FC Utrecht striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel is reported to be a new target for Liverpool.
There are a number of top European clubs interested in Van Wolfswinkel, but it is thought that Roy Hodgson is trying to jump to the head of the queue by making a €9 million bid in January.
Van Wolfswinkel has been in fine league form for Utrecht this season and has scored 11 goals in 18 league games. He made his international debut in 2010 against Ukraine after rising through the Dutch U-19, U-20 and B teams.
Van Wolfswinkel has played against British opposition twice this season in the Europa League. He bagged a hat-trick against Celtic and gave Hodgson a chance to scout him when he played against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the month.
Liverpool’s league form has been erratic this season and Roy Hodgson knows that things must improve in order for him to keep his job. The Reds are thin in the striking department and with Fernando Torres struggling to find form this year a new striker could be just what the Anfield side needs to revitalise their season.
Here are Van Wolfswinkel’s highlights from Utrecht’s game with Celtic…
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In light of the riots, Spurs have been granted another week to bring in any new faces before their season starts. The North Londoners have been linked to half of Europe this summer but have failed to make any significant breakthrough in strengthening their squad. Levy is renowned for leaving his transfer business right until the last minute and this window appears to be no different.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Spurs blogs that includes Kyle Walker feels like a new signing; Tottenham’s success lays in its formation, while Levy should take the financial hit.
We also look at the best Spurs articles around the web this week.
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Should Tottenham take the financial hit to move on
Tottenham chief lays down the path for others to follow
What to expect from Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham’s future success lays in its formation?
Kyle Walker: almost a new signing
The psychological enemy within Tottenham Hotspur?
Keane and Pienaar must wonder if it was worth it
Ruiz reveals Tottenham talks
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Best of WEB
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Bilbao win sparks riots – Spurs Musings From JimmyG2
The Tottenham Prophecy – Part One – Dear Mr Levy
€26M Bid On The Cards – Harry Hotspur
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Tottenham Hotspur Season Preview 2011/12. Now Is The Time – Tottenham On My Mind
Ta-Da! The New Season Cometh. But What’re Your Hopes and Fears – Who Framed Ruel Fox?
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Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has stated that Chelsea are very unlikely to beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.
The Santiago Bernabeu head coach watched on as his side demolished APOEL 5-2 in Spain on Wednesday night to set up a tie with Bayern Munich, whilst the Stamford Bridge club play the defending champions in the last four after beating Benfica.
Despite the potential of Mourinho facing his former club Chelsea in the final, the Portuguese trainer feels it is unlikely.
“Barcelona are very good. Barcelona aren’t the favourites, they are super-favourites,” he told reporters, published by The Daily Mail.
“Let me be honest, I don’t think the final will be a Real Madrid/Chelsea final. It could be Bayern or Barcelona, I just don’t think it will be Real Madrid v Chelsea and we know why.
“Bayern is a very powerful opponent. It is a team I know well as it is almost the same side that I played when coach of Inter Milan in the Champions League final two years ago and they have great individual players.
‘The players and myself are looking forward to what should be a great semi-final,” he concluded.
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Mark Schwarzer’s proposed move to Arsenal has proved that there is no age limit for top quality goalkeepers. At 37 he is not a signing for the future, but as someone who can come in and make an immediate impact on first team affairs this is a shrewd move. In his fifteen years in England he has made over 550 appearances in the Premier League and has made his name as one of the most consistent players in the league.
But of course he is not the first goalkeeper to play successfully at the highest level past 35. The likes of Friedel, Van Der Sar, Hahnemann, James and Jaaskelainen are just some of the goalkeepers aged 35 or over who played in last year’s Premiership and all appear to have a good few years left in them. It’s not just a case of new diets or training regimes that is the reason why goalkeepers are playing until around their 40s. Zoff, Shilton, Ogrizovic and Southall are just a few examples of players having extended careers in the past.
Obviously though, the nature of the goalkeeper is slightly different from any other. As on-field players get older and they lose that yard of pace or those last 10 minutes of fitness they are looking at slipping down the leagues in order to prolong their careers. These attributes are not so important for goalkeepers; all a goalkeeper really needs is agility and judgement. It has been proved that both things of these can be maintained at a high level well into your thirties, and far from declining, they seem to improve with age. It makes you think how good Joe Hart can be in 10 years, or how good Chris Kirkland could have been if he’d not been ravaged by injury.
