Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed has criticised former boss Mark Hughes, calling the Welsh coach ‘an odd man’ and stating he has lost his spark.
Hughes surprisingly left Craven Cottage in the summer after stating he was not happy at the club, and recently slated the London outfit for lack of ambition.
The Egyptian businessman has hit back however in damning fashion.
“What a strange man Mark Hughes is,” an open letter revealed in The Telegraph reads.
“Sacked by Manchester City, he was becoming a forgotten man when I rescued him to become manager of Fulham Football Club.
”Even when results were bad, I did not put pressure on him. I gave him every support – financial, moral and personal. He received everything he asked for and more.
”He fully negotiated a two-year extension to his contract.
”On the day he was due to sign, he walked out without the courtesy of a proper explanation for such capricious and potentially damaging conduct.
”And now he insults the club that saved his career, claiming it lacks ambition and he insults the players as too old, even though they delivered an eighth position finish last season and a place in the Europa League.
”He is not just disrespectful but entirely wrong.
”Fulham has just announced plans for a splendid new riverside stand that will substantially increase the capacity of Craven Cottage.
”The playing squad has been strengthened with many fine young players and Fulham is progressing in every way, with an outstanding manager in Martin Jol, the man we really wanted when Hughes was appointed.
”Fulham will endeavour to prosper without him simply because, when the challenge came, Mark Hughes lacked the courage and commitment to take on the task of leadership.
”If people are looking for a flop, they only have to no further than the man who has lost his spark.
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“If ever there was a man [who] lost his spark, I fear it is Mark. I would feel sorry for him had he not acted so dishonourably,” it concluded.
Hughes has been out of the game since leaving the Cottagers in the summer, but is one of the favourites for the vacant Leicester City post.
Fast running out of superlatives for this supremely gifted young United centre-back. The question is not is this lad any good, its fast becoming how good… twice now in quick succession he has featured live on ITV and they’ve certainly not (despite the channels many flaws) failed to realise just how blessed they’ve been to witness the next potential English defensive superstar. It’s not ridiculous hype, this kid is very much looking the real deal and today’s coming of age performance in a potential cauldron of fire was immense.
He put his body on the line today – Numerous blocks from thunderbolts on the edge of the box were met with barely a flinch and his anticipation/bravery when going in for headers were amazing. When you then take into account this lads fast developing distribution, (actually more positive on the ball than most of our midfield) it becomes clear that this lad could arguably be the perfect modern centre-back, although he has to continue putting in this level of performance against much better opponents than Marseille.
Signs are he is more likely to get down and dirty than Rio and that he is superior in possession. He is purposeful with the ball, likes to keep the game moving forwards and attempts to find team-mates with long raking passes rather than just dwelling on the ball to appear skilful and then just laying it back to the goalkeeper under pressure. What he needs to demonstrate is that he has the same defensive prowess of Rio against high calibre opponents and that his reading of the game is as good as the guy he is meant to replace, one can’t argue with the fact that the signs are looking good at the moment.
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2. Midfield Breakdown (Literally)
After an initial 20 minutes in which some of our midfield play was reminiscent of that away leg against Inter a few years back at the San Siro, we were soon found wanting once again as we have so often been this season in the centre of midfield.
It was painful to watch and the culprit wasn’t the much maligned Darron Gibson who is so prone to blame that even if he was selected on the bench and the team lost, many detractors would find a way of producing evidence the lad produced a fart which distracted the players on the pitch and therefore he should be sold. I personally thought he did very well in the initial stages, was forward thinking both on the ball and off it (good movement to support the lone striker and made sure Nani always had an easy pass inside). He looked sharp and up for it but sadly his partner’s were so off the boil that the possession required in order for him to make a success of his role was non-existent and he was rendered ineffective for the majority of the game. It doesn’t matter how good a goalscoring attacking mid you are, if your game relies on others feeding you with possession… you are going to suffer, if they’re not up to their job. Lampard is the most similar player to Gibson and as they are both not playmakers, they suffer in a team that is not cohesive and rely on their colleagues to run the game whilst they go about scoring goals… clearly after the 20th minute, that did not look like it was going to plan and he was unfortunately hooked off for Scholes.
