Manchester City appear to be reluctant to drop their asking price for Carlos Tevez, despite Corinthians claiming that a cut-price deal to bring the South American back to Brazil in January is close.
The Argentina international was found guilty of breaching his contract after refusing to enter the field of play against Bayern Munich back in September, and his club have subsequently fined him four weeks wages.
With a January move looking increasingly likely, Corinthians president Andres Sanchez has claimed that the Premier League side are ready to offload the temperamental forward at a lower price.
“Although many people do not believe it, Tevez is much closer to the Corinthians than you can imagine. The initial offer was €40m and that is now €18m (£16m) because of all the problems he has faced back in England,” the Brazilian executive commented.
Despite this, The Guardian details that City’s owners will stand their ground over their asking price for the former Boca Juniors attacker, and want to recoup the superstar’s market value.
City owner Sheik Mansour is one of the few people in the world than would be unfazed by the waste of £250,000-a-week on Tevez’s wages, and has stated that Roberto Mancini can select the forward is so required.
Despite this, due to Mancini and Tevez not being on talking terms, a move does look probable come the new year, with a raft of European clubs also keen to land the forward’s signature.
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New Roma boss Vincenzo Montella says he will focus on the side’s psychological problems rather than make wholesale changes to the squad.Montella was appointed as an interim replacement for Claudio Ranieri, who resigned after watching his side throw away a 3-0 lead before succumbing 4-3 to Genoa over the weekend.The defeat left last year’s Serie A runners-up in eighth position on the standings.”I think the team’s main problem is above all a mental block,” said Montella during his official unveiling on Tuesday.”The players are sensitive and they are carrying inside them this big weight.””They need to free themselves from this burden, and this is the first step we need to take so that they can play to their true potential.”The 36-year-old Montella is the youngest manager in the Serie A but does not think his inexperience will be an issue.”This was not my idea but I have accepted this role with calmness.My aim is to do well until the end of the season, when my contract expires.””I will bring out my best to help the team, but the future does not interest me. I’m just concentrating on the task at hand.”Montella’s first game in charge will be Roma’s Serie A encounter at Bologna on Wednesday.
England’s unceremonious exit from South Africa was surprising to say the least, a team that qualified for the World Cup with such ease, was underwhelming in their two weeks in South Africa to say the least. England’s bad performances on the pitch were mostly down to bad team selection by Fabio Capello, but then Capello lamented the lack of English talent for him to choose from. Well, time for him to maybe rethink his tactics? Maybe its time he selected his formation based on the best he has available, rather than try to fit the best he has into his fixed formation?A 4-4-2 has been a classic formation, used for ages by several managers, but for a 4-4-2 to work you need to have 2 really good wingers who can cross really well, 2 strikers who can work well in tandem and the midfield pairing requires one with a defensive mindset and the other more attacking, and of course your fullbacks should be able to attack while ensuring they do their defensive jobs properly. Now if we check out the English team, the only ‘winger’ who showed some capacity to put in a decent cross was James Milner, Aaron Lennon and Wright-Phillips failed miserably in that department. The only other wingers who can cross that England could have picked were Ashley Young, Adam Johnson and Stewart Downing, Capello ignored all three of them surprisingly.England played Steven Gerrard as their main Left Winger in the last 2 games, why? well because he had to play Barry to cover for the defense, but then he could not drop Lampard, so Gerrard had to be moved out wide, and still Gerrard managed better performances than Lampard. Barry happened to be the only defensively able midfielder England had in the squad, Carrick can’t tackle, so he can’t be expected to do much defensively. Other than Barry, England’s options were Scott Parker, Owen Hargreaves and Nigel Reo-Cocker?! Not really good enough, Hargreaves would have been ideal, if he hadn’t been injured for 2 years.Then in defense, Glen Johnson happens to be the No.1 Right back at the moment, but he seems inept in defending, and been caught out of position on several occasions. He’d be an ideal Wing back but not a full back who is expected to do a lot of defensive work too. England’s cover at right back is also not that great. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Wes Brown, etc are the best they have at the moment.While England have two of the best attacking midfielders in Gerrard and Lampard, also Joe Cole isn’t far behind either and they too have some pretty good Centre backs too and one of the best Left back’s in the world i.e., Ashely Cole, also his cover Leighton Baines and Warnock aren’t that bad, plus Kieran Gibbs looks an excellent prospect. England also have the likes of Wilshire and Shelvey coming through as Attacking Midfielders, Cleverley, Henderson and Eastmond coming through at the Central Midfield and also several good young strikers like Wickham, Welbeck, etc.So maybe its time England change their formation, depend less on Wingers and maybe comsider playing a formation similar to the one that Germany used to decimate them. Maybe its time Capello learnt that he can’t expect to play a 4-4-2, play players out of position and still expect them to win trophies too!If you liked my writing you can follow me on Twitter here
Leaving Old Trafford last night following United’s lackluster draw with Basel, feeling somewhat dejected, I immediately recieved two texts almost simultaneously.