So when Arsene Wenger felt like he needed a new goalkeeper he didn’t want to take any chances. An experienced goalkeeper will not only benefit Arsenal and their title push, but the move must also be irresistible for Schwarzer who has been playing most of his career in the obscurity of the Premier League mid-table. It is notable also that, should Schwarzer sign, it will be a signing out of trend with most of Wenger’s wheelings and dealings – young players with bags of promise being the usual arrivals seen at the Emirates. So the train of thought that goalkeepers improve with age is a valid one, especially bearing in mind the mistakes Fabianski made in crucial games last year.
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Steve Bruce accused referee Stuart Attwell of gifting Liverpool a “joke” opening goal during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt put the Reds ahead in the fifth minute after latching onto Fernando Torres’ pass to sweep the ball home.
However, it was a controversial lead as Torres had seized on Michael Turner’s free-kick to run unchallenged on goal.
Turner nonchalantly back-heeled the free-kick back towards Simon Mignolet in what he later described as a pass back for his goalkeeper to restart play.
But Attwell agreed with Torres and Kuyt’s assertion that Turner himself had restarted play.
“The first goal is a joke. The only person who knew it wasn’t intentionally taken was possibly the referee,” said Bruce.
“However I watched him and he went to his whistle three or four times, he even looked for the linesman.
“Everybody in the ground knew Turner was kicking it back to where the free-kick should have been taken from.
“But to respond the way we did I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Two goals from Darren Bent – the first from the penalty spot – had put the Black Cats ahead at Anfield only for Steven Gerrard to rescue a point for the home side.
Attwell has found himself back in the spotlight again but a post-match statement from Professional Game Match Officials backed their controversial referee.
“According to the Laws of the Game, having stopped the game for any infringement the referee is required to ‘indicate the restart of the match’,” explained the statement.
“In practice, in the majority of cases, referees indicate for the re-start by gesturing to players to take the kick. These gestures can be minimal.
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“For the more important ‘ceremonial’ free-kicks, which also involve control of the defensive wall, referees can indicate by using the whistle. However, there is no requirement by law to use the whistle to make the indication.
“The ball is then in play when it is kicked and moves. So, in this case, the ball was in play as soon as it is kicked by a Sunderland player.
“Also, the laws state that the free-kick must be taken from the place where the infringement occurred. Again, in this case, the referee correctly determined that the free-kick was played from the right place.”
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Good grief. I mean, seriously, wow. The over reaction to Manchester City’s performance at The Emirates is unbelievable. A football team went to another stadium and played for a point and that’s it. You’d think they’d started a nuclear war, or been involved in an international drug smuggling scam, or put a cat in a bin, or something. Maybe that’s a slight over reaction, too, but, heigh ho, what’s good for the goose and all that.
I find it very amusing, more than anything, when the accusation of ‘anti-football’ is branded about. I have slated our own supporters for this when moaning about teams parking the bus. It’s a term of snobbery of the highest order and only cracked out of the cliché cupboard when a side has been dominant and failed to win. City fans did it when Birmingham came to Eastlands.
And now Arsenal fans are doing it when City went to The Emirates. You know, like it’s City’s fault Arsenal didn’t (couldn’t) score. It wasn’t Birmingham’s job to let City score, just as it wasn’t City’s job to let Arsenal score. If you have 68% of the possession, but only manage five shots on target, you only have yourselves to blame.
Defending is just as much a part of football as attacking is. City did the former very well and the latter took a back seat. It’s almost as if playing for a draw at one of the best clubs in the league is a crime. In fact, I was rather forcefully told by an Arsenal fan after the game that “even f*cking Blackpool came here and attacked” and, in fairness, he’s right, they did. And look what it got them: -6 in the Goal Difference column.
Does Arsenal’s FA Cup victory over Manchester United in 2005 mean less because they defended for 120 minutes and then won on penalties? Of course it doesn’t.
