Sir Alex Ferguson says the most consistent team will win this year’s Premier League title race.Manchester United are top of the table by only one point from Arsenal, although they have a game in hand on the North Londoners.Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wigan Athletic, Ferguson said: “It’s important that we keep our momentum going because the team who is most consistent will win the league.””It’ll be a difficult game, Wigan are a team who play fantastic football, but this time of season all games are going to be difficult.””It’s a concern that Wigan have re-laid their pitch, although I understand it’s okay.”United have veterans Ryan Giggs and Michael Owen back from injury for the trip to the DW Stadium.Ferguson added: “We’re trying to get Ryan Giggs fit for the Wigan game, and Michael Owen is back training and could be available.””Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans should both be back to face Liverpool next weekend.””Ji-sung Park is still two weeks away.””Anderson will probably be back in three weeks, he’s back in Portugal now and we’ll have to see how he progresses.””Antonio Valencia is doing well in training but it’s difficult to assess when he’ll be back.””We have to make a decision on when to play him in terms of his own confidence after being out for so long.””He could be back in two weeks hopefully.”Rio Ferdinand (calf), Jonny Evans (ankle) will play no part in the game.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp believes the club can match the ambitions of midfielder Luka Modric.Redknapp has called on the Spurs board to invest in the squad after Modric declared his intention to join London rivals Chelsea.
The 25-year-old midfielder wants to leave White Hart Lane after Tottenham failed to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Modric was the subject of a failed 22 million pound bid by Chelsea but has also attracted interest from a number of other clubs.
Redknapp admits Spurs need to keep the Croatian and other key players if they want to challenge for silverware next season.
Tottenham’s North London rivals Arsenal say they have been contacted by Barcelona over the potential transfer of captain Cesc Fabregas.
But Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood denied a bid had been made by the Catalans.
Fabregas has continually been linked with a move back to the club where he started his career.
And the 24-year-old has been open about his desire to return to the La Liga champions at some point in his career.
But Barcelona president Sandro Rosell recently claimed they would not pay over the odds for Fabregas, saying the player’s value had decreased.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti says England manager Fabio Capello is on a shortlist of candidates to become the new manager of the club.
Inter are searching for a new boss after Leonardo left to reportedly take up a role with Paris Saint Germain.
Capello still has three years remaining on his England contract, but says he intends to leave the job after Euro 2012.
Moratti did however rule out a move for Porto coach Andre-Villas Boas despite reports to the contrary in the Italian media.
Inter are not prepared to pay the required 15 million Euro release clause for the Europa League-winning manager.
Former player and assistant Sinisa Mihajlovic is also out of the running after vowing to stay with Fiorentina.
And FIFA have suspended the Football Federation of Belize due to government interference.
Belize now face expulsion from the 2014 World Cup after the second leg of their preliminary qualifier against Montserrat was postponed.
FIFA decided to intervene after the government of Belize declared they would not be providing match security for the visiting team or officials.
Belize will be expelled from qualification if the situation is not rectified by July 10.
Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote has stated that qualification for Europe is the most important thing for his side this season.
Alan Pardew’s men have exceeded expectations this term, and are in sixth place in the Premier League with seven games remaining.
The Ivory Coast international has admitted that playing in the Europa League would be a great achievement for the Sports Direct Arena club, but is not ruling out a top four finish just yet either.
“Getting into Europe is the biggest thing for us now and it is very important for us as players and for Newcastle as a club,” Tiote told The Telegraph.
“There has been a long time where we have not seen Newcastle in European competitions and we want that to change. It will be a big thing for us to play in Europe next season.
“The first target is obviously the Europa League, but why shouldn’t we be thinking about the Champions League as well? Who knows, it could happen.
“We have got ourselves into a good position, but any talk about Europe will mean nothing if we don’t keep winning between now and the end of the season. If we qualify for Europe, I will look back on this season as one of the best in my career,” the African enforcer confessed.
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Signed from Livorno last summer Alessandro Diamanti arrived at Upton Park to much fanfare. Having heard of his creative play, goal scoring ability and set piece prowess many fans hoped for a new idol in the mould of Di Canio. A quick glance at his statistics points to a promising start in English football, netting seven Premier League goals and one in the FA Cup. Gianfranco Zola spoke of a player who, “could make a mistake but could create something unexpected.” Whilst his intelligent play did open up defences and get the fans on the edge of their seats the inconsistent nature of his game which Zola hinted at began to divide West Ham supporters. He was conspicuously absent from the relegation run in by which stage some argued that he was too unreliable, too flash and too conscious of his own ability.