The first text read: “Didn’t see owt of Carrick all night!” The second read: “Carrick MOTM IMO”.
It was the same when I visited twitter later that night, with some claiming Carrick was a “disgrace, waste of space, passenger again etc.” Others were tweeting “superb, brilliant, best player on the pitch, the only bright light in midfield.”
Looking at various match reviews it was the same contradictory tale, the Manchester Evening News’s Stuart Mathieson gave Carrick five out of ten describing his performance with the sentence: The midfielder was pretty anonymous and his usual protection of a defence as anchor man was non-existent
United fans who rated the players via the MEN website went even further, giving Carrick an average of 3.9 -the worst of any United player.
The United Religion had a different view, their player ratings noted: Michael Carrick 7- Was great with the ball at his feet, and Carrick showed that he could offer much more to the United attack if he could get forward, but limited capabilities from his teammates prevent that.
The Busby Way’s Facebook page was another example of paradoxes: Carrick was our best player tonight in my opinion and I wouldn’t trade Carrick for a pizza.
My own personal opinion of Carrick’s performance was that he played well, my only criticism was his attempted tackle on Xhaka on the way to Basel’s third goal was pitiful.
I’ve never been one for examining stats to see if a player’s performed well, I much prefer to simply watch a game and make a judgment. As I left the ground last night, I felt Carrick had been, behind Danny Welbeck , our best player.
The stats -which were all over twitter from the Carrick supporter’s brigade seem to back this opinion up with a high number of forward passes. That doesn’t tell the full story of course as many people will point to Carrick’s inability to fully protect the back four- as Mathieson did. I think this is being harsh as it wasn’t Carrick’s fault United conceded three goals last night- bigger fingers needed to be pointed at the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra who were both well below par.
The question is Michael Carrick: ‘Brilliant’ or ‘Anonymous’ in midweek?
Article courtesy of Justin Mottershead from Red Flag Flying High
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Well, well, well. All the pundits are going crazy at the moment, discussing just how long it will take Fernando Torres to settle in with the Blues, after already causing somewhat of a dressing-room uproar by shifting Didier Drogba to the bench on Monday night’s derby against Fulham.
Chris Baird already warned Chelsea that the Cottagers were not afraid of the Spaniard, as they had tactics to contain him the same way they did at Anfield. Torres lasted just five minutes longer than his debut spell against Liverpool last week, and wasted two very good opportunities to score.
There is no doubt that the 26-year-old will come good, but the recent performances of Daniel Sturridge, who is currently on loan at Bolton Wanderers for the rest of the season, is showing that he can also score goals.
Of course, it would be absurd to say that Chelsea made a mistake in splashing £50 million on Torres and should have kept Sturridge because of his recent run of good form, but the England U-21 man is doing exactly what he should be doing: keeping his head down and proving his worth.
