Mario Balotelli had to flee his home on Saturday morning after fireworks went off inside the bathroom of his rented home. The Manchester City striker suggested his friends were the ones responsible for leaving part of his home a smouldering wreck.
Elsewhere in the news Mata looks to follow in Zola’s footsteps; Theo Walcott urges contract talks, while Steve Kean vows to win over Blackburn fans.
Balotelli’s house set ablaze after fireworks shot from window – Guardian
I will get Rovers supporters on side just like Fergie did, claims Kean – Daily Mail
Spurs willing to offer Tevez escape route – Mirror
Theo Walcott urges contract talks – People
Blues new boy Mata balks at comparisons to Chelsea legend Zola – Daily Mail
Chelsea and QPR look for new homes – Guardian
Wenger believes Ramsey is finally showing his best after horror injury – Daily Mail
Boss Moyes tells Everton’s Jack Rodwell to man-up – People
Marouane Chamakh won’t be leaving Arsenal in January – Metro
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FA wants quiet approach to racism row – Guardian
Vidic can feel pressure mounting and it’s not just down to daunting derby – Independent
Everyone who followed football in 1989 should remember that day at Hillsborough. I was watching Manchester City get a thrashing at Ewood Park, going down 4-0 to promotion rivals Blackburn Rovers. A rumour spread early in the match amongst the supporters of trouble in Sheffield. In those days, communication was a bit more basic, and even as I left the ground down-hearted at the result, I expected nothing more than a couple of injuries – that’s what the rumour had been. Then the radio was turned on in the car, and the TV turned on when I got home, and what I saw will always shock me.
It’s a day that, to state the blindingly obvious, can never be allowed to happen again. No football fan should ever be at risk when entering a football stadium in this (or any) country.
The Taylor Report brought in the introduction of all-seater stadiums, a situation that of course remains to this day (in the top 2 leagues). The effect of the report spread beyond these shores – there was pressure in other countries as a result of Hillsborough to get rid of terracing. The German FA resisted this pressure, and at least 10% of tickets at Bundesliga games must be standing. And it is they that are held up as the shining example by those who propose a return to terracing in our top leagues. There are a few fans groups in this country who have campaigned for many years for a return of terracing – groups such as the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) and Stand Up Sit Down (SUSD) are two such examples.
The BBC looked at the German example as far back as 2007. They found that at Schalke’s magnificent VELTINS-Arena, there has not been a single incident or injury that was caused by having standing terraces in the 6 years of their existence. When the FSF asked Borussia Dortmund for injury statistics for its 25,000-capacity standing section, Europe’s largest, it was told the club do not keep statistics for injuries inside the ground as they were not an issue. The BBC article also said:
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The VELTINS-Arena has staggered barriers on every fourth step of its standing section. These can be easily removed and replaced with seating for international and European club games that operate under all-seater rules.
German stadium expert Professor Gunter Pilz has said: “We have never had safety problems with standing in Germany.” Pilz, from the Institute of Sports Science at Hannover University, told BBC Sport: “Standing is part of German football culture and there is no evidence at all that it is more dangerous than sitting.”
Pilz has debated the issue of safe standing sections with Sepp Blatter, the boss of world football’s governing body Fifa. “When I spoke to Blatter about the all-seater rule he said it was a question of security,” said Pilz. “But during the World Cup you had people standing on their seats to get a better view – that is far more dangerous because in panic situations you could get a domino effect.”
Past governments have tended to ignore calls for a return to terracing, but the odd minister breaks ranks – Kate Hoey, for one. Last year, the Liberal Democrats made noises about supporting a reintroduction of terraces. As Don Foster, spokesman for culture, media and sport stated to the Independent: “The Liberal Democrats are committed to exploring options for introducing safe standing at football grounds in consultation with fans, clubs and safety experts and have passed a motion at our party conference to this effect. The evidence from countries like Germany shows that safe standing can operate effectively and safely to give fans more choice about how they enjoy the game.”
Foster tabled a private members bill to reintroduce standing to certain areas of stadiums within the top 2 leagues. However, this being the Liberal Democrats, they’ve probably gone back on their word by now (the truth is it was tabled in December, and has a 2nd reading on 17th June).
Continue to the NEXT PAGE…
From personal experience, I have been to Schalke, and their stadium in Gelsenkirchen. The stadium, which holds painful memories for England (exiting the World Cup to Portugal in 2006 on penalties), has a capacity of 61,000 with over 16,000 standing places. Adult standing tickets are dirt cheap (often under ten pounds for an adult), and the price includes travel.
