Manchester City’s Shay Given has not travelled with his team-mates to the United States for a pre-season tour, as he has stayed in England to resolve his future.
The Republic of Ireland international was a bench-warmer at Eastlands last season as he played understudy to Joe Hart, and the former Newcastle keeper is now keen to secure a move to Aston Villa in the summer.
Roberto Mancini’s side flew out to Los Angeles without the 35-year-old, who The Daily Mail reports is Aston Villa’s number one summer transfer target following the departure of Brad Friedel to Tottenham.
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Given is reportedly earning £80,000-a-week wages at the cash rich club, but is willing to take a pay cut to secure first team Premier League football. A potential transfer fee of £3.5 million is being banded around in the press, half the amount City paid for him back in February 2009. The Lifford born stopper has two years remaining on his current deal at the Champions League side, but is thought to be eager to move after a frustrating 2010/11.
For the past two months or so one transfer story has attracted more attention than most and has come to dominate football headlines across Europe – the potential sale of Spurs ace – Luka Modric. Despite the desperate plea of manager Harry Redknapp and the love of the Tottenham faithful which has seen Modric scoop the supporters player of the season, it now seems inevitable he will leave with two important questions yet to be answered: destination and price. But let us go beyond the speculation and fanfare for a minute and consider the potential implications for the future of Tottenham Football Club.
Undoubtedly set to polarize opinion, there is a good argument to be made the departure of Luka will prove disastrous for Spurs in the long-run, potentially ending Harry’s long-term project of establishing Spurs as a top four club. After all Modric has played an instrumental role in the club’s recent success: gaining a top four finish, the first in the clubs illustrious history, with his best performances coming in several Champions League games this season beating the likes of Italian giants Inter Milan. Of course others will disagree, arguing as Tottenham legend Gary Mabbutt has done that there is no place for unhappy or disloyal players at the club.
While this is true, it is by no means a solution to a problem that has dictated Tottenham’s past – the inability to maintain the loyalty of its best players when it really matters – and will continue to do so until a precedent is firmly set. This goes beyond the buzzword of modern football in my opinion – ‘player-power’ – as you don’t see ‘player power’ and all that it entails destroying the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and especially Liverpool, who have failed to reach the Champions League yet again. Yet you don’t see any of Liverpool’s household names calling for a transfer?
There is much more at stake here than losing Luka himself – Spurs are endanger of being branded a ‘feeder club’. The Tottenham manager has warned against conveying such an image telling skysports,“If Tottenham sell Luka then I feel it sends out a message that maybe Gareth Bale could leave and no one wants either to happen.” He is right to air such a concern as any Spurs fan will be all too aware of the inability to keep its best players: the transfer of Michael Carrick in the summer of 2006 and more recently in a British transfer record Dimitar Berbatov (£30.75 millon) both to Premier League Champions Manchester United. It is no surprise to anyone to read the champions are amongst the favorites to sign Modric this summer. Despite a dramatic change in fan opinion of both Carrick and Berbatov, Tottenham would be an elite outfit with both players at the club today.
There is no doubt Modric has the potential to become a world-class midfielder, you only have to look at the clubs who are interested in signing him – Chelsea, Inter and AC Milan and Manchester United and as Harry has commented, he is potentially ‘irreplaceable’, just as Carrick and Berbatov may have seemed at the time. So even if the shrewd business ethics of the Tottenham Chairman generates in excess of £30 million again, what kind of future will follow?
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In the short-term, losing Modric will be disastrous. He is potentially a world-class midfielder with supreme technical ability and vision. Who is out there to replace such a talent that Tottenham could realistically attract as not only does selling your best players make others think twice about sticking around, it sends out a message to potential transfer targets of the highest caliber that the club has limited ambition. Not only these significant points – in letting Modric go, any potential successor to the midfield maestro could take several seasons to gel with his team mates and become accustomed to the rigors of Premier League football, just as Modric took at least a season to show his best. In saying this and remembering Spurs have failed to reach the top four this season gone, does Harry have another year to waste?.
Of course Spurs fans will argue the most coveted and lucrative fourth spot was not lost against the other top four clubs, with Spurs gaining results against Arsenal away, Liverpool away, and being robbed away at Chelsea, but in the disappointing results against lesser clubs such as Wigan, Wolves and Blackpool. But in selling Modric not only will this fail to instill a winning and competitive ethic, much needed to overcome tough opposition fighting the relegation battle it will diminish the chances of beating the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in the coming seasons.
