All posts by h79snht.top

Every summer, there are a couple of teams that fly out of the traps, act incredibly decisively and get all their business done and dusted well in advance of the coming season. This year it’s Manchester United, sitting smugly at the front, camped out in front of the forthcoming season 2 weeks early. They identified their targets, wrapped up the deals and went off on a fantastic bonding trip across America. Everbody is happy, Ferguson’s spent and aren’t United just great.

Every summer there are also a couple of teams that insist on leaving everything to the last possible minute, resulting in two people who’ve never met each other before taking centre together 3 weeks into the season. This year a number of clubs are heading steadily and knowingly towards this goal of gradual unpreparedness.

It’s immensely frustrating watching other football clubs doing business while your club waits, twiddling its thumbs, scratching its bum. As time ticks on, it feels like they’re already edging away from you up the table.

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There are several advantages to getting your buying done and your players in as soon as possible. First of all, it gives a manager far more time to work with his new signings and help them adjust to the new style of play, new training, new colleagues and so on. A month of intensive training is a huge advantage. Pre-season is the time to work out a player’s role in the team, to experiment with him, this should not be done during the season. Similarly it allows the players to get fit and the coaches to assess their fitness, you don’t want a player turning up at the start of season way off the pace, carrying timber. It can also have an added psychological benefit. Ferguson has stated that United don’t need anyone else. The new players are settling in. He is sending out a message, United are setting the pace and everybody else is playing catch up.

So why don’t all clubs attempt to work a little quicker? Why are Tottenham still playing all their pre-season friendlies with a number of players they intend to sell for example? Money is the simplest reason, the necessity to sell players before you can buy means clubs are forced to hold on until the dying moments of the transfer window. This undoubtedly has a negative impact on the start of a campaign. The last minute signings of Dimitar Berbatov from Spurs and Joleon Lescott from Everton highlight the de-stabilising effect this can have on a team.

The clubs that have conducted their business swiftly this season are the cash rich ones. Sunderland, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United have been particularly busy. They have done well to make the most of this position, waiting until the last minute puts your team at a huge disadvantage before the season even begins.

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Disagree or just enjoy last minute panic buying? Let me know: http://twitter.com/#!/philipwroe

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Serie A giants Juventus have targeted Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres as potential transfer targets, reports Mirror Football.

The Turin-based side have had a rejuvenation this season under Antonio Conte, and are