Upon arrival in east London, the Italian sporting a shock of dreadlocked hair wasted no time in making his presence felt. He assumed command of all set pieces and penalty kicks with complete confidence. His delivery from set pieces was excellent and his passing was adventurous and varied. Many expected he would be deployed as a central director, distributing incisive passes but not expected to do much in the way of tracking back. However he was largely deployed on the left wing arguably because a more central attacking role is difficult to fulfil in a faster league where there is scant room in which to operate. Despite not playing in his preferred role he still managed to score on a regular basis and won over the fans with some genuinely imaginative play. A look back at his best bits so far would include his superbly executed free kick which broke the deadlock in a tense home match against Birmingham. In addition he played a starring role in the comfortable home win against Hull City, testing Myhill on numerous occasions, once from inside his own half and setting up innumerable chances. But as this difficult season wore on his fancy touches, ambitious through balls and speculative shots would start to wield less fruitful results.
He soon began to divide opinion at the Boleyn Ground like no other player. This was illustrated by the home game against Bolton which ended in defeat for the Hammers. On that day he scored with a sumptuous curling shot from the edge of the box but was at fault for Bolton’s opener after shirking a challenge on the edge of the box. For one poster in a West Fan forum he ‘lacked courage.’ He was also particularly wasteful that afternoon making 37 passes of which only 17 were successful. In the infamous home defeat to Wolves he was again attacked by fans for not being able to run with the ball and wastefully shooting from distance. For many he was simply not up for the fight and Zola indicated his agreement by installing four central midfielders to the starting line up for the remaining games. Diamanti was invariably guilty of providing insufficient cover for his full back and was laborious in defence. By this stage it seemed his artistry was not enough, a higher work rate was needed. His class was not in doubt but his grit and determination was added to the view that he wasn’t capable of operating in a system which would now have to pride toughness, application and tactical discipline over beauty and technique.
Restored to the starting line up for the last game of the season he reminded the home crowd what he offers. His back heel pass to set up Boa Morte for a neat finish was exceptional. This unorthodox, unexpected pass cut right through the heart of a lavishly assembled Man City back line. His brief hiatus from the team during those crucial final games may well have been vindicated as the team sought to win the midfield battle and snatch victories using direct tactics. However here’s hoping that Avram Grant shows faith in this unpredictable individualist whose flair and vision can change matches. You just may have to deploy an extra holding midfielder to compensate for his defensive work rate though.
Written By Jack Howlett
Click on image below to see the GERMAN babes at the World Cup
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has ruled out the possibility of Robbie Keane again heading out of White Hart Lane on loan.
The Republic of Ireland striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Celtic after slipping down the pecking order at the north London club.
Celtic are reported to be keen to re-sign the 30-year-old frontman on loan ahead of the new campaign.
However, Redknapp has suggested that the only way Keane will be leaving Spurs is if another club comes in with a firm transfer offer.
"I wouldn't think that's a possibility because we paid good money for him and to loan him out again, it wouldn't be a goer," he said.
"If Robbie's not happy when the season starts and he's not playing then we'll sit down and discuss it.
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"And if he wants to move, someone will have to buy him, but I'm hoping he comes back into the team and makes a real impact."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Christian Eriksen’s agent has stated that the star midfielder is keen to play out the remainder of his contract at Ajax before considering a move abroad.
The Denmark international has gained suitors across Europe after excellent displays for the Eredivisie champions, with Manchester United believed to be keen to sign him.
However, despite growing rumblings in the press that the Scandinavian star could be set for an Amsterdam Arena exit in the summer, his representative has stated that he will honour his contract with the Dutch giants.
“I recently found out Christian has followed Roma since he was a child,” Martin Schoots told retesport.it, translated into English by Sky Sports.
“Many clubs are still interested in Christian, although I must say Roma have an interesting project which I believe still has to flourish.
“In the future you never know what can happen.
“Christian is bound to Ajax until 2014 and then we’ll see,” he concluded.
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Sir Alex Ferguson has described Chelsea’s £50million acquisition of Fernando Torres as an attempt by Roman Abramovich to satisfy his obsession with winning the Champions’ League. Unfortunately for the Russian, his passion will remain unfulfilled for at least another year, having seen his Chelsea side fall at the hands of United in last week’s quarter-final.
What’s more, his expensive addition to the squad still hasn’t scored in his twelve appearances so far for his new team nor has shown anywhere near the ability required to warrant such an extortionate transfer value. Torres still has a chance to prove his move to Stamford Bridge was worth while, having secured a five-and-a-half year contract in January, but he is just one of a number of players who made a move to the Premier League and failed to justify their price tag, which begs the question; why do fans always agitate for new signings when they never guarantee immediate improvement?
There are a number of benefits a club can enjoy by making big signings, and not all of them encourage an instant leap up the League table. Of course signing players of a certain calibre improves the average quality of a squad, which can affect and alter a team’s style of play, and this prevents teams from going stale and predictable which in turn allows the fans to reap the most out of their expensive season tickets. Fans always expect a progressive level of advancement and are never shy in expressing their ambitions, which are usually realistic to what their club could achieve.