It seems though, of the comments (mainly on Twitter) from Arsenal fans I’ve seen about City’s choice of style for Wednesday’s fixture, most, if not all, have missed the point entirely. It’s all well and good saying things like “if that’s what £200m buys you, they you are welcome to non-football” or “Man City are the most boring side in the Premiership!” or “spending £300m+ and only getting a point, if I was a City fan I would be furious” or “I’m disgusted I paid £72.50 to watch Man Sh*tty park the bus”.
One fan went as far to say City played 12-0-0 because of the goalposts. I assume he forgot that the size of the goal doesn’t change each week and that putting the ball in-between the posts instead of onto them is a job for the attacking team?
The point is, though, (aside from the fact that the later the evening went on, the total City had spent on the team rose, it seemed, until it peaked at about £1bn – seriously), City don’t park the bus in front of their goal every week. In fact, it’s happened twice this season: Wednesday evening and in the first half at White Hart Lane. City may have the best defensive record in the league so far this season, but they have also scored more than, for example, Tottenham and, somehow, it’s Tottenham who are being portrayed as the free-scoring saints and City as the smash-and-grab merchants.
All good teams are built from the back; it’s the first thing a good manager gets right. Roberto Mancini seems to be getting it very right indeed and that the attack (with one or two exceptions) is coming along nicely too is the added bonus.
Continue to PAGE TWO…
City, like Arsenal, have put on some fine attacking displays this season. And they will put on some more as the season goes by. So they had to defend like beavers in order to secure a point at The Emirates. Off the back of four games in ten days, ten out of twelve points is a good haul, especially as the final game was the toughest of the fixtures. Total football was never going to be on the agenda; City have saved and will continue to save that for the teams it will be most successful against.
I also re-iterate the point that it’s not solely City’s fault that Arsenal didn’t score. Paying £72.50 for a ticket to a football match is obscene, but that’s not because your team didn’t break my team down. It’s because £72.50 to watch any game of football is obscene. And if you’re disgusted with anyone, it should be your own team for not putting one of their chances in the net. And for setting the price that high.
It’s not the away team’s job to entertain the home fans.
Hearing Arsenal fans complain about City’s style last Wednesday does feel somewhat hypocritical. It would be pertinent to consider their own club’s history of grinding out 1-0 victories by shutting the shop, pulling the shutters down and setting the alarm when having taken the lead before criticising.
I have been impressed with City’s defensive record this season. I’m not used to it; we’re more than halfway through the season and I’m yet to fully appreciate that, if City are under pressure with ten minutes to go, the chances are they won’t concede. For a City team to be playing keep-ball for the last five minutes while leading by one goal is unnerving. I’m far too used to panic stations, hoof it anywhere and defending deeper than a military submarine on manoeuvres.
If truth be told, I’m neither disgusted nor disappointed that City drew 0-0 at The Emirates. I would have taken it, if offered, at the start of the day. The manner of the draw doesn’t matter: it’s a dangerous game to play, because it could have been a disaster if Arsenal had scored. But they didn’t (couldn’t), so it wasn’t.
In fact, I was more disappointed with the result of the reverse fixture. City played some good football that day and were very harshly done to by a team that had a man more for 87 minutes. I didn’t blame Arsenal for getting Boyata sent off in that game because he got himself sent off. I didn’t blame Arsenal for taking advantage because I’d expect City to do the same. But I doubt it would have been such a clear cut victory had Boyata stayed on: it wasn’t exactly easy for them even with the man advantage and City could have scored on several occasions before the second goal went in.
At no point this season have City claimed to be title contenders, in fact, quite the opposite. When asked, both management and players alike have played down City’s title ambitions. It’s the fans and the media that have played it up. Sure enough, come mid-April if they are still where they are now, then they are very much in the mix, but right now they still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. Spending hundreds of millions assembling a team isn’t like playing Football Manager. Players won’t settle, high numbers of players in and out makes it difficult to gel a team, managers don’t know their best combinations… But, most importantly, throwing money at a club won’t win you the Premier League title. There’s much more to it.
Arsenal have been there and done it. City haven’t.
Least, not for a long time, at any rate.
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Just because X number of millions have been spent on a team doesn’t mean that they will suddenly go out and dominate. It’s taken a long time for some City fans to learn this lesson (and some still haven’t, judging by the people that sit near me – I’m looking at you Angry Lady). City are a work in progress. A work in progress that won a well-earned and hard fought point away from home on Wednesday evening.
