Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle insists a couple of recent disappointing results does not mean their season has been a failure.Bolton fans were left deflated by the comprehensive 5-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat their side suffered at the hands of Stoke City at Wembley two weekends ago.
Although they bounced back in the Premier League with a fine 2-1 win over Arsenal, Bolton went down 3-0 at Fulham in midweek.
But they travel to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday looking for the best possible end to the campaign.
“Our motivation is to finish the season as strongly as we can,” Coyle said on Friday.
“I never thought about getting into Europe, I just want to improve Bolton Wanderers from one season to the next.”
“I am flattered people thought we might qualify for Europe because we were favourites for relegation when I came into this job.”
“We were in the bottom three and for people to say we would do so well shows how much progress this club has made, having spent very little money.”
“There are huge clubs below us in the table who have spent over 20 million pounds so we are pleased with how the season has gone.”
“We now have to finish the season strongly then look for areas we can improve.”
Bolton will be shorn of a few players at Blackburn, but Coyle has done his best to patch up the side.
Those who are fit to play will know local bragging rights are at stake in this Lancashire derby.
“It’s fair to say that we will be short of numbers but the ones that are fit and available will be doing everything in their power to win a local derby,” he said.
“Mark Davies will have a scan on his ankle. He had a few problems last season but this year he had been doing ever so well, up until he turned it late on at Birmingham.”
“He hasn’t been right since and hasn’t felt quite 100 percent. We want to get to the bottom of it and nip it in the bud so that it is sorted out properly. Hopefully it won’t be too bad.”
“Unfortunately, Daniel Sturridge wasn’t quite fit for Fulham but he has responded to treatment – he will be touch and go. We don’t do anything detrimental to Daniel and we need to show consideration to his parent club Chelsea who have loaned him to us.”
“We have to do what is right by everybody. Yes we want him fit and available because he has been sensational for us, but we need to look at the bigger picture.”
“Gretar Steinsson is a big doubt. He has jarred his knee and at this moment I would say that it will be highly unlikely he will play at Blackburn. But he is the type of lad to play through the pain barrier, so we will wait until the last moment and take it from there.”
Defender Sam Ricketts (Achilles) and midfielders Sean Davis and Stuart Holden (both knee) will definitely not play.
Shortly after winning an unprecedented treble with Internazionale the self-proclaimed ‘special one,’ Jose Mourinho took charge of Real Madrid. Following two trophyless seasons at the Bernabeu, the club dismissed Manuel Pellegrini and brought in a manager to match their galactico players. Before his move was sealed, Mourinho targeted a “grand slam” of Spanish, Italian and English league titles, a feat yet to be achieved by a manager or player. Having made an indifferent league start, has the former Chelsea manager already indicated where his next challenge lies? He declared an interest in coaching the Portuguese national team for their two Euro 2012 qualifiers next month. Will a man whose ambition and ego are unrivalled take to the international stage next?
Madrid flaunted their ample check book again this summer but not to the dramatic effect of the previous year. Nonetheless Mourinho signed Germany’s Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira as well as Ricardo Carvalho and Angel Di Maria. Last week Sir Alex Ferguson said of his task, “The Real Madrid job is the hardest challenge in Jose’s career. I’ve spoken to Jose a couple of times and he is not managing a normal football club.” His words were prescient as the Portuguese tactician has already faced criticism for his cautious yet clinical brand of football. Thus far his star-studded side have played five, winning three and drawing two. In his first game as manager the team lost Cristiano Ronaldo to injury and drew to Mallorca. Whistles from the home crowd blemished their 1-0 victory over Osasuna. Los Blancos sit comfortably in fourth place, however, one point behind behind Barcelona who he will attempt to dethrone as league champions.
Regardless of contrasting football beliefs between the manager and the supporters, his short tenure at the club so far has been overshadowed by a story linking him to the Portuguese national job, albeit temporarily. After dismissing Carlos Queiroz the Portuguese Football Federation approached Mourinho about the prospect of presiding over two impending qualifiers against Denmark and Iceland. The functioning workaholic was purportedly interested in the offer. “I don’t understand why Real will not let me coach Portugal when I have almost nothing to do in Madrid.” There will be no La Liga fixtures during the forthcoming international break. A frank exchange with the club’s general director, Jorge Valdano presumably ensued as Mourinho has since acknowledged that the interim role was not feasible.
