All posts by h79snht.top

With no English teams remaining in the Champions League, Tuesdays and Wednesdays have lost attraction and now the fans’ eyes have to turn to Thursdays’ action, where Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle walk firmly in hopes of lifting the Europa League. The trophy would be a great success for the team and the country should any of the three manage to win it, but can it be considered a failure for English football if none of them do it?

Having a look at the rivals suggests that an English team should win it. Rubin Kazan and Basel were not – at least on paper  – clubs to fear even in a secondary level. However, while Chelsea seem to have solved their tie with a 3-1 in the first leg, Spurs have complicated theirs with a home 2-2 draw that will make it hard for them to book a spot among the last-four. Should Villas-Boas men manage to revert the situation on Thursday, there will be a good chance the Amsterdam Arena will be crowded with English fans on the 15th May, providing the semi-finals draw brings them luck enough in order to avoid each other,.

Newcastle have a hardest task to overcome to get through to the semi-finals. Alan Pardew’s have to overcome a 3-1 against Benfica, a clear contestant to the title. The Portuguese club joined the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona and Celtic, and counts with victories their five games in the ties against Bourdeaux, Leverkusen and Newcastle since then. Their league form is simply stunning with no defeats conceded in 24 games and the title practically secured.

The last tie matches Lazio and Fenerbahce, two two good teams but a step below Chelsea and Spurs. Therefore, the three English teams have a really good chance in this Europa league, although they should be seeing that as an opportunity and not as a burden.

The Europa League might seem a bland competition at the beginning, with early stages that seem to last forever and involve long trips that bring anything but prestige and revenue to the clubs. But when it gets to this point of the season, it becomes more interesting, and nobody doubts lifting the cup is a great success, regardless the status of the club.

In those terms, winning the Europa League would partially recover some honour for English football. But the Champions league fiasco – no English teams among the last eight for the first time since 1996 is a low blow – should be a wake-up call and explanations for why this has happened should be looked for, rather than looking for the solace that winning the secondary tournament can bring in the short-term.

Some explanations to the poor performance of the Premier League teams in the Champions League can be found in the competitiveness of the league. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern or Juventus can afford to rest players during league games, as there are very few teams that can put them in trouble. The Premier League offer far less rest, as one Sunday Chelsea have to go to Anfield, and the next one it is time to host United, or Spurs, for example.

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That only shows the good health of a very competitive league, and not many solutions can be provided. However, having a look at the season calendar could do. The congestion that having to cups – FA and Capital One – brings to the teams make really difficult for the top clubs to be competitive in every front. Adding up replay games instead of a simple extra time or penalty shoot-out is everything but helpful.

Having three semi-finalists in the Europa League would be good for English football, not to mention seeing one of them winning it in Amsterdam in May, but Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle should be just defending their pride and not feeling the pressure of having to save English football’s face. That may be a task for the FA, who by now should be looking for ways to modify the calendar and protect the top clubs and make them more competitive in the European panorama.

Frank Lampard believes that Rio Ferdinand is “not finished” as an England player.

The Manchester United centre-back pulled out of the Three Lions’ squad for the up-coming World Cup qualifying ties with San Marino and Montenegro, citing a personal training regime as his reason for doing so.

This snubbing of Roy Hodgson’s call has led some to peculate that Ferdinand’s days playing for the national team are over.

But, Lampard doesn’t think that the 34-year-old’s time in the national set-up is finished and that he could return at a later date:

“He is a top drawer player and he is certainly not finished,” he told Sky Sports.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of his future and where it is going, but the way he is playing at the minute, he is one of the top defenders in the Premier League for sure.”

Ferdinand’s withdrawal leaves England short of defensive cover, with Hodgson sweating on the fitness of Gary Cahill.

Joleon Lescott, Chris Smalling, Steven Caulker and Newcastle’s Steven Taylor have all been included in the squad, and Lampard is confident that there is adequate cover:

“These are the moments when you need a strong squad.” He said.

“It does happen in a funny way that you lose three or four players from the same position and that would test any squad, but we are very fortunate that we have got some very good young players and it will be time for them to stand up, and I am sure they can because they do it regularly.

England face minnows San Marino in the first of their clashes, and Lampard recognises that there is a need to be professional in order to achieve the desired result:

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“It is a game to be professional, where you are expected to win comfortably and don’t get much credit whatever the result.

