Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti have both talked up their title chances, despite being six points off the leaders Manchester United. You can understand their optimism given that both sides still have to play the Red Devils in the run-in, but I can’t help but feel that the horse has already bolted on this occasion.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Houllier hospitalised after being taken ill; Inter plan a summer raid on Spurs, while Ian Holloway admits that Charlie Adam’s future is out of his hands.
*
Wenger refuses to concede Arsenal’s title challenge is over – Guardian
We haven’t a clue! FA admit they are in the dark over Leeds’ ownership – Daily Mail
Houllier hospitalised after being taken ill – Guardian
We can still win it! Ancelotti’s rallying cry as Chelsea climb into second – Daily Mail
Inter plan summer raid on Spurs (but not for Bale) – Mirror
Platini apologises for Wembley prices – Guardian
Adam’s future out of my control – Holloway – Mirror
Carrick unfazed by United fixture pile-up – Daily Telegraph
Dimi: I’ll be the Berba of Seville – Sun
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The actual selection of Chelsea’s 25 shouldn’t present too much of a problem for Carlo Ancelotti. He is not in a position where he has to cull a number of players that don’t make the registered 25. Chelsea have 15 foreign squad players, over the age of 21, who will conceivably play a decent amount of games this season. To compliment theses players, they have six players – Lampard, Terry, Cole, Turnbull, Mancienne and Sturridge – who are English; these 21 players are a shoe in for registration and of that there is no doubt.
To complete the 25, and more importantly the 8 ‘homegrown’ players, Ancelotti will have to call upon the players from the youth set up, who are under 21, that he has promised more time on the pitch to. The five main candidates are Nemanja Matic, Patrick Van Aanholt, Jeffrey Bruma, Gael Kakuta and Fabio Borini. Whichever of these are chosen to be the part of the registered 8, and which ever make up the unlimited number of under-21s that a team is allowed to use, becomes a bit of an irrelevance as it won’t have too much of an effect on who Ancelotti picks from day to day.
What this all means is that Ancelotti is gambling by putting his faith in the young, inexperienced players. Should injuries mount up at some point in the season, it will be these players that will have to be called upon. Whereas other clubs will see there under-21s as more of a bonus, Chelsea may have to rely on them slightly more. Chelsea’s squad is only fractionally smaller than last season, although Joe Cole would have been good to have in the squad to free up another slot. Releasing the likes of Belletti, Ballack and Deco was surely done with the new registration in mind, particularly when you consider their age and nationality, not to mention Ballack’s wages.
The reliance on the younger players means that, as it stands, there are only 15 foreign players over 21 that will be registered, thus giving Ancelotti the option, should he choose it, to add two more foreign players to his squad. Personally, I think Chelsea still need another centre-back. Ivanovic, Ferreira, Mancienne and Bruma have all played there, but none have done it either regularly, or particularly impressively, and since Carvalho’s departure it looks like it could be a department that is a little lightweight.
What that leaves with Chelsea with is the following squad of 21:
Two players will have to be added to complete the 8 home grown quota, which I think will be Gael Kakuta and Jeffrey Bruma. That then passes the minimum requirements for the Premier League rules, but will it be enough for Chelsea to compete in four competitions? Luiz and Sergio Ramos are the latest players to be linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, and whether they arrive or not, it is pleasing to see that I am not the only one who thinks another defender is needed. That said, having written down the groupof players, there aren’t a huge amount of midfielders either. If Ancelotti does want to strengthen his squad the he is running out of time, otherwise it is time for the young boys to step up.
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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that he would like to return to management in England, but only after his time at the Santiago Bernabeu is done.
The Portuguese tactician had a largely successful stint with Chelsea before winning the Champions League and Serie A double with Inter; he is now eager to bring silverware to the Spanish capital.
Despite having a contract with Madrid until 2014, Mourinho has stated that he would love his next job to be back in the Premier League.
“I am very, very happy to be in Real Madrid,” he told BBC Radio Four.
“It is a great experience for me. I believe it is probably the biggest club in the history of football, I didn’t want to miss the chance to work here, but my passion is England and my next step will be to go back, if possible go and stay for a long time.
“Get me a club in a couple of years, get me a good club,” he stated.
Mourinho has been touted as one of the candidates to replace Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scottish coach finally stands down from the Manchester United hotseat, and he is not counting this out.
“I would consider going to Manchester United but United have to consider if they want me to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. If they do, then of course,” he concluded.