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The youngster has scored three goals in three appearances at Bolton so far and has produced worthy displays in each match. Of course, there is already speculation that Bolton want him on a permanent deal, but it would be surprising to see him make the switch as he is one of the Blues’ best youthful prospects, right behind 17-year-old Josh McEachran of course.
However, whilst Torres, Drogba, Anelka and Malouda all battle for a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s XI, Sturridge has slipped in nicely with the other Bolton strikers Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies. Some suggest that the kid was merely in the right place at the right time, but I disagree as he has produced his best form of the season so far at Bolton.
Sturridge does not need to do anything else at the moment apart from stay out of the drama and let his feet do the talking on the pitch. There was no way in hell that he would push into the starting line-up at Chelsea at 21-years-of-age, but there is a good chance that, should he prove his worth at Bolton and has a good season next year, he could push one of the aging strikers out at Chelsea by the summer of 2012.
So keep up the good work Daniel, because scoring is exactly what gives any striker in the world his starting position.
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Michael Dawson finally got justice this week when he was called in by Fabio Capello to replace the injured Rio Ferdinand. It was an absolute travesty he wasn’t in the original 23, given the outstanding season he has had with Tottenham and now Dawson finds himself where he belongs; I believe it could prove the actual making of the centre half and allow the rest of the Premier League see what a top class defender he really is.
It is not often I find myself agreeing with Phil Thompson but his assertion that Dawson was in the top three English centre half’s in England at present is a fair one. Although King rightly gets the plaudits for his performances, Dawson was equally as assured and made a massive contribution in our push for a top four finish. If you compare his season with someone like Upson, it would have been absolutely criminal if he wasn’t in South Africa.
So why has it taken so long for Dawson to get the recognition? Yes he is prone to the odd rush of blood (which defender isn’t?), but there appears to be this perception within the media that he is little more than an old fashioned centre half who simply whacks the ball into Row Z.
Little credit is actually given to Dawson for his abilities with the ball at his feet and his range of short and long passing; an attribute that Daws is far better than say the likes of John Terry and Jamie Carragher. Maybe the media have failed to realise the stark improvement in Tottenham’s defensive record in the past few seasons and therefore fail to give credit where it is due. Dawson’s form over the past 18months has played a massive part in that, and certainly with the injury problems that have hit King and Woodgate, Dawson has become Redknapp’s defensive rock.
Fabio Capello has come out yesterday and stated that Dawson has a big part to play in England’s campaign and you do sense given our rotten luck with injuries that could well prove the case. Dawson deserves his big chance and being given the recognition could provide him with the self belief that will take this talented young defender to a different level.
Written By Matt Wright
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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has stated that Andy Carroll will not be going on loan.
The England international has been linked with a move away from Anfield, but the new Reds manager has stated that he will not be allowed to leave on a temporary basis.
“There has been a lot written and spoken about him but first and foremost Andy is a Liverpool player,” Rodgers told the LFC official website.
“To consider a loan period for someone the club spent £35million on isn’t something we’re looking to do at this moment in time.
“Andy will be the same as every other player – if there’s ever an offer that comes in we’d look at it as a club and see if it’s going to be worthwhile for the club and the team as a whole.
“The club invested £35million in him. People talk about whether he can fit into my style or not, but if you’re a club and you spend £35million on a player you’d like to think he can fit into whatever style the team plays.
“He’s a good player. He’ll join the rest of the group next week and we’ll take it from there,” he confirmed.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has also admitted that his side are interested in Fulham forward Clint Dempsey.
“Clint is a player we’ve enquired about, it is as simple as that.
“Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is. That is where we’re at.
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“He’s a very talented player but we don’t like to talk about other clubs’ players,” he concluded.