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Harry Redknapp should be given the upmost credit for his media plea for Modric to stay, as it is much bigger than one player, Tottenham’s reputation and future rests upon the decision. If Tottenham aim to remain successful domestically it is time to set the precedent that they are not in the business of selling its best players and it is time for Chairman Daniel Levy to take some financial risks, spend big and hope for a future where loyalty can be maintained despite setbacks and ‘big club’ interest. A new club culture has to be moulded if Spurs are to recognize they are indeed a ‘big club’ themselves. The question of how this is to be achieved of course will go unanswered for now.
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Every Premier League club has a player or two who do very little on the pitch but still get paid handsomely for their minimal contribution. Manager’s will have brought them to the club with the hope of them becoming the next best thing, luring them in with top wages in order to secure their signature.
The infamous Winston Bogarde, the former Barcelona and AC Milan defender who joined Chelsea on a four year deal reportedly worth £8m in 2004, said: “’This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunate’s who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership, but I don’t care’.
Not exactly doing much to warm the hearts of Chelsea fans, Bogarde went on to honour the rest of his contract, training ever day but never making another appearance for the club and collecting an estimated £8m for his (non) efforts.
This is a list of top ten players who similarly to Winston’s Bogarde, recent contribution amounts to as much as turning up to training or occasionally slipping on the team’s shirt before drifting back to the shadows. They are happy to pick up their undeserved pay slip while they sit on the bench or the injury table, giving nothing back for to their club.
So this is where we expose them for what they really are…money draining leeches who most fans would love to see leave their clubs. Maybe during the upcoming season they will actually contribute something although I am not holding my breath…….
Click on greedy ‘ol Winston to see the top ten players that rarely deserve their high weekly pay check.
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UEFA have altered the terms of Jose Mourinho’s five-match ban from European competition following a hearing on Friday.Real Madrid coach Mourinho received the ban in May after being sent from the touchline during his team’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg on April 27.
He then made post-match comments suggesting a UEFA bias in Barcelona’s favour, leading to a 50,000-euro fine and the five-match ban, with one of those matches suspended.
After considering Real’s appeal, UEFA have downgraded the sentence to a five-match ban, with two suspended.
“UEFA’s Appeals Body today partially upheld the decision taken by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body against Real Madrid and their head coach Jose Mourinho,” the organisation said in a statement.
“The original judgment related to Mourinho’s dismissal from the bench and the inappropriate statement made at the post-match press conference of the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in the Spanish capital on 27 April.”
“After hearing the parties and looking at various pieces of evidence, the Appeals Body decided to modify the sanction.”
“The five-match ban, with the fifth game suspended for a probationary period of three years, is changed to a five-match ban, with the fourth and fifth fixtures suspended for a probationary period of three years. The 50,000-euro fine imposed on Mourinho stays.”
UEFA also rejected an appeal by Real against a 20,000-euro fine for the ‘improper conduct’ of some supporters during the same match.
Real, who went on to lose the semi-final 3-1 on aggregate, have the right to appeal UEFA’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Premier League returns this weekend after the rather dull international break. What also returns are the hours of worrying about your Fantasy Football side.
So let’s have a look at who should be in and around your side come kick off on Saturday.
The Captain
Leading the line for Manchester City with six goals in three games, Edin Dzeko has made it look easy so far. The team visiting the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday is Wigan Athletic. Despite an unbeaten start by both sides, you’d expect City to score a few and the way he’s been playing, you’d think the Bosnian international will get involved.
Honourable Mentions: Robin Van Persie, David Silva, Ashley Young
The Vice Captain
If in doubt, Wayne Rooney has to be worth a shout. Having scored in every game so far like his City counterpart, the United forward visits the Reebok Stadium in the early evening kick off on Saturday. United have a habit of outdoing their neighbours and given that Manchester City scored three at Bolton and, the England forward could well be on the score sheet again. Bolton are not an easy side to roll over but it’s not hard to foresee United and Rooney winning well at Wanderers.
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The Outside Bet
Players have a habit of doing well against their old club. For that reason, you can’t help but feel Joey Barton will be in the thick of the action on Monday night. He will be making his debut for QPR against Newcastle and it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he were to make an immediate impact for his new club.
Honourable Mentions: Grant Holt, Emmanuel Adebayor
Spot the 0-0
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Everton and Aston Villa have been OK so far this season. They’ve both beaten Blackburn but both are yet to be properly tested. What’s more, they’ve lost major creative talents in their sides over the summer. Mikel Arteta left Goodison Park for the Emirates whilst Stewart Downing and Ashley Young headed for Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. Both sides might still be adjusting to this and the defences could well be on top in this one. It might be worth getting a defender from either of these sides into your team for the weekend.
