With four sides still living it up in the FA Cup and Tranmere’s game snowed off, the majority of the weekend’s remaining League One fixtures were of importance at the bottom end of the table.
You’d have bet on 0-0 as the most likely score line at Fratton Park where Portsmouth and Hartlepool, two sides who in all honesty have been absolutely hopeless this season, clashed.
Well, had you made that bet you’d of lost, as Pool walked away with a rare three points following a 3-1 victory.
Without a win in 15 games, Pompey’s plight looks all the more desperate, but for bottom place Hartlepool there is just the tiniest glimmer of hope to cling to.
Scunthorpe are back in the bottom four after a 1-1 draw at Carlisle, who remain a healthy seven points clear of the drop zone.
U’s defy the odds
The form book was well and truly chucked out of the window in North Essex, as Colchester, on a run of nine straight losses, beat in-form Walsall.
It was Jabo Ibehre, formerly a fan’s favourite with the Saddlers, who did the damage. The big striker opened the scoring on 79 minutes, before Freddie Sears grabbed a goal to make it 2-0.
The U’s, who have stuck by manager Joe Dunne, move above Scunthorpe and out of the relegation zone on goal-difference.
Another key clash at the bottom took place at the New Meadow where Shrewsbury and Bury drew 0-0. Neither side is likely to be particularly happy with a point.
Pressure grows on Westley
Graham Westley’s Preston could soon be looking over their shoulder towards the drop zone if they don’t start winning at home.
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A 2-2 draw with Coventry makes it ten without a win at Deepdale and the locals are getting restless.
There was a home win at Brisbane Road, as Leyton Orient beat Notts County 2-1, ending the Magpie’s 22 game unbeaten run on the road.
The only member of the top six to feature this weekend was Bournemouth. The Cherries are now up to fifth after a Brett Pitman hat-trick gave them a 3-1 victory at home to Crewe.
Here in the Football Transfer Tavern one of our Manchester United fans has just made a quip about Luka Modric possibly joining the club, claiming that he would give even Wayne Rooney a run for his money in the looks stakes. Whilst the club may have been privileged enough to have players like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo don the famous red shirt in the past, we have turned our attentions to those who do not exactly make a claim in becoming the next Armani model.
There may be a slight debate about to rage however with United fans claiming that there are far more shall we say less fortunate looking players at other clubs and Old Trafford have the pick of the bunch. The non-biased of us in the tavern disagree however and some of the players in the Red Devils history books make you quite frankly hope that their WAGS are content with the money and fame being married to them, because let’s face it, their looks flatter to deceive!
Click on Old Trafford to reveal the top ten ‘ugliest’ Manchester United players of all-time.
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New Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio has warned his players that they will have to adhere to a strict disciplinary approach.
The controversial Italian was drafted in over the weekend in a bid to steer the Black cats clear of relegation from the Premier League, following Martin O’Neill’s sacking.
With the club perilously close the drop zone, the former Swindon Town boss has wasted no time in letting his squad know just what he expects of the both on and off of the pitch:
“You have to know how to manage your players,” he is quoted by Sky Sports.
“It is obvious you have different egos in the Premier League, but you have to have strict rules, discipline, and work hard on the field during the week otherwise the product you deliver on Saturday is not good.
“That won’t change. It’s not just Paolo Di Canio’s opinion, all managers around the world think the same.
“If everybody interprets the game wrong because they do not train properly during the week or because there is no discipline you have an anarchists’ team.”
Sunderland are winless in their last eight top-flight games, a run which has seen them slip to 16th in the table, just one point above the drop zone.
Di Canio believes that a lack of confidence has been a major factor in the club’s slump and is determined to reverse this trend:
“From the last two games I watched against Norwich and Manchester United it is clear that some players are not fully confident, probably because the last few results weren’t good,
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“But I am sure through my job and my staff’s job we can help them to restore this belief and play as they used to play before.”
Di Canio faces a tough start to his time at Sunderland, with trips to Chelsea and Newcastle awaiting.
