It’s the first game fans in the Red and Blue halves of Merseyside note down on the calendar when the fixture list is released.
The coming together of Everton and Liverpool is one of the Premier League’s titanic clashes with tickets snapped up within minutes leaving many fans disappointed to be missing out on the atmosphere that comes with a Merseyside Derby.
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Everton picked up their first home win of the season soundly beating Wigan at Goodison Park who will have concerns over striker Hugo Rodallega who was stretched off late on.
Toffee’s boss David Moyes will be breathing a huge sigh of relief after his side won at home for the third time of asking inflicting a second consecutive defeat on the Latics.
It also justified his decision to play midfielder Tim Cahill as a lone striker at the expense of Louis Saha who wasn’t even named in the squad.
Royston Drenthe and Apostolos Velios scored their first goals in English football to secure all three points after captain Phil Jagielka had equalised following Franco Di Santo’s deflected opener.
The Argentinian was heading towards the corner before suddenly turning inside and lashing an angled effort which clipped Tony Hibbert and flew past Tim Howard to give Roberto Martinez’s side a 31st minute lead.
It didn’t last long though as Jagielka nodded home from close range to level the game and it stayed that way until the 84 minute with Velios popping up to put the Toffee’s in front.
A pin point cross from Hibbert was met by the 19-year-old Greek forward who was making only his fifth substitute appearance for the club.
Rodallega then clashed with Denis Stracqualursi and after lengthy treatment was stretchered off prompting referee Peter Walton to add on seven minutes of injury time.
That gave Drenthe the opportunity to open his account for the Toffee’s firing home from the edge of the area to put the gloss on a hard fought victory.
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The goals are flying in around the Football League today and it took no fewer than 10 minutes for the six Goaldash numbers to come flying in.
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Are you in the money? Have you won a Million? Check the Goaldash numbers below:
Today’s game is yet another ‘biggest derby ever’ in a growing list of must-win Man City clashes for United.
Last season every derby game was treated with the same hype, although this time round there is a little bit more substance to all the hysteria. City are top of the league, United haven’t dropped points at home in over a season and should City do the unthinkable and take all three on offer, then the title race would definitely swing in their favour. It wouldn’t be just the five points that United had to make up, it would be the psychological boost that an Old Trafford win would give City, the players, manager and fans.
Let’s face facts though, titles aren’t won in October and we’ve seen United turn around much bigger deficit in a much shorter period of time over the years, so while a loss would hurt- especially to those of us living in Manchester, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Regardless of whether United could bounce back from a loss, or if a draw would be such a travesty, one thing’s for certain, should the Reds win tomorrow, it would give us a massive boost and remove much of the bravado from our ‘noisy neighbours.’ If the Reds are to prevail then we need all our players to be firing on all cylinders, and if we’re totally honest that hasn’t always been the case in recent weeks.
There’s a small group of players who’ve let their standards slip somewhat and who could do with regaining their early season form to help United grab a vital victory.
Anderson
The Brazilian was absolutely awesome at the beginning of the season, dominating the middle of the park and galvanising those around him. Lately though his performances have flitted between anonymous and wasteful as he seems to have lost his way. Many cite the absence of Tom Cleverley alongside him as a mitigating factor and with doubts over the United youngster’s chances of making the starting line-up tomorrow, Anderson cannot use that as an excuse, he needs to regain his early season form. City’s midfield is full of quality players and Unted cannot afford any passengers.
Rio Ferdinand
Ferdinand’s not had the easiest last few weeks, with injuries and a bit of a shocker against Basel, before giving away a free kick -albeit harshly- that led to Liverpool’s goal at Anfield. While I don’t for one second believe that Rio is ‘past it’ there’s no denying that a lack of football and all the injuries can cause him problems. With City’s strikers all scoring freely, Ferdinand, who was rested for the trip to Romania on Tuesday, will have his work cut out and needs to be at his best.
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Ashley Young
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been very impressed with the former Villa player’s performances since he arrived at Old Trafford, but can’t help feeling his last few shifts in a Red shirt haven’t been quite as effective as the first few. I know he scored against Basle but overall since – and including- the Stoke away game, he doesn’t seem to be quite at the races. Young was something of a revelation when he arrived, with stunning performance after stunning performance, he needs to rekindle that form for the biggest game of the season so far.