Deadline Day Signing
Arsenal needed a new playmaker after the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. It won’t be easy for Mikel Arteta to emulate what his fellow country man Fabregas did at the Gunners. However, he has a great opportunity to kick start his Arsenal career on Saturday afternoon against a Swansea side who shipped four in their first away game. As he’s priced less than some other playmakers and looking at Arsenal’s run of games over the next few weeks, he could become more than just a temporary addition to your side.
I couldn’t help but notice something during the Arsenal v. Swansea match, and it made me quite unhappy at first: Mikel Arteta was sitting quite deep for someone who was practically a “false 9” at Everton. I’ve never pretended that my writing will shine a bright light on tactics or provide you with ground breaking insight into the “subtle nuances” of the game (because there are so many).
But there’s something about seeing a player who really thrived just off the forwards being asked to do what he was doing against the Swans that, even with his nice passing in the opening half, I find irksome in a squad so obviously desperate for chances at the goal.
I have no idea who made the decision for him to play as far back into the midfield as he did, but it seemed to me that as the game wore on, it left the forward line a bit isolated from the midfield. And of course I had to hear the standard line about how Theo isn’t really a wing player (he didn’t look like one in that match) and couldn’t deliver crosses in any kind of proper fashion and that he doesn’t have a footballer’s brain or spleen or pancreas, which if that’s the case then real chances and service to van Persie were going to be at a premium.
And yet, every account I’ve read says “Arsenal should’ve scored more goals.”
Perhaps, or perhaps Arsenal scored just as many goals as they could’ve scored. The magical footballing TARDIS doesn’t allow for the changing of events as they’ve already unfolded in a “fixed point in time.” So perhaps the lone accidental goal scored v. Swansea was exactly the number of goals such a pitiful attempts total merited?
I’m beginning to wonder how much Jack Wilshere’s injury is going to affect the tick-tock of the midfield, too. He adjusted to a “terrier” role last season perfectly and combined with Alex Song (mostly) to win as many balls and harass as many of the opposition as he could in every match in which he played. He did it with a skill that belied his age. And he did it in such a way that the midfield or the front 4 or whatever the formation was could generally get forward without worrying about being exposed if they lost possession.
I had assumed this season, with the transfers being what they were probably going to be, that he and Aaron Ramsey would begin to forge a partnership in the middle of a 4-1-2-2-1, with him handling the dirty work and pulling the strings in front of defence whilst Aaron continued developing as a more forward attacking type midfielder. Instead, because of this “unusual” (how can we call any bizarre injury to an Arsenal player “unusual” anymore?) swollen bone (is this a medical term?), Aaron has been forced into Jack’s role and I must tell you I think he’s particularly unsuited for it. I’m not trying to be rude because I think Aaron is gifted and will continue to grow as a player, but it’s just not his skill set to be chasing and harassing the opposition and winning back the ball.
Knowing this, I wondered, is this why Arteta was so far behind van Persie?
And then the boring, boring Arsenal of the lateral pass and the spurned goal attempt and the pass straight into a defender’s legs emerged. Incisive is the word I wanted to hope to use but what I saw was an off-road vehicle slogging through mud. And I started asking myself about the best formation for this group right now. And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the world’s least astute tactical analysis of the Arsenal Football Club.
I’ve said before that in order for a “continental” 4-3-3 to be effective, it has to quickly change to a 4-5-1 upon losing the ball. If you don’t play it that way, especially the brand of it that Wenger has employed because the fullbacks’ forays forward make it a 2-1-4-3, it will leave your team horribly exposed down the flanks. It may also force your centre backs to rush madly about and leave them out of position. The complaint about Meatsack losing that early challenge v. Swansea springs to mind–I think he’s been an excellent “positional” defender as long as I’ve been watching him.
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Making a catalogue of the players currently available, I started getting more frustrated with AW’s approach to yesterday’s match as it seemed that Swansea were tearing down the flanks and at the same time Arsenal were reaping no reward for playing the fullbacks in such advanced positions. Yes, there it is–the cry out for “Why not just use a bloody 4-4-2?” You know, the one where you have fullbacks who can defend, midfielders who can cross, and forwards who can score? Sod tactics, man, really, can’t we just put players in effective positions to “express themselves?” Are we turning football into gridiron where there are infinitesimal experts at the smallest details? “This is the 3rd down flanking running back who catches the six yard forward pass when isolated by the inside line backing specialist.” Bah! Watch other clubs–it seems like they just play football.