Fletcher started off brightly, full of archetypal verve and dynamism. Once a few errors were made on the ball, almost trying too much… he went into his shell on the ball and relied on his industry off it to mask what was fast becoming a mediocre display. He was over-hitting long passes and when running with the ball unable to release players in forward positions with his weaker foot instead having to go back and forcing his defenders to retain possession for him.
That said he wasn’t as bad as Michael Carrick who put in a dreadful display. I’m a big fan of Carrick in the Premiership and I’ve always questioned his ability with regards to being an international class creative midfielder due to his lack of footwork in tight spaces and lack of mobility on the ball. Despite these shortcomings its been clear that many misinterpreted or misunderstood what his role was at United, that of a defensive midfielder who would read the play break it and keep playing moving forward through a simple efficient pass forward to a more creative player. This latter definition is how I measure a good Carrick game, if he does that.. I’m more than happy and it is down to the likes of Scholes & Anderson to provide the creative input. Tonight however, he put in a non-shift rather like that night in 08/09 when we were destroyed by Barcelona, completely clueless on the ball, always passing it back, scared of the ball and relying on the likes of Vidic and Smalling to bail him out. His defensive positioning was generally sound as per usual but with Anderson out for a potentially lengthy period. I am rather worried with regards to our aspirations in the Champions League if the likes of Fletcher and Carrick don’t get their act together.
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3. Lack of Penetration
I knew it was likely to be a 0-0 as soon as Berbatov was being asked to play up front alone. Unless Nani scores or produces magic time after time, it is very easy to prevent United from creating regular goalscoring opportunities due to the fact that Rooney despite his improving fitness, doesn’t possess the agility to be a genuine menace on the left flank and Berbatov lacks the pace to get in behind defences and the aerial prowess to flick balls into the path of a Nani or Rooney when they make late runs off the flank. He’s basically a decoy forward, a guy just there to occupy space and its not the United way to not really look to be a goal threat and just focus on stifling opponents, we need to at least look dangerous on the counter if we are to progress against more potent sides away from home.
4. Lack Of An Away Goal… Dangerous?
• 99/00: Lost v R. Madrid (QF) 3-2 at home after drawing first leg away 0-0.
• 00/01: Lost v B. Munich (QF) 2-1 at home after losing first leg away 0-1.
• 07/08: Won v Barcelona (SF) 1-0 at home after drawing first leg away 0-0.
• 08/09: Won v I. Milan 2-0 at home after drawing first leg away 0-0.
So I’ve been having a look at our CL campaigns since 1999, to see if the lack of an away goal would have any significance in the second leg. Well as you can tell from the stats, its pretty inconclusive.. if anything it suggests that United are a more solid outfit in general these days, less likely to go overly gung-ho at home in order to compensate for the lack of an away goal and more measured in their approach. So hopefully this conclusion can wipe the smile of Deschamps face and prove that Fergie was right to be content with that result and the side he put out.
That said in the second leg, we mustn’t forget that Valbuena and Gignac (the French Higuain – even though Gonzalo could’ve played for France himself) will both be back barring further injury and provide a genuine bite to Marseille’s counter-attack. Will be interesting to see how highly Fergie rates their capability to get a goal at Old Trafford and whether he’ll treat it as a one-off cup tie where he expects us to just score more goals than them or whether he’ll adopt a more clinical approach and rely on keeping tight and getting a goal through a moment of magic/set piece.. for the sake of entertainment I hope its the former.
5. Opposition MOTM: Andre Ayew
The son of 3 Time African Footballer Of The Year Abide Pele, this lad clearly has quite a pedigree to live up to. Some of you might remember him for providing the assist for the game-winning goal scored by Asamoah Gyan in the World Cup for Ghana against the USA after sending a lob pass into the United States defence, which Gyan collected and then converted. For his performance in the match, Ayew was named Man of the Match by FIFA. Sadly for him and his nation, Ayew missed the team’s quarter-final defeat on penalties to Uruguay due to yellow card accumulation robbing them of a genuine match-winner.