Nevertheless this intriguing episode has alerted bookmakers as to where Mourinho will go next. International glory would undoubtedly allow him to realise his dream of being the world’s most successful football manager. His current target is to bestow Real Madrid with a record tenth European Cup and to become the first tactician to win the Champions League with three different clubs. It is worth noting that Chelsea fired him for failing in this regard and Massimo Moratti considered doing the same after his first season at the San Siro. Patience was a virtue for the Milanese club and the same quality may be required at Madrid, especially after warning that he is, “not Harry Potter.”
If he can conquer this challenge and not falter in his ambitions there is surely only one destination left for him, international management. Similarly Carlo Ancelotti has stated that his one unfulfilled ambition in football is to manage an African team at the World Cup. Two noteworthy former Real Madrid managers, Fabio Capello and Vicente del Bosque took to the international arena with mixed effect in recent times. Few would bet against Mourinho following that illustrious route.
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Ramires has been something of a revelation at Stamford Bridge, with the Brazilian already establishing himself as a driving force in the centre of Chelsea’s midfield.
The club’s official betting partner, 188BET, is offering all Chelsea FC fans the chance to chat live with Ramires.
Chelsea FC’s Brazilian international midfielder will be taking over 188BET’s Twitter account to answer fans’ questions during a special live interview on Thursday 2nd February 2012.
Ramires joined Chelsea FC in 2010 from Benfica and has already clocked up almost 50 appearances for the club, forming a strong midfield partnership with the likes of Meireles and Lampard. He has scored six goals for Chelsea, including the club’s goal of the season award last year for his strike against Manchester City at Stamford bridge, and also has 27 international caps with his native Brazil to his name.
He will be online at 1:30pm on Thursday 2nd February and will answer a selection of fans’ questions live via 188BET’s Twitter feed. To take part, all Blues fans have to do is log on to Twitter, follow ‘@188BET’ and submit their questions by tweeting ‘@188BET’ along with the hashtag: #askRamires.
So whether you want to know how Ramires thinks Chelsea FC will do in 2012, who the best dressed in the squad is or perhaps even if he has a special party trick, get online on Thursday and ask him your questions!
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Here at Football FanCast we’ll also be talking to Ramires with the help of a translator, so post your questions in the comments section below and we’ll pick out some of the best…
Portuguese giants Porto and Benfica will head into the return leg of their respective Europa League semi-finals in commanding positions.Porto striker Falcao bagged four goals in his side’s emphatic come-from-behind 5-1 win over Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final first-leg on Thursday, while Benfica will take a slight advantage into the second leg against Braga after they edged their compatriots 2-1 at the Estadio da Luz.
Falcao’s four-goal haul helped Liga Sagres champions Porto build an unassailable lead as it looks to lift its first continental trophy since Jose Mourinho steered the side to Champions League glory in 2003/04.
But it was the Spaniards who drew first blood at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, giving them what looked to be an important away goal heading into the return leg.
Yellow Submarines midfielder Cani’s headed effort went beyond the reach of Porto goalkeeper Helton on the stroke of half-time, sparking celebrations from the visiting fans.
But Andre Villas-Boas’ men responded shortly after the break.
Falcao raced onto a Fredy Guarin through-ball and was fouled in the box by Villarreal glovesman Diego Lopez.
He dusted himself off to dispatch the ensuing penalty, making the score 1-1.
The Portuguese side grabbed the lead in the 61st minute as Guarin headed in a rebound after initially striking the post.
Falcao then doubled the advantage when he applied the finish to Hulk’s cut-back, before the Colombian added his third for the night with a bullet header in the 75th minute.
Porto then stretched their advantage in the final minute of regular time, with Falcao nodding in his fourth to make the score 5-1. Falcao’s performance will only add more value to his price tag, with the highly rated frontman now boasting 15 goals in 12 Europa League appearances this term.
A little further south in Lisbon, an all-Portuguese affair saw Benfica collect a 2-1 lead over surprise package Braga, who had eliminated former European champions Liverpool in the last stage.
Jardel’s opened the scoring in the 50th minute for the home side after stabbing in a Oscar Cardozo’s rebounded header from close range, but his goal was cancelled out shortly after by Braga’s Vandinho.
The Brazilian headed in from the edge of the penalty area with after connecting with former Newcastle United midfielder Hugo Viana’s cross.
Paraguayan striker Cardozo, however, restored the lead when he spun a delicious free-kick into the top right-hand corner of Artur’s goal.
The corresponding Europa League legs will be played next Thursday.
Bolton boss Owen Coyle has responded to critical comments from Arsene Wenger by suggesting his Arsenal counterpart is two-faced.
Coyle saw his side beaten 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend but revealed his surprise at hearing criticism from Wenger a few days after the match.
Wenger claimed Paul Robinson's tackle on Abou Diaby which went unpunished by the referee was a clear red card.
