Premier League's 10 Biggest Clowns: Starring Adebayor, Nasri, Rooney, Balotelli

It may still only be October, but there’s no need to wait until Christmas for your pantomime fix if you’re a fan of the English Premier League. 

Starring the players the fans love to hate and the managers who have a knack of winding up their opposite numbers, here’s the Premier League’s 10 biggest pantomime villains.

Wayne Rooney

He may be England’s most talented player, but Rooney’s indiscretion against Montenegro last week means the Manchester United striker can expect a rougher ride than usual in the coming months.

Despised at Anfield, especially for his club background, the 25 year old’s fiery temper and numerous newspaper scandals have always made him a natural choice for the boo-boys all over the country. However, following David Beckham by becoming only the second England player to see red on two occasions means Rooney is even more hated than usual right now.  

Joey Barton

Wherever QPR’s new captain goes, controversy is not far behind. Barton’s reputation as a panto villain has been given a real boost thanks to his Twitter tirades that eventually brought his time at Newcastle United to an end.

Despite his frosty relationship with owner Mike Ashley, he remains a popular figure among fans on Tyneside, but the same can’t be said elsewhere where Barton is a regular target for terrace abuse.  

Emmanuel Adebayor

It’s no secret that Arsenal fans don’t really like our Emmanuel. The vile taunts that greeted the Togolese striker in the recent North London derby reflected the level of hatred that still exists for him at the Emirates after his controversial departure to Manchester City in 2009.

As if joining the revolution at cash-rich Eastlands wasn’t bad enough, Adebayor’s decision to run the full length of the pitch after scoring against his former club ensured his infamy. And then he joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Samir Nasri

Another player to have been lured by the riches on offer at Eastlands, Nasri’s return to the Emirates in April should be very interesting.

With Cesc Fabregas publicly courting a move to Barcelona in the summer, the last thing Arsene Wenger needed was another of his crown jewels jumping ship. But rumours that Nasri wanted out turned out to be true and he doubled his wages by joining Roberto Mancini’s side before going on to criticise his former club for ‘lacking in atmosphere’.

Sir Alex Ferguson

A quarter of a decade at the helm of the most dominant force in English football means Sir Alex is a major target for all of Manchester United’s many rivals.

Having successfully achieved his ambition to knock Liverpool ‘off their f***ing perch’, the club's fans will probably argue that their hatred runs deepest. Although followers of Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle may have something to say about that. At least they all agree on one thing though: No one can wait until he finally calls it a day.

Ashley Cole

Perhaps no longer the most hated player at the Emirates after Adebayor and Nasri’s exploits, Cole nonetheless remains a deeply unpopular figure throughout the English top flight.

His treatment of his wife, reality TV star Cheryl, may have something to do with that. Although, his attitude on and off the pitch is also a major factor in the hatred stakes. England’s most-capped full back has probably had more abusive songs attributed to him than most but seems completely oblivious to the low esteem he is held in.   

Mario Balotelli

His reputation precedes him, but Balotelli is more a figure of fun than hatred. A relative newcomer to the Premier League, his tendency for irrational behaviour makes him a popular figure among non-Manchester City fans.

You still get the feeling that there is more to come from the Italian international, although whether that's goals or gaffes is anyone's guess. 

John Terry

Loved by Chelsea fans, despised by everyone else. ‘JT’ certainly puts his body on line for club and country, but tabloid scandals featuring the entire Terry family and parking in disabled parking bays don’t do him any favours.

That missed penalty in the 2008 Champions League Final certainly went down well far beyond just Old Trafford, with only Cristiano Ronaldo’s miss in the same shootout greeted with more delirium.

Arsene Wenger

The French maestro has been showing real signs of stress as of late. Even his own fans have been getting on his back after such a bad start to the season, and Wenger increasingly cuts a sulking fugure.

That's only going to give more ammunition to those fans who love to hate Le Professor's myopic approach to his own team's indiscretions. Any more humiliations like the 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford and he may exit stage left for good.

Robbie Savage

The former Derby County, Leicester City, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers midfielder hung up his boots in May and is now strutting his stuff on TV’s Strictly Come Dancing. But with his peroxide hair and perma-tan, many fans would argue that was always his natural stage.

Savage was one of the Premier League’s most hated players throughout his career thanks to his tendency to go down too easily and harass referees but remains a target thanks to his new job as the host of a football phone-in show.