“If we are disciplined and go about our job in the right way, then with the quality we have in our team with those attacking players you’d want to get the right result.”

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Wigan defender Gary Caldwell will be handed a crucial role in the club’s survival fight with Antolin Alcaraz out for three weeks.

The club captain had deputised for the Paraguayan earlier in the season when he spent a lengthy spell out on the sidelines through injury, and Martinez believes he will seamlessly slot back in to the backline.

A hamstring injury picked up by Alcaraz will see him missing for a large chunk of the crucial run in and possibly even the FA Cup final meeting with Manchester City.

The Latics have five games to fight for their Premier League status, as they currently sit in 18th spot and three points adrift of safety.

“It is vitally important to have Gary back with all the experience he brings and he looked sharp and ready for the end of the season,” said the Spaniard.

“Antolin had the scans and he has a bit of a tear in his hamstring, which is what we expected, but we got fortunate he stopped playing at the moment he did.

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“We will treat him and see how quickly he will respond but it will take the best part of three weeks.”

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The Liverpool tenure has been no easy task for Brendan Rodgers. Although the Reds have only managed to improve upon last season’s final standing by one place in the Premier League, the Northern Irishman’s inaugural season has been dogged with off-pitch complications and financial restrictions.

The papers have rumoured he will only have a small transfer kitty at his disposal in the summer, but nevertheless, the Anfield faithful will be expecting a handful of new recruits to raise the quality or add to the depth of the first team in time for their next campaign.

With every transfer, the planning behind the scenes, involving scouts, managers, chairmen, accountants and agents, has been going on a long time, and it will be no different with Liverpool’s future summer purchases.

Therefore, to keep you in the loop, we’ve created a shortlist of five potential signings already on Rodgers’ radar.

Click on Kevin Gameiro to reveal Brendan Rodgers’ summer wishlist

At some point or another, English football will have to make a move to separate the term ‘tactics’ with boring; they don’t have to have such obvious links. But David Moyes, in his first real test as Manchester United manager, got a result that would have suited him just fine.

The United manager clearly doesn’t have the charisma of Jose Mourinho, which was highlighted in the pre-match interviews. For the former Everton boss, it’s about efficiency over style, and that’s how he set his team up.

The first big clash of the season came so soon in the campaign that perhaps there was an opportunity to be adventurous, to make the most out of the creative and in some way fearless talents in the squad. Is this an indicator for what’s in store for the first season at least of Moyes’ tenure?

Wayne Rooney came into the side to make his first start of the season, and there’s a feeling that his inclusion was something of a safety net. What if Rooney were left on the bench and United lost? Even further, what if they were even more toothless than they were with the England forward in the starting XI? Whatever issues there are between the manager and player – and we’re led to believe there are none – were apparently swept under the carpet for another day.

But Shinji Kagawa, much to Jurgen Klopp’s heartbreak, I’m sure, remains on the sidelines of Moyes’ United team. The Japanese international, much like Juan Mata, would have injected some flair, further cutting edge and something far more interesting to the match, perhaps even a match winner. But this could be an early sign that Moyes is yet to shrug off the underdog mentality that he held at Everton; would Bayern, Juventus, Barcelona, or Real Madrid have been excused for playing it so safe at home to one of their rivals? Certainly the dullness of the affair would have been far more prevalent in the media abroad had one of the continent’s major twin hitters conjured something so lifeless.

You’d have to hope that Moyes wasn’t taken back by the occasion of playing against Mourinho, now the ‘older head’ among the obvious title challengers this season. United were good without being great. There was a lack of urgency and a lack of willingness to commit. If a goal came of something then great, otherwise at least there was enough to attempt to stem the tide from Chelsea’s attacks. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Champions League should United be drawn against one of Europe’s elite clubs.

A major test has been navigated without much damage, if any, and in fairness to Moyes he could still be searching for a level of comfort in the United dugout to unleash something a little more enterprising. That’s the hope at least. Manchester United, as the biggest club in England, surely can’t be defined by a fear of playing attacking football to its maximum and with the most obvious resources in the squad as the logical first steps.

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Is United’s draw against Chelsea a sign of things to come in the big matches?

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After impressing Arsene Wenger on a short trial, Arsenal have completed the signing of Bristol Rovers goalkeeper Matt Macey, The Metro reports.

Macey, 18, has signed a four-year contract with the Premier League leaders in a deal thought to be worth around £100,000.