Whoever defends in the 4-4-2 doesn’t matter (of course it does, but you know what I mean). The middle 4 could be…
Wait, why was I so despondent?
Didn’t Arsène sign that Gervinho bloke? Didn’t Alex Song get suspended?
Winning the ball and getting back into attack is what the best sides–both club and country–do these days. It’s why the ones who are quickest at that transition seem to be succeeding so much. Yes, I mean those Catalan c***s and their predominantly Catalan national side.
Now I find myself back in the footballing time machine. What if Arsenal hadn’t faced Joey Barton in Week 1? I believe that Gervinho wouldn’t have been suspended and Arsenal wouldn’t have looked so toothless and Song would’ve lent experience that Frimpong lacks…
And we’d still be moaning about something. And maybe the hiding at Old Trafford wouldn’t have looked so horrible and maybe the Club doesn’t buy at the deadline like they did (oh yes, I know the story that they bought because they were always planning to, of course!)…
Arteta was a serious transfer target in 2008 when Cesc was injured, along with Arshavin, but Everton did not wish to part with him and if you recall, he ended up getting seriously injured himself and missed the rest of that season and much of the following one. If he had come to Arsenal then, and that had happened, what would we have said about him?
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You can’t ever tell what will happen when you miss the train. Perhaps that midfielder you needed becomes an afterthought. Perhaps a change in tactics becomes less urgent. Perhaps the status quo remains and it takes even more time to correct it.
Without an unlimited wage and transfer budget, it’s unlikely that Arsenal will surpass other richer rivals. That doesn’t mean that “something special” is impossible, whatever that may be. But we all need to remember that accidents, happy and unhappy, play as large a role as planning does in the fortunes of our lives and the fortunes of our football clubs. Maybe that sliding door you missed will make everything better. Maybe it’ll make everything worse. Either way, there’s no sense in cursing it.
1-0 to the Arsenal.
Article courtesy of Antonio Gramsci from the excellent Arsenal Mania
Bolton boss Owen Coyle will be cursing his luck as his hapless Trotters side welcome Chelsea to the Reebok Stadium on Sunday looking to halt a run of five consecutive defeats.
Coyle’s men have failed to win a game since beating QPR 4-0 at Loftus Road on the opening day of the season and sending them plummeting to the foot of the table. Pressure is starting to build on the Wanderers boss as fans start to question whether he is the right man to take them forward although having to play both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea in their first seven games would prove difficult for any manager. However last week’s second half collapse at Arsenal and the spiritless defeat at home to Norwich seven days have seen fears rise in the Reebok stands that the club could be on the decline. The loss of Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong have proved to be bigger blows than first expected with Chris Eagles and Nigel Reo Coker struggling to replace the dynamic midfield duo. Retaning the services of Gary Cahill was also supposed to be a massive plus only for the England defender to see a dramatic downturn in form add to Coyle’s woes. The once steady Jussi Jaaskelainen now looks like a bundle of nerves every time the ball comes towards goal and the veteran may need to be benched if things continues to get worse. A clutch of players are ineligible for the game with David Wheater and Ivan Klasnic serving suspensions. Gael Kakuta is also unavailable as he isn’t permitted to play against his parent club. The Trotters have failed to score in their last five league and cup games against the Blues and have failed to win in the last 15 against their opponents.
Andre Villas-Boas will be intent on making that 16 on Sunday as he continues to remodel the side into a well oiled attacking machine. Gone is the patient approach adopted by Carlo Ancelotti replaced with a forward thinking mentality mixed with pace and guile. Juan Mata has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and is brining out the best in Ramires and Jon Obi Mikel in the holding roles. Raul Meireles has also added some much needed craft to the centre of the park and with Fernando Torres slowly but surely getting back to his best everything looks rosy at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard will miss the trip to Bolton after his sending off against Swansea last week meaning former Trotters favourite Nicolas Anelka or Didier Drogba will start up front. Frank Lampard could also be recalled after sitting on the bench last Saturday before scoring in Wednesday’s Champions League draw with Valencia. Daniel Strurridge could also return to the Reebok after spending six months on loan there but is likely to start the game on the bench after receiving from injury.
