All posts by h79snht.top

After being without an international appearance for over 17 months, on Saturday evening at the Britannia Stadium, with seemingly little danger on the horizon, Peter Crouch skillfully juggled the ball and unleashed a spectacular volley into the far corner of the net beyond a helpless Joe Hart, delivering a potent reminder exactly why he is still England’s no.1 target man.

New School Target Man

After watching the Stoke City striker ply his trade in the Premier League for around 9 years I think it can be universally accepted by most England fans that though he may be 6’7, Crouch is never going to be a Duncan Ferguson.  Crouch is never going to be that brutish, old-fashioned British centre-forward that roughs up centre-halves, bullies them into submission and bullets headers into the back of the net.  Crouch is more of a continental style target man, relying more on his technical ability than physical attributes.  This makes him a unique commodity amongst the strikers of his type, being the only English target man more comfortable with a ball played to his feet than towards his head.

Technical Ability

For years Crouch has been subject of the backhanded compliment “He’s got good feet……..For a big man” when the truth is he has good technique regardless of his stature and is one of the country’s most technically gifted strikers.  Crouch may not provide you with the same heading ability as Andy Carroll, or possess the strength of Bobby Zamora, but in terms of technical ability, Crouch is without doubt the stand out candidate of the three.

Reliabilty

Amidst the toil Carroll has experienced at Liverpool and the disjointed season of Bobby Zamora at QPR and Fulham, Stoke striker Crouch has shown he is much more than a steady Eddie.  Across the span of His career the fans of the clubs he has played for would largely vouch for him as a reliable, quality performer.  Throughout the rigours of a Premier League season and on those big European nights Crouch has shown his quality.  Crouch is also a seasoned England international boasting a goalscoring record of 22 goals in 42 games whilst Carroll and Zamora are still unknown quantities, finding their feet at international level, holding only 5 caps with 1 goal between them.  Whilst Crouch may not consistently secure a place is the starting 11, as an England manager when you have him in your team you know exactly what you will get.

Seb’s Verdict

Crouch’s contender for goal of the season on Saturday evening served as a timely reminder in the mind of every England fan and potential England manager that he is more talented than the unspectacular Bobby Zamora, more reliable than young pretender Andy Carroll and still England’s no.1 target man.

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Read more of Seb’s articles at his excellent blog – The Drawing Board

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Hopes of survival continue to falter as defeat at Bradford pushed the Silkmen closer to the brink.

Barnet’s Friday night defeat had left the door open for Macclesfield to exit the relegation zone, but on current form the three point gap may as well be thirty. Confidence amongst the players and the fans is close to completely eroded.

The positives from the Crewe game were not built on and Horton did not even emerge for post-match interviews- keeping his players in the changing room long after the final whistle to pick apart the pieces of a dismal display. Of course it’s not over till it’s over, but it is looking increasingly likely that after fifteen seasons we will be back in non-league come August.

Traditionally this is the time for most teams to reflect back upon the season and nominate their player of the season. In our precarious position it is not the most pressing concern for Macclesfield fans and with the form over the last few months the question usually provokes a lot of votes for ‘nobody’. Even those willing to engage on slightly more detailed level will find their choices limited, not least by the fact that few players have stayed fit enough to have consistent runs in the team.

My personal choice would be Shaun Brisley. The (still) young defender has got his career firmly back on track and starting to fulfil the initial promise he showed when he broke into the first team. I was a bit concerned that we would struggle with Morgan unfit at the start of the season, but Brisley has really developed into a fine centre back.  Dominating at the back he spent the first half of the season alongside Nat Brown, forming the heart of one of the league’s meanest defences. A perfect candidate for player of the season. If only he hadn’t been loaned/sold to Peterborough in February.

Obviously some people have pointed the decision to allow such a key player to depart as one of the reasons for our current predicament. There is no doubt that Ben Futcher has not adequately compensated for the loss of quality at the back and if we could turn back the clock I’m sure we would all make a different choice – but how much choice we actually had in selling Brisley is up for debate.

It is one of the sad facts that a club of our size a means will always be vulnerable to losing our better players. It is as frustrating as it is necessary – with small crowds such profits are vital to our long-term existence. On the other hand it may also play a role in costing us our short-term league existence.

You could potentially make the case that the sales of Sinclair and Barnett should have put us in a position to refuse offers, but denying a player the chance to jump two divisions and vastly increase his wages is not necessarily constructive.  Also our financial strength is not as high as it might have been. Given the amount of players we have had to bring in – just look at the squad list on the back of a recent programme – a portion of this extra budget probably has probably been expended.

Perusing the alternatives for a vote will show that despite his early exit, only five players have made more starts for the Silkmen this season. Draper and Tomlinson are amongst the contenders, perhaps as a sign of how much we have missed them as much as what they have done on the pitch.

If results go against us it will seal our relegation on Saturday. If they don’t, you almost feel it will only be to prolong the torture. It will take a near miracle to save us now, there is still time for a miracle worker to step up and be remembered as the hero of the season. Still time, but only just.