I went to there a couple of years ago to watch Manchester City. The away fans were in a seated area, but then so was everyone, with it being a European game, so no insight into terracing from me. Not surprisingly however, everyone stood anyway, making a mockery of the argument that it’s safer to have seats. It isn’t, it wasn’t. With terracing not allowed in non-domestic games, German grounds have utilised “hybrid” terracing, that can be swapped for seats when the need arises. At Werder Bremen’s Weserstadion, seats are connected to barriers that run along the length of every second step in the standing section. They are flipped up and locked for domestic games, and flipped down and unlocked for European and international games, with a 50% reduction in capacity.
The legislation is clearly inconsistent for football. Both the FSF and SUSD have repeatedly asked the authorities why standing is allowed at other sports, football below Championship level, and even music concerts at all-seater football stadia. Are we seriously led to believe that football fans just can’t be trusted or that when a crowd above a certain figure suddenly becomes unsafe?
As I said when discussing Schalke, the issue of many fans simply ignoring the rules and standing up anyway (especially away fans at grounds), often upsetting supporters that want to sit and causing friction with stewards attempting to police the situation, has also been raised by both groups. Standing in a seated area is more dangerous than standing in a terrace, in my opinion.
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Globally, many football tragedies have happened in all-seater stadiums. The idea that all seater-stadiums remove risk of injury is hogwash. Stampedes at football grounds in South Africa and Ghana in 2001, claiming over 150 lives, both occurred in all-seater stadiums. The common factors were ineffective stewarding, fraudulent ticket allocations, crowd behaviour and over-zealous policing. Those tragedies explode the myth that all-seat stadia are necessarily safe. You might argue that a “stampede” is hardly a likely occurrence in a British stadium, but then neither are the events of 1989 anymore. The terracing of 1989 would bear no resemblance to modern-day terracing. No perimeter fences, wider walkways, no penning in of excessive crowds, policing with no communication or lack of turnstiles or crush barriers – there would be little comparison. Strict safety rules would have to be adhered to at all times, but this is no different to rules for seated areas. Capacity could even be limited to the same as if the area was seated, to give a more spacious feel and eliminate any congestion and over-crowding.
Football grounds are safer places than they used to be. Modern stadiums have been built throughout the country, and technology has advanced immeasurably. Lower leagues after all have always maintained terracing. Bigger crowds occur of course in the higher leagues, but this doesn’t mean they can’t be managed – they can. And safety issues apart, there is strong evidence that it would improve atmospheres in grounds (much-needed), and increase capacity, which could also mean cheaper tickets for the terrace itself.
The main opposition (apart from successive governments), understandably, comes from Liverpool. All-seater stadiums retain the firm support of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, which states: “There’s no such thing as safe standing.” Kenny Dalglish spoke in December in opposition to the private members bill. He said:
“To me, I think safe standing is a bit of a contradiction in terms. It might be safe enough if you’re there alone but unless it’s managed and looked after properly, then I don’t see how it could be safe. The football fans at Hillsborough in ’89 put their trust in the authorities to look after them, to make sure that standing was safe. People are going through the process at the moment to get the justice that they’ve waited so long for and hugely deserve. I think it’s really a bit insensitive for someone to put this forward.”
It is a contentious issue – many in Liverpool think a return to terracing is disrespectful to those who died at Hillsborough. I don’t understand how, but I wasn’t there. Maybe British football fans can’t be trusted to behave themselves, and the German comparison is void. Either way, there seems little chance of it being introduced to Premiership or Championship grounds in the forseeable future.
With the competition for England’s right wing spot really heating up between Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, the Arsenal winger seems to be the current favourite to be given a starting spot but the question is does he deserve it?
Walcott hasn’t had the greatest of seasons for Arsenal and hasn’t even been a regular starter, Lennon has been injured the majority of 2010 but prior to this was in outstanding form for Tottenham. The two players are fairly even but during England’s game against Mexico on Monday, Lennon coming off the bench arguably did more in that time than Walcott did in the whole game.
Lennon appears to have more ability in using his pace to run past a player and put a cross in, whereas Walcott is more technical and has more of an eye for goal. Also Walcott sticks to the team shape more and tries to pick his moments when to bomb forward, Lennon on the other hand gets forward at every opportunity. Whilst this direct play puts opponents under pressure it does have the capability of backfiring and leaving England exposed.
The expectations of Walcott have been hugely raised thanks to his hat-trick in England’s 4-1 win over Croatia in Zagreb. Since then everyone wants him to replicate that form, but the more and more chances he gets it just seems as though that was a one-off performance. In fact arguably had it not been for those three goals then Walcott would be unlikely to make the final squad. Whilst Lennon hasn’t had as great a performance as Walcott for England in one game, he has been much more consistent over the games he has played for his country.