It feels as if every rumour that places Luis Suarez away from Anfield was irremediably linked to the bite incident with Branislav Ivanovic in the Premier League clash against Chelsea. However, as much as the idea of Liverpool selling their main star could seem unthinkable without being explained by his misconducts, giving up on the Kop idol could be argued by purely sporting reasons, as life without the striker could bring better days to come for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
It cannot be denied the infamous bite is one more reason to add to the list of reasons Liverpool could have to sell Suarez. The unjustifiable action by the Uruguayan has been seen by many as the straw that broke the camel’s back, a reason to open the exit door and send a double message: there is an ethic code to follow at the club, and no one is indispensable. Selling Suarez could be seen as a good gesture by a league that, putting the Anfield club aside, seem to have run out of patience with the striker – Suarez’s name being booed at the PFA ceremony is a self-explanatory argument.
If we merely assess him as a footballer, more than one would think it would be a suicide to sell him. He has been outstanding for Liverpool, bagging 23 league goals and providing 10 assists, being involved in half of the team goals. He has won games by himself and showed up when the team needed him. Why sell him then?
Well, it is precisely that dependency on Suarez what could be holding Liverpool back from being a better team, a better squad. As much as he is being helpful, the team results inevitably rest, to an extend, on how inspired Suarez is on that day, with all the consequences that imply. The first and more obvious one: if the 26 year-old has a bad day, Liverpool see their chances of winning notably undermined.
There is a second consequence of building a team around one player, and that is that the team becomes more predictable. Regardless formations, tactics or the talent of the rest of the squad, players inevitably will try to find that star and rely on him when in need of inspiration, to the point of trying to find him too often. That is exactly why sometimes we have the impression that Liverpool play better without Suarez, Real without Ronaldo or Sweden without Ibrahimovic, to give some examples. The teams lack that focal point and therefore use a wider range of options when building up the attack.
Does that mean Liverpool are better without Luis Suarez? Of course not. The fact that the winning rate in the few games Suarez has not featured this season is much better than the rate in the game he has, is nothing else than a happy coincidence, and it would be cynical to defend the opposite. If anything, the rest of the players let out a better version of them, but no one would dare leaving the Uruguayan on the bench if Liverpool faced a crunch game that could decide a title, for example.
However, would Liverpool be a better team if Suarez’s was cashed in and his value was wisely invested in making a more solid and even team? Quite possibly. Of course, suggesting the possibility of selling the Reds’ striker is not an invitation to find a like for like replacement, mainly because it’s practically impossible to sign another player of his quality. Spending the income in three or four signings that come to improve three or four positions, though, could really make an impact in the overall strength of the team.
It seems convenient to remind than, controversies aside, Suarez is one of the most desired players in the current market for the top European clubs. He could improve every single squad he would go to and Liverpool could take advantage of the amount of clubs interested in him to make the most of the sale. There are no doubts that a sum around £40 million, together with what the club is willing to spend this summer, could improve the team line by line and make of Liverpool’s starting XI a stronger team with a wider variety of options when facing the rivals.
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Liverpool are going through a rebuild period, and a solid team is key to climb back to the top. Once there, it will be time to think of that player capable of winning games by himself. In the meantime, relying so much in one figure, although it can work, it’s probably much more of a risky option. There is no need for twisted thoughts of another hypothetical ban; simply imagining the scenario of Suarez suffering a serious injury and being left out for a whole season can draw an accurate picture of how heavily Liverpool’s aspirations could be affected by a stroke of bad luck.
I have a feeling the current Premier League season won’t be looked back upon too fondly unless you’re a Manchester United fan. The battle at the foot of the table has been much more exciting than that at the top, despite the fact that the two now relegated clubs, Queens Park Rangers and Reading, have been adrift for some time.
Yet, in comparison to the one-horse title race, with that horse being an ever-consistent team that has avoided complications to their aims of monopolising the English top flight all year, we at least have the prospect of it coming down to a whirlpool of emotions on the final day of the season in regards to the final relegation spot.
While some have referred to it as being a ‘vintage season’ for United, with a vintage cast to boot, others, including myself, are not so sure. Although a number of their players appear to have come of age – Rafael, David De Gea and Phil Jones for example – the only major difference in terms of personnel from last year is the acquisition of Robin van Persie. It begs the question – is the Premier League’s top scorer the only difference between the two Manchester clubs this season? And to extend that hypothesis further; was the domestic title decided in the summer, with his £20million move from Arsenal?