The Gunners boss went on to suggest that his players are too often the victims of overly-aggressive tackling.
"Pot and kettle are the words that come to mind. I sent Arsene a text after the game to apologise for missing him and he sent me a text saying we were a very good team," explained Coyle.
"I understand if people say things after games when a player gets injured. We all do that. I have no problem people having things to say. But if I am there, say it to my face.
"Maybe Arsenal know they were in a really tough game and that is a compliment.
"I could say Kieran Gibbs should have been booked and then sent off for going into the back of Kevin Davies.
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"If we want to harp back, look at the tackle on Mark Davies by William Gallas last season.
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Tottenham Hotspur have moved ahead in the race to sign Jack Grealish following Leicester City’s decision to sign James Maddison.
What’s going on here?
Both Grealish and Maddison are hot property in the Championship and a number of Premier League clubs were looking to sign the young English midfielders.
They are both attack-minded midfielders with an eye for a goal and an assist, with both commanding large transfer fees.
Leicester City were interested in both players but have decided to sign James Maddison for a reported £22million.
What does this mean for Spurs?
With one fewer rival to contend with, this gives Spurs an even greater chance of landing their target and could also mean a lower price for Grealish, as the bidding war might not be so intense.
It had been previously reported that Aston Villa wanted £40million for their young talent, but with the money problems going on at the club, it is possible they will sell below this steep asking price.
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Either way, it looks like two exciting young English talents could be lighting up the Premier League next season.
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Everton are interested in bringing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer as they look to build their defence for next season, according to reports made by African Football.
What’s the story?
The Toffees are rumoured to be considering to make a move for the highly-regarded Senegal international as they look to sure up their defence.
It is believed a fee of around £40million would be needed for Napoli to consider selling one of their top players, however, the Merseyside outfit are expected to have to compete with a number of clubs for his signature.
Koulibaly has been linked with the likes of Chelsea in the past, however, it is thought that Arsenal are keen to bring him to the Premier League and have been watching him for some time.
Should Everton consider the defender in the summer?
The Toffees went after the centre-back in the summer of 2016, however, Napoli were insisting that they wanted £60m for their star man.
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Koulibaly would certainly add stability to a leaky back line and would add even more experience to the side, however, it remains to be seen if the Italians will want to sell him at the end of the summer, especially if they are able to lift the Serie A trophy.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. This time last year, Manchester United were celebrating an unprecedented era of dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson as the Scot announced his long-overdue retirement. Now however, they find themselves staring into the footballing abyss with the future incredibly uncertain, following the revelation this morning that David Moyes has been relieved of his duties after just 10 months at Old Trafford.
Admittedly, it’s hard to argue that Moyes’ single campaign with United wasn’t a complete catastrophe from start to finish. The Red Devils have now mathematically secured their worst points total of the Premier League era, and unless they claim four points from their remaining four games, United will also record the worst title defence in Premier League history.
Most worryingly, Moyes’ best patch in the Carrington dugout was a ten-match unbeaten streak, rather miserly in the grand scheme of things, and with his win record from Everton last season so disturbingly similar to his inaugural campaign with Manchester United, it seems the club’s board shared the growing opinion that the Scot had somehow ‘Evertonised’ the Premier League champions.
But in my opinion at least, the axed United gaffer should have been given more time. Manchester United were happy enough to stand proudly tall in the summer with a smug grin over their proverbial face upon the announcement that David Moyes had been issued a six year contract, as if to make their own poignant statement on the current state of managerial affairs in the English game, yet just ten months later, and rather hypocritically, they’ve found themselves committing the same sin they once mocked Chelsea, Manchester City and pretty much every other side in the Premier League for.
Likewise, Ferguson was famed for his many deconstructions of title winning teams, but despite implied assurances otherwise, Moyes hasn’t been allowed to do the same. I’m no great Moyes apologist, but I’m sure even the Scot’s biggest critics would be willing to admit that certain players have routinely let him down this season. We’ve heard of managers losing the dressing room before, in fact, many have argued that Moyes never won it at Carrington, but you wouldn’t expect that kind of buck-passing mentality from a squad bursting with prior Premier League winners.
Ten months ago, Manchester United were rest assured that the club’s experience, infrastructure and reputation could withstand any debasing tremor of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. So much so that they rejected notions of a Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti figure – the qualified custodian model of manager – taking their dugout, in favour of a head coach who had never made it to the Champions League proper or won a single trophy throughout a decade at his former club.
At the time, it was labelled as an inspired appointment, showing the faith that others daren’t in a British coach, but less than a year later, it feels almost as if their vanity, this belief in Carrington’s divine right, was perhaps their biggest motivation.
