West Brom are a step closer to replacing outgoing manager Roy Hodgson, as a second round of talks with Claudio Ranieri is thought to have been positive, according to The Telegraph.
The eccentric coach has been out of work since he was sacked in March by Inter Milan, but the Baggies board are eager to bring the former Chelsea boss back to England.
Ranieri had initially met with the Hawthorns club a fortnight ago, but was again in the United Kingdom on Thursday to meet with the Premier League club.
If Ranieri was named as West Brom boss it would be a major capture for the Midlands club, with the fans hoping big-name signings would follow in the wake of their reputed manager.
The Baggies are believed to also be interested in Birmingham boss Chris Hughton, however the St Andrews club will be very reluctant to part with their young trainer, and as such Ranieri looks like the frontrunner for the role.
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Daniel Levy has delusions of grandeur according to one respected Guardian journalist, who joined the growing pack of media wolves who are out to get the Tottenham chairman, following his decision to remove the Fleet Street darling that is Harry Redknapp from his managerial duties at the club. It is Armageddon time at N17, as the press fail to see how Tottenham can ever improve on Harry’s reign.
I have to admit that I am not one to normally get riled by media coverage or opinion, but the reaction to Harry’s departure got me shaking my head in disbelief. The sheer short-sightedness in their opinion and research I found absolutely staggering to say the least and the very fact they chose to turn a blind eye to key reasons as to why Redknapp was dispensed with, only cheapened their articles. I suppose the sheer shock of losing the only manager who gives the press the time of day has left them bereft and clouded their judgment on the real story that needed to be reported. Tottenham were never going to be sustainable going forward with Harry at the helm, largely because he was never going to conform with the changes the club needed to make, and because you could never be certain with the stability of the club, given Redknapp’s favourite pastime of jumping ship when a better opportunity comes along.
Why the media seemingly drum home the fact that we have finished 4th twice under Harry in three years, I believe a little perspective is needed on the quality of this achievement. There was a time when finishing in the Champions League was a tough gig; however over the years the doors to them have opened wider and any team that can show consistency has an outside chance. Newcastle being the perfect case point of a club that can get promoted from the Championship and within two years came extremely close to getting a top four place. Arsenal and Manchester United have arguably the two worst teams they have ever possessed in the last 15 years and despite the former losing over a quarter of their Premier League clubs, these two teams still managed to finish 2nd and 3rd this season. The Premier League isn’t what it once was and I find it amazing that the Press still look upon a top four finish with the same level of achievement as before. It is also worth pointing out that Tottenham had two consecutive top 5 finishes in the years prior to his appointment, so to suggest that Harry took a team from mid-table obscurity to the upper echelons on the Premier League is pure fallacy once again – why let the facts get in the way of a rag to riches story eh?
I don’t think there is a Tottenham fan, or in fact a board member at the club, who isn’t grateful for the work that Harry has put in over the last four years. The football has been absolutely fantastic to watch and we have witnessed some fantastic games, but the reality is that it isn’t football reasons why Harry Redknapp was sacked and I wish people who criticise the club’s decision would wake up to that fact. Tottenham are looking to restructure the football club from top to bottom, so you need everyone that is prepared to pull in the same direction. Daniel Levy needed to make a decision with the long-term future in mind, regardless of our current position.
The problem Tottenham are facing at present is that Daniel Levy is swamped with club duties. A lack of trust in Harry to conduct transfers and Redknapp’s reluctance to have a Sporting Director has meant we had a chairman who not only had to conduct transfer negotiations in buying players, but selling them as well. The role is too much for one man to conduct, so you can understand his preference to have a middle man installed to help out with this process. Another area of concern at Tottenham has been the lack of a youth policy at the football club with only Ledley King and to a lesser extent Jamie O’Hara progressing through the ranks to the first team. Spurs made a conscious effort a few years back to address this issue by deciding to build a new state of the art training and academy complex (similar to the one Manchester City are looking to build) in order for the club to start becoming self-sufficient (helping us adhere to the FFP rulings) and producing first team players from the academy ranks. Spurs need a management team that will buy into this philosophy of progression, rather than just throwing them in what the manager seems as pointless cup fixtures. Another important element of this development is Tottenham’s plan for a new stadium will come with a high cost, therefore the need for Spurs to remain competitive while working on shoestring (something we have to begrudgingly credit Arsenal for) is imperative and something that needs to be put in place, before the placing of the first bricks at the Northumberland Stadium Development are put in place. Like it not, but that is the way it has to be at Spurs if they are going to move forward, as we haven’t got a billionaire who can bankroll us going forward.
Why as football fans we only look at things in the short term, the reality it is that the club has to change its operations. UEFA’s new financial rulings, coupled with the pressing need for a new stadium has meant the club needed to make a change for the greater good. Harry has always been a short-term manager in his ideology and therefore isn’t the right man to lead what will be a long term project. The Press no doubt will take great satisfaction in taking a swipe at the club in the future if Tottenham drop out of the top four, but they unfortunately never look at the bigger picture and the reasons why Daniel Levy needed to make the change.
