn apart by a rampant Portuguese side.
Winger Angel di Maria set up the first three goals - the opener for Javier Saviola, and the next two for Oscar Cardozo. Luisao’s header from a Pablo Aimar corner made it 4-0, and Di Maria set up Saviola for the final goal.
Saviola got the scoring underway for Benfica
Fulham looked to be heading for victory at home to Roma but were undone at the death.
Brede Hangeland headed home to give Roy Hodgson’s team the lead and was then nearly wrongly sent off before the referee red carded Stephen Kelly only for Mark Schwarzer to save the resultant penalty from Jeremy Menez.
But Roma kept pressing and with time running out Marco Andreolli volleyed David Pizarro’s corner past Schwarzer from three yards out. Fulham are no longer top of Group E but remain unbeaten in the competition.
Meanwhile Celtic completed a dismal week for Scottish football as they were beaten 1 – 0 at home by Hamburg. In what was their 4th consecutive home European game without a win, Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney wasted a couple of first half chances before Marcus Berg grabbed the winner on 62 minutes.
Celtic are now rooted to the foot of Group C, three points adrift of third-placed Rapid Vienna.
Let us know the most unusual one you have come across below in the comments, or Tweet the Footy Boots team at http://twitter.com/Footy_Boots
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I think the players are one million per cent behind me and hopefully that will show in the performance on Saturday.
ConclusionI can understand some people’s initial concern with the aesthetics of the 