It’s going to be a tough decision for Fabio Capello as to who he chooses to start; does he go with Walcott and hope that he can replicate his performance against Croatia? Or does he go with Lennon who has been the better player but is also prone to leaving England vulnerable, particularly with Glen Johnson getting forward at every opportunity. It’s pretty much neck and neck between the two as to who will get the number 7 shirt. But in Capello’s eyes it is a good problem to have with two quality players competing for a starting role.
If Walcott can get his confidence back then he could well be capable of being England’s star player at the World Cup because he undoubtedly has that ability inside of him. However if he can’t then he can still be a good player to bring off the bench if England need a fresh face or are chasing a game. Lennon because of his consistency would be the safe and logical bet to start and he is probably who Capello should go with.
Who do you think should be starting on the right for England?
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Following a stalemate with Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday, new Arsenal signing Olivier Giroud has pleaded for patience from Arsenal fans as he attempts to fill the void left by Robin Van Persie’s switch to Manchester United.
Giroud admitted the Gunners lacked a cutting edge in attack, but remained confident he can make an impact at the Emirates. He told Sky Sports “This could have been the dream start, but in Montpellier, I did not score for my first game, so I am not worried. Here, I will have plenty of chances and I will score.” His 21 goals helped Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title last season, and the 25-year-old may have missed the best chance of the game when he fired wide when through on goal late on, but the French international was quick to remind fans that Van Persie also took time to settle. He continued: “Last season was wonderful here for Robin, but before that, he took time to settle. I am just asking people to be a little patient with me.”
Arsenal face two tough away fixtures over the next few weeks, travelling to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke on the 26th August and then making the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on the 2nd September. Giroud has stated that he is confident he can make a difference during these tough matches: “I know Arsenal is a great club and needs a striker ready and efficient quickly. I need games to get confidence, and it is up to me to succeed.”
Damien Comolli has stated this week that he believes the Liverpool squad is complete and that they are not looking to strengthen any areas of the side in January. Is this just a public front, or are Liverpool really the finished article?
If you look at the Liverpool side, in comparison to how it looked this time last year, the changes have been dramatic. They have a lot more strength in depth and probably the strongest squad they have had in years, with most positions covered by two or more players fighting for the role. With most of the deadwood now moved on, and the fresh new players bought by Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool have certainly done a huge amount to turn around their fortunes.
The players that Liverpool have acquired over the past 9 months have undoubtedly made them a much stronger side, but to say they are complete is an over-exaggeration. Only time will tell how complete they will become, as it is entirely up to the players and how they fit together, and how youngsters like Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll and Sebastien Coates grow and fit within the side. Let’s not forget that a lot of this side is being built for the future, so we might not see the best of them for a while yet.
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In terms of their aim this season of getting back into the top four, Liverpool do look a complete enough side to achieve that. Without Champions’ League football on offer at Anfield this season, their side is nearly as complete as it could be, as the bigger names were unlikely to be attracted to them this year. That could change if they regain entry into the Champions’ League next year though.
Liverpool have certainly made improvements but they are yet to look strong enough for a title challenge. There are still problem areas of the side, and parts of any side can be improved by bringing in better players. It’s difficult to see whether a club can ever fully be called complete anyway, as surely they must constantly evolve to stay fresh and ahead of the rest of the competition. You can always buy better players and improve on your squad – even Barcelona still seek to improve on their current squad, and that is how a club stays ahead of the competition.
In terms of the current Liverpool side, Jamie Carragher is not getting any younger and it will be interesting to see how Coates beds in at Liverpool as a long term replacement for him. The right side is looking problematic, in comparison to the newly energised left; Dirk Kuyt always puts a shift in, but he is not a natural winger, and doesn’t offer the width or delivery that a natural in that position could. Liverpool need a proper right winger, not just someone filling in out there. Another goal-scorer wouldn’t go amiss either. There is definitely room for improvement within this side, and many ways in which it looks far from complete.
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Liverpool have come a long way and are heading in the right direction, but there is a still a long way to go. Comolli is probably just playing up to the media and backing the squad in public to give them a boost, but privately I am sure Liverpool will have plans to strengthen in January. They are not yet the finished article or a ‘complete side’ but are definitely on the right path.
Do you think Liverpool’s squad is now complete? Let me know your thoughts below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter
Roma defender Aleandro Rosi has blamed Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi for elbowing him in Saturday’s Serie A match.
The Naples outfit took all three points from the Stadio Olimpico after Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani bagged a double, but the clash between Rosi and Lavezzi stole the headlines.