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Really, you have to applaud Arsene Wenger’s obstinate outlook on life. First he proclaims that changing his philosophy of developing the Gunners’ young players and scouting for bargain signings (despite spending spending over £20 million on Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud) is unthinkable despite seven years without a major trophy. Now he’s hoping that Robin Van Persie will do a Rooney type U-turn and remain at the Emirates Stadium as they prepare for make-or-break talks over his future. The Holland forwards very public disagreement with the clubs direction gave the impression that his bridges were burnt in North London and he’d be sold before the new Premier League season starts. But Wenger is still hopeful of persuading Van Persie to stay with the Gunners through the prime years. They always say the third time is a charm and after failing to use his powers of persuasion to hang on to Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last year perhaps Van Persie will be his ace in the hole.
This week on FFC does Wenger need to address his ideologies to take the Gunners forward and is the club in a more stable position than the media like to admit?
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Best of FFC
North London giants are in a far better place than the media will have you believe
Wenger’s Philosophies Must Evolve and Adapt
Why Arsenal must make an example of him
Could the Arsenal board learn a trick from Levy?
Is this really Wenger’s preference or has his hand been forced?
Would Arsenal benefit from their presence at the club?
Does buying these transfer gambles ever work in favour of Arsenal?
The prices Arsenal set gives fans every right…doesn’t it?
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Best of WEB
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One Of Us Speaks – Another Green World – A Cultured Left Foot
Should we fork out £23M for this Fiorentina ace? – Gunnersphere
Arsenal – a team with no core or backbone – Online Gooner
Why Gunners should go for Moses – Gunnersphere
Is our chrilden learning? – Arseblog
Time for decisive action from Wenger before these two get away. – Le Grove
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Intent! Potential signing that will make the big guns quiver in their boots – not!!- Highbury House
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Quote of the Week
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“I could have left 10 times to join another club but I didn’t because I have worked with the same vision and philosophy at Arsenal for the last 16 years, and that won’t change. Besides, money was never a motivation for me.” Arsene Wenger vows to stick by his Arsenal policies of investing in youth
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he is ready to let Dimitar Berbatov leave the club, and may well be upping his efforts to sign Robin van Persie according to The Daily Mail.
The Bulgarian forward has largely been a fringe figure at Old Trafford of late, and the Scot has confessed that he will be open to selling the eastern European forward.
“I do not need to herald the abilities of Dimitar Berbatov, he is a fantastic talent,” Ferguson stated.
“Last season he didn’t quite get the amount of football he wants. At his age, it was difficult for him to accept his position in the forward line.
“He had Rooney, Welbeck and Hernandez in front of him, and they are all young men. The boy has a future, but if he wants to leave it is a different matter.
“I am easy about it if he stays. I would be happy with that. But if someone comes in and Dimitar wants to leave, we will assess it,” the trainer confirmed.
Meanwhile, United are thought to have contacted Arsenal over the possible purchase of Van Persie.
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John W Henry has spoken openly about the huge financial challenge he’s been facing at Liverpool, admitting that Fenway Sports Group is still trying to repair the damage caused by the club’s previous owners, reports the Daily Mail.
It is just under two years ago that FSG took ownership of Liverpool, taking control after a disastrous reign in charge from Tom Hicks and George Gillette, who took the club to a high court battle and the brink of administration.
In that time, Henry and Liverpool chairman Tom Werner have done well to stabilise the club, and have injected large amounts of money for transfers. Now Henry has gone on record, explaining just how bad the situation was when FSG took over, and how much work there is still left to do.
“The best analogy is that you can’t turn an ocean liner around like you can turn a speedboat,” Henry explained.
“You could say it was a bigger challenge than [when we bought] the Boston Red Sox.
“When you look back from this vantage point: the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United – Liverpool isn’t holding up its side of the rivalry.
‘That is the way it was with the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Yankees were just completely dominant when we arrived here 11 years ago. We knew we could never be on an equal footing financially with The Yankees.
“But we had to do everything in our power to get on a level footing with them on the playing field. That was a tremendous challenge. As we started to close the gap, they built a new stadium. That was a quantum leap forward. This is an even bigger challenge.”
FSG has shown its shrewd business sense off the pitch in little under two years in the Premier League, and recently secured a £25 million-a-year kit deal with American brand Warrior. However, Henry admits this is just another step on the road to recovery after the damage caused by their American predecessors.
“Looking back at the very first day, I was trying to make a point then about how much of a challenge it was going to be because of the issues we inherited.
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“We had a lack of depth in the squad and some really high payrolls. We also had issues with the age of the players and so forth. We knew it was going to be very difficult. Tom and I went for a long walk and we had to make the decision ‘are we going to buy Liverpool?’