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You can follow me on Twitter for even more Macclesfield discussion @AP_Macc

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Middlesbrough’s play-off dreams will come to an inevitable end this weekend as the gap between our promotion rivals is probably too wide to close. Although play-offs is still mathematically possible, it is expected that Boro, currently seventh, will be the team to just miss out on a top six finish. The most frustrating and disappointing end to a season since relegation in 2009 – which is just as hard to deal with.

It has taken me a few days to reflect upon Tuesday night’s draw with recently relegated Doncaster Rovers and the consequences. Failure to beat Donny and wins for Cardiff City and Blackpool has stretched the gap between joint fifth/sixth and Boro to four points. Only considerable cock-ups from the three teams above us is our only chance of any glory now but I don’t believe Birmingham, Blackpool or Cardiff are likely to throw it all away.

The Bluebirds face Leeds United and the Tangerines take on Burnley today and with our late kick-off  against practically promoted Southampton, Boro’s fate may have already been decided before a ball has been kicked. As far as I am concerned though, our rollercoaster of a season ended prematurely on Tuesday night.

Drawing 0-0 with technically the worst team in the league is simply unacceptable for a side trying to prove themselves in this division. No disrespect to Doncaster Rovers but we made them look much better than reality. But they definitely didn’t look like a side worthy of playing League One football next season and the same can be said for Boro and the Premier League.

Donny were a team under absolutely no pressure, enjoying some free-flowing football, whereas we crumbled under expectation. We were a mess from back to front, struggling to even string three attacking passes together – which didn’t bode well with the home supporters.

Some slightly naive fans may say we don’t deserve promotion following that result, and if you had asked me on Wednesday, I would have probably agreed. However, when thinking straight, it’s fair to say that we deserve at least play-offs. Tony Mowbray has done an almost faultless job since inheriting Boro’s threadbare squad of overpaid underachievers, following Gordon Strachan’s reign of terror. It’s a real shame that recent performances and results have blighted what was supposed to be our ‘promotion season’. People may have forgotten that up until the turn of the New Year, Boro dominated the top six and during March we were still up there. Fans obviously couldn’t help but feel that at least play-offs would be a certainty come May. This makes the disappointment even harsher and these final two games will be hard to take, especially seeing others around us succeed.

Over the past few seasons, seeing the likes of Newcastle United and West Brom bounce back at the first time of asking and others like QPR reaching the Premier League, whilst Boro were stuck in mid-table, has been difficult viewing. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t really jealous of Reading and didn’t envy Southampton, today’s visitors, for their accomplishments so far this season.

The Saints need to pick up three points today to join the Royals in the ‘promised land’, making it two consecutive promotions for Nigel Adkins’ side. Unfortunately, I can’t see past a win for the away side which will ultimately confirm their promotion and that we will spend another season playing second-tier football.

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At least I can see a team promoted at the Riverside this year, as uncomfortable as it might be. It will be impossible not to imagine that it could have been us and I’m sure there will be plenty of reflection following confirmation of our failed campaign. Boro have come so close to reaching the play-offs and potential promotion, but at the same time it’s so far away.

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Didier Drogba is set to receive a number of offers once his contract at Stamford Bridge runs out, with Barcelona and Juventus reportedly interested in signing the veteran striker, according to Mirror Football.

The Ivory Coast international’s deal with the west London club expires in the summer, with no hint of a renewal as yet.

It is believed that Chelsea want to sign a big name forward this summer, with the likes of Hulk, Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani linked with moves to the Champions League finalists.

However, after Drogba scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg, the Catalan giants have been weighing up a move to bring the African marksman to Camp Nou this summer.

Reports in the Spanish press indicate that Barcelona were pleased with their experiment of taking on Henrik Larsson despite his age back in 2006, and feel Drogba’s experience could be an asset to the club.

Meanwhile, Juventus are also in the race to sign Drogba, and are also looking to the Premier League this summer for transfer targets.

The Turin giants are on the verge of winning Serie A and reports in Italy suggest that Antonio Conte’s men have drawn up a shortlist of English-based strikers to try and bring to Italy, with a £35 million war chest to spend.

Drogba, Luis Suarez, Carlos Tevez and Robin van Persie are all thought to be in the Bianconeri’s cross-hairs.

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By Gareth McKnight

Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay has stated that he is looking forward to playing at the Camp Nou next season and will not be moving to the Premier League.

The wideman featured for Netherlands at Euro 2012, but did not have many opportunities to star at club level in 2011-12.

Afellay has been linked with a move away from the Spanish giants, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle all thought to be keeping tabs on the Dutch star, but he has revealed that he wants to stay and fight for a place in the Catalan starting XI.

“I can’t wait for the new season to begin, so I can get back on the pitch, and prove my worth for Barcelona,” he told Spanish media sources, translated to English by Metro.

Afellay has a contract with Barcelona until 2015, and as such is unlikely to leave Tito Vilanova’s men this transfer window.

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By Gareth McKnight

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QPR have announced that they have completed a deal to bring Ji-Sung Park to the club from Manchester United.

