The Carling Nations Cup should be scrapped, according to Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington.Worthington’s side finished last place in the four nations tournament after a 2-0 defeat to Wales in front of 2,100 in Dublin on Friday.
Northern Ireland have lost all three games and conceded 10 goals, without scoring.
“Not for me, and the fact I didn’t win any games is irrelevant,” Worthington said, when asked if he thought the tournament was doomed.
“I would like those three international dates for friendlies I want to play, for the style of our qualifiers.”
Wales dominated and secured Gary Speed’s first victory as manager with goals from captain Aaron Ramsey and substitute Rob Earnshaw.
Speed has also been disappointed with the tournament’s schedule that forced his side to play twice in the space of 48 hours.
“It’s been a difficult week in terms of planning and preparing but that is what you have to deal with. It was a good test.”
Defender Ryan Shawcross is set to stay at Stoke City, according to the English Premier League club.Englishman Shawcross is a reported target of Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, having impressed in Stoke’s 2010/11 season alongside German Robert Huth in defence. He also captained the club in the final of the FA Cup in May, which Stoke lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
Shawcross was last selected in the England squad for their friendly with Egypt in February 2010, but the 23-year-old is regarded as a bright defensive prospect for his nation.
Stoke have been linked with a move for Reading centre-back Matt Mills but it will not be as a replacement for Shawcross, according to club chairman Peter Coates.
“We see Ryan’s future at Stoke City. He is a very good young player and I expect him to be at Stoke next season,” Coates told soccernet.com.
“I think with Ryan and Robert Huth we have two of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, and we don’t want to change that.”
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“I thought Ryan did very well last year and got better as the season went on. All young players have dips in form, but centre-back is a position where you are going to get better as you gain more experience. He is already doing fantastically.”
Robin van Persie has urged Arsenal to empty their pockets for quality players in order to keep pace with English Premier League rivals.The Gunners have been on the wrong side of much transfer speculation during the close season, with a host of names – including Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy – linked with exits from the club.
Clichy’s move to Manchester City has already gone through, while Fabregas is believed to be destined for Barcelona and Nasri is expected to sign at a rival English club soon.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger finally got moving by securing Ivory Coast striker Gervinho from Lille on Monday, for a reported fee of 10.6 million pounds.
Though he acknowledges Gervinho’s signature is a positive start, van Persie is adamant the manager needs to spend much more if the club are to be serious challengers in the 2011/12 season.
“These days, proper players cost money,” Van Persie told The Mirror.
“Sometimes you see players go for loads of money and you think, ‘Is he that good?’ It needs to be seen. Most of the time, they are.”
“But the main thing is it’s not just a label, ‘multi-million pound signing’, it’s more about the quality. If you buy a player who has got one year left normally he’s not going to be worth 40 or 50 million, he’ll be a bit less.”
“So it’s not really that you get a clear picture of how good someone is when you play a lot. It depends on loads of things.”
He added: “You need investment to keep up because, when you look around, Man City is buying loads of good players, Liverpool are doing it now, Manchester United have been doing it for years.”
“So, in a way, you need to keep that up, because if everyone is doing something you need to do it as well.”
The Dutch striker was another reportedly headed for the exit after the 2010/11 campaign, in which the club failed to get their hands on any silverware despite being on target for a domestic treble.
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While the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are targeting the Champions League this season, Van Persie says the Gunners need to be less discerning and take whatever they can.
“The very least for us is to win something,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter what it is.”
“It’s time to win something now. Hopefully we can achieve that this year.”
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has stated that Robbie Keane may yet have a future at White Hart Lane.
The Republic of Ireland international found himself behind Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko in the striker pecking order in 2010/11, and was forced to go out on loan to West Ham. A transfer looked likely this summer, but with no concrete offers on the table, his manager has challenged him to fight for a first team place.
“I’ve said many times that Robbie’s a great professional, a great character and a great lad. He’s still a good player so let’s see what happens,” the 64-year-old told Sky Sports News.
“If he doesn’t go he’ll be here and start on level terms with the rest of the players so it’s up to him then to get in the team. If somebody wants to buy him and he feels he wants to move on then it’s great for everybody but we’ll wait and see.”
Spurs are believed to be interested in a number of new forwards including Leandro Damaio and Radamel Falcao, but have not reinforced in attack this summer as yet.
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When a new manager arrives at a club, there is generally a new-found sense of hope that accompanies him. The promise of a new start, of new players and of a different style of play brings great excitement to fans.