The Netherlands international has certainly played his part. A record of 25 goals and 8 assists in 35 Premier League games speaks for itself, and his first-half hatrick against Aston Villa, including arguably his greatest ever strike considering the magnitude of the situation, epitomises how van Persie has not simply been a new recruit at Old Trafford this season and added quality to the first team, but rather that he’s become a leader, a focal point of the starting XI, and most importantly, the difference between a win and a draw, or claiming a point rather than coming away with nothing.
At 29 years of age, and having been one of Europe’s most talented striker since his mid-twenties, the desire for a deserved accolade in the form of a title or trophy, the kind of historical recognition of his ability that was only ever in touching distance whilst at the Emirates, has been the driving force behind van Persie’s fantastic season, and lifting the title has no doubt been at the forefront of his mind ever since signing on the dotted line in the summer. It’s the kind of personal motivation that is impossible to value in monetary terms, which Sir Alex Ferguson would love to tap into and take advantage of.
[cat_link cat=”manchester-united” type=”list”]
With a combination of talent and motivation it was always going to be van Persie’s season, which makes you wonder what would have happened had the striker opted for the blue side of Manchester in the summer. There’s no doubt his decision to move to Old Trafford rather than Eastlands tipped the balance from last season. Whereas City’s prolific strike force was unrivalled in the Premier League last year, with Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli firing on all cylinders and Carlos Tevez still on the books, the acquisition of the former Arsenal forward suddenly created an equally as desirable selection of strikers of Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandes, whom are all capable of twenty goals a season, in addition to the hardworking styles and link-up play of Danny Welbeck.
Van Persie’s season has been sensational, yet it would not have been so easy to pull off had the Wayne rooney not been providing such uniquely effective supporting role at the tip of the United midfield. They’ve benefited greatly from each other’s presence and individual characteristics, and United have benefited from their astute partnership. Goals has been the key to the Red Devils’ success this year, with the league’s highest goal tally of 79 from 35 games, a long way above City’s 61, and spurred on further by the Red Devils’ bad habit at the start of the year of conceding first.
Back to the former champions, the after effects of not bringing in the Dutchman during the off-season have been duly felt. As many expected, it was not long before Mario Balotelli’s City career imploded, triggering a move to Serie A, and furthermore, the Citizens fell victim to their most prolific forward, Sergio Aguero, spending the majority of the campaign on the sidelines, with the Argentine finding the net just 11 times thus far – a long way shy of last year’s 23.
But furthermore, there must have been a considerable psychological effect on the Citizens camp. Despite them being Champions, with a bottomless wage budget at their disposal, they let the Premier League’s most desired prize purchase slip through their fingers to the local rivals. Roberto Mancini has spent much of the season discussing it in the media and ruing over the failings of City officials such as Bryan Marwood, which has no doubt rubbed off on the players whom at least in their manager’s mind, have become second best in comparison to United’s newest recruit.
The difference between the two managers has also been crucial this year – one criticised for his use of a 3-5-2 system early in the season, failing to control his players from constant infighting, and furthermore, scrutinising player performances in public, whilst the other has kept his players level-headed, avoided the media circus that appears to have engulfed City and Chelsea, and focused solely on the club’s dominance of the domestic league.
It illustrates an intangible difference between the two clubs, which has been overlooked in the debate over United’s season due to van Persie’s sensational form. Whilst United represent a constant stability- highlighted by the fact they’ve recorded an average of two points per game from all but three of their years in the Premier League – that has been created out of hard graft alone, the Citizens are still yet to mature into a team rather than a collection of incredibly talented individuals, and furthermore, they are yet to develop into an elite club.
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They’ve took the fast-track to success, backed by unprecedented foreign investment and finance at their disposal, which in turn has allowed for a complacency amongst the players, shown by City’s inability to secure convincing results against the smaller teams, that Mancini has failed to stamp out, and that Ferguson would never stand for.
Manchester United is a club built around winners, and much of that is an extension of the United gaffer’s mentality. I am not suggesting that the City roster cares any less about picking up trophies in comparison to their local rivals, but it is a club built on finance rather than deserved reward, and thus I feel the desire to retain the championship was perhaps less institutional as it would have been at Old Trafford.