The South Korean midfielder moves to Loftus Road on a two-year deal after seeing first-team opportunities at Old Trafford dwindle.

Mark Hughes is delighted to have signed the energetic midfielder, and feels it is an important deal for the club.

“This is a real coup for QPR,” he told the club’s official website.

“We are delighted Ji is going to join us because his record speaks for itself.

“He has been a big player for Manchester United and played a big part in their success in recent years.

“He is hugely respected there because of what he has achieved, his application to his work and the impact he has on games.

“He was always picked for the big matches because they could rely on him, and we are going to reap all those qualities.

“I think it is fair to say Ji has been attracted not to where QPR are, but where QPR are going.

“We were able to show him where the club is heading and he embraced it. Ji gets what we are trying to do. This is a huge signing for this football club,” he admitted.

Park has also stated that he is looing forward to a new challenge and is excited about Rangers’ Premier League project.

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“The project was simply too good to resist and I am excited about getting started in pre-season and going on tour to Asia in the coming days,” the player confessed.

“I am joining a club that is very much on an upward curve – a club that has a very bright future.”

By Gareth McKnight

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Borussia Dortmund will not sell star striker Robert Lewandowski for less than £35 million, The Daily Mail report.

The Poland international striker has been a key man for the German champions over the last 12 months, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all linked with a move for the hitman this summer.

With Didier Drogba departing Stamford Bridge this summer the Blues have arisen as Lewandowki’s main suitor, with a speculated £13 million offer being cast aside by the Bundesliga champions recently.

With the west London club splurging on Marko Marin, Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne already this summer, Roman Abramovich will have to break out the chequebook once more if he wants to add the eastern European marksman to his growing list of superstars.

Dortmund want Chelsea to at least double their initial offer if they are to even consider selling Lewandowski, who has seen his stock rise after impressive performances domestically and internationally.

Manchester United were initially the side linked most with the striker but this interest is said to have died down, whilst Arsenal’s purchase of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud mean they will pull out of the running.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Barcelona are ready to make a move to sign Arsenal midfielder Alex Song this summer, The Sun report.

The Cameroon international has grown in stature at the Emirates Stadium in recent seasons, and as such has become an important figure in Arsene Wenger’s squad.

With Jack Wilshere injured and Cesc Fabregas departing this time last year, Song played a key role in steering the north London club to a third-placed finish last term.

The African midfielder’s progression has not gone un-noticed, and the Catalan giants are weighing up a £16 million bid for the enforcer.

The Camp Nou side’s first choice for a new defensive midfielder is Athletic Bilbao’s Javi Martinez, but the Spain international has made his intention to stay at San Mames clear, and Bilbao are asking an extortionate amount of money for their homegrown hero.

As such Tito Vilanova’s men are turning their attention elsewhere, and Song could be the latest target for Barcelona as they look to win back their La Liga crown next term.

By Gareth McKnight

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Olivier Giroud has insisted that he is not an ideal replacement for Robin van Persie at Arsenal, but will try his best to score goals for the north London club.

The France international moved to the Emirates Stadium from Montpellier this summer, whilst former captain Van Persie switched to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Despite bearing the goalscoring brunt left by the Netherlands international, Giroud has stated that his playing style is not similar.

“I am not here to replace Van Persie or to make people forget him,” he told The Sun.

“I am here to bring something different. I don’t have the pretension of saying I will replace him because I have every respect for him as he had an enormous season last year.

“I wish him good luck for the future but I need to bring what I can bring without being pretentious to say I am here to replace him. That would be very bad.

“I feel ready. Absolutely ready to assume the responsibility and make people say ‘yes, we have Olivier’. That’s how it is. If I didn’t think that I would never get my chance. If you sign for a big club it’s to replace another striker who leaves or you come and sit on the bench and wait for some game-time or wait until a striker is less efficient, needs a breather or is injured.

“Unfortunately that’s how it is football. Now I have a chance as Robin left. So I will get more time to play and I need to assume the responsibility. In fact, I must.

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“Because that is my chance and I have to take it. The ball is in my court and the show must go on,” he expressed.

By Gareth McKnight

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Belgium captain Vincent Kompany is proud to be part of the exciting future his nation holds.

Kompany’s country haven’t qualified for a major tournament since the World Cup in 2002, but are well-placed to change that with their current crop of young talent.

The nation boasts Eden Hazard, Moussa Dembele and Thomas Vermaelen among others and under-achieved in not qualifying for Euro 2012.

Speaking to The Daily Mail ahead of their World Cup qualifying opener against Wales, Manchester City’s skipper said, “I am proud of all of them. There are almost too many to name now, there are so many Belgian guys in the Premier League.

“When I signed four years ago I was the first, then [Marouane] Fellaini came just after that and Vermaelen. Ever since it has been a very good competition for Belgian players. Not only do we showcase our talent in the Premier League but I hope at international level as well now.”

Nine Premier League players are included in head coach, Marc Wilmots’ squad while midfielder Axel Witsel recently cost Zenit St Petersburg £32 million.

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