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Most fans advocate specific transfer targets that they believe will assist their current squad. For example, most Blackpool fans don’t expect Ian Holloway to announce a summer bid for Kaka, and last year a large number campaigned to sign DJ Campbell permanently. Several Blackpool fans felt that making Campbell’s loan deal permanent would be an advantage going in to their maiden Premier League season, and have been proved right in thinking so seeing as he is currently their top scorer with ten goals this season.
Another reason fans encourage their club’s owners to spend money on players is perhaps a little more subtle than wanting a higher number of goals, tackles and saves than the previous season. Supporters are the majority representatives of any football club even if they are not necessarily the most powerful, and are therefore constantly challenged to defend their team’s performances, staff, stadium, form and history by fans of other clubs. Behind trophies and league positions, a big signing characterises and enhances a club’s prestige and stature as they demonstrate how a team is perceived and respected on a wider, and sometimes universal, scale.
When Tottenham signed Gareth Bale in 2007 he had already been subjected to widespread interest from ‘bigger’ clubs, most notably Manchester United, who appeared to be best placed to snare the teenager from Southampton. When the youngster turned down Old Trafford in favour of a move to London, all Spurs fans enjoyed a sense of moral victory over a club which has dominated English football for the past two decades. Tottenham’s ability to convince Bale to sign a four-year contract at White Hart Lane reassured the supporters of the club’s ambitions and not only increased the Lilywhites’ status, but also provided their fans with a heightened impression of the team’s standing compared to other clubs.
Fans attend their clubs’ games up to three times every week, and without being able to directly influence their team’s performances, they require reasons to support their side in times of adversity or when their clubs’ values are being scrutinised. Signings have proved to be an important indicator of a clubs intentions and desire which offers every fan the reassurance they need in order to maintain faith. Chelsea were able to sign a player with a profile as high as Torres’ at a time when they were evidently declining, and despite his slow start, the psychological impact he has made implies that the club are heading in the right direction. Although his impact in terms of goals is yet to be determined, Chelsea supporters are comforted by the owner’s craving to improve the playing staff, as well as the club’s capacity to attract the best talent.
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Liverpool’s Managing Director Ian Ayre has attracted widespread criticism for his outlandish proposal for each club to sell their foreign TV rights individually. As Man Utd and Chelsea have looked to distance themselves, Ayre looks to be well short of the required 14 clubs needed to start his rights revolution. Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan has rightly lambasted the plan hinting that if it were to go ahead, it could open up a future that saw the Premier League fall by the wayside, instead giving way to a European Super League.
The vocal Whelan stated: “I have just read his (Ayre’s) comments and I find them diabolical – I just can’t believe what he has been saying. It is the ‘American Dream’ this, they are thinking ‘how can we get more money?’You won’t get more money by killing the heart and soul of the Premier League and killing the heart and soul of football in England.
We invented the game and we have still got the finest league in the whole world and some of the finest supporters in the whole world and they want to rip the whole thing up. It is absolutely scandalous. It would kill Wigan Athletic. It would kill Blackburn.”
It’s hard to argue against Whelan’s argument to be honest. The current overseas TV rights deal is worth £1.4bn and comes to an end in 2013. At the moment it works out as roughly £18m per team each season and is in stark contrast to what happens in Spain, whereby Barcelona and Real Madrid take away 60% of the revenue between them, leaving the other 18 sides to divvy up the remaining 40% between them.
Unsurprisingly, this has left La Liga uncompetitive. Stoke Chairman Peter Coates had this to say on the matter: “I think what we’ve got is a pretty good system that works well and is probably a model for European countries to follow. I don’t think what Spain has done has done anything for Spanish football. As I understand it, their own clubs and supporters and everyone connected with the game in Spain is pretty depressed with what has happened there.
Furthermore, both those clubs [Barcelona and Real Madrid] have got huge debts and that’s with all the money they get. I think things are structured very well here and to change that would be very much a step in the wrong direction. I think we’ve got it about right and I’m disappointed that Liverpool think differently. But hopefully the majority of clubs will recognise we’ve got a system that works well.”
In order for any proposed deal to go through, 14 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs need to vote in favour of change. It really is like turkey’s voting for Christmas. Whelan’s rage is entirely understandable as it would initially leave the top flight as a two-tiered division.
The likes of Wigan, Stoke and Bolton hardly have a global following. The only benefactors from such a deal would be Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City due to the fact that each of their respective clubs can now be considered a global brand. Name recognition of Wigan Athletic in Beijing is most likely to be met with a dumbfounded and blank stare.