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After having signed a new contract this season, he has settled now and is seen as a key figure in the first-team set up and we saw why today.. barely 21, he has that raw direct dribbling style reminiscent of Charles N’Zogbia, not afraid to go into areas that most conservative wingers, stay away from and unless you’re Ryan Giggs succeed in. He looked a menace and whilst his end product is lacking for now, if he can develop a right foot and learn how to make the most out of defenders backing off him, he could win himself a move to a bigger club.
Conclusion:
One of those displays where despite our mediocrity in midfield, we should still have expected to brought home a lead. It’s hard to tell how this game will go but I’m hoping we’ll just be positive and relieve some pressure off our midfield and surround them with attacking talent capable of putting this decent but not frightening Marseille side to the sword.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has admitted he will have to reduce the size of his first-team squad before he can bring in any fresh faces this summer.
Bruce spent heavily during the last off-season to bring the likes of Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole, Fraizer Campbell and Michael Turner to the Stadium of Light.
But with the wage bill at the Wearside club in need of trimming, Bruce has admitted he is looking to offload some fringe members of his squad when the transfer window reopens in July.
"There's not much I'm certain about when it comes to the transfer market, but one thing I do know is that, by the end of it, there will be more players going out than coming in," he told the Sunderland Echo.
"It'll be nothing like last summer when we had stacks of players going out and stacks of players coming in.
"I can't ever envisage doing anything like that again in my time here at this club.
"We're in an area at the moment where we are going for quality rather than quantity, so you are looking at a handful of players, who won't come cheap, but will hopefully take us onto the next level.
"Part of the overall strategy, though, is to ensure that we don't carry surplus players who would have more chances elsewhere.
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"I don't want to go into detail, but there would be a significant saving in wages if we were able to move on a number of players who are free to find other clubs.
"The owner has been very generous with his funding but we can't expect him to keep putting his hand in his pocket. "Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City have edged a five-goal thriller in the Community Shield, beating Chelsea 3-2 on Sunday at Villa Park.
The Blues took the led after 40 minutes, with Fernando Torres opening the scoring, only to be reduced to ten men soon after as Branislav Ivanovic was dismissed.
Three goals in 12 second-half minutes decided the game in the Etihad Stadium side’s favour, as Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri all scored before a Ryan Bertrand consolation.
Roberto Mancini feels his side were good value for their triumph, but conceded that the red card had an impact on the game.
“It was a good performance. When Chelsea were leading 1-0, we played better,” the Italian trainer told Sky Sports.
“With the sending-off, it was difficult to see from the bench but it is an advantage to play with an extra player.
“It had an impact on the game. It is impossible to say no because 11 versus 11 is different. But we played better than Chelsea, played better football,” he opined.
Roberto Di Matteo defended Ivanovic for the challenge on Aleksandar Kolarov that saw the Serbian dismissed.
“It changed the game in favour of Manchester City. We competed very well and at that point were in the lead,” the Blues boss confessed.
“It was difficult in the second half against 10 men.
“The challenge had no intent to hurt the opposition. It was a sliding tackle and he got the ball as well.
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“Sometimes a red card is given in those circumstances, sometimes it is not. But there was no intention to harm the opponent,” Di Matteo concluded.
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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Liverpool defender Daniel Agger believes Kenny Dalglish’s influence on the Anfield club is the reason for their resurgence this season.
Following the sacking of Roy Hodgson last month, Dalglish returned for a second managerial stint with theMerseyside giants and the 59-year-old Scot has turned their fortunes around.
Dalglish’s first league game in charge resulted in a 2-1 loss to Blackpool, but Liverpool have since gone unbeaten in five English Premier League matches.
They have won four games in succession, culminating with Sunday’s 1-0 triumph over champions Chelsea, and sit in sixth having lingered above the relegation places earlier in the season.