The two clashed in an off-the-ball incident, with Rosi spotted on camera spitting at Lavezzi.
But the 23-year-old blames the Napoli player for the incident, insisting he elbowed him first.
“We spat at each other, but he elbowed me first,” Rosi said after the match.
“Lavezzi elbowed me when we were off the ball and from there it all escalated. He got angry and so did I. The referee didn’t spot it, as he was very sneaky to elbow me like that and he knows it.”
“Now don’t go blaming it all on me. Lavezzi was irritable from the start, he provoked me, elbowed me in the stomach and from that moment we got into a row.”
Rosi admitted spitting towards Lavezzi but maintained the incident would not have occurred if it were not for Lavezzi’s unsportsmanlike conduct.
“I spat in his general direction, but I did not get him in the face. I accept advice from those who tell me not to react that way, but he elbowed me first and it all started from there.”
While a ban could be expected for the two players, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is confident both players will not be punished from video replays.
De Laurentiis said because the players were cautioned, no further action can be taken, and defended Lavezzi, claiming he was provoked.
“Lavezzi was provoked and even explained to the referee how things went,” De Laurentiis said.
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“Besides, he cannot be penalised using video evidence because the referee booked them both during the game. The official made his decision and sanctioned the behaviour on the field, therefore the rules on video evidence do not apply here.”
De Laurentiis was also asked if the victory had seen Napoli eliminate a rival from the title race, but the president did not agree.
“Roma are not our rivals. We are the third biggest club in Italy in terms of average attendances and have more fans overseas than they do.”
Using a team’s pre-season form as gauge for the forthcoming season’s prospects is usually a pretty foolish thing to do. Time and time again we’ve been duped by clubs destroying all before them, only to falter as soon as the expectation kicks in. But whilst pre-season is most prominently a time for tweaking and conditioning, equally, you don’t want to go into the season on the back of several defeats.
And unfortunately for Roberto di Matteo’s Chelsea, that’s exactly what has happened. The Blues go into this Sunday’s Community Shield against Manchester City on the back of three straight defeats to the MLS All-Stars, AC Milan and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Furthermore, after shelling out hefty fees for a variety of attacking talent in Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar, it’s been at the back where Chelsea have looked like needing investment, having shipped in ten goals in their last five fixtures. It might be too early to say that Roberto Di Matteo’s honeymoon period is over, but at this rate, he might not even have one.
But you get the feeling that Chelsea could do with a decent performance against City this Sunday. The Community Shield isn’t necessarily an accurate Premier League barometer, but it will give us a good idea as to what sort of level Chelsea are competing at. It’s always played with the gusto of a Premier League encounter and supporters’ hopes are that Di Matteo’s men will be completing on a similar plateau as Mancini’s men next term.
One man who isn’t worrying too much is Frank Lampard and after missing the European Championships, the midfielder will be eager to get the Blues off to a flying start. He’s been there and done it and he isn’t wild pre-season assumptions aren’t something he’s willing to entertain.
Speaking about Chelsea’s pre-season blues, Lampard said:
“I’ve been in good pre-seasons which then haven’t panned out so well in the season, and been in ones that have been the other way round as well.
“It is very important we don’t make a big deal of this. We need to pick up on certain things that haven’t gone so well and work hard in training.
“The new signings have given us a nice feel and maybe we needed that to an extent – some fresh, young faces. But it’s very important we get the mix right between them and the experienced players.”
He’s been a part of far too many campaigns to get involved with the sort of stirring that’s currently going on, although Lampard was staunch in his admittance that are improvements to be made at Stamford Bridge. The performance at Brighton, in particular, will have been of some real cause for concern to supporters.
Chelsea fielded a very strong team at the Amex last week and put in a really poor performance as goals from Vicente, Ashley Barnes and Andrew Crofts secured victory for ex-Chelsea man Gus Poyet’s team. Top flight teams slumping to defeat against inferior opposition in pre-season is hardly something new, but the manner in which Chelsea did it didn’t leave too much room for optimism. Despite going close on several occasions, the Blues defended poorly throughout and old problems don’t seem to have gone away. Fernando Torres continued to look like a lost figure and the team lacked cohesion.
It’s easy to get too carried away and there from one game that could well have been a simple one off. And there were positives to be taken, too. Eden Hazard has looked lively throughout pre-season and to reference the Brighton game again, he was arguably Chelsea’s best player. Cohesion with their new attacking talent will take time to settle and Oscar is yet to even kick a ball in anger for Chelsea. There is plenty to be optimistic about.
