Andre Villas-Boas has emerged as a frontrunner for the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge. Interest in Guus Hiddink appears to have cooled in recent days and it appears that Roman Abramovich is prepared to pay the £13m release clause of Boas contract at Porto. He has been dubbed as the ‘New Mourinho’ and there certainly is a likeness in both manager’s approach.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Jack Warner resigns from FIFA; Fabregas doing all he can to move to Barcelona, while Alex McLeish is willing to meet up with the angry Aston Villa fans.
*
Porto’s Villas-Boas emerges as frontrunner for Chelsea job – Guardian
Warner resigns from Fifa – Daily Telegraph
Usmanov increases Arsenal shareholding again – Mirror
Capello had talks with Internazionale – Guardian
Pardew ‘not confident’ of Enrique stay – Daily Mail
Mancini could get Pat back – Sun
McLeish willing to meet angry Villa fans – Guardian
Fabregas ‘doing all he can’ to move to Barça – Daily Telegraph
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Liverpool look to Lyon’s Lovren but fear work permit problem for defender – Daily Mail
The Express and Star have regurgitated a growing rumour of the last few weeks that Norwegian striker John Carew could be off to the East London outfit. And despite Aston Villa’s lack of options in attack it would seem Gerard Houllier is desperate to get rid of the striker. The two do not get on ever since they were together at Lyon and it would appear neither is willing to put the past behind them. Added to this on £52,000 a week Carew is a drain on Villa’s wage bill if he is only going to be filling the bench.
For West Ham’s part they are in need of goals to help lift them from the bottom of the table, and prevent them from being cut adrift by the rest of the League. With reported interest in their current top hit man, Carlton Cole, from Liverpool they will need a replacement and someone with Carew’s ability in front of goal along with his physical presence he could be just the thing to start a bid for survival in the Premier League. However with debts of up to £90million hanging over West Ham they will need to drive a hard bargain, and question remain over the fitness of the big Norwegian.
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So will John Carew be swapping claret and blue this January – RATE THE RUMOUR
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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.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has urged his manager Arsene Wenger to spend money on bringing new faces to the Emirates this summer, and admits that the club needs additional strength in depth to challenge for honours in 2011/12.
The transfer window at the North London side has revolved around players potentially leaving north London, with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri rumoured to be following Gael Clichy out the door.
Arsenal missed out on Argentinean midfielder Ricky Alvarez, who chose to join Inter from Velez Sarsfield instead of a move to England, whilst deals for Gervinho and Christopher Samba have not been completed.
“We play great football but we might need a bigger squad. We also need to keep hold of our best players,” the England international told Sky Sports.
“The boss has said that he is going to spend as well and add to the team. That will be crucial. I will be very keen to see who comes and goes. As a team last season it was disappointing. We need to move that step closer and maybe should have done a lot better in the last stretch,” he continued.
The 22-year-old is also expecting a tighter race for the title, with the emergence of some big-spending challengers.
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“There are a lot of teams like Manchester City and Liverpool coming into the frame now. It is not going to be an easy Premier League. We need to concentrate on the future and hopefully it is going to be bright for us next season,” the former Southampton attacker concluded.
Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks is set for a two-month injury lay-off after breaking his kneecap at West Ham United last Saturday.
The 28-year-old picked up the problem during the goalless Premier League draw at Upton Park and he will now be out of action until the New Year.
Gilks has been in fine form for the top-flight newcomers and his performances were rewarded when Scotland manager Craig Levein brought him into the national squad in August.
But his international and domestic aspirations have taken a knock with Holloway admitting he is set to undergo the surgeon's knife.
"If you can believe it, he did it taking a goal-kick but played on for 20 minutes until half-time," said Holloway.
"We knew it was sore but, gracious me, how brave is Matt? It's bad news. "He is going to have to have it wired up and pinned up to get better and it could take a couple of months.
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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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I’m sure Arsenal fans are getting bored with being reminded they haven’t won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup final, so I won’t harp on about Arsenal’s lack of success in recent years. Instead I’m going to suggest the main reason why Arsenal didn’t pick up one of the four trophies they were in contention for this season, was down to their defence. If Arsenal had a dominating and commanding centre back in the team last season I think they would have ended their trophy drought. Due to Thomas Vermaelen’s long term injury Arsenal were left with Johan Djourou, Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny to marshal the centre of defence and there’s not enough quality there for a team who had Championship aspirations.
Arsenal’s centre back trio were erratic all season long and although they did put in some solid performances there was a lack of consistency. Arsene Wenger looked to address the issue in January when he tried to tie up a move for Blackburn’s Christopher Samba.However Samba decided to stay at Ewood Park and signed a contract extension with the club. The Congolese powerhouse may have signed a new contract in February but he hasn’t ruled out a move in the summer and with Phil Jones’imminent departure to Man United it could be enough to convince him to leave as well.
It appears that Wenger is aware of the defensive frailties in the heart of his defence and while I think he should have been more assertive in January, he looks set to put things right in the summer. Arsenal have been heavily linked with Samba and Gary Cahill in recent weeks and either would make a welcome addition to the defence. Both are quality tried and tested Premier League players which I think is of paramount importance as they won’t need time to adjust to the Premiership. I’m going to focus on Samba and why I think he would be an excellent signing for the Gunners and could make the difference next season.