Despite the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea in a 50-million-pound deal, Agger insists the mood in the camp is buoyant and credits much of that to Dalglish’s involvement.
“A big part of it is Kenny and (his assistant) Steve Clarke. They have made a major difference,” Agger said.
“But it is also something to do with confidence, because it is the same footballers as before.”
“Confidence can win you games and somehow Kenny and Steve have put the confidence back in the players and the belief.”
“I think we have shown that definitely in the last four games. It is looking good, although there is still a long way to go.”
Agger said Dalglish, who scored 112 goals for Celtic and 118 for Liverpool in a 21-year playing career, had tried to instil an attacking mindset since his arrival at Anfield.
“He is a positive guy. In football terms, he is positive,” he said.
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“First of all because he likes to play positive football, going forward, and keeping the ball on the ground and I think he is good among the players.”
“The training sessions have been really good and I think everything starts at the training ground.”
“If you can get that right you have a big advantage in the games.”
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.
Tottenham midfielder Sandro has signed a new contract at White Hart Lane that will keep him at the club until July 2016.
The Brazil international impressed in his first season in England last term, and has been linked with a move to AC Milan and Roma.
Despite this, the South American has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him in North London for a further five years.
“The club is delighted to announce that Sandro has signed a new five-year contract which runs until 2016,” an announcement on the side’s official website read.
Sandro is currently recovering from a knee injury that he picked up whilst on international duty with Brazil during the Copa America.
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has stated that a January move for Spurs playmaker Luka Modric is unlikely.
The Croatia international was the subject of at least three bids from the Stamford Bridge outfit over the summer, with Spurs turning down a deadline day offer of £40million for the midfielder; the Chelsea boss believes their interest may end there.
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“No I don’t think so. The market is closed and I won’t speculate what happens in January,” he told Sky Sports News when asked about Modric’s future.
Harry Redknapp doesn’t like the term wheeler dealer, although it remains to be seen whether Tottenham will be partaking in any last minute dealings within the next 48hours. With a strike-force that has only accumulated six Premier League goals between them this season, few would be surprised if the North Londoners don’t look to add at least one striker to their roster by Monday night.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Tottenham blogs that include time Keane moved on; Tottenham need to take a transfer splash, while Levy gamble’s with eviction notice.
We also look at the best Tottenham articles around the web this week.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys starring in…
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TEN things we can guarantee on Transfer deadline day
Time Tottenham star put himself out of his misery
An unenviable decision that Harry Redknapp has to make
The answer to Tottenham’s prayers…and England’s?
Tottenham gamble with eviction notice
Will Tottenham fans shed a tear if he was to leave WHL?
Tottenham chief’s words leave me feeling a little uneasy
Crouch v Pavlyuchenko – who would you rather?
Knocking Tottenham’s intentions has a smack of hypocrisy about it
Passionate, crazy, talented…that’s why I love him at Tottenham
Last minute transfer dealings at Tottenham
Hart Break Lane? Or football at its finest?
The NINE key factors behind every transfer fee
Why Tottenham need to make a transfer splash
*Best of Web*
Stadium problem solved. Simples – Spurs Musings From JimmyG2
Pienaar Butter Jelly Time – Who Framed Ruel Fox?
An open letter to Daniel Levy –Martin Cloake Online
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Sideways Spurs need fantastic forward – Dear Mr Levy
Stratford Decision Day Looms: No One Bothers To Ask The Fans – Tottenham On My Mind
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When Simon Grayson was sacked as Leeds United manager in February, it seemed a little harsh. After all, the Whites lay just outside the playoffs despite embarking on a poor run of Christmas results. The man Ken Bates deemed good enough to finish the job was ‘promotion specialist’ Neil Warnock, who has delivered success from the lower leagues on seven previous occasions. It didn’t quite turn out the way Uncle Ken had planned though, as Leeds stuttered to a 14th placed finish, stumbling to some humiliating defeats on the way.