It’s believed that Macey also had offers from Everton and a number of Championship sides, but opted to move to Arsenal as he has always had his heart set on a move to The Emirates.

The League Two strugglers tweeted yesterday that the move had been completed, stating: “Goalkeeper Matt Macey has now joined Arsenal #bristolrovers.”

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The 6 foot 6 inch shot stopper, who has already played for the Arsenal U-21 side is aiming to be Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper in the future, but the teenager will have to be patient as he will have the likes of Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski, Emiliano Viviano and Damian Martinez to get past first.

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Kyle Walker is a man who dazzles and disappoints in equal measure, a polarising force that is often the subject of intense terrace and pub criticisms. It may therefore come as a slight surprise that Tottenham have seen fit to tie the young Englishman down to a new long-term contract that will keep him in North London until 2019.

For all the prudence of Daniel Levy, the audacity of this deal may come as a blot out of the blue.

The Premier League club have shown their loyalty here, so is it high time Kyle Walker started repaying the faith?

I am maybe a little bit harsh on Walker here, at 23 he is still in his defensive infancy and much of his naivety is to be expected at his age. However Walker is a man with bags of ability and so many Spurs fans appear more and more frustrated with his inability to translate this into consistent performances on the pitch.

Whether it is a question of footballing intelligence or not, Walker continues to show lax positional awareness and often directionless attacking bursts. For a man who picked up the PFA young player of the year gong in 2012, fans expected him to kick on rather than to rest on his laurels.

On his day Walker is central to everything good that Spurs produce, an ever-growing relationship with Townsend that offers Walker the opportunity to overlap down the right and feed the array of attacking talents that Spurs now possess. Even defensively Walker’s pace allows him to screen the backline, so when the high line is breached you can always expect to see a rampant Walker chasing back to cover.

Regardless of his shortcomings, I do think Spurs have got it right by offering the youngster a new deal. In the modern game there is a worrying shortage of top-level wingbacks and for that reason Spurs are right to show some loyalty to the youngster. Beyond Lahm and Cole there really isn’t a long list of world-class names.  Fast becoming the undisputed England right-back and already one of the first names on the team sheet at Spurs, if the club play their cards right they could potentially have one of the worlds best on their hands.

I think this is the general feeling with Walker, a man with bags of potential but someone who needs the support of his club to help cultivate it. In AVB Spurs have one of the most highly respected coaches in the world and if anyone is going to help Walker become the player that we all hope he will become it is the Portuguese tactician.

Walker gave the response that fans were looking for when giving his reaction to the news on Spurs TV: 

“I’m very thankful to the chairman for giving me an extension on the contract and hopefully I can repay him by putting in the performances on the pitch and getting that top-four spot we need,”

“When I first signed here, when I was 18, I always wanted to make it a long stay,” he said. “I’ve given my career to the club for [the next] five years now so hopefully there’s a lot of medals to come with that.”

The club have shown their loyalty and now in my opinion it is time Walker honoured that by kicking on. A mutually beneficial relationship, Spurs will offer the platform from which Walker can finally emerge as the world-class right back that he should be. It isn’t an over-exaggeration to suggest that Walker will be central to the club’s Champions League charge and I’m sure if he can help the club pick up a few medals on the way their faith will be wholly justified.

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The importance of Walker is only evident when he isn’t there, Naughton is a capable understudy but like for like there is no comparison. When afforded space and freedom to run Walker is as dangerous a wide man as there is in the League, quick feet and an eye for goal he is the scourge of defences up and down the country. The area where he needs to work on, like much of the Spurs side, is in breaking down sides that place a premium on time and space. When pressed and harried the Englishman looks a totally different prospect, and this is some thing that AVB will have to work on.

Similarly his defensive resilience is often tested by sides that attack with comparable pace to Spurs, and Walker needs to quickly realise that this one size fits all approach doesn’t work. A dynamic and less one-dimensional Walker is a world-class option, something that Spurs need to realise fast.

Is it time for Kyle Walker to kick on?

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Liverpool owner John W Henry has confirmed that Luis Suarez did have a £40million buy-out-clause in his last contract, according to Sky Sports.

The club managed to hold onto their star striker, despite Arsenal attempting to sign the Uruguayan for £40m and £1 last summer.

Suarez made it clear he wanted to leave Anfield in the summer, but Henry sees the 27-year-old as a major part of the club’s future along with Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling.