Wayne Rooney
I know many of you will think I’ve gone in off the deep end saying Rooney needs to ‘pull his socks up’ after all he scored a brace in his last game. Let’s be honest though, going back to the Chelsea game, has he really looked the same player we saw at the start of the season? Against Norwich he was below par to say the least, while for the Galati game, he did convert his two penalties but it was hardly a vintage showing against what was very average opposition. Rooney seems to revel in the debry atmosphere- particularly at Old Trafford and we need him to show the sort of form we witnessed against the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
Tomorrow’s game is set to be a nerve jangling affair, but if these four players are at the top of their game, I think United can send City back to Eastlands empty handed, having recieved a lesson in football. Let’s just hope I’m right.
Have I been too harsh on the aformentioned quartet? Are there other players more worthy of similar questions? Feel free to comment suggest and abuse below:
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Article courtesy of Justin from the excellent Red Flag Flying High
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Initially I wasn’t at all sure why Edin Dzeko hammering in Manchester City’s sixth goal at Old Trafford left me feeling so flat. With no allegiance to either side and despite having been thoroughly entertained by the afternoon’s proceedings I found myself profoundly wishing the game had been a bit of a non-event where neither side had made any great strides or significant result been attained.
It wasn’t until I got into the car on the way back home that I finally put my finger on it. Listening as I was to the BBC conducting a post-match interview with City’s Vincent Kompany, I realised that the ludicrous over reaction to the result in the media would quickly crush any real pleasure I had taken from what was undoubtedly another incredibly exciting weekend in the Premier League.
Yet it has been this season that has taken things to a new height and, at the risk of myself sounding hyperbolic, been the most extraordinary I’ve ever seen. The last four weeks in particular have been like watching a hyperactive child fed nothing but energy drinks and jelly beans being taken to a theme park for the first time.
Where do we even begin? With Sky’s wall to wall coverage of the game and constant need to sell the jewel in their crown to any subscriber who was ever considering jumping ship the sport has reached saturation point.
Every game, every week is significant to the history of the game, every season of the Premier League is better than the last. At times it is hard not to feel like Adam Sandler in a remake of ’50 First Dates’ as every week the memory of the average football fan is wiped and a new set of established rules and truths are laid out.
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This season’s cast of characters and ludicrous storylines have taken the whole concept to new heights. Targets of praise and derision are singled out with the same lazy attitude that means genuine stories and excited moments are lost in a sea of filler and rumour.
Phil “the new Duncan Edwards” Jones, Steven “He has barely played in 18 months but is a shoo-in for a starting berth at Euro 2012” Gerrard, Wayne “He left his exercise programme at home in the summer” Rooney and Frank “He’s had two poor games so must be retired” Lampard have all figured prominently.
Let us also not forget that Arsene Wenger may as well clear his desk at The Emirates, David Moyes has done all he can at Everton and Harry Redknapp is but a couple of months away from the England job and may wish to use any financial pay off he receives to help Steve Kean, Mick McCarthy, Owen Coyle and Steve Bruce feed their families through the winter (the coldest ever winter…of all time?). Absolute madness.
With the country is concerned by an unsustainable economic situation there should be more concern in the sporting world about an unsustainable attitude to football. I am almost expecting the boys doing ‘Sunday Supplement’ on Sky to take a collective valium after each advert break to stop Henry Winter short-circuiting when using the words ‘Kyle Walker’ too much.
Most of the hyperbole is pedalled to such an extent that it becomes established fact. The painfully weak Fabio Capello opted to slot the latest paper picks in the form of Chris Smalling and the aforementioned Phil Jones straight into his starting line-up for the most recent Euro 2012 qualifier. In that time Jones was promoted to next cab off the rank for the England captaincy and Smalling may have felt someone had paid the £35 necessary to record a name change as he has become known as “Can you believe he was playing non-league football in 2009?!”