Arguably none more so than the arrival of Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool in January. With the backing of American businessman John Henry, Dalglish has begun to shape the squad in his image. Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez arrived in January, with Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing having followed in the summer.
Kenny Dalglish’s transfer dealings were always going to be scrutinised by fans and the media as he looked to rebuild confidence in a team that appears to have been dented over the past two seasons. Some have suggested that his transfer policy is likely to lead to the Anfield club playing an unattractive, results-based game this season. But will it be a case of substance over style this season?
It is clear to see from Dalglish’s purchases that he has targeted players who will not be afraid to get stuck in and pull the team forward. Under Roy Hodgson, the team appeared to lack the ability to put in the hard graft, which resulted in lacklustre displays and lost points. Jordan Henderson signing for the club raised a few eyebrows, mainly due to the £20 million price tag that he carried, but he is without a doubt a player who is willing to put in the hard yards for the sake of the team. Jay Spearing managed a similar job towards the end of the last season, and his performances received the praise they deserved as a result. Having two players that can play this role will be important for the squad, allowing other players to fully express themselves on the pitch.
An issue the team has had since the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth (I exaggerate, but it really does seem like it’s been quite a long time) is the distinct lack of width present in the side. Andy Carroll’s arrival at Liverpool has clearly been the springboard for action regarding this issue, with Stewart Downing’s signature a vital part of unlocking the Geordie’s aerial ability. This doesn’t necessarily mean Dalglish’s men will be doing nothing more than knocking balls into the box and hoping Carroll can head home, as Downing is a threat when he cuts inside, giving the team added variety.
The signing of Carroll in the January transfer window may have grabbed all the headlines, but it is important to remember that he was also joined by Suarez in arriving at the club over the winter. The Uruguayan put in a number of impressive performances in the second half of last season, and rightfully so Liverpool fans are excited to see him back on the pitch again this year. He is not the sort of player that will thrive on direct, pumped balls into the box however, and a compromise will have to be reached by Dalglish in order get the best out of the Uruguayan striker.
But it is this need for variety that the Liverpool boss looks to have satisfied during the two windows he has had to work with. It is easy to lump football style into one of two boxes; either pretty or ugly. Too often last year the team looked short on ideas, and the fans will be hoping that this added variety will be enough inspiration to push the team forward.
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Who’s your favourite team to watch? Let me know on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/_tomclose Answers of ‘Barcelona’ will be abruptly rejected.
Summer is the longest time of year for any football fan, but in particular Everton fans seem to face a tough one year after year. They see their rivals and clubs around them splashing the cash and bringing in new faces to strengthen, yet see their own side staying static and still throughout the close season. Unfortunately for Everton this year again has seen them lack investment, and David Moyes has once again been restricted to free and loan signings, but they have even struggled there, as they simply cannot afford players astronomical wage demands. With no deal imminent for fresh investment into the club, should they sacrifice one of their big hitters in order to generate some transfer funds to strengthen the squad as a whole?
Everton might have thought at the beginning of the summer, that they could have shifted on some of the fringe players like Yakubu or Joseph Yobo, thus generating some transfer funds that could have been reinvested. However, only James Vaughan has moved on to Norwich for £2.5 million. They have only brought in Eric Dier on a loan, and he’s unlikely to feature in the first team. So should they sell a Leighton Baines or a Phil Jagielka, a star man, who will generate funds?
Everton rejected a bid from Arsenal earlier in the summer for Jagielka, which immediately signalled Moyes’ intention to hold onto his stars. They have a solid squad, but it is a small one, and if they suffer a few injuries they could well struggle with a lack of back up. They also need a good centre forward who is going to get them goals, something they struggled with for large parts of last season. Jack Rodwell is another player who has been talked about with the potential to generate a larger transfer fee, and in terms of the current squad he would probably be the one Moyes would be most willing to sacrifice. Losing Rodwell would be damaging for Everton’s future, but not their present. Rodwell is highly regarded and a great talent, but he only played 20 times last season, so it wouldn’t be a disaster to lose him in the short term compared to other names. However, it would be a shame for fans, who would see yet another talented player moving on.
Moyes has done an admirable job on a limited budget in the past, qualifying for Europe, making the FA Cup final, and putting in pretty consistent finishes in the league. He has wheeled and dealed and got some players from lower leagues who have turned into great players for the club, hard workers, who fit with Everton’s team ethic, but it seems as if the investment isn’t even there for those sort of deals this season.