Suarez was on target once again at the weekend in the 3-0 win over Southampton at St Mary’s, taking his tally for the season to 24.

“Luis Suarez is the top scorer in the English Premier League which is arguably the top soccer league in the world,” Henry said.

“And he had a buy-out clause – I don’t know what degree I should go into this – but he had a buy-out clause of £40m. So Arsenal, one of our prime rivals this year, they offered £40m and one pound for him and triggered his buy-out clause.

“But what we’ve found over the years is that contracts don’t seem to mean a lot in England – actually not in England, in world football. It doesn’t matter how long a player’s contract is, he can decide he’s leaving.

“We sold Fernando Torres for £50m. We didn’t want to sell but we were forced to. For the first time (with Suarez) we took the position that we weren’t selling.

“Since apparently these contracts don’t seem to hold, we took the position we’re just not selling and it’s been great for Luis, it’s been great for us, and what will happen at the end of year, I think we’re going to make Champions League and we have a small chance of winning the Premier League this year.

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“We have three gentlemen up front: Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge. Those three are young, and I think Luis and those three could be together for a long time.”

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Newcastle United’s hopes of signing Loic Remy on a permanent deal beyond the end of the season were dealt a massive blow last week.

Quoted in the Daily Mail, the French striker is claimed to have said “without being pretentious, I might be able to play for a bigger club, a top-five European club.”

With Alan Pardew’s side unlikely to overtake Everton in the league this season, Newcastle will not be able to offer the European stage that the player evidently craves.

Picking up from where he left off in Queens Park Rangers futile attempt to avoid relegation last season, Remy’s stint on Tyneside has only served to enhance his burgeoning reputation.

Free from the shackles of his rape allegation, the striker is likely to be courted in the summer by some of Europe’s finest clubs.

Pardew has recently described the striker as ‘hot property’ and already raised doubts about Newcastle’s chances of convincing him to stay beyond the end of the season. No doubt the manager will spend the rest of the season attempting to persuade his star striker of the benefits of signing permanently.

The unfortunate reality of the situation though is that from the player’s perspective, there is absolutely no incentive to sign for Newcastle on a long term basis. Where is the reason to stay?

The club’s non-existent ambition has been epitomised by transfer inactivity in the last two windows and an over commitment to financial fair play. With Premier League clubs spending millions to merely stand still, Mike Ashley’s reticence to splash the cash underlines his belief that mid-table mediocrity equates to success.

Last season, European football seemed to be portrayed as a hindrance rather than a privilege and an outcome which the club would like to avoid in the future.

For ambitious players hungry to achieve personal and team success, this vision for Newcastle United is a project that even the best salesman would struggle with.

The removal of the clueless and comically inept Joe Kinnear as Director of Football delighted the fans but will not change Ashley’s model for the club. For quality players at the club such as Remy, the overtures from elite clubs that will inevitably come will understandably prove difficult to refuse.

It’s not even as if there is the prospect of a handsome financial package being offered to try and tempt the player to remain at St James’. Money is more than capable of surpassing footballing reasons as the main motivation in a move but this is not a possibility that will be considered at Newcastle.

Ashley’s Financial Fair Play in a time of ludicrous excess is admirable but not a philosophy that will prove attractive to footballers, or indeed their agents.

The January departure of Yohan Cabaye and the farcical “attempt” to acquire Clement Grenier as a replacement will have done nothing to convince Remy of the merits of a move. As if it hadn’t been abundantly clear prior, Cabaye’s exit highlighted once again the club’s crippling lack of ambition and indicated a satisfaction with mid-table mediocrity.

Although it has always been the case for teams outside of the Premier League’s elite, it has become apparent in recent times more so than ever that St James’ Park is merely a showcase for quality players to enhance their reputations and earn more lucrative moves.

While Newcastle have profited immensely from an astute transfer policy in the European market, many of the players that they have acquired will surely see the move as a “stepping stone” for bigger and better things.

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Nothing that Ashley or Pardew have done in the last few years will have convinced these players to snub any attractive offers which may come their way.

Following in Demba Ba’s footsteps, Cabaye will not be the last of the foreign legion to move on to greener pastures. Rumours over the futures of influential individuals such as Coloccini and Debuchy refuse to go away and an exodus of personnel is anticipated on Tyneside this summer.

The desire from Newcastle for Remy to make the switch permanent is great but the reasons for doing so are not.  With the goals still flowing for him on Tyneside, Remy can anticipate a number of exciting offers in the upcoming window.