But the truth is that they’re going to have to show a lot more against City this Sunday to suggest they are capable of really kicking on next season. Roberto Mancini’s men will be a hell of a lot more ruthless to the sort of discrepancies Di Matteo’s men have been showing in pre-season and the last thing they need is walloping in the Community Shield. You can argue whether a win in what is very much a ceremonial match, can give you that much momentum. But there’s no arguing about the effect of a serious defeat.
The pressure is already on Roberto Di Matteo to some degree. The whispers of form and performance are a by-product of something that the Italian has yet to really deal with during his Chelsea reign, and that is expectation. No one can take away his achievements of last season, but he wasn’t expected to succeed. The pressure was off and with nothing to loose, they had everything to gain. And gain it they did.
Although the best part of £70million has already been pumped back into this Chelsea team and with more arrivals set to come before the transfer window shuts, the expectation level will be cranked up a little further.
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Sunday represents a chance to lay out a marker and demonstrate to all that they’re serious about making a charge next season. We will soon find out whether their disjointed pre season counts for anything.
Not worries about Chelsea’s pre-season or are you harbouring some deep concerns? Tell me how you think Sunday’s going to go on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views.
Stoke have had a busy transfer deadline day, adding Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome to their squad before the window closed.
Tony Pulis has long been an admirer of Crouch, who will suit The Potters’ direct approach, and has signed from Tottenham on a four-year contract for a club record fee of £10 million. The England striker had an inconsistent campaign for Spurs in 2010-11, and despite scoring valuable goals in the Champions League, struggled domestically.
Palacios failed to live up to expectations following his move to London from Wigan in January 2009, and fell behind Tom Huddlestone and Sandro in Harry Redknapp’s preferences last term. With Tottenham signing Scott Parker from West Ham, the Honduras international was deemed surplus to requirements, and has moved to the Brittania Stadium for £8 million.
Finally, Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome has also been snapped up, with the attacker also signing a four-year contract.
Club chief executive Tony Scholes is excited to see the new men move to the club.
“These fantastic deals are a statement of this football club’s intent. The club has made incredible strides forward over the past five years and to attract players of this calibre shows our ambitions as we look to continue that progress this season and beyond that,” the supremo stated to the side’s official website.
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AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri excused Serie A debutant Mark van Bommel for getting himself sent off in their win over Catania.
The league leaders extended their gap at the top of the table with a 2-0 away win, with both goals coming after van Bommel received his second yellow card early in the second half.
But Allegri put the poor discipline from the Dutchman down to a lack of league experience in Italy.
“It’s fair enough. The referees make decisions based on what they see and this is an example. Van Bommel should’ve been a bit sneakier, but it is his second game in Italian football,” Allegri said.
“These fouls are not generally sanctioned with a booking in Germany, but he is a generally aggressive player.”
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a hand in the first goal, before scoring the second himself, on both occasions linking with Brazilian star Robinho.
Allegri had nothing but praise for the 29-year-old Ibrahimovic.
“He is having the best season of his career in terms of intensity,” Allegri said.
“Ibra has a great deal of enthusiasm, feels like a leader and also knows how to defend, which is the most important thing. If he tracks back, then everyone else follows suit.”
Ibrahimovic said he believed Catania goaded van Bommel into a reckless foul to earn his second yellow card, but said it was karma that Milan managed to use the sending off to their advantage.
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“It seemed as if the Catania players were looking for that second yellow card. They found it, but we won with character,” Ibrahimovic said.
“It’s a good sign for the season, as it shows we are doing everything possible to win. It was a tough game against an aggressive and gritty side.”
“In my view it was actually easier to play with 10 men, as that created more space for the forwards.”
Spain are the first team to make the Euro 2012 final, after they beat Iberian neighbours Portugal on penalties on Wednesday night.
In a tightly-contested and close game, neither side could break the deadlock in 120 minutes of play, and the match was decided from 12 yards.
After Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho had both missed their side’s first effort, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Pepe and Nani all scored, before Portuguese defender Bruno Alves saw his effort reverberate off the crossbar.
Cesc Fabregas stepped up to convert the crucial penalty, setting up a final against either Germany or Italy, and states that he asked to take the decisive fifth spot-kick.
“I had intuition and wanted the fifth penalty,” Sky Sports report him as saying.
“I told Toni Grande [Spanish assistant] I thought I could repeat that great moment.
“They told me initially to take the second one but I said no give me the fifth as I had this premonition.
“I played awful but the team has worked a lot and had the desire. I regret telling my family not to come. I’m very excited.
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“I think I’ve talked to the ball I do not know what I said to the ball. I think I said to the ball that we had to make history and it shouldn’t let me down,” he concluded.