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Joey Barton comes of age and Gerard Houllier peers nervously at the drop zone as mid-table Newcastle United visit Aston Villa on Sunday.Barton, a controversial figure throughout his football career, will pull on the captain’s armband in place of the suspended Kevin Nolan for the Magpies’ trip to Villa Park.
The 28-year-old, as polarising a figure as there is in the English Premier League, seems a left-field choice to lead Newcastle, but manager Alan Pardew believes Barton has earned the opportunity.
“Everyone will be watching him to see how he handles it, but he deserves the chance to take on that responsibility – not just with his displays but also his behaviour,” Pardew told the Newcastle Journal.
“There is a maturity and a calmness about Joey and, apart from one mishap against Blackburn (when he punched Morten Gamst Pedersen), he has kept his control.”
While Barton-bashers may be keeping a close eye on how he deals with – or deals out – his added responsibility, Villa boss Houllier will be too busy watching the weekend’s results unfold.
Villa are 16th in the standings and two points above the bottom three, and could already be inside the drop zone by kickoff on Sunday depending on the results of fixtures involving fellow relegation battlers Wolverhampton, West Ham United and Blackpool.
Houllier was backed by the Villa board as early as this week, with chief executive Paul Faulkner declaring the Frenchman had ‘total support’ from the club.
But the same cannot be said of the supporters, who showered Houllier with vitriol after a 1-0 loss to Wolves in Villa’s last home match on March 19.
Houllier’s tenure is only going to come under increased scrutiny unless the club starts winning, and for that the manager will likely turn to Darren Bent.
The England striker became Villa’s record signing when he ditched Sunderland for a fee of 24 million pounds in January, and has scored five times in nine appearances for the Midlands club.
Should he score again on Sunday, he will become Villa’s joint top-scorer alongside Stewart Downing and Ashley Young.
Nolan shapes as Newcastle’s biggest absentee, but the Magpies could be boosted by the long-awaited debut of Stephen Ireland.
Jose Enrique and Leon Best are also a possibility to make Pardew’s squad after progressing well from hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.
Werder Bremen’s general manager Klaus Allofs has admitted that Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil may be sold this summer, following his club’s 5-1 friendly defeat at Fulham.
The 21-year-old playmaker impressed at the World Cup finals in South Africa and has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal, United and Chelsea all reportedly interested in the talented German international.
Mesut Ozil is in the final year of his contract with Werder Bremen, therefore the German side may well be keen to cash in on him now rather than lose him on a Bosman free next summer.
Allofs commented:“Everything is still possible at the moment. I would like to see the transfer window close now with the team we have, because we are looking forward to competing in the Champions League.
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“There are many clubs interested in Mesut. Should there be an offer on the table, we would consider it.”
With a third of the Premier League season now gone by, the table is starting to find its level and supporters are starting to get a better understanding of where their respective clubs are at this season and the challenge that faces them in the coming months. Once again the Premier League has been broken up into three tiers, with each team facing their own private battle.
Unlike previous years there has certainly been some stability on the managerial front with only Steve Bruce succumbing to the bullet so far, as clubs look to show patience with their managers to turn around their current plights. The managers may not be so patient with players at their disposal and may look to make significant changes in the January transfer window.
The January transfer window is loved and loathed in equal measures, with many managers and supporters alike welcoming the opportunity to freshen things up, while others see it as a source of distraction. History shows it is a renowned place for panic buying, as last January certainly proved, but there have been notable successes in the past that shows it can be a significant period to turn around a club’s fortunes. I feel the African Cup of Nations and the unprecedented amount of long term injuries we have seen will force many club’s hands and subsequently we can expect to see another expensive month for many Premier League chairman.
So how do you feel about Tottenham’s fortunes so far this season and would you look to see changes made in January? Who would you like to see brought in and ultimately who would you like to see moved on in the up and coming window?
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The book has the perfect title – The Ghost of White Hart Lane. John White’s nickname always was apt, even before his tragic death at the age of 27. They called him The Ghost because he seemed to glide around the pitch, ghosting into space, never more than 30 yards from the ball. And any time you were in trouble, he was always there for you.
He was one of the greatest players I ever saw, and in many people’s opinion, THE outstanding player of Tottenham’s 1961 double-winning side. When he was killed by lightning in 1964, he left us questioning just how great a player he would have ended up. John also left behind two children, including a baby son, Rob – who has now co-written a book, subtitled In Search of My Father, The Football Legend*.