Don’t expect to see the talented striker amongst the very select few populating Newcastle’s arrivals lounge this summer.

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Arsenal are reportedly ready to go back in for Lars Bender, who recently committed to Bayer Leverkusen by announcing his intention to stay on at the club into next season.

Bender fits the bill for what Arsenal need in the centre of the pitch, also able to play at right-back. Had it not been for his current injury, the Leverkusen midfielder would be representing Germany at the World Cup in Brazil.

But Arsenal aren’t giving up on their interest in the midfielder. Arsene Wenger is in need of strengthening the team’s midfield with a high-class player of Bender’s mould. The club are also in a strong financial position to put pressure on Leverkusen to sell.

If Bender arrives at Arsenal, these are six players who could follow him.

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Click on Daley Blind to start the countdown

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Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas had a nightmare World Cup with Spain, probably reinforcing Jose Mourinho’s decision to bench him while the Chelsea manager was still at Real Madrid.

Casillas’ future with the Spanish club isn’t clear. He’s been linked with a move away since losing his starting spot to Diego Lopez, but the club do understand the significance of losing an icon like Casillas at this time.

But Arsenal are in need of a player to add to the goalkeeping department, with little else behind Wojciech Szczesny. Despite his poor form, Casillas would be an outstanding signing for Arsenal and a real statement. The only sticking point will be his wages. But there’s no doubt the Spain and Real Madrid captain will add a lot to Arsenal, both on and off the pitch.

Juan Cuadrado

Juan Cuadrado has been linked with a move away from Fiorentina for many months after impressing for the Italian side all season. He’s been a regular starter for Colombia at the World Cup too, only heightening the interest in him from around Europe.

Arsenal need a player like Cuadrado who can add quality in depth to the team’s attack. His pace and constant threat in front of goal would be welcome at the Emirates, with the club well short of players who can stretch the play and make good use of the playmakers in the team.

Arsenal will need to fight against reported interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, but the club do have the means to land Cuadrado this summer.

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Daley Blind

With Manchester United having completed the signing of Luke Shaw, they’re unlikely to require the services of Daley Blind, despite the Dutchman being comfortable in the midfield.

Arsene Wenger, however, sounded out Blind for praise following Holland’s win over Spain. Wenger is known to be in the market for a holding midfielder, and Blind was excellent in that position for Ajax last season. Blind’s ability to provide cover at left-back, with Kieran Gibbs regularly struggling with injury, could also make him an attractive option for the club.

Ajax more than likely expect another club to come in for the 24-year-old following his performances at the World Cup, while there may be few available who are better suited to playing in Arsenal’s team than Blind.

Mario Mandzukic

Mario Mandzukic was recently rumoured to be on his way back to Wolfsburg, a move that surely would have been them strong title contenders for next season. But that story was quickly squashed, leaving clubs outside of Germany free to land the Croatian international.

Mandzukic may appear similar to Olivier Giroud, but he offers far more than just a target man for other players. He’s arguably one of the best finishers in Europe when given an opportunity in the box, and he does have considerably more pace than the Frenchman, having played on the right of Wolfsburg’s attack during his spell with the club.

If Arsenal are able to land another forward who can play on the wings and inject pace into the side, Mandzukic would be an excellent choice to have as the team’s first-choice striker.

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Ezequiel Lavezzi

Ezequiel Lavezzi started on the bench for Argentina against Nigeria but immediately made an impact upon arrival onto the pitch. He provided balance to the side, where Sergio Aguero had been struggling in the shadow of Lionel Messi.

Lavezzi has been rumoured to be moving on from PSG for a number of months, with Arsenal listed as one of the possible destinations. The former Napoli forward can play through the middle, but he’d be acquired for his ability on the flanks. Arsenal need to add goals to their attack, along with players who can unsettle opposition defences.

Lavezzi hasn’t had the most consistent time in Paris, but he’d be a big help to Arsenal’s bid for the league title next season.

Seamus Coleman

Seamus Coleman is one of many right-backs said to be on Arsenal’s radar. If he’s on the market, he’d be one of the better options to replace Bacary Sagna.

Coleman is very good going forward, finding the net six times last season for Roberto Martinez’s side. Everton will do all they can to keep him this summer, likely leading to them placing a high value on his head that ultimately deters Arsenal. But with the budget available to Wenger, there’s no reason Coleman should be considered out of reach.