Barry Horne: Amazing how players like Everton's Marouane Fellaini still fall foul of old media

15 September 2012 10:00
EVERYONE now accepts that Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites are here to stay. It seems incredible the amount of trouble footballers and sports people have found themselves in since their advent. James McLean at Sunderland this week put his club and international career in jeopardy by breaking club rules. Whilst it is incredible that players still get themselves into trouble with the new forms of media, it is probably more ridiculous that footballers fall foul of the old media. All the excuses, of foreign players in particular, which come out with when they go away on international duty. They give interviews to their home press and don’t expect the comments to make their way back to the clubs, is just unbelievable. Marouane Fellaini is the latest to fall foul of this problem and it will not wash with too many people, any excuse of the interview being lost in translation or that he has been misquoted. It is a real shame what has happened this week. A player has been given the opportunity to come and play in the Premier League, showcase his talent but also improve as a player and improve his standing in world football. If he wants to move on, then in this day and age there is no need to go about it in that way. If he wants to move on, then fine, but there is a right way and wrong way to ask for it. I would imagine that the lucrative, long-term contract Fellaini signed last November, includes a buy-out clause in it and so if a big bid comes in, Everton may find it difficult to refuse. Having said that, David Moyes has done fantastically well in the transfer market of late and has come out on top in all of his deals. Fellaini is becoming a real cult figure, a pivotal figure in the team. Not only is he receiving acclaim from the fans but from a wider football audience. To me, the comments seem ungrateful. * GET all the latest Everton news, views and features by following @LivEchoEFC on Twitter and LiverpoolEchoEFC on Facebook

Source: liverpool_echo