The Europa League as a tournament is getting increasingly unfavourable reviews over the past couple of years, with many managers at the top clubs in the group stage complaining of too many fixtures (although there are only two more games to be played in the Europa League than in the Champions’ League) and long away journeys across Europe, with teams from Ireland to Greece to Sweden to Russia taking part.
Those complainants, though, are missing the point. To a football romantic, away trips to Malta or Slovenia (sorry, Rangers fans) are what European football is all about – playing football around Europe. Tell me, how boring and hypocritical would it be to stage a European Champions’ League just for the clubs of England, France, Holland, Spain, Germany and Italy? Ask some of the biggest names not in Europe this season: Liverpool, Roma, Sevilla, Galataseray, Rangers. They’ll all tell you they’d rather be making the trip to Legia Warsaw than watching it on TV.
For Tottenham Hotspur, this year’s Europa League was clearly initially viewed within the club as a distraction, an obstacle on their path back to fourth place in the more important Premier League. And while everyone appreciates their need to force their way back into the Champions’ League if they are to advance, Spurs themselves are waking up to the beautiful opportunity the Europa League has presented them with.
Harry Redknapp stated at the start of the season that the Europa League was not a priority for Spurs, and re-affirmed his stance by leaving both first-choice ‘keeper Brad Friedel and star playmaker Rafael van der Vaart out of his 25-man senior squad. Although clubs are required to select a 25-man squad from which they are to choose their Europa League teams, they may also register a B-list of players under the age of 21 who have been with the club more than three years. Redknapp’s extensive B-list has so far provided the bulk of the players he has used in Europe.
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Spurs’ youngsters are benefitting massively from this precious opportunity. The team which featured in the second leg of the playoff with Hearts was built around youth-team players. Young striker Harry Kane somewhat outperformed his disinterested strike partner Roman Pavlyuchenko. Andros Townsend was a bundle of energy down the left flank. Jake Livermore and Ryan Fredericks controlled the midfield. There were opportunities for several more of the next generation in the away tie with PAOK, in which Giovani, Iago Falque and Tom Carroll started.
Tonight’s clash with Shamrock Rovers at White Hart Lane will see this trend continued, although this time Redknapp will seek to gain two advantages from the game – not only will he give his starlets more invaluable European experience, he will also use the game to give some fringe senior players, and a few returning from injury, a chance to show themselves worthy of a place in the squad for the North London Derby on Sunday.
Steven Pienaar, Aaron Lennon and Danny Rose are all set to feature alongside the likes of Kane, Townsend et al as Redknapp checks their progress in their return from injuries. Pavlyuchenko and Sebastien Bassong are also expected to appear, having played alongside the youngsters in both the Hearts and PAOK games.
The Europa League may be viewed as a distraction by many, but at Spurs, it is starting to be seen as a more important competition than the club had expected. Redknapp can rotate his squad, evaluate promising talents and reserve players in competitive scenarios, while still bringing in some extra revenue from gate receipts and prize money. Perhaps being part of Europe’s second-tier tournament isn’t such a drag after all.
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While all eyes will undoubtedly be on the Premier League this weekend as Fernando Torres’s old club takes on his new club at Stamford Bridge, there will be another reason to focus attention on the capital’s sporting events – and it has the backing of Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn.
Saturday morning will see the Fred Perry Table Tennis Urban Cup 2011 reach its crescendo. But this is a football website, I hear you ponder. It is, and while the sport being played at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington will involve tables rather than turf, football will be well represented on the day.
The competition is the result of a collaboration between the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA), Sport England’s Sportsmatch initiative and the Premier League 4 Sports (PL4S) campaign. Over 100,000 youngsters aged 11-14 representing all 20 of the Premier League’s clubs have been taking part in the tournament over the past year and on Saturday, a winner will finally be crowned.
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn, who has been backing the campaign at the Emirates Stadium this week, says: “When you look back at what the Premier League clubs have done, with the sponsorship of Fred Perry, the community and the initiative of the clubs, it does unbelievable things not only for the sport but also for the kids playing it. A lot of kids have maybe not even thought about table tennis.”