Unfortunately for the Citizens, all you need to give the Red Devils is a way in. Their desire to achieve keeps them ever-consistent, and thus, a spell of poor form, champions or not, is enough for United to capitalise upon. It would be wrong to suggest that van Persie’s presence alone has created a 14 point gap between the two Manchester clubs, and I believe this season’s successes at Old Trafford should be more attributed to the sheer presence of Sir Alex Ferguson and the stability he provides, than the former Arsenal man’s summer transfer. Yet, had he opted to sign for the former champions, you can’t help but consider the prospect of the Skyblues rather comfortably retaining their title, with the Red Devils lacking their unique cutting edge.
Manchester City are reportedly eyeing Sevilla’s Jesus Navas – though doubts remain as to whether he would be willing to make the move, according to ESPN.
Reports in the English press suggest that the recently deposed Premier League champions are ready to activate a £27million release clause in the player’s contract.
Though the club are currently without a manager following the sacking of Roberto Mancini earlier this week, director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano are believed to be spearheading their recruitment drive.
Their extensive knowledge of the Spanish leagues is a key reason behind the club’s moves to sign Navas, though there is no guarantee the 27-year-old would be willing to move to England.
The Spain international has suffered from chronic homesickness in the past, to the extent that he often refused to go on pre-season tours with Sevilla and briefly retired from international football.
The condition also caused him to turn down a move to Chelsea in 2006 and is believed to have put off Arsenal from making a move to sign him last summer.
Navas has been receiving treatment and was able to return to the international scene, playing for Spain at last summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
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However, it remains to be seen whether it has improved sufficiently for him to make a long-term move to another country.
Romelu Lukaku believes that he has made the right choice in joining Everton on loan from Chelsea.
The Burly Belgian was linked with a return to West Brom shortly before the transfer deadline, but instead opted for a move to Goodison Park.
Lukaku spent last season with the Baggies, netting 17 Premier League goals and gaining a reputation as one of the division’s top young players.
Despite having the opportunity to make a return to the Hawthorns, the 20-year-old believes that Everton was the right choice for him:
“It was a crazy evening. I was sitting in my hotel room in Brussels when the phone went to tell me I was going out on loan again. It was 7pm, and that was the first I knew of it,” he told the Daily Mail.
“There had not been a mention of it before then, but after speaking to my parents, I decided to take the plunge.
“Different clubs called me and I had to take the right decision. Roberto Martinez called me for 30 minutes and explained me what he expects from me.
“I decided that Everton was the best choice. They are a more prominent club than West Brom where I had a good time. The important thing, at 20, is to be playing, and while West Brom was an option, Everton was a better one.”
Lukaku will be forced to sit out of Everton’s first game since his arrival due to the conditions of his loan move, as the Merseysiders face Chelsea.
Although he is still a Blues player, the youngster is hoping that his new team-mates can get a positive result.
“Yes, I have to be honest,” he added, when asked if he wants Everton to win this weekend.
Lukaku was expected to stay in London, but Chelsea’s signing of Samuel Eto’o convinced Jose Mourinho to send him out on loan.
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Celtic are on the verge of signing Iceland under-21 forward Holmbert Fridjonsson, after his club chairman revealed a transfer fee of £100,000 has been agreed, reports the Scotsman.
The 20-year-old has recently spent time on trial with Celtic, and Fram Reykjavik chairman Sverrir Einarsson has revealed the youngster is set to complete a January move to Celtic park, after the Scottish champions agreed a transfer fee.
“I can confirm that we have accepted a bid from Celtic for Holmbert,” Einarsson said.
“I think this is a very good piece of business for Celtic and it is very good business for us. The player is discussing the move with his agent this evening.”
Fridjonsson is a different type of striker to what manager Neil Lennon currently has on his books. The youngster stands at 6ft 3 inches tall, and has an excellent goal scoring record in his homeland for someone so young.
Celtic are struggling to extend their involvement in European competition beyond Christmas, with last weeks defeat to Ajax proving particularly damaging.
Manager Neil Lennon has claimed he has been promised funds to improve his squad, particularly in the attacking department, and it seems the capture of Fridjonsson could be the first of several January signings.
