Posts Tagged ‘football’
McCarthy Comes Out Fighting Against Wolves Fans
October 31, 2011
Long-serving Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has shocked the footballing world by taking to the English press to launch a simply stunning attack on the club’s fans, the manager calling the group of supporters who chose to express their lack of faith in the manager last weekend “mindless idiots”. The manager clearly felt forced to react after some supporters used last weekend’s 2-2 draw at home to Swansea to ignore the merits of a Wolves comeback from two goals down to instead voice upsetting chants regarding the manager’s future at the club.
Immediately after the final whistle, McCarthy refused to be drawn on the events that unfolded during the game, but he has since come out fighting, defending his role at the club with admirable passion. The Wolves manager stated that, in his opinion, he’s done a good job since taking charge at the club but a run of five league defeats in a row has understandably placed him under severe pressure.
McCarthy continued to state that some sections of the home support appear to secretly come to home games hoping that the team they’re meant to support through thick and thin actually lose so that have an easy excuse to hand to moan and vent their anger at the man who bears the brunt of what happens on the pitch, the manager. McCarthy revealed: “I think they have short memories”. To be fair, though, the Wolves manager did subsequently state: “I’ve also had unbelievable support this week, from the players, everyone at the club”.
Even though Wolves are a side that, in the wider context of the Premier League with its array of cash-rich clubs in the upper reaches, don’t possess the greatest amount of individual talent on the pitch, they do have a couple of players capable of making the difference when it counts, including midfielder Jamie O’Hara and talented Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle. That said, though, the “great spirit” that runs throughout the squad, to use a phrase of McCarthy’s, could yet prove to be the crucial factor that decides the tight battle for Premier League survival.
Over the coming weeks, Wolves have a number of crucial games to contend with, including a clash at home against another side finding it tough to compete in the league, northern outfit Wigan Athletic, the weekend after this one, and McCarthy will be all too aware of the fact that he will need all of the club’s fans to get behind his players if they wish to survive in the top flight of the English game for at least another season.
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Bent To Step Up For England
October 19, 2011
Wayne Rooney has been handed a three-match ban for violent conduct by Uefa’s disciplinary panel, the members of the panel describing his kick on Miodrag Dzudovic last week during England’s 2-2 draw against Montenegro as an “assault”. The ban will keep him out of the group stages of next year’s European Championships, leaving Fabio Capello with a bit of a dilemma as he attempts to prepare his attacking unit for the tournament.
The decision apparently left Rooney himself feeling “shocked” and “disappointed”, despite the majority of neutral pundits expecting the association to hand out such a lengthy ban after observing the pure violence and mindlessness of the striker’s on-pitch actions. As for the England supporters, they’ve been left understandably furious at Rooney’s selfless “assault”, which has plunged England into an unnecessary crisis ahead of the tournament.
That said, not everyone involved in the world of English football is feeling overly anxious about England’s hopes of success in Euro 2012 without the involvement of Rooney. Alex McLeish, manager of Aston Villa, is one man who reckons the national side will be alright, McLeish stating this week in the press that Villa frontman Darren Bent is ready and willing to make the step up next summer by leading the line in attack for England at the finals. So far at Aston Villa, former Sunderland striker Bent has scored 11 goals in 22 Premier League appearances, and his previous five appearances on the international stage have resulted in a handy tally of four goals.
Bent may not have won everyone over since bursting onto the Premier League scene, but he certainly has the sort of all-round game that every player needs to make an impression on the pitch at international level, at least according to the Villa manager, who has watched his progress over the past few months very closely. The 27-year-old seems to have matured significantly since making his Villa debut and there is evidence to support McLeish’s view that the striker has evolved from being a mere goal poacher to a man able to turn the fate of a game by contributing for the team across every area of the pitch. McLeish stated: “Maybe because of the systems with one up front over the last year, people don’t see the other parts to his game. But I’ve been impressed by Bent’s overall play”.
With other striking options available to Capello including Peter Crouch, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, and Danny Welbeck, England certainly aren’t short of choice up front, but Rooney certainly hasn’t made England’s pre-tournament preparations smooth sailing.
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Javier Hernandez Rewarded With New Contract
October 17, 2011
Frontman Javier Hernandez has been rewarded by officials at Manchester United for enjoying a stunning flying start to his footballing career at the Manchester club, the Red Devils opting to hand him a new five-year deal that will see him placed on the same financial footing as the other high earners in the current United squad, such as Nani, Wayne Rooney, and Rio Ferdinand.