City’s win over United will of course be billed as a seminal moment in charting a football rivalry and the papers that six weeks ago hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s men as “unstoppable” will today be hastily shovelling their words down their throats before Charlie Adam has been given the chance to scare the children of Merseyside at Halloween. Maybe they are right to make such bold pronouncements, maybe not, but judging the importance of each passing result is becoming harder and harder.
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I cannot be alone in feeling that there has to be a tipping point. I’ve never been one to get annoyed at the finances in the game or the gap between the haves and have-nots but when genuinely exquisite moments of footballing theatre are lost under an avalanche of money spinning copy and Twitter induced rumour I feel the average fan has every right to be angry with a media that cries wolf every passing week and gets louder and louder in doing so.
I’m not asking you to turn Sky Sports News off or stop reading the papers- I’m not sure I will ever be able to do that myself. However, I urge you, when hearing how Chelsea’s penalty shootout defeat to Everton in the Carling Cup this week will represent a ‘crisis’ or if Wayne Rooney’s international career is over after he is given a week off instead of facing Spain in November, to take a deep breath and try and inject some perspective into what you are reading. Sadly, if you won’t do it, no one else will do it for you.
Roma’s Daniele De Rossi is a transfer target for Manchester City, should the 28 year olds contract talks break down. (Daily Mail)
Rumour has it that the midfielder is aggravated at the lack of progress in negotiations, with just one year remaining on the Italian’s contract.
A world cup winner in 2006, De Rossi has long been coveted by Europe’s finest, with Roma director Bruno Conti earlier this week claiming that the capital club previously turned down a £60 million bid for the Italian from Chelsea.
While many expect De Rossi to thrash out a deal with Roma, if talks do break down the player is now open to the prospect of a move abroad.
Roberto Mancini has pre-empted any such breakdown, opening the door to a possible move to City next summer by stating, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays in Rome, but if he doesn’t sign, City will be ready.’
Mancini went on to clarify that he would expect competition for the combative midfielder, ‘if one day De Rossi is on the market, Manchester City will try – like Real Madrid, Chelsea and all the big clubs.’
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De Rossi himself has kept a philosophical, if slightly frustrated outlook on the ongoing proceedings, with the Italian quoted as saying, ‘Things are at a standstill. There’s no hectic rush to get things sorted, but it is a little frustrating to be getting to January like this.’
‘If I was to leave Roma then my first choice would be to go and play football abroad. But if such a move couldn’t be agreed then I’d have to look to Italy. I couldn’t just quit football.’
The rise of Daniel Sturridge has been an important one for both England and Chelsea fans. Chelsea are in desperate need of a player to revitalise their aging attack and England are in desperate need of competition for places up front. However, there is more significance to Sturridge’s development than just his on-field performances for club and country.
There have always been clubs, like Arsenal are now, who have championed home grown talent over the spending of vast sums of money on foreign players. However it is something that clubs with mega-rich owners such as Chelsea and Man City have seemed largely uninterested in. However, in Daniel Sturridge we have seen a product of the Manchester City academy sold, regrettably for City, to Chelsea on the cheap. And come the end of January when Drogba and Kalou go to the African Cup of nations, Sturridge could be Chelsea’s most important striker.
It was interesting to hear Mancini say before City’s game against Chelsea that he wished they still had Sturridge:
“It was strange because Sturridge was developed in Manchester and someone let him go. For sure he was one of the best young players at City. It was not difficult to see he was a good player. If Sturridge was here today, he’d be in the first team. I’ve watched him many times and know him well.”
This is frank admission from the Italian manager and was hugely refreshing to hear from somebody who is involved with the world’s most extravagant team. But perhaps Mancini wouldn’t appreciate the Chelsea striker as much if he was still at City. I think it took Sturridge leaving for Mancini to remember that you don’t always have to buy the most expensive players to get quality. Sure, he uses Hart and Richards, but they were already established before Mancini got there.
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It is also an important lesson for Chelsea who seem incapable of producing their own talent (fine, quote Josh McEachran. But does he ever play?). Sturridge has outscored both Drogba and Torres this season. As much as for anyone, it is important that the owners of both clubs realise how good Sturridge could be. Despite being willing to spend huge sums of money, I’m sure that both owners would rather develop cheap home-grown talent if they thought it possible; now they know it is. This is important not just for the financial situations at the clubs but also for English football as a whole.
