Let's start by saying that by no way or means do we endorse any sort of substance abuse. And yet, it is hard to argue with the argument Jurgen Klopp put forward when he was asked a question regarding Wayne Rooney reportedly being drunk at a wedding.
Football can be a cruel, cruel mistress. Fans have learned this lesson the hard way very well over the years. For every glorious triumph, there is a heartbreaking defeat. In certain cases, it seems baffling that it's actually happened.
These five slip-ups, from players and teams, highlight how you can never say "never" in this sport. Just when you think it's over, you can have the rug pulled out from under your feet.
Bastian Schweinsteiger is not having a good year. We think. It's hard to be sure. We haven't seen much of him, really. Schweimsteiger hasn't appeared for Manchester United yet this season, and most people don't think that'll change.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, though, isn't most people. He's Bastian Schweinsteiger, and he's ready for action whenever Jose Mourinho needs him.
From ESPNFC:
Dating back to December of 2004, it’s been a miserly stretch of 13 games for Arsene Wenger against his old nemesis, Jose Mourinho. It’s not just the inability to defeat the former Chelsea manager that must irk Wenger, but the style with which Mourinho has gone about stymying his Arsenal sides.
When we last checked in with Steven Gerrard, he was a mediocre-but-not-great MLS player, which is to say there was no way in hell the LA Galaxy were going to pay him gobs of money to stick around for another season. Whether the decision was mutual or on Stevie's side or the Galaxy's, Gerrard will be elsewhere after his contract ends in December.
There's a certain aura that surrounds great icons in professional sports. Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and many others have carved a legacy for themselves that will live on forever. But whilst the players do the dirty work, behind all their success is a manager or coach that guides them towards glory. For more than 26 years, that man for Manchester United was Sir Alex Ferguson.
Jonjo Shelvey is in trouble.
Jonjo Shelvey is in trouble because he is alleged to have racially abused Wolves player Romain Saiss earlier this month. Should Shelvey be found to have used the racist language he is accused of having used, he faces a minimum five-match ban, though it should probably be more like the eight-game ban Luis Suarez received for racially abusing Patrice Evra a few years ago.