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What Arsenal lacked last season, that Chelsea had with John Terry, Man United with Nemanja Vidic and Man City with Vincent Kompany, was a strong, powerful defender with determination, athleticism and leadership skills.Chris Samba is blessed with all of those attributes and he would add the steel that was missing in the Arsenal defence last season. A defensive pairing of Samba and Vermaelen looks a very tasty proposition on paper and would certainly rough up opposing centre forwards. Samba’s no nonsense defending and physical presence is a throwback to Martin Keown and Tony Adams who were so successful for Wenger in their time under the Frenchman. Adding this dimension that has been missing from Arsenal’s defence can only enhance the team’s ambitions of lifting a trophy once more.
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Arsenal are blessed with talent all over the park and if they can hold onto Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas this summer, adding a quality defender such as Samba to the mix could be the missing piece of the puzzle. There will still be many fans who think the goalkeeping situation is also an area of concern and even if Arsenal shore up the defence with a signing like Samba, not buying a quality keeper could still leave a trophy out of reach. Regardless of how Wenger acts in terms of a goalkeeper, I think buying either Samba or Cahill would bolster his leaky defence and make Arsenal more of a force.
With the recent release of Nike’s new football boot, as worn by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Mercurial Vapor Superfly II Safari represents a garish fashion statement and one that many people will treat as farcical. The era of bright coloured football boots has been with us for some time now and has been more or less accepted within the game without cries of laughter and ridicule emanating from those watching. This new launch by Nike represents something new, an evolution you might say, in which boots will become emblazoned with patterns and individual designs. This development got me thinking about how football boots have progressed from a simple functioning design into the aesthetic conscious designs we observe today.
With the football boots players wear can be drawn a certain stereotype or categorization based on that player in light of the boots they’re wearing. I’m not saying it’s true for all circumstances, but on the whole you can determine that, for example, if a player is operating on the wing then they will wear a boot that’s lightweight such as Nike Mercurial Vapors or Adidas F50’s. A striker will be much the same as a winger, whether they put emphasis on dribbling or not will add some weight to which boots they wear. This also applies to central midfield players who will predominantly wear more robust boots, such as Adidas Predators or adiPures and Nike Total 90’s. If a central defender then traditionally in England you’d be expected to strap on a pair of Umbro boots, but in general defenders will opt for the ‘no-frills’ boots. Goalkeepers are a totally different type of mentality and can be extremely varied, largely due to their gloves being more crucial to their role.
Now I know I’ve made some quite all encompassing generalizations but it can be used and is done so by the majority of players. For when a player wants to portray an image of how they play, they must first refer to their own conception of themselves as a player and then seek which football boots compliment that conception. This process then expands onto the pitch where everyone will make some sort of assumption based on the image of the opposing player. Whether this assumption is confirmed or revised is based on how they play, but it comes to show how much of an image conscious sport football has become and even at grassroots with children wishing to emulate professionals by having their boots.
Players such as Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and David Villa wear Adidas F50’s, whereas players such as Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard wear Adidas Predators or adiPure’s. The Nike contingent is made up of players such as Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo to mention a few. These players help to cement the form of player that wears which boot as everyone else will wish to copy the player, reflecting their position and style of play.
I remember when football boots used to cost little more than £50 when I was younger and as I grew up I saw the expansion of boot ranges that consisted of three different levels of the same boot and each having a different price tag dependent upon the quality of the boot. The higher the price tag, the better the boot as the marketing would lead you to believe.
At present there are five different forms of the Nike Mercurial Vapor, each having their respective price, with the top level costing an extortionate £274.99. This development has occurred over some twenty odd years and shows no signs of abating, especially when the belief that certain boots will enhance your abilities and cause you to improve. They may give confidence but stating this candidly, improvement comes from training, dedication and the player themselves and not which safari spotted boots they wish to pose in.
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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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Ray Parlour and Nigel Winterburn, English Premier League title winners with Arsenal, have called on Arsene Wenger to deliver next season.Frenchman Wenger led Arsenal to three league titles and four FA Cups in his first nine years at the club, but the team are now without a major trophy in their last six seasons.
Retired midfielder Parlour, who played in all three league championship victories under Wenger, defended his old manager’s record, speaking at the London Legends Cup on Sunday.
But the fans’ favourite also acknowledged the importance of improving on a poor return in recent years.
“In a way, when Arsene Wenger first came to the club the supporters got a bit spoiled as he continued the tradition of winning trophies,” Parlour said.
“But you also have to look at what else he’s brought to the club with a new training ground and the infrastructure for a new ground.”
“The last six years haven’t been great in terms of winning things so I think he’ll need to reassess things and bring some new players in over the summer.”
Winterburn was a member of Wenger’s first Premier League-winning team in 1998 and also collected the old First Division title with Arsenal back in 1989.
Formerly a left-back, he believes the time has come for Wenger to alter his long-term policy of relying on youth development.
“I think Arsene Wenger will change it in the summer and will bring in some new players,” Winterburn said.
“It’s a massive season for Arsenal next year and a big summer ahead.”
“I think he needs to bring some more players in and maybe let a few go. This is where the manager has to earn his money.”