I spoke to Rob when he was researching the book about the dad he never knew. I told him John White was a sublime footballer, blessed with wonderful touch and awareness as well as a great engine. Before arriving at White Hart Lane, John had been a cross-country runner for the British Army team. When we were sent on gruelling six-mile runs around our Cheshunt training ground, he was so much quicker than the rest of us that he’d showered and got into his car before we’d even finished.
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But unlike a lot of modern players who are athletes first and footballers a distant second, John was a natural playmaker with a great footballing brain. His anticipation was phenomenal and he was an absolute master of the game. Spurs always seem to have players like that – from Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle and Ossie Ardiles, through to Rafa van der Vaart and Luka Modric in the team currently bidding for European glory.
But John was more complete than any of them. He scored 18 goals in the double-winning season and netted in the 1963 Cup-Winners’ Cup final, when Spurs became the first English club to win a European trophy. When he died, it wasn’t the loss of his footballing ability that hit us hardest, it was the fact that he was such a carefree lad, such a damned good laugh.
He and his best mate Cliff Jones were such a handful that our manager Bill Nicholson had to stop them sharing a room. I was told to room with Cliff, while Whitey had to share with my old roomie Terry Dyson. We were in the Grand Hotel in Manchester one match day morning when Whitey burst into the room, dived on top of Cliff, opened the window and started screaming: “Help! Help!” at passers-by down below. A few minutes later, a copper was knocking at our hotel door and asking us if we were in distress – so I had to deny all knowledge of it.
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The day John died, he had been due to play golf with Cliff, who was, as always, late. So Whitey went out and played a few holes on his own at Crews Hill in north London, when the heavens opened and he was struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree. I was out for lunch with my bank manager at the time and the storm was so heavy that when we returned to the Barclays branch in Tottenham High Road they were mopping the water out of the door. When I got home I heard the same storm had killed John.
He died a few weeks before the start of the 1964-65 season and before the big kick-off, Bill Nick asked me if I would take over his No.8 shirt, rather than my usual No.10. I said I’d take it but it was a poignant moment – to go out wearing his shirt when we were all numbed by shock and grief. John’s widow Sandra was the daughter of our assistant manager Harry Evans, so his death had a huge impact on everyone at the club. Yet John certainly packed a lot of living into his 27 years – as his son has been finding out.
* The Ghost of White Hart Lane – In Search Of My Father The Football Legend, by Rob White and Julie Welch, is published by Yellow Jersey Press at £16.99.
So much has been written about the Premier League’s proposed quota system and to be honest most of it has been negative; however Richard Scudamore finally has someone applauding his policy. Wayne Rooney has given the move his full backing and believes it vital to the future of England and the Premier League.
“I think the new home-grown rules coming in are important.
“As an academy graduate myself I like to see young players coming through because I think they’re vital for the future of England and the Premier League.
“I also think it’s important for clubs to have a bunch of home-grown players because they are the lads who know their history.”
I for one couldn’t agree more and whilst most supporters only care for their own clubs, before country, the fact remains that with the exception of the likes of Everton and West Ham home-grown English youngsters are not being given the opportunity to progress from the youth team right through to the first XI. The counter argument is that if they were good enough then they’ll come through; a naive and throwaway comment in my opinion because how do you know if they are good enough if they are not given the chance in the first place? The new quota ruling will increase the probability and hopefully give Fabio a bigger pool of players to choose from as a result.
Fabio Capello was widely criticised for not attending the England U19s tournament in France, but what would have been the point? Let’s be honest how many of that squad are going to get anywhere near the first team at their respective clubs in the next two years, therefore the whole exercise would have been extremely pointless. Until the football clubs start changing their ways of working then nothing is likely to change therefore the Premier League should be applauded for intervening and ensuring that action is now taken. The results of this quota ruling won’t happen overnight, but you would hope that come the next World Cup the England manager will have a damn sight more options available to him throughout the squad.
Written By Jerome Johnstone
With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery
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‘Silent’ Stan Kroenke’s affliction to public address has done little to appease Arsenal fans’ scepticism about his intentions for their club, and after making his oratory debut at the Arsenal AGM last Thursday, many of those doubts will still remain.
The 54-year-old American took the opportunity to lavish praise upon fellow countrymen and Manchester United counterparts the Glazer family, musing how the much maligned Old Trafford owners, “could have done it any better?”