United have a policy of making sure that their most valuable players are signed up to long-term deals as soon as possible, in order to prevent the Premier League’s other big clubs luring star players from Manchester to new challenges. There are, of course, also constant threats from the major European clubs, with Real Madrid thought to be interested in signing Hernandez. From the evidence on show so far at Old Trafford since his arrival, the young Mexican striker more than fits into the category of United’s most valuable players. He scored 20 goals in his first season with the club, in a league where many of the biggest names in world football find it difficult to fit in for 12 months or so.
The player’s agent was quick to convey an element of the joy the player clearly feels towards the news, Eduardo Hernandez stating: “Both sides have met their expectations and United were happy to reward Javier after his very good performances last season”.
Although his name will always make headlines, it’s worth noting that Hernandez is not the first player at the club to be handed a new deal since the start of the month, with young English midfield dynamo Tom Cleverley agreeing terms on a four-year contract a few days ago. United officials are also planning on chatting to English striker Danny Welbeck over the next couple of weeks so that a longer deal can be agreed for him. Welbeck, returning to Manchester this season after a spell on loan at Sunderland, has slotted straight back into the United set-up, scoring a number of crucial goals since the start of the league season.
Even though the club have become renowned for their efficiency with choosing which individuals to grant new long-term deals, one player has been left unhappy with his contract situation. That man is none other than United frontman Dimitar Berbatov, who has fallen down the pecking order significantly since last season’s Champions League final and now seems to have fallen out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The Bulgarian player’s current deal will expire in summer 2012, so the next few months will be crucial in the context of Berbatov’s career.
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Redknapp Keen For Adebayor Stay
October 15, 2011
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has warned on-loan striker Emmanuel Adebayor that, if he wishes to become a permanent member of the club’s squad next year, he will need to be happy with accepting a significantly lower wage than the one he is used to now.
The striker has wasted no time in becoming an instant hit with the ever-demanding but loyal Tottenham fans, who have admired the pace at which he has managed to form an effective partnership with Jermain Defoe. Adebayor is now the club’s top scorer, with three Premier League goals to his name despite making just four appearances to date for the North London club, while a couple of astute assists have further emphasised his growing importance to the side. After finding goals hard to come by at times last season from their official frontmen, the likes of Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart were forced to bear the burden, so Redknapp will be all too aware of the importance of keeping the striker happy.
It would even seem that Adebayor has not been put off his ambition to stick with Spurs by the abuse directed his way by Arsenal fans, who seem to be finding it hard to let go of the fact that their former star striker signed for their bitter local rivals. This abuse aside, it would seem that settled life at Spurs suits the controversial yet undeniably talented 27-year-old, who found the turbulent spells with Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho and Manchester City under Roberto Mancini difficult to cope with on a personal and professional level.
That said, it would seem that the only stumbling block to a permanent move from Redknapp for the striker would be the pay issue, with parent club Manchester City currently paying the majority of his 150,000 pound per week salary. All involved with Spurs, including the manager, know that current chairman Daniel Levy would not be willing to pay out that sort of money.
Adebayor’s long-term future with Spurs aside, the club’s fans will surely simply be happy that the side is moving in the right direction up the Premier League table after a poor start to the season left them among the relegation-threatened teams in the league. Spurs are current sixth in the table after a recent run of good form, just behind Liverpool in the league’s Europa League spot, but with momentum going their way at the moment will be feeling fairly certain that qualification for the Champions League 2012/2013 is an ambition likely to be realised.
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Blues Gear Up For United Clash
September 20, 2011
Earlier this week, Chelsea’s assault on the 2011/2012 Champions League title got underway in quite some style, the Blues managing to defeat the young and relatively inexperienced German side Bayer Leverkusen, a side that included former Chelsea man Michael Ballack, 2-0 at home. Despite that, new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas didn’t wish to dwell on the potential repercussions on the European front of the win, instead moving on to discuss the Blues’ upcoming Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The start of the season has seen the youthful Red Devils squad play in stunning style, the team securing a 100% win record over four games while also managing to notch up a record number of league goals for this stage in the season in English football. Striker Wayne Rooney has carried over his solid form from the end of last season, scoring hat-tricks in consecutive domestic games, while Mexican player Javier Hernandez has also found the back of the net on a couple of occasions, the frontman excelling against Bolton. In light of that, Chelsea could perhaps be forgiven for feeling slightly intimidated ahead of their trip up to Manchester and Old Trafford this weekend.
Villas-Boas, however, was choosing to remain upbeat following the impressive victory over Leverkusen, the Chelsea boss stating that he will instruct his players to do all they can to win the game, rather than settle for the draw in what is always a formidable atmosphere. Although the manager conceded that his team’s opponents are currently in a “tremendous moment of motivation and flair and style”, he clearly has faith in his players that they will be able to rise to the challenge of taking on the champions.
