Neal Maupay, the latest to try and claim the title of football's biggest trash talker after the ruthless Nemanja Vidic and close-out trader Craig Bellamy.
What makes a 'shitty house'?
It's a question Brentford's Neal Maupay seems desperate to find out after trying to find out. under the skin of James Maddison and then almost being knocked out by Kyle Walker.
Nor is it limited to this season to have achieved successfully anger Mateo Guendouzi at Arsenal in 2020. It's the type of behavior commonly known these days as “shitty housing” that entered the dictionary as “an unpleasant or despicable person.”
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor played with his fair share of clearance traders during his Premier League career.
What makes it a shitty house?
“I think the perfect shithouse is a player who can end a fan base”said the talkSPORT presenter.
“Someone who can be that annoying player who falls a lot when you know he's going to bother another player, who talks nonsense to your opponent to bother him, and when you celebrate, celebrate in front of the home fans.
“Tangle people on the field and make someone want to kick you, someone will be sent off.
“My biggest problem was that if I scored, I would go up to the rival fans, stand in front of you and celebrate. I used to say silence, which was like 'insult me, but now I've scored.' , so shut up'.
“I loved carrying full-backs and defenders on the advertising poster with my shoulder. I timed it so that when they were running, I would shoulder them right across the white line toward the billboard so you know they're coming for you next, screaming and yelling, and then you'll know you've got them.”
But how did the opponents manage to get under Agbonlahor's skin?
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“When Jesse Lingard did a crazy dance at the Emirates, that's a new level of shit house, how dare you dance on my court,” he explained.
“The waste of time used to bother me, the ball boys who didn't give me the ball back and the referees who didn't talk to you, deceived you and were arrogant.”
Who was the best in the dark arts? Well, Agbonlahor had no doubts and gave his top three, which included some fun revelations.
GABBY'S BIGGEST SHIT HOUSES
3. Nemanja Vidic
“I will put Vidic in third place. He was very smart, if he tried to hold the ball up, he would pinch me like you wouldn't believe: big pinches on my back, on my arm, just dirty. He would kick you in the Achilles tendon when no one was looking, because you would get away with it without VAR.
“Vidic was a fierce defender.”
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2. Joey Barton
“I'll say Joey Barton, he was famous for it. He was the player on the field who had the most to say, he was very cheerful and hit the players, called them shit, called them trash.
“We had an incident when we played against Newcastle. I think he kept getting into foul trouble, so I focused on him and every time he got the ball I kicked it to try to react.
“One time I shouldered him to the ground and I remember him running and he hit me on the bottom lip.
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“After the game the manager asked me if I wanted to take (the incident) further with the FA. I didn't want to, I told him I know what Barton is like so I'll leave it. Then I remember seeing him in Las Vegas five years later in elevator and said, “Thank you Gabby for not moving on” because I could have made a big deal out of it.
1. Craig Bellamy
“Number one is Craig Bellamy. I've never seen anything like it. He is so, so cheerful. He would hit both his own team and the rival.
“I remember (former centre-back) Carlos Cuellar – he charged him money asking him 'what do you earn? I earn a lot more than you' – he is that type of player. He would say anything to get under the skin of a defender.
“I remember Gareth Barry told a story that when he arrived at Man City it was on his case. He was small but stocky and could take care of himself, he was definitely the biggest shithouse.”
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