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Unfortunately for Moyes, he has become a victim of his own success, as expectations at the club are now high. Can they compete with the sides around them who are spending a lot more money or will they slip behind? Targets like Charles N’Zogbia and Shane Long who could have brought pace and potency into the midfield and attack have slipped by, leaving Everton frustrated. A player like Joey Barton could strengthen Everton’s squad, however they would struggle to pay his wages, and he could unneccessarily rock the boat. Big signings like James Beattie and Andrew Johnson have flattered to deceive at Everton in the past.
The other problem now facing Everton is that it is so late in the window, that if they do now decide to sell a big star-like they lost Joleon Lescott last minute in 2009-it could leave the side unsettled and badly prepared for the season. Also they would then have to replace that departing star, with a player of near or equal quality, which would not be easy in this inflated market, and at the last minute.
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So is it better for Moyes to just stick with what he’s got, hope that all the players play to their potential and that they don’t suffer many injuries? Everton do have some promising young players coming through like Ross Barkley and Apostolos Vellios, who might just be given a chance to shine this year, especially considering the small nature of the squad. If they were to perform well, then it would certainly take the pressure off Moyes and the board.
It seems as if it would only be worthwhile selling a big star, if they could bring quality in to replace that player, so Moyes might be better sticking with what he’s got for now, but whether it will be enough when those around them are throwing cash around, remains to be seen. However one thing Everton will always have in abundance is passion, spirit and determination, and those are things that money can’t buy.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has told Ledley King that he must play at least 20 games this season, or risk being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The England defender has been plagued with knee injuries throughout his career, and played only a handful of games last term.
Redknapp has said that despite the centre half’s quality, the club cannot afford to renew his contract if he is constantly unavailable.
“Ledley’s a difficult one. He has to play this year. I can’t go to the chairman and say: “Give Ledley a contract,” if he has only played two games because he isn’t going to do that,” he told the clubs official website.
“This is Ledley’s big year, he’s got to play 20 games or so, really. Ledley needs to put some games in this year to get another contract,” he continued.
Redknapp also confirmed that both Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor will make their Spurs debut’s against Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, and that he had an interest in bringing David Beckham to White Hart Lane should he be available.
Finally, when asked about want-away playmaker Luka Modric, Redknapp stated that letting the Croatian go may be an option.
“I’ve always been brought up with the belief that if someone didn’t want to play for your club then you move them on and bring someone in who does. And I was of that opinion in the end. If Luka doesn’t want to be here then take the £40million and move on,” he concluded.
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Spurs are pointless from their first two game of the 2011-12 Premier League season, and the fans will demand they get off the mark against Wolves today.
Arguably the biggest game of the weekend will see Arsenal make the short trip to take on rivals Tottenham to contest the 167th North London derby at White Hart Lane.
If last seasons results are anything to go by the Spurs should be supremely confident of emerging victorious on Sunday after winning both games in 2010/11. Harry Redknapp’s side have shaken off a bad couple of performances at the start of the campaign and are now firing on all cylinders with ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor heading the charge. The Togolese hit man had been in inspired form for his new club since signing from Manchester City on loan and will be eager to get one over on his former club. Despite stating this week he regrets his ‘over the top celebration in front of the Arsenal fans so soon after his move to Etihad Stadium it’s highly unlikely the away end will be tranquil when he enters the field. Redknapp is getting the best out of Adebayor however and he has slotted right in alongside Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart in the Spurs side. The home side should be the more confident of the two having remained unbeaten in their last six league and cup games. They haven’t tasted defeat in 15 derbies either and will be confident of extending that when Arsenal come to town. William Gallas, Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone are out with injury although Steven Pienaar could return for his first appearance of the campaign.
Arsenal will go into the game with three consecutive in league and cup under their belt and a sense that confidence is finally starting to grow after a potentially harmful start to the season. Just as the wheels seemed like they were about to come off the Gunners stormed back and last week’s win over Bolton certainly gave the club and supporters a massive lift. Mikel Arteta has proved to be an inspired signing by Arsene Wenger who may finally see light at the end of a long dark tunnel after his job came under scrutiny a few weeks ago. There is still a lot of work to do and Robin Van Persies contract predicament could prove to be another undermining factor in their campaign. He’s been a shining light through all the darkness as he continues to find the net on a regular basis finding the net 21 times in 23 games during 2011. Interestingly Arsenal score five times against Spurs last season but never managed to end up winners and will be keen to avoid defeat this time around with local pride on the line. Theo Walcott will have his knee assessed before kick off but Gervinho, Laurent Koscielny and Yossi Benayoun all miss out.