Chelsea’s preparations for the game at Old Trafford have been further boosted by the mid-week performance of striker Fernando Torres, who had numerous chances to add to his sole Blues goal throughout the course of the 90 minutes. Torres did manage to set up both Chelsea goals and any remaining ill feeling from the controversial interview he gave to the Spanish press clearly dissipated on the pitch as he celebrated with his team mates following both goals.
Whether or not the newly arrived Villas-Boas will be able to win the mind games that will surely be set in motion between him and Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the masters of the psychological side of the English game, is a question that will be cleared up at the weekend, but neutrals at least should be presented with a cracker of a Premier League fixture between two teams in good form and desperate for a win.
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Aguero Lights Up City’s First League Game
August 18, 2011
Manchester City’s quest for Premier League glory got off to a stunning start earlier this week after the Sky Blues secured a 4-0 win over Swansea City, one of the three teams promoted last season from the Championship. The victory at Eastlands was made all the more impressive for the seamless manner in which a couple of new faces worked their way into the team, with Gael Clichy at left-back playing with real confidence and Sergio Aguero instantly finding himself a hero among the home fans with a couple of debut goals.
Aguero was signed by City boss Roberto Mancini during the early stages of the summer transfer window for a cool 38 million pounds, with City officials keen to strengthen the club’s attacking ranks. Despite excelling for his former club Atletico Madrid and looking every part the sort of natural finisher up front that has made the likes of fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez a success at Manchester City, some football critics had remained doubtful over the ability of the player to hit the ground running at a new club in England.
Such doubts were, though, quite clearly premature and unnecessary, as Aguero proved to be the shining star in City’s first game of the new Premier League season with a display of pure attacking class. Only moments after being introduced as a substitute after 60 minutes, Aguero scored with a neat finish from close range before setting up David Silva for City’s third goal. Aguero topped a fine performance off with a fantastic goal from range that left Swansea’s goalkeeper, who otherwise had a fine game, without a hope of making a save.
City manager Roberto Mancini has since labeled the new arrival at Eastlands as a “photocopy” of Romario, the Brazilian legend in front of goal, a man who (almost unbelievably) scored almost 1,000 goals during a trophy-laden career. It therefore seems quite clear, even for City’s numerous critics, that this could be the man to make the difference this season for a side desperate to win the domestic title.
As for the player himself, Aguero is clearly ecstatic at having made such an instant impression in a new country and at a new club. The player revealed after the final whistle that: “The start was really good and I want to keep like this. It was nice. I had a chance to play a little bit and I enjoyed it. I helped the team and I want to keep doing the same in the future”.
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Gabriel Obertan Joins Newcastle From Manchester United
August 16, 2011
French winger Gabriel Obertan has signed a five-year deal with Newcastle United after deciding to depart Premier League champions Manchester United. The former Red Devils man’s move up to the north-east of England is the latest in a string of transfers for a player who has never quite managed to fulfill the lofty expectations that were set for him during the early years of his footballing career in France.
Obertan joined Manchester United in 2009 after lighting up the pitch with Bordeaux, but Sir Alex Ferguson failed to see the level of consistency or flair in the player that would have made him a fixture in the Red Devils’ starting line-up.
His unhappy time in Manchester aside, the youngster remains hopeful that success will soon come on a personal level up in Newcastle. After the deal was agreed and announced in the media, the Frenchman stated his excitement at joining up with “a big club with history” after a fairly “difficult” two years at Old Trafford that saw the stiff competition in midfield crowd leave him stranded on the sub bench. With Newcastle manager Alan Pardew also stating his excitement at the move for Obertan, the former West Ham boss stating that the player’s “pace and excellent technique” were more than enough to justify the decision to poach him from traditional footballing rivals Manchester, the transfer could turn out to look like a turning point in Obertan’s career.
The news will have delighted Newcastle fans, who haven’t enjoyed the best of summers after seeing influential club captain Kevin Nolan decide to take a pay cut to slip down into the Championship to turn out for Sam Allardyce’s West Ham outfit, and have also had to witness the ongoing controversy caused by Joey Barton’s inability to keep quiet on Twitter.
With Obertan adding a fifth face to the four Frenchmen who have already signed for the Magpies during the summer transfer window (with those other individuals being Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux, Mehdi Abeid, and Yohan Cabaye), it could well be that the future for Newcastle lies primarily in the hands of a talented and hungry to succeed young quintet from over the Channel.
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Wilson To Manage Different Sheffield Team
July 23, 2011
This week in Sheffield, news broke to widespread disbelief among United fans that, shockingly, their new manager is going to be none other than Danny Wilson. Over 400 angry fans protested down at Bramall Lane in order to voice their discontent at the decision from the club’s owners, the supporters angrily chanting their thoughts for everyone around to hear.