“We had to decide whether we really wanted to take this on, as we knew this was a huge challenge. A much larger challenge than any supporter could know. We had done due diligence and looked at how the situation was financially, with the player contracts and the youth system.”The further we went into it, the more sobered we were.”Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was also keen to dispel the myth FSG are at Anfield to make a quick buck, and offered his assurances that both him and John Henry are in it for the long haul.When asked if they were planning to stay for the long term, Werner said: “Absolutely. I know there has been some speculation about that. We read that.”We feel that we have work to do. We feel that we are behind – but we are on it. Do we feel that it is possible to get on a level with [the top European] clubs? Absolutely. We can close that gap and compete at the very highest level. Absolutely.”
With the Luka Modric situation still unresolved and Scott Parker out through an achilles injury for up to two months, Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas is keen to solve his midfield problems with the signings of Etienne Capoue from Toulouse and Yann M’Vila from Rennes.
Tottenham scouts observed Capoue play against Montpellier on Friday and then analysed M’Vila’s performance against Lyon on Saturday. Spurs have tabled a £12m bid for M’Vila, but Rennes are keen to hold out for £17m for the defensive midfielder. Both Capoue and M’Vila have represented France at under-21 level.
Playmaker Luka Modric has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, with the Spanish champions submitting a £25m bid for the Croatian international, who Spurs have valued at £40m. Croatian manager Igor Stimac has blasted Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, as he tells The Mail Online Levy “promised a year ago that if an offer came from Madrid, he would let him go. And when the offer came, he changed his mind.” Stimac says that Modric “hopes to move to Madrid. That’s all he wants – to go to Madrid.”
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.
It would have seemed a little pointless to send glowing praise Everton’s way had they started this season in their usual manner. Slow starts, big finishes, but not quite making the grade. This season, however, David Moyes has taken his squad of players onto a new level. They should have been knocked back by the disappointment of losing another one of their products from that incredible youth system, but they soldiered on and made this a squad that can beat anyone on their day. With a rocking Goodison Park, who’s to say Everton can’t make Champions League football?
The thing with Everton lately is that everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to praise David Moyes and his team. Iain Macintosh wrote a great piece—and fully deserving—on the unsung hero that is Tony Hibbert. It was fitting and not just a testament to some good work shown over the past month. If anything, Hibbert is the poster boy for Everton Football Club. The full-back is incredibly hard working, gets up and down the pitch without a fuss, and typifies the no nonsense attitude of his manager. Isn’t that the real embodiment of English fighting spirit?
It’s easy to talk about Marouane Fellaini as this beast of a player who can brawl with the very best and somehow manage to throw some continental style into the mix, too. But what about that ever-reliable goalkeeper between the posts? The best goalkeeper in Merseyside at the moment? Certainly the most consistent. What about that back four that can see players come in and out but maintain it’s hard working ethos? Goal-line clearances are the norm, but it once again sums up the never say die attitude of the manager and his players. And then there’s a forward line led into battle by a real predator in the box, a player who would fit right in at any of the bigger clubs in the Premier League, an absolute bargain of a buy from Rangers, and a player who should leave many, many managers and scouts wondering how they ever missed his undeniable class.
If that’s not a squad that can form a strong charge on the Champions League for next season, then what’s the point? Is this a league that has it’s mind made up in October or November like, say, La Liga? Should we dismiss Everton and what they genuinely are capable of just because it’s not really the norm? Tottenham challenging for the league title isn’t the norm, but people fancied a ride on that train for a while. Who told Chelsea they were allowed to overcome internal struggles, beat the best team in the world and see off a fantastic Bayern Munich in their own stadium to win the Champions League? It can’t be done, it really shouldn’t have been done. Shouldn’t we exercise a little caution when dismissing teams like Everton from making a real impression in the league?
David Moyes is one of the finest managers of the Premier League era in England. He could manage Manchester United one day, one day when he feels the time is right to move on. But taking him out of the Everton fold would really smack of something wholly disappointing. Why break up a project that’s been in the works for 10-years?
Wayne Rooney’s move to Manchester United should have set the club back, even with the injection of cash the player saw going in the opposite direction while on his way to Old Trafford. What about Mikel Arteta leaving last year at the last minute and with no hope or time or even cash to find a ready replacement? What does it tell you of Moyes and the great togetherness of Everton when Kevin Mirallas turns down Arsenal and Champions League football and big crowds in the capital for the blue half of Merseyside? It isn’t really a fluke or a mistake. It wasn’t when the club found Fellaini or Nikica Jelavic and snapped them up before the big guns of Europe.
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What’s the point in sports if we tell clubs or athletes that it can’t be done? This is a group of international players who are good enough to play at the pinnacle of club football in Europe, and definitely not only because there might be one spot in the top four that’s up for grabs. What kind of message will it send out to the rest of Europe about English football? What sort it message will it sent out to the rest of English football if Everton can land another Champions League place?
Everton are working to a budget, they don’t have the biggest stadium or anywhere near it. They will have to sell in order to move on, but that’s no worry, Moyes will just find another gem to add to his squad and carry on. But there are no real internal struggles at Everton, they are not dealing with players flirting with the big teams in Europe and, importantly, they’re all buying into the idea that David Moyes is selling.
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.
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.