Key Players
Gareth Bale – The Welsh wing wizard has been terrific so far this season carrying on exactly where he left off in the last campaign. He tore Liverpool apart a few weeks ago and was equally as good against Wigan with his speed and direct running always a problem for full backs.
Robin Van Persie – Who else for Arsenal at the moment? Reached a century of goals with a double last week against Bolton and will be desperate to add to that impressive tally. Has stayed relatively injury free so far and his link up with Arteta has been a delight to watch at times.
Verdict: 3-2
Gareth Bale is the Spurs player to have had the most shots on goal (19) this season, making the goalkeeper work with 52.63% of these being on target In fact, Bale has a higher tackles won percentage (77.78%) than his shots on target percentage! Robin Van Persie’s three Barclays Premier League goals this season have now come on average every 182minutes 40seconds of action The Dutchman has had 29 total shots in the Barclays Premier League this season, more than any other player. Van Persie has hit the target with 65.52% of these shots
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Aston Villa fans could be forgiven for not feeling optimistic about the start of the new season. With the appointment of Alex McLeish from relegated rivals Birmingham City, fans were sceptical about the direction of their club, and this scepticism has remained throughout their opening games. Despite the negativity around Villa Park it appears that McLeish is having the desired effect on the Villa players.
Previous manager Gerard Houllier did not bring the results fans demanded, but was credited by many with improving their style of football. However, during his short tenure at the club many senior players were alienated, finding themselves dropped to the bench, or excluded from the club completely. Villa also lost the knack of being hard to beat, and consistently conceded soft goals, which saw them battling against relegation for large parts of the season.
It is already clear to see that McLeish has had a positive impact on the Villa players and has galvanised the whole squad. James Collins and Richard Dunne who looked as if they might be on their way out of Villa Park after a public fallout with Gerard Houllier and his staff, have looked rejuvenated at the back for Villa. With two clean sheets already this season, McLeish has sured up the defence and restored them to their previous high standards, with Dunne in particular, returning to the form he has characteristically shown over the last few years of his career.
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Gabby Agbonlahor has continued out of position on the wide, but looks revitalised, he has been given a license to run at people and has proved successful at tearing past defenders. Whatever McLeish has been saying to Agbonlahor it appears to have been working. The local lad had gone stale under Houllier’s regime, but he has been Villa’s most exciting player so far this season, and finally seems to be back to fulfilling his talent and potential. He has three goals already this season almost surpassing his previous effort of five from last season.
Senior players have been quick to praise McLeish and criticise the Houllier reign. Agbonlahor has said he would have left his boyhood club had the Frenchman remained in charge, and blamed the way Gary McAllister set things up at the club. He has certainly started the season as if he is keen to make up for lost time, and has a point to prove, and the improvements in many of the senior players have not gone unnoticed.
McLeish may not have won over the fans quite yet, but he has certainly won over the dressing room. It seems much more balanced, and the players seem a lot more focused. He faces a huge task to get the fans on board, as the majority seem to have already prejudged and written McLeish off this season. This negative attitude ringing around Villa Park isn’t likely to help Villa and McLeish, but at least he has the players on side.
Villa are in a transitional period and McLeish appears to have steadied the ship with limited resources. They have had a solid start to the season currently lying in sixth place, but the doommongering by the Villa fans needs to end before it starts to wear the players and the manager down. McLeish has created a new atmosphere at the club that has filled certain players with a new lease of life and enthusiasm, and the team has certainly grown from last year. Now he just needs some of that to rub off on the supporters.
What do you think of Alex McLeish’s start at Villa? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.
Fancy winning a million pounds??
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Newcastle United are believed to be on the verge of sealing a deal to bring Modibo Maiga to the club in January, with a £8million switch to St James’ Park on the cards.
Alan Pardew’s men have been in the market for a new frontman since the departure of Andy Carroll to Liverpool back in January, and the side’s supporters were frustrated by the failure to sign a new attacker in the summer.
The Tyneside team have been tracking Sochaux’s Maiga for some time, and came close to signing the African hitman in the last transfer window, but a move fell through.
Despite this, L’Equipe state that the Mali international will sign a four-and-a-half year deal with the Premier League outfit in the new year, after impressive Ligue 1 performances have kept The Magpies keen to add him to their squad.
Maiga refused to play for Sochaux at the start of the season after the French club blocked his move to Newcastle, but has since made it back to action, scoring four goals in six games.
A controversial character, Maiga has been booed by his own fans for a lack of commitment to the club in the past, and has previously publicly stated his interest in a move to Newcastle.
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