“I do not know how much money we will have in January, but Peter has given us assurances that there will be money to spend,” Lennon said.
“Whether we can spend it and get the right player in is another thing. I have four strikers and they are strikers I want to persevere with — and I will. I want to work to try to improve the goal ratio.
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“Up front is where players cost money and we will try to be inventive. You might get a finished article for £2million or £3million, you never know. We will shop around, but it is not just centre-forwards – there are other areas we want to improve.”
The transfer window is always good for both marquee signings and the inevitable flops. Unfortunately for some clubs, sometimes that big signing pans to be anything but. The last few years were no different, as clubs have shelled out big money for signings who have both impressed and disappointed. As the close of the window looms upon us, here is a look at some of the best and worst signings of the last five season.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Chelsea’s Fernando Torres purchase. The Spaniard was in blistering form for Liverpool, scoring 65 goals in 102 appearances. He commanded a whopping 50 million pounds, smashing the British transfer record. Much was expected of Torres, however he failed to reproduce this form and took 903 minutes to score his first Chelsea goal. In fact, that was his only goal in his first season at Chelsea. Now know for several high profile gaffes, such as an open goal miss against Manchester United two seasons ago, Torres has endured a torrid Chelsea career. Two miserable seasons later, Torres’ league goal tally stands at a mere 19.
On the topic of failed transfer, who can forget Liverpool’s dreadful double coup of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing? While both showed promise for their previous clubs, the two failed miserably to adapt to Kenny Dalglish’s system. Downing scored three goals in 65 appearances, while Carroll scored six in 44, before both were shipped out of Anfield. Liverpool did of course receive a more than suitable return of investment on Luis Suarez who has set the league on fire since his arrival. The Uruguayan scores goals for fun and leads the league in scoring with 24, despite missing the first 6 games due to suspension. He has 62 total in 95 appearances, and incredible record.
Ballon D’or finalist Franc Ribery has more than justified the hefty price tag paid for him by Bayern. The Frenchman’s goal and assist tallies speak fore themselves, and he was instrumental in Bayern’s league and european triumphs last year. A certain Swede has made in impression when making his big money transfer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in scintillating form for PSG. Coupled with his performances for his country, few can contest his pricetag.
Kaka is a player who cannout boast the same impact, as the Brazilian failed to inspire during his time at Madrid despite the massive 56 million paid for him. He struggled to hold down a place in the Madrid side and eventually returned to Milan on a free transfer. Madrid counterpart Athletico have however enjoyed a honorable return from former Barca hero David Villa. A forgotten man at Barca, Villa has proved his doubters wrong, and has formed quite the duo with Brazilian Diego Costa, propelling the club to second in the league.
A perhaps smaller profile signing, Swansea midfielder Michu has hugely impressed during his first two seasons at the club. A relatively unknown in La Liga, Michu’s silky style has seen him adapt to the Premier League effortlessly, scoring 20 goals so far and making his first international cap in the process.
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Fans can only hope that this year’s transfers can reproduce the heroics of some the mentioned players. Juan Mata has gotten off to a good start with United, and Fulham will be hoping that Konstas Mitroglou can reproduce his goal scoring form from his days at Olympiakos.
Here are some transfer hits and misses from windows gone by…
Norwich midfielder Robert Snodgrass insists he isn’t looking for a move to Celtic this month, reports Sky Sports.
The Scot, who supported the SPL champions as a child, was watched recently by Celtic boss Neil Lennon.
But Snodgrass has assured Norwich fans that rumours of a move to Glasgow are just rumours: “Glasgow is my home town and when I go back I stay about five seconds away from the Celtic stadium. So when something like this happens, there are loads of people texting me saying ‘What’s going on?’
“All I can say is that for now I’m at Norwich and I have 18 months left on my contract. So I’m just focusing on doing as well as I possibly can for Norwich at this minute. I think I have shown that with my performances over the last couple of weeks.”
Snodgrass played in Norwich’s 1-0 victory over Hull City on Saturday, where Ryan Bennett’s 87th minute goal earned Chris Hughton a vital 3 points. The Canaries are now 5 points above the relegation zone, with the win at home to the Tigers just their 6th of the season.
And the Scot is intending to stay at Carrow Road, despite the manager of his childhood team potentially scouting him.
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