The drop in performance and results was attributed to an apparent dearth of quality in the squad at Elland Road according to the new man in charge, while Leeds fans chose to aim their irritations at the Chairman rather than those in charge of footballing matters. The summer has brought little in terms of comfort either, with an apparent takeover taking longer to come to fruition than expected. Warnock has been left frustrated by a lack of funds that has seen his summer plans wrecked and he has recently been linked with the job at Nottingham Forest.
The aura surrounding Warnock is a strange one; his reputation for earning promotion now seems to precede him. While he may get his sides into the top flight on a regular basis, keeping them there is an entirely different story. His last two assaults on the Premier League didn’t go according to plan, he was relegated at the first attempt with Sheffield United, while last season at QPR, Tony Fernandes took the decision to axe the man who got them up as the R’s hovered dangerously above the drop zone. The question is then, is Warnock the man to revive the glory days at Elland Road or he is merely a temporary stopgap designed to set the Whites back on the path towards the heady heights?
The immediate answer to that question lies in the length of Warnock’s contract. Bates only offered his new boss a deal lasting until the end of 2012/13, suggesting the man in charge has one go at making it work. It suits both parties. Leeds have been stung by the costs of sacking a manager on a lengthy contract before, while Warnock seems certain that managing the Whites will be his last job in football. However, it also suggests that Leeds appointed Warnock with the simple intention of promotion before they part company, a marriage of convenience if you like.
Warnock knows the specifications required to perform well in the Championship, but his dealings in the transfer market don’t exactly smack of ‘long term planning.’ For example, he transfer listed Adam Clayton, a player who had shown plenty of potential last season, while he hasn’t exactly pushed the boat out to renew Aidan White’s contract either. The club claims this is down to excessive wage demands, but if Huddersfield can afford to offer Clayton a better deal than what he’d earn at Elland Road, we may as well give up now. New arrivals include 33-year-old Adam Drury and 29-year old Paul Green, while 30-somethings Paddy Kenny and David Norris are expected to sign on the dotted line before too long as well. This isn’t a criticism of Warnock’s work in the market, indeed each of these individuals add something different to a squad that was found wanting in certain areas last season, but more an observation of his transfer policy. He operated in a similar way at QPR as well, bringing in experienced heads like Clint Hill and Shaun Derry to ensure the side would be well-equipped for promotion, rather than building for the long-term.
The takeover talk at the club may change Warnock’s plans somewhat. He may find transfer funds are more accessible upon completion and the new owners may set out a new set of targets for Leeds United. If Warnock was to get the Whites into the Premiership, it would be difficult to imagine him walking away from the job. When QPR sacked him in January, he spoke of his disappointment of not being allowed to finish the job he started. You’d imagine then that he’d loathe to let someone else continue the good work he’d put in place. If all goes according to plan, the marriage of convenience could turn into a shot at reviving the glory days, with Warnock given the chance to establish Leeds as a Premiership force once more.
Whether he’d succeed is another question. Examining his work at QPR last summer suggests he might not, given his failure to prepare them for the task ahead by signing players well past their best like Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon and Luke Young. Club captain Joey Barton wasn’t exactly forthcoming in praising the outgoing boss either when Warnock departed Loftus Road. Ultimately, it seems that Warnock isn’t capable of handling a side in the top flight, he’s never achieved anything amongst England’s elite despite his managerial career spanning 22 years.
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This is all hypothetically speaking of course. Leeds haven’t demonstrated enough clout so far this summer to suggest they are even capable of mounting an attack on the Promised Land. This year’s relegated teams have already opened the chequebooks to ensure they won’t be stranded in the Championship, while Leeds are selling their best players to their rivals. It seems people at the club have bought into the Warnock myth a little too much and simply believe his presence at Elland Road will ensure a promotion challenge anyway. He’s not a miracle worker and while his track record at this level is superb, there remains a number of blemishes on it. It’s down the club to give Warnock the opportunity to work his magic and a completed takeover would be an encouraging start. However, should Leeds start next season badly, Elland Road can be an unforgiving place to work and that marriage of convenience may well turn into a messy divorce.