You can feel their sense of arrogance in the transfer market too, the idea that, despite losing the monolithic title credentials of Sir Alex Ferguson, his quality in the dugout didn’t need replacing on the pitch. Much has been made of Moyes’ two transfer windows as United boss and his limited ability to attract top targets. When a club are prepared to bid £30million for Ander Herrera but not meet his release clause of £36million however, it’s incredibly telling of the state of mind around the Carrington camp, as if the Red Devils’ prestigious past gives them free reign over transfer fees.
Indeed, whilst Chelsea and Manchester City have continually spent big and United have continually spent smaller over the last five years or so, this idea that the Red Devils view themselves as above others in the transfer market is certainly nothing new. Following the current campaign and the loss of their Champions League status, reverting that trend may be United’s only route back to the top.
Similarly, there’s something paradoxical about Sir Alex Ferguson’s involvement in the decision-making process surrounding Moyes’ appointment. This is a manager who has spent the last three decades making sure no player, no matter how talented, valuable or vital to the Old Trafford cause, became bigger than the club itself. Yet despite that being a core value of the Scot’s leadership, he was allowed to pick his successor, presumably seeing a lot of his own hard-nosed character in David Moyes.
If that’s not a glaring example of one man taking unhealthy autonomous authority over a football club, then I don’t know what is. And as we’ve witnessed over the course of the last ten months, the nature in which Manchester United institutionalised itself around Sir Alex Ferguson, in the long run, has done the club no favours. The instability in the Manchester City and Chelsea dugouts can hardly be considered commendable trends, but with none of their appointments – even Jose Mourinho – becoming too powerful for their own good, at least they can boast a consistency of results whilst switching between regimes.
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Manchester United have used the words ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’ to describe David Moyes’ abrupt departure, yet the way in which the story seeped out of the Carrington Camp lacked either. They’ve fallen into the ancient trap of scapegoating a manager that less than a year ago was issued a six-season contract.
Are the Red Devils hypocrites? Perhaps that’s a rather scathing critique; the Glazers, assisted by Ferguson, clearly appointed David Moyes with the best intentions, yet, as with the vast majority of Premier League management gigs nowadays, it hasn’t worked out as expected. Admittedly, there’s been little to suggest in the last few weeks that a drastic change in on-pitch fortunes under Moyes was just around the corner.
But following a summer in which, through their own vanity, United turned their nose up at world-class managers and world-class transfer targets, as if they were somehow morally above it all and could maintain results without giving into modern temptations, perhaps this season has taught the Old Trafford outfit that they’re no different to any other club, with no divine right to success.
Attacked Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has revealed his fury at not just his attacker but also that fact that his family had to see him in that light, according to reports.
Kirkland was attacked by a moron who leaped onto the field after Leeds United scored an equaliser against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night and it seems the initial blow was not the sole concern for the former Liverpool ‘keeper.
“I am OK now, but I was really shocked at the time,”
“I was gutted at losing the goal – I had kicked the ball away and was deflated. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this Leeds fan coming towards me.
“I thought he was going to give me some abuse. Then he laid right into me. It felt like I had been hit by a baseball bat. He caught me a cracker.
“Then I am on the floor and thinking, ‘Has that really just happened?’
“The game went on and at the final whistle the adrenaline drained away and the emotions came out.
“I had my wife at the game, my daughter has seen it too. But this is not about me. I hope coming out and speaking means that something will be done by the authorities before something really serious happens either to a player or to fans.
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“It is a sad time for football. There are people out to cause trouble. That guy has only gone to the game for that reason. It’s not about football any more, it’s terrible.
“You want families to go to games but I’m not sure you can do that anymore. There is too much going on, too much abuse.”
Scott Parker represented West Ham United on 129 occasions between 2007 and 2011 before making the move to Tottenham Hotspur.
And the fact that the midfielder is still a popular figure with the majority of the West Ham fans despite that move says a lot about the type of performances he put in at Upton Park.
Parker, who joined Chelsea from Charlton Athletic in 2004 before joining Newcastle United, scored 10 Premier League goals during his time with the Hammers.
Parker could not prevent West Ham from being relegated at the end of the 2010-11 season, but he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year for his performances throughout the campaign.
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It was not a surprise when he returned to the Premier League, and West Ham were able to gain a transfer fee of £5.5m from Tottenham for the midfielder.
Despite his connections to Spurs, the West Ham fans still have a lot of time for Parker.
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Indeed, a number of the London club’s supporters were out in force on Wednesday to reveal their respect for the 18-time England international, who retired in June 2017 following four seasons with Fulham.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: