All posts by h79snht.top

Former Reading manager Brian McDermott is on the list of candidates to take charge of Championship outfit Leeds, according to Sky Sports.

The Yorkshire outfit are on the lookout for a new boss after Neil Warnock stepped down after a 2-1 defeat at home to Derby.

It was no surprise to see Warnock step-down at Elland Road after making it publically clear that he’d leave if he failed to get them into the Premier League, and although it’s not mathematically impossible to reach the play-offs, it is deemed an unrealistic task.

It now looks as though the Leeds board are setting their sights on potential candidates, with McDermott being one of them.

McDermott was harshly sacked from his job at Premier League strugglers earlier in the year, and was swiftly replaced by former Southampton manager Nigel Adkins.

Leeds are said to be looking for somebody who can lead the Elland Road outfit to the Premier League next season. Meaning that McDermott fits the bill exactly, having led Reading to the Championship title last season.

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Brighton and Hove manager Gus Poyet is also linked with the vacant job, however it’d be somewhat of a surprise to see him leave the seaside club when he’s taken Albion to the verge of the play-offs.

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Chris Hughton maintains there will be no psychological hangover when Norwich City face Aston Villa in a critical relegation match next weekend.

The Canaries boss was responding to questions about his Norwich side’s 4-1 demolition at the hands of Villa in the Capital One Cup back in December, since when City’s form has nosedived.

The spectre of former Carrow Road boss Paul Lambert hammering a nail into City’s coffin this season is already beginning to haunt Hughton after his side’s away defeat to Stoke on Saturday leaves them just six points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Hughton concedes this is “a nervy time” with his team having won just two league games since mid-December, and with only one win in their past eight, they are displaying relegation form.

But the manager is adamant that that Cup defeat, which ended a 10-match unbeaten run, will not play any part in the build-up to Saturday’s crunch home clash.

“It’s a massive game for us because of the fact we are playing a team around us, so there is a little more significance in the game,” said Hughton. “As for the game back in December, I don’t think it has any bearing on the one coming up.

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“You might have seen the away game [a 1-1 draw at Villa in October]. I don’t think there is anybody who saw that who didn’t think we were the better team on that day, so the cup game is irrelevant.”

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England have installed Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney as the nation’s captain for the upcoming World Cup qualifying clash with San Marino on Friday night.

With Steven Gerrard injured and Frank Lampard struggling with injury and unlikely to feature, Roy Hodgson needed another skipper to call upon.

It is believed that Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart was also in the running to wear the armband against the eastern European minnows, but Hodgson has given the talented attacker the nod.

Rooney has amassed 76 caps for the Three Lions, but this will be the first time that he has skippered the nation in a competitive fixture.

The Red Devils forward has expressed his delight with the decision, and is hoping to lead his side to a win at Wembley.

“It is a great honour. I’m really proud and excited. It will be a big night for me and my family,” he is quoted as saying on Sky Sports.

“It is a big challenge for myself. I don’t know what sort of captain I am and I already speak with all the players whether it is younger or older.

“But I will try and get the best out of myself and the other players – and hopefully they can get the best out of me.

“Hopefully it will be a great result for us and I’m looking forward to the game,” he concluded.

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Steven Gerrard will most likely return to the team against Poland and retake the captaincy, as his suspension for being sent off against Ukraine will have been served.

Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has insisted that he sees his long term future lying in the Premier League at the DW Stadium.

There was intense speculation in the summer that the Spaniard was set to move to this weekend’s opposition, before he decided to commit to the Wigan project.

The 41 year old insists that it is natural for a manager to consider their prospects at a football club, from time to time, but now he believes a bright future lies ahead for him with the Latics.

“Everyone has to consider their future and assess the direction of the football club. I am very honoured to be the manager of this football club. With the new facilities and training ground we are in a very good place.” Martinez told talkSPORT.

“I believe in building football clubs. You can only leave a football club when it is right for the football club for you to leave it

“I can never break that loyalty with my chairman, when I leave he will make that decision for me”

The former Swansea boss was also questioned upon what the key to his side’s late rally was at the end of last season and the Spaniard was keen to hail the successful change in formation.

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He added “You need to get the right balance with enough bodies forward and enough to defence whether it is 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1”.

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Manchester United have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowsi, after the clubs chief executive admits ‘economical factors’ will decide his future, the Telegraph reports.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long term admirer of the towering Polish striker and even personally went to scout him at the Etihad Stadium in October while he was in action against Manchester City in the Champions League.

Dortmund reportedly rejected an offer for the 24-year-old from United in August, the same month that Ferguson landed Robin van Persie from Arsenal. However the United chief still seems interested in bringing the striker to Old Trafford.

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With Lewandowsi rejecting Dortmund’s offers of extending his current contract which expires in 2014, the clubs chief executive has admitted that the right fee could prize their star forward away from the club.

“We will have to make decisions in this case at the end of the season. We may decide on economical factors.” Watzke said.The Polish international has a prolific record for Dortmund scoring 39 goals in 82 league games and it is understood that he is keen to move to the Premier League, with United his favoured destination. The Red Devils also signed currently injured Japanese international Shinji Kagawa from the German club in the last transfer window.A deal for Lewandowski in the summer looks most likely and if he was to join, he would add to an array of talented forwards at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Wellbeck, and Javier Hernandez already at the club.

Wayne Rooney bounced back from scoring an early own goal to score twice for Manchester United as they beat Stoke in a six-goal thriller at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side bounced back from a disappointing home defeat against Tottenham with an impressive win away at Newcastle before the international break. The Red Devil’s hadn’t lost successive games on their own turf since 2003 but must have been fearing the worst after Rooney handed the Potters into a shock 11th minute lead.

Paul Scholes, making his 400th Premier League start, gave away a free kick that was delivered by Charlie Adam and indadvertedly headed into his home net by Rooney with former United youngster Ryan Shawcross lurking behind.

Adam then forced David De Gea into a smart save and Jonathan Walters fired wide as the visitors looked to capitalise on their shock lead but were pegged back just before the half hour mark. Rooney atoned for his error to score head home his first Premier League goal of the season from a fizzing Robin Van Persie cross.

Van Persie then steered in Antonio Valencia’s centre to deservedly put United in front heading into the break extending their lead just a minute after the restart as Rooney took advantage of a napping Stoke defence to set up Danny Welbeck for his first of the campaign.

But the home sides defensive frailties were once again brought to the fore in the 58th minute as Michael Kightly bulldozed his way through four challenges before finding the net via the post to give Stoke hope of mounting a stunning comeback.

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Luckily for Ferguson and his players the visitors switched off again and Rooney was on hand to restore United’s two goal cushion and score his second of the game to ensure they stay hot on Chelsea’s heels at the top.

Theo Walcott wants his Arsenal team mates to try and ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger as he believes it is their responsibility to start winning, reports Sky Sports.

Arsenal were knocked out of the FA and Capital One Cup by lower division sides this season and face the possibility of finishing an eighth season without a trophy especially if they fail to turn around the defeat against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League.

Despite being unbeaten in their last five games and moving slightly up the table, it hasn’t silenced Wenger’s critics and the manager is still very much under-fire.

Walcott was interviewed for the Arsenal magazine in March and he spoke passionately about repaying Wenger for having faith in him.

“The boss has always had so much belief in me from a young age, but we haven’t won anything for a long time now, so we want to pay him back by winning something,” Walcott said.

“If we don’t perform he always takes it back on himself, but at times it is not fair because we are the players that go out there and do it.

“He definitely lets us know when we are not performing, though, which is the right way to do it.”

The Gunners have sold some of their best players over the last few years and this has had an detrimental effect on the team. Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are just some of the Arsenal greats that have left for other teams so they can achieve their ambitions.

Theo Walcott almost became one of those players to leave after he refused to sign a new contract with the North London Club but he appeared to have a change of heart last month and signed a new deal, stating that he now believes with the other English players that make up the core of the team, they can start to win trophies.

“Once the team wins the first trophy, you will start to see us coming back to where we should be,” he added.

“When your team is playing well it makes your job easier and when you are winning games it is fantastic to be a part of it. However, it is when things aren’t going too well that you need to stand out and get your team back involved.

“We have got players in the dressing room who can create something out of nothing, and I want to be part of that backbone.

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“I think we will get to a stage when we win games even when we haven’t dominated.