It’s very easy to say that City won’t be title contenders because no title contender would park the bus at an away game. However, it is also worth considering that an entirely different title contender would break down a stubborn defence when playing at home.
Don’t blame the opposition when you don’t score.
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Uruguayan sensation Gaston Ramirez is set to be new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ latest target, according to The Metro today.
The 21 year old has been the talk of a host of top European clubs this summer, with Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester City all reported to have shown their interest in the Bologna winger.
However, Liverpool now look the most likely candidate to sign Ramirez, whose agent declared a move to England could well be on the cards. ‘Gaston is ready to leaveItaly– so much so I am in England for talks with a Premier League club’ announced Pablo Betancourt.
The summer has been a frustrating one thus far for Liverpool, having missed out on Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and then being unable to agree terms with Fulham for Clint Dempsey, Ramirez could be just the answer they are looking for.
Having been valued at £20 million, Ramirez still has 4 years left on his contract at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara but is more than happy to move to Anfield regardless, joining fellow Uruguayan Sebastian Coates.
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The move to Anfield could mark the start of a busy period in the transfer window for Rodgers’ side, as they also look to bring in Dorus De Vries from Wolves as goalkeeping cover, as well as Joe Allen from Swansea.
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy has spoken of his pride after watching his side beat Sunderland 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Going into the Molineux battle on the back of a four successive defeats, Wolves grabbed the lead through Kevin Foley five minutes into the second half.
But the Black Cats responded with Darren Bent and Danny Welbeck turning the tables only for Stephen Hunt to tie things up and fellow substitute Sylvan Ebanks-Blake left to finish off and seal a massive three points.
McCarthy also singled out George Elokobi after the full-back performed admirably slotting in at centre half, helping the club land victory for just the third time this season.
"I'll never have a heart attack that's for sure because if I would have had one it would have been today. I think we earned it, I'm really proud of them and the players deserve all the credit," he said.
"He's a good defender and I thought he had an outstanding game playing against good players as well.
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"They had Welbeck and Bent starting then (Asamoah) Gyan came on and I thought he had a great game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
On Sunday the unstoppable force will meet the immovable object in a clash of the titans at Old Trafford. When the Premier League’s top two clash it is a massive game whoever they may be but when the game is also a Manchester derby it is bound to be a battle of epic proportions.
There is no doubt that both managers want to win this game with the winner claiming top spot but Sir Alex Ferguson still believes that the biggest game in football is Manchester United v Liverpool, claiming that he has always “considered it to be the game of the season in English football”.
And despite his vast experience as a manager and unquestionable success, it is difficult to see why he thinks this Sunday’s game is not the biggest match of the year.
Roberto Mancini’s sit top of the tree having only dropped two points so far as their free-flowing attacking football lives up to the high expectations put on the star-studded side. While in recent years the signings made by Mancini and those before him have resembled a kid in a sweet shop, this summer has seen some very shrewd buys with top transfer Sergio Aguero making a bigger impact than anybody could have imagined, looking like a world-class player and making Carlos Tevez throw a tantrum in order to get noticed.
At the same time the arrival of Samir Nasri from Arsenal has allowed David Silva more freedom behind Aguero to weave his magic, while Clichy and Savic have given the Italian even more strong defensive options at a club that doesn’t concede many goals and Owen Hargreaves will give them the vital knowledge of how to win big trophies.
These additions have meant that the side Fergie’s men will come be facing is stronger than anything that City have ever had at their disposal and as the Blue half of Manchester look to claim only their second victory in the league at the Theatre of Dreams since 1975 and go five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
If City cross into the red half of Manchester and come away with victory, not only will they prove that they are capable of beating the big teams but it will send a message that they are ready to take over the mantle as the country’s biggest club from their closest foe. And it is this matter that makes this the biggest game of the season.
When a young Alex Ferguson trotted into the offices of Old Trafford his mission was to end the dominance of Liverpool who won trophy and trophy in the 70’s and 80’s. This instantly reignited the ferocious relationship between the sides that has lasted the past quarter of a century and although it took time, 12 Premier League titles later his side have now become the figurehead of the league while Liverpool have fallen into the depths of anonymity, living on their history to maintain a space in the footballing limelight.