Arsenal’s majority shareholder was talking admiringly about how during their six year tenure at Old Trafford, the Glazers have overseen huge revenue and turnovers gains whilst watching the team go through arguably their most sustained period of on-field success in their history.
Since the Glazers arrived in 2005 the Red Devils have scooped four Premier League titles, three League Cups and appeared in three Champions League finals, and this trophy-laden era has been coupled with an ever increasing cash-flow into the club and escalating value of their asset. In many ways, the Glazers have perfectly executed a chapter from Uncle Sam’s big fat textbook of business acquisitions.
Kroenke’s appraisal of the Glazers will come as a surprise to your average football fan, but your average football fan and the American billionaire businessmen are looking at the issue from two completely different perspectives. His complimentary rhetoric was not due a response, yet there will be few United fans lacking suggestions of how the Glazers ‘could have done it any better’.
Financial figures released at the start of September show United now have debts of over £300m with hundreds of millions of pounds of club money being siphoned off to pay high rate interest payments and debt administration to fund the Glazers leveraged buyout.
Legally the Glazers are doing nothing wrong but within footballing morality their conduct is up for debate. The football club are making more money than ever but huge proportions of it are going straight back out to effectively pad out the Glazers eventual profit. Kroenke may approve, but the father to son tradition that has made United what they are see differently.
The Manchester United brand is one which has been cultivated over decades to the point where they are arguably the biggest football club in the world. The seeds of United’s commercial success were sewn from before the Busby era and beyond, with the likes of Edwards, Charlton, Best, Robson, Cantona, Beckham and the many others all shaping the club as a global commodity long before the Glazers decided to capitalise on ‘Gold Trafford’ – the emporium which is a licence to print money.
Recent endorsements such as an £80m shirt sponsorship agreement with Aon and a £40m training kit deal with DHL show the profitability of Manchester United as a money making vehicle. Such deals will always be likely within the financial pulling power of football as a sport, meaning that clubs with the identity of United will always appeal to the masses – especially if they are winning.
Nine major trophies since their takeover suggests United are winning, but once again, the influence of the Glazers over this period is dwarfed by the presence of Sir Alex Ferguson and his unparalleled ability to manage Manchester United football club.
Another barometer that United’s relative success is despite the Glazers and not because of it comes when you analyse the transfer spend Ferguson has had to work with during their helm.
In the five seasons preceding the takeover, United’s former PLC spent approximately £120m net on players, but the Glazers have reduced that lavish spending. Between 2005-2011, United have spent close to £230m on players but have offset that with sales of £175m, meaning net over six years is less than half what the PLC commissioned. It’s a good job Ferguson can make wine from water.
The chicken and egg scenario for United fans wishing to oust the Glazers is that the more successful the club are, the more income they generate and the more money the Glazers will eventually earn. It seems the football team and the owners are living a symbiotic life whereby the football element does what it can and achieves what it does in contradiction to the way the owners do what they do.
So, in summary, Manchester United are making more money than ever but huge amounts of that is leaving club coffers to fulfil unrelated personal debt commitments, whilst less of their self earned money is being reimbursed back into the team and supporters are being forced to pay heavily inflated ticket prices to watch their heroes.
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The fact that Stan Kroenke thinks the Glazers are doing a good job should strike an ominous chord with Arsenal fans.
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Japan’s national team beat a J-League XI in a charity match in Osaka to raise funds for victims of the country’s natural disaster.Samurai Blue manager Alberto Zaccheroni started Stuttgart striker Shinji Okazaki, who was a victim of an earthquake in his homeland in 1995, and the goal scorer said the match – which Japan won 2-1 – was a chance for him to return assistance that he received when he was in trouble 16 years ago.
“I am alive now because the people around me helped me,” he said, referring to an earthquake that hit near Kobe in 1995.
“This time I want to help people as I experienced it. Today’s game is the first step in giving back.”
Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese club in one of the worst affected areas by the earthquake and tsunami, and Sendai midfielder Kunimitsu Sekiguchi said it was a burden off his shoulders to play for the Japanese people in need.
“It was March 24 when I first touched the ball this season. I couldn’t run enough today but I think it was worth it to play this game,” Sekiguchi said.
Kazuyoshi Miura, a 44-year-old Yokohama midfielder, said he proved critics of his age wrong by scoring in the exhibition match.
“I don’t like to talk about my age but always people ask me about it. I never give up so I wanted to show my heart with a goal,” Kazu said.