With the increase in foreign ownership (half of the Premier League clubs are now owned by foreigners) there is the very real danger that our academies will suffer, and subsequently our national side. Without being English the owners will, understandably, care little for the development of our young talent. That is unless it is in their interest as well. The more players like Sturridge we see coming through the ranks at major clubs the more our national team will benefit.
Having an influx of foreign money in to our league is perceived by many as an evil, but it doesn’t have to be. If it causes wage and transfer inflation then it is, just as if it stifles the development of English managers and players then it is also a negative influence. However if these club owners begin to value English footballers as opposed to simply valuing English football then we as a football nation can reap the rewards of their money.
Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
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Chief Arsenal scout Steve Rowley has advised Arsene Wenger to once again look at Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to reports.
Rowley believes the 22-year-old Armenian international could perhaps be the player to fill the midfield hole left by former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
Since his £5.4 million move from Metalurg to city rivals Shakhtar in summer 2010, Mkhitaryan has managed to become of the best players in the Ukrainian domestic league, and is viewed by many as a hot prospect in the European football scene.
Known as ‘The Maestro of Armenian Football’, the young midfielder would certainly add something to the Arsenal team, if Wenger decides to listen to Rowley’s advice.
Despite the £10 million capture of Mikel Arteta on deadline day, many (including myself) still believe Arsenal lack creativity in their midfield.
It is believed the north London club were looking at Mkhitaryan after Fabregas left for Barcelona in the summer and will heed Rowley’s advice of tracking him once again during the winter.
It is understood Shakhtar would probably command a fee of around £8 million if the Armenian was put on the market.
Could Mkhitaryan be the player to replace Fabregas and add some much needed creativity to our midfield? Possibly, he would certainly be considered a Wenger-ish buy by the Arsenal faithful, one who oozes class but wouldn’t command such a big fee.
Henrikh possesses great ball control, skill, agility, as well as superb vision and awareness. He may not bag a lot of goals, but he does have the ability to create them.
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The Armenian certainly looks a bright prospect, and I for one believe Wenger should definitely take another look at him before ruling out a potential move for the young midfield maestro.
Losing to a Cheltenham side heading to the top of the table, with a performance that was (in my humble opinion) far from the worst we have seen at the Moss Rose, is not by itself a disaster. Yet in the context of a run of form that has seen just one league win since the end of October, the result has triggered a burst of discontent amongst some of the more critical fans on the messageboards.
Six points from a possible thirty-nine looks bad. Mainly because it is bad. Extremely bad. But while managers can often be accused of making or exaggerating excuses for their failings, the number of injuries inflicted upon the Silkmen over the past months has been simply incredible. Only four first team players have escaped injury or suspension at some point during this recent run – enough to test even the deepest squads in the division, let alone Macclesfield’s resources.
Fans are looking for something else to blame, to an extent understandable. Screaming and shouting at a twisted ankle or torn ligament (probably) won’t change its condition. It is easy to become bored/depressed by the never-ending weekly casualty lists, no matter how accurate. And when looking for a target, it’s usually the manager who bears the brunt of criticism.
The main criticism being levelled is at Gary Simpson’s perceived negative tactics – playing with a lone front-man in a 4-5-1 formation put forward as exhibit A. This formation does not necessarily have to be negative if the striker is properly supplied and supported by the midfield, but too often in recent weeks he has appeared far too isolated and long balls have left Macclesfield starved of possession for lengthy periods of games.
Ben Mills worked hard up front on Saturday, won the ball in the air and came close to opening his account, but there was certainly a case that he needs someone alongside him. Tomlinson or Donnelly would have been useful if they weren’t suffering thigh and calf-knack. Perhaps better supply from midfield – Chalmers could have helped out here except for his pesky hernia. Or at least an energetic midfielder behind to support him -Draper would be ideally suited if his foot wasn’t in plaster. Even some of those making it onto the pitch were far from 100%. Injuries might be boring but they are also impossible to ignore.