You may well be wondering what exactly was angering the fans so much about the decision. The main issue surrounds the fact that Wilson has a long-standing close association with the close rivals of the Blades, Sheffield Wednesday, who had Wilson on their books as a player in the past before signing him on as manager. Wilson only played at the club for a total of three years before leading the side forward as manager for two, and Wilson ended his leadership of the club over ten years ago. Any close connection with the blue and white side of Sheffield, however, is always remembered among those belonging to the red and white side for a very long time.
With Wilson powerless in his ability to make the situation feel any better for the angry fans, the new manager is doing the wise thing by staying in the shadows while he prepares to do what he can to let his work on the training pitch with his players do the talking and provide his defence.
Sheffield United’s relegation from the Championship was the result of a torrid season of bad performances and uncertain management, the club going through three different managers, not including caretaker manager John Carver. Kevin Blackwell began his third season managing the club but did not make it to the end of August. Both Gary Speed and Micky Adams were given opportunities in charge but could not stop United’s decline into the third tier for the first time in 23 years.
The root of the Blades’ problem, at least as far as Wilson himself is concerned, is a lack of goal scoring ability during crucial games, with the side only bringing in 44 goals throughout the Championship season. With relegation came the inevitable shipping out of several players too, with the Blades needing to cut down on their expansive wage bill. With the likes of Jamie Ward and Darius Henderson sent to new clubs, Wilson will be relying upon the talents and experience of players outside last season’s squad to score the goals. Among his signings so far is frontman Chris Porter from Derby County. When the new season kicks off, Wilson will be hoping to put all of the controversy firmly behind him by winning over fans with results, and nothing else.
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More Youthful Talent Acquired by Arsenal
July 22, 2011
Ever since becoming manager of Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has made it his priority to spot youthful talent before bringing that talent in as soon as possible so that Arsenal officials don’t need to fork out massive amounts of cash for established players, as sides like Chelsea and Manchester City do with nonchalance. So, it comes as little surprise that Arsenal have just announced the signing of 19-year-old striker Joel Campbell.
The young forward caught the eye of scouts recently after his performances for Costa Rica at this year’s Gold Cup and Copa America. AC Milan, Juventus and Barcelona were all reported to be watching the young talent, which forced Arsenal to make their move and place a 930,000 pound offer. Campbell is being signed from Deporivo Saprissa, where he has only made three appearances.
Even though he hasn’t got a massive deal of domestic experience under his belt, the player has been called up by his country with regularity. In fact, the youngster helped his team progress through to the quarter finals of the Gold Cup. Sadly for him, though, they failed to work their way through the Copa America group stages, despite goals from him in both tournaments. His international schedule for 2011 is not yet at an end, with the Arsenal man now planning to compete at the under 20′s World Cup in Columbia.
The Costa Rican football league is not considered among the greats of the world so, despite his few appearances for his club, it is good for the young striker to be getting a lot of international experience as he will need it to face the pressures of playing in the most watched league in the world with Arsenal. It is likely that he will be sent out on loan before he is given the chance to prove himself with the Gunners in order to make sure that he is of the right pedigree.
Arsenal fans will be a happy bunch with this news and also the confirmation that the club have signed Lille forward Gervinho, as the Gunners need all the morale-boosting news they can get as they seek to move forward after a bitterly disappointing season in 2010/2011.
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The Upcoming NFL Season And Expert Football Picks
June 30, 2011
Now that a new labor deal appears to be in reach, saving the National Football League’s season, it is a good time to make a few expert football picks. There are many competing narratives for the 2011 season, and here are some of the more pertinent themes to follow.
Coming off an injury which occurred in the NFC championship game, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will be looking to prove many of his detractors wrong this year. Constantly accused of lacking the necessary heart it takes for a leader to will his team to victory, Cutler must take the next step this season if he is to rid himself of the loser label attached to him to this point.
Success at the draft can quickly turn a team’s fortunes around, and that is the case for the Detroit Lions. After many years of bungling the team’s assets and draft picks, the Lions appear on the verge of taking the next step, which would result in a playoff spot for this young and growing team.
In New York, the Giants will try to rebound for a collapse at the end of last season. “Big Blue” will find this incredibly difficult, as they will lose one of their star running backs, and Eli Manning will be forced to take on added leadership responsibilities.
In Philadelphia, the quarterback controversy which occurred last year between Michael Vick, making a remarkable comeback after his incarceration, and Kevin Kolb, is likely to be settled before training camp. Vick has a new contract to the prediction here is that the Eagles will trade Kolb, probably to a team in the AFC.
These are a few themes to look forward to as September draws near. With a new collective bargaining agreement in place by then, the NFL should have no shortage of varying predictions from sports commentators.
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