Key Players
Gary Cahill – Despite a poor start to the season from the England centre half he is still key to Bolton’s defensive game and will need to be on top form to snuff out the Chelsea attack. His pace and aerial prowess will be put to the test against Drogba, Anelka and Sturridge.
Ramires – After a below-par debut season the Brazilian midfielder has stepped up to become a key figure in Villas-Boas’ team. Despite his size he has a massive engine and puts in a lot of unnoticed running from the centre of the park. Took his goals well against Swansea last week.
Verdict: 0-2
Bolton’s Gary Cahill continues to be linked with a host of top European clubs this season, with Barcelona the latest to be linked with a January swoop. The defender is ranked 112th in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and is the 3rd highest Bolton player after Ivan Klasnic (ranked 31st) Martin Petrov (ranked 59th). However, Cahill is currently a part of the Premier League’s worst defence, with Bolton conceding more goals than any other this season (16) Ramires showed his goal scoring credentials netting twice against Swansea. The Portugese midfielder had 6 attempts on target on Saturday with 4 hitting the target and 2 goals. In his previous 5 appearances for Chelsea he had only had 8 attempts at goal, getting 3 on target. Ramires also covered more ground than any other Chelsea player against Swansea, with 12.32km (7.66 miles)
Fancy winning a million pounds??
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Before the half time whistle had blown at the Ethiad stadium against Villarreal, with City losing 1-0 and looking like crashing out of their group, Mancini made the decision to substitute Adam Johnson for Barry. It was not the tactics behind the substitution that got me thinking, but the player who was taken off. Adam Johnson is undeniably a good young talented English player, yet has become little more than a bit part player recently for Manchester City. After his move from Middlesbrough, a sparkling future was predicted for the player, yet playing the full 90 minutes is now a novelty for the player.
Johnson is not the only player in the Premier League that is suffering from a similar fate, with many players struggling to get game time, either because of the vast talent at their club or just falling out of favour with their manager. Not only this, there are also players who may have out grown their current club and need to move on in order to enhance their careers and have the opportunities to play in Europe and challenge for the major trophies. So just who are these players at a crossroads at their current clubs and what are their options for the future?
Obviously most of you flicking through this will be wondering where Carlos Tevez’ name is, but the answer is that his future is not at a crossroads, it’s at a dead end.
Click on Kalou to unveil the top 10
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List compiled by Rebecca Knight
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With a third of the Premier League season now gone by, the table is starting to find its level and supporters are starting to get a better understanding of where their respective clubs are at this season and the challenge that faces them in the coming months. Once again the Premier League has been broken up into three tiers, with each team facing their own private battle.
Unlike previous years there has certainly been some stability on the managerial front with only Steve Bruce succumbing to the bullet so far, as clubs look to show patience with their managers to turn around their current plights. The managers may not be so patient with players at their disposal and may look to make significant changes in the January transfer window.
The January transfer window is loved and loathed in equal measures, with many managers and supporters alike welcoming the opportunity to freshen things up, while others see it as a source of distraction. History shows it is a renowned place for panic buying, as last January certainly proved, but there have been notable successes in the past that shows it can be a significant period to turn around a club’s fortunes. I feel the African Cup of Nations and the unprecedented amount of long term injuries we have seen will force many club’s hands and subsequently we can expect to see another expensive month for many Premier League chairman.
So how do you feel about Arsenal’s fortunes so far this season and would you look to see changes made in January? Who would you like to see brought in and ultimately who would you like to see moved on in the up and coming window?
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Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has spoken of his disappointment, after a late West Brom goal condemned his side to a 3-2 defeat on Wednesday night.
Demba Ba continued his excellent goalscoring form, twice bringing The Magpies level after goals from Peter Odemwingie and Gareth McAuley, but a Paul Scharner effort with five minutes left stole victory for the visitors.
Pardew was unhappy with the defeat, especially given that Newcastle played well in the second half and were at home.
“It’s an upsetting game for us to lose because we are at home,” he told Sky Sports.
“The first half I didn’t think we played anywhere near to our ability.
“Second half we did. We came back from a goal down. We was bossing proceedings, looking like we were going to get back into it, and when we got the second goal it set us up for a grand stand finish.
“But then to get done on the counter attack because of us looking for the win, maybe we were a little bit too desperate tonight.
“We would have had 30 points if we won tonight and maybe we wanted it too much, and didn’t play as controlled as we usually do.
“We were creating chance after chance before we scored and then when we did we thought there we go, we can win it, but the front two for West Brom were a threat all night.
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“They got down the side and had a bit of fortune for the goal I thought,” he concluded.