I am not saying that the injuries excuse every defeat or that Simmo has got everything right. I understand and share in the frustration that having once again been just outside the playoffs we have slumped so dramatically – the promise shown evaporating into another season of lower table mediocrity. We all are aware of the limitations of running on one of the league’s smallest budgets but having seen the start made to the season, the slide down the table is doubly hard to swallow.
We have to have faith that things can be turned around and it does not have to be blind faith – the evidence of the good quality football and results this squad can achieve was there to see before this miserable run began. I would add things can only improve on the injury front but I wouldn’t want to tempt fate.
The team have jetted off for a short training break in Tenerife this week, part reward for their cup exploits and part avoiding the disruption of the British elements. The entire squad, including the walking/limping wounded, have travelled and we can but hope the warmer climes aid their recovery ahead of potentially season-defining matches against the league’s bottom two. On recent form however, don’t be surprised if someone snaps an ankle in a sun-lounger.
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Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has admitted that he has been given objectives for the remainder of the season by club owner Roman Abramovich, after the pair met over the weekend.
The Russian oil tycoon is known for his ruthless nature in dismissing coaches, with the Portuguese trainer under pressure to deliver success at Stamford Bridge.
The duo met ahead of Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, and Villas Boas knows that there is a minimum that he has to achieve this term to satisfy Abramovich.
“We know the objectives that we have to achieve, the minimum objectives, and we will try to pursue them in these last 14 games,” Villas-Boas commented to Sky Sports.
“We spoke about the preparation, of course, for the game. Roman is always very interested in the running of events and it was good for the team to feel his presence.
“We touched a little bit, of course, on next year’s project but mainly on that game. Roman is a very educated person to the cause of Chelsea Football Club and his aura is always present,” he stated.
Chelsea are currently in fourth place in the standings, but a title charge looks unlikely due to the points deficit they find themselves having to deal with.
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The ‘will he, won’t he’ Luka Modric saga of last summer looks to be one which will once again be rearing its ugly head during the next transfer window, as Tottenham look to step up their bid to keep the Croatian in North London. Spurs hardline approach through the pre-season calendar allowed them to keep hold of one of their prize assets, however it’s widely expected that he will become the subject of intense interest once again, and the White Hart lane club may have a tough job in keeping him this time around.
Chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be attempting to re-open negotiations with the 26-year-old hoping to secure a five-year deal between player and club. Modric however is rumoured to be waiting until the summer to decide where his future lies, with Champions League football not yet guaranteed and Harry Redknapp’s future at the club in some doubt.
Due to a stringent wage structure at the club, Spurs are believed to be offering a maximum £100,000-per-week to the midfielder, with a £3.5 million loyalty bonus. Despite this, Modric knows he is likely to be offered a much more lucrative deal from clubs such as Chelsea or either of the Manchester duo this summer, who are keen to add a player of such quality to their ranks. However, with Spurs hoping to make a continued and sustainable push to the summit of the Premier League, losing Modric would be damaging to their plans.
Players of such quality don’t come around all too often, and his abilities have been key in the Tottenham engine room, as ‘Arry has turned the club into a genuine force. So to lose him would smack as a negative statement from the North Londoners, who must do all within their power to keep Modric alongside Scott Parker in one of the finest midfield set-ups in the country. Although it may be an unpopular decision at board level to increase the basic wage offer, it could prove decisive in their ability to tie the player to the club, and even a slight increase would show Modric that Spurs’ ambitions meet his own.
If Tottenham were to lose their man, it could serve as the beginning of a slump for the club, who may subsequently find it difficult to keep the likes of Gareth Bale, should he decide to call time on his spell at the club due to a lack of ambition. As well as playing staff leaving, Redknapp himself may see any sale of Modric as an incentive to move on. Although the manager is enjoying his time in charge of the club, the vacant England role is one that interests him greatly, and if Spurs look in any way to be moving backwards, ‘Arry could be pushed over the edge.
It may go against the responsible ethos of one of the finest sides in the country, but to keep their playmaker, Spurs must spend big. It’s stick or twist time at White Hart Lane, with the future of Luka Modric likely to indicate just where Tottenham are heading.
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