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Ayre argues: “Is it right that the international rights are shared equally between all the clubs? Some people will say: ‘Well you’ve got to all be in it to make it happen.’ But isn’t it really about where the revenue is coming from, which is the broadcaster, and isn’t it really about who people want to watch on that channel? We know it is us. And others. At some point we feel there has to be some rebalance on that, because what we are actually doing is disadvantaging ourselves against other big European clubs.”
It’s crucial to keep Man Utd and Chelsea on side in this debate rather than falling in line with Liverpool. Chelsea released a statement confirming that they remain “Supportive of the Premier League on this and want to continue with the way they sell [TV rights] collectively.”
Man Utd’s position is less clear cut, with mixed messages coming from manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Chief Executive David Gill. Ferguson decried last month that: “When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is God at the moment” before later tacitly agreeing with something similar to Ayre’s proposal with “There is a negotiation to be had there next time around. [Individual rights] is the big issue in Spain at the moment but I’ve no great feelings about that. We’d love to have our own but I don’t think it should happen that way. It’s quite fair to have all equal shares.”
David Gill told a parliamentary inquiry last season that: “The collective selling of the television rights has clearly been a success and it has made things more competitive.”
The temptation to give in must be great. The current domestic TV rights deal is worth £2.1bn over three years, but when both sets of deals are next up for renewal in 2013, the overseas deals have the potential to dwarf the domestic rights package. While Liverpool would undoubtedly benefit, no-one would more so than Man Utd.
And therein lies the real worry – could the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea potentially breakaway and form their own Super League?
If they’ve negotiated their own TV rights deal, what is to stop them negotiating their own individual league deal in the future. It could include the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrird and Bayern Munich too. All the best clubs in the world in one terribly boring league getting richer and richer by the second.
The Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules mean that clubs are now looking for other ways to maximise their profits. The age of the mega-rich owners is coming to an end; Man City and PSG managed to sneak in there just in time.
It does seem somewhat strange that Ayre has been hung out to dry quite as much as he has been, though. He surely, in private, must have canvassed opinion around other clubs before publicly expressing his owns intentions. However, the likelihood of such a proposal coming to fruition is slim to none. But still, the warning signs do set a precedent of what the future holds for the game further down the line.
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Whereas once upon a time the idea of a European Super League would be laughed out of the halls of power, there is a creeping suspicion that it would now be welcomed with open arms in a manoeuvre that would be mutually financially beneficial. Michel Platini’s FFP rules are entirely admirable in their aims, but in practice, they could simply force clubs to find other ways to make their money.
The Frenchman’s influence at UEFA would quash any idea at present, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and with the dollar signs flashing in every big club’s eyes at the prospect, they’ll patiently bide their time for now, even if Ayre’s move does seem a tad premature side.
Pavel Pogrebnyak has hailed English football as “paradise” after making an impressive start to his career at Reading.
The 28-year-old Russia international made an instant impact in the Premier League during a loan spell at Fulham last season in which he scored six goals in 12 games, and the former Stuttgart man netted against Chelsea in his second game for the Royals. It is no surprise to Pogrebnyak that he is enjoying his football having been an admirer of the English game since he was a youngster.
He told Russian Sports website sports.ru:
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League. At the end of the 90s I liked watching English football very much so I wanted to sign in England but I didn’t think it would happen so late. But now I’m here and I’m happy about it. The first time I watched English football (live) was in 2001 or 2002. I decided to go to a Premier League game (with a friend). We were both Manchester United fans and our favourite players – Giggs, Scholes, Beckham – were running around. That’s why I always try to get the No 7 shirt.”
Asked why he preferred English football, Pogrebnyak explained:
“Because of the speed, fights and tough play. As a striker I always liked crosses from the wings. When I was sitting in front of the television in Russia I was amazed to see when someone heads the ball after a big jump or started to dribble, it was very fascinating for me to see. Scoring a goal like this and then running to the fans – it’s like paradise for me.”
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew remains keen to manage England, but only after he has served his eight year contract on Tyneside.
The 51-year-old guided Newcastle to fifth in the Premier League in his first full-season, earning the unprecedented deal that runs until 2020.
Pardew told The Independent of his long term goal, “I do have ambitions internationally – I would like to do that at some point.
“Hopefully I will see this contract out and see what I’m doing later on. I have always felt that a person can be a success as England manager. I won’t change my opinion on that, but I don’t think it’s easy.
“Roy Hodgson probably has a tough spell as England manager because our pool of players is not as great as it used to be.”
The ex-Southampton boss also went on to talk about his much publicised new deal at the Sports Direct Arena.
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“Both of us looked at the contract [him and Magpies owner Mike Ashley], and felt it lacked a bit of security. So this contract is more secure for Mike in terms of keeping me at the football club.
“The eight years came from Mike. I never got to the point of talking about how long I wanted the contract for. He spoke to me about eight years and I thought: OK.”