Winterburn, who won the Double under manager Arsene Wenger, has always been a fan of the sport and has a table tennis table at home today. He says: “Obviously I played a team sport, so I love looking at the individual sports and at how someone pits themselves against somebody else, not only through their talent but their mental strength.”
Also backing the initiative is Darius Knight, a 20-year-old British table tennis star and 2012 Olympic hopeful. He says that a lack of funding in the sport is what is holding it back: “With the recession and all the financial problems, they’ve had to cut a lot of the funding and table tennis is one of the sports that got cut massively so it’s been quite difficult financially. I can still do it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a bit more of a struggle. For England in table tennis there’s only one me but if there was the funding and support, there’d be twenty of me.”
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If you fancy getting yourself down there to support your team (the youngsters will be in club colours), the finals of the Fred Perry Table Tennis Urban Cup 2011 will be held at the Business Design Centre on Upper Street in Islington, between 11am and 5pm on Saturday 5th February.
We’re already salivating at the prospect of the new Football League starting again, yet it’s still just out of our grasp and we have to get our fix from the inevitable list of friendly games that are played out in order for our boys to gain some match fitness.
I know that there’s the endless debate about how much you can read into pre-season games. I know that if you win against ‘lower’ opposition then it’s expected and you should be winning, but if you lose then “It’s just a friendly”.
Funnily enough, I also know that if you beat ‘higher’ opposition then you can’t get carried away because “It’s just a friendly” but if you lose, then it’s expected, you should be losing.
Anyway, we’ve had four games of our pre-season campaign so far and we currently have a record of two wins, one defeat and one draw. In my view, the results aren’t really worth looking at, however, what is worth looking at is the fact that a number of players have been praised for the way that they’ve been playing and that some of the new boys are already looking promising.
Our first game saw us take on Stocksbridge Park Steels, a non-league team, in which we finished the game four goals to the good and that saw our recently acquired Scotland international, Chris Maguire, bag two, our new number nine, Gary Madine, snatch one and youngster, Patrick Antelmi grab a fourth. The fact is, yes, we should be winning that game anyway, however, it is nice to see the boys doing so with such conviction.
Next up for the blue and white wizards was Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest football club. Despite dominating possession for practically the full 90 minutes and Chris O’Grady giving the Owls a deserved lead, SFC’s Dan Williams popped up 15 minutes from the end to earn the home team a draw against a heavily altered second-half Wednesday outfit.
With the two local games done and dusted, Dave Jones’ men, along with a number of loyal Wednesdayites, made the trip to Portugal for a couple of games against ‘bigger’ opposition, 18-time Portuguese champions, Sporting Lisbon, and Premier League new boys, Reading.
While we did suffer a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sporting, thanks to goals from Andre Martins and the very talented young forward with a tremendous name, Ricky van Wolfwinkel, it wasn’t a bad result for a Wednesday side. Especially given that we made a lot of changes, as did they, and that we didn’t have any of our own goalkeepers between the sticks.
Finally, our most recent encounter, against Reading, saw the same result as previous game, however this time it was in our favour. I mean yes, we can’t read too much into a friendly win over Premier League opposition, however goals from Mike Jones and another for Chris O’Grady will give the squad a massive lift ahead of the weekend’s game against Doncaster.
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Like I said, you can’t look into pre-season games too much. You can mourn the defeats and celebrate the victories, however, it all goes out of the window when you actually enter into a game when both teams really give a damn.
For us our first ‘proper’ game will come against Kieran Lee’s old side, Oldham Athletic in the Capital One Cup on August 13th, before that we’ll be meeting Donny, West Brom and Kilmarnock. Undoubtedly I’ll be taking all of those with a pinch of salt, however, if we put in a good performance against Oldham and get a win then maybe, just maybe, I’ll allow myself to start getting a little bit giddy.