Any match between Manchester United and Liverpool is massive because they are the two most successful clubs in the history of the English game and that rivalry will always remain but it is no longer a championship deciding battle. The title threat from the Merseysiders is now non-existent and despite the enthusiasm that surrounded the club after Dalglish’s appointed in January, the only thing that will enter the Liverpool trophy cabinet this season is dust.
They have been trophyless since 2006 and are shrinking more and more in their stature with the departures of big players such as Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso suggesting they are becoming a selling club and the overpriced purchases of Downing, Henderson and Carroll highlighting their desperation to cling on to the tails of the big teams. The only thing preventing total meltdown at Anfield is the support, which backs its team to the hill. Last weekends the home fans were more influential than the preverbial 12th man and spurred their team to a draw. Without that backing the side would be dwindling around the relegation zone as it was under Roy Hodgson.
While Liverpool have been falling City have been rising and our now in a position where victory over United could see them become the head of English football for the next 20 years. The Manchester derby has not been this big in a long time with City often fighting battles at the other end of the table to the Reds but the teams are now closer than ever and it is up to Sir Alex to take this threat seriously if they want to return to the top.
Although they come into the game as underdogs, Mancini has guided his team to victory over United in the League Cup and most recently in the FA Cup semi-final on the way to ending the club’s 35-year wait for a trophy. With one piece of silverware in the bag they are hungry for more and although Sunday’s game won’t decide the title race, it will be the clearest sign so far which half of Manchester may be celebrating in May.
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Liverpool versus United will always be a big game. History, traditional and the rivalry between fans will never burn out. But there is a noisy new kid on the block and on Sunday we will see why the Manchester derby is now the biggest game in English football.
If you want to talk about this topic or anything else to do with sport leave a comment below or follow me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.
One of the biggest shocks of the culmination of the transfer window was injury-plagued Owen Hargreaves’ move across to the blue half of Manchester. Having played just four times in three seasons for Manchester United, questions arose as to why Manchester City would take such a gamble on the midfielder. Since the conclusion of the contract, City boss Roberto Mancini has openly stated that the club only signed Hargreaves because he was a ‘cheap option’, which is not exactly inspirational news for the player to hear. So how should Hargreaves react to this confidence shattering statement?
After City’s summer of enormous spending and in light of Fifa’s financial fair play regulations, the club stated that they had no money to buy any more players, and would have to work with loan or free deals. Hargreaves provided the perfect bargain option for City, who promptly announced that they only brought the former England international in because they couldn’t afford Fernando Gago or Daniele De Rossi.
To find out that you’re somebody’s third choice, and have only been signed as a ‘cheaper option’, is not really what anyone wants to hear. Although Manchester City also praised Hargreaves’ quality, their statement just seems utterly baffling. For a player so short on matches and fitness, his confidence must be extremely brittle, and stating this in public is downright stupid, and poor man-management by Mancini.
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There is no doubt that Hargreaves is a quality player, and that he will provide strength in depth for City over a busy season for them. He gives Mancini a different option in the centre of the field, and will provide excellent back up for starting anchormen Nigel De Jong and Yaya Toure. However, in order to get the best out of Hargreaves, City need him physically fit, and more importantly, mentally strong. For someone with dented confidence after his persistent injury problems, and lack of a new offer from Manchester United, this is hardly the kind of statement that will inspire him to great things.
What Hargreaves has to do now, is prove Mancini wrong, and shake off the ‘cheap option’ label. He has to use the rather disrespectful statement to inspire him to perform to his highest standard, proving that he is much more than just a bargain replacement. He has to turn the statement into a positive and use it to achieve his best level. Perhaps it will even bring out the best in him, and prove to be a cunning master-stroke from Mancini. It is all about how Hargreaves reacts to it, and how he deals with it, whether in a positive or a negative way.
Certainly Hargreaves has enormous mental strength and resolve to have recovered and battled back from serious injury problems. However, the amount of time he has spent off the field is enough for little doubts to have crept into his mind. He bears the scars of the past, and is probably quite fragile right now, so statements like this and his omission from the Champions League squad are hardly going to inspire him to great things at City.
How do you think Owen Hargreaves should react to being labelled the ‘cheap option’ at Man City? Let me know your thoughts below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.
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