“We are starting to get there and as soon as we hit that target, I am sure we are going to be flying.”

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Athletico Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente has declared that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, according to the Daily Telegraph.

A host of Premier League clubs including Arsenal are believed to be keen, and are free to discuss terms with the forward next month.

The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour in Spain after attempting to force a move away from Bilbao during the summer.

His current contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he announced in a press conference that once his deal is finished he will be moving on:

“I am going to leave on June 30,

“I want to develop as a player and try something new.”

He went on to claim that his decision is not motivated by the financial benefits of joining a big club:

“It isn’t about money because the offer the club made was irresistible. The media have not helped with the negotiations and it is one of the things that has generated the bad atmosphere around me out on the pitch.

“This has encouraged me not to renew my contract; this and many other things.

“I took the decision when I went out for the first Europa League game at San Mames (in August).

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Llorente also hit back at rumours that he has acted in an unprofessional manner to force a transfer:

“Most of what has come out in the press is lies and this has turned people against me. This has meant when I run out on to the pitch people whistle at me.

“There is a sector of the crowd who do not want me but I feel loved by the majority.”

At every Premier League team, there are players and managers who divide opinion, among fans, press and pundits. But there are those who so often flatter to deceive, and yet are still held in high esteem.

There are some who can fail to provide a goal, an assist, or any sort of consistent performance levels, and still escape criticism on Match of the Day. It leaves you wondering why this is?

Possibly because they have demanded a large transfer fee in the past? Perhaps they are a select few of media darlings? Or possibly because they are living off past reputations? No matter what the reasons, there is a large number who remain playing and managing at the highest level, despite being highly overrated.

Click on Nani for the countdown of the top 15 most overrated players in the Premier League today

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Having just gotten over the shock of Chelsea sending out Michael Essien on loan right at the end of the transfer window without replacing him, the question of exactly what they were thinking letting go of such a versatile and willing player remains. But it cannot be ignored that what will turn out to be a major loss for Chelsea will be a huge gain for Los Blancos.

Essien has re-joined his ‘daddy’ Mourinho at Real Madrid and went straight into the squad for the game against Granada which was a must win for the defending Champions. Mourinho’s men have struggled so far in the league this season – despite beating Barcelona to the Super Copa – and an exodus of midfielders has occurred including not only Nuri Sahin but now Granero and Lass being farmed out due to not being up to the level Mourinho requires.

In Essien the club have found themselves a player that is trusted totally by Mourinho, who knows him well from his time at Chelsea, when Essien spent time in his preferred position in the middle of the park but also at right back and at centre half, where he certainly did himself and his club proud.

The player will freely admit that his career has been somewhat curtailed by injury of late and the troublesome knee issues have taken a toll on him, but Essien now feels that he is ‘fit, stronger than ever and ready to go.’ It would be understandable if the player had lost a little bit of drive but Essien is still more versatile and capable than most, with playing time being all that he needs to fully get back into the swing of things again.

The versatility of the player is vital for Mourinho, whose back four collect yellow cards and suspensions like a child gets sweets, and Essien’s ability to slip in anywhere has not gone amiss when thrashing out the terms of the loan deal. It does seem strange that after selling Bosingwa, Chelsea are now willing to let another player who can do a more than competent job at right back go, not to mention provide cover in the middle of the park.

Real Madrid will now face 20 fixtures in the next 90 days, and the depth of their squad is something that will come into play even earlier than many would have predicted. Last season’s Champions League campaign suffered due to the Clasico being right in the middle of the semi-final games against Bayern, and being in group D this season – a group that makes the tag ‘group of death’ equate to calling Iniesta and Xavi ‘alright in midfield’, players like Ozil, Khedira and Xabi are going to be called upon more than ever, the vital difference from last season is that now Modric and Essien are there to provide back-up – and back-up that Mourinho trusts, which is certainly something he could not say last season.

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Chelsea however have made a flying start to the season and despite a somewhat humiliating Super Cup on Friday, still look set in the Premier League – for now. Their problem will come as the fixtures pile up, and pile up they will with the World Club Cup still to play for in Japan, and something that they would have been looking to utilise a versatile and willing player in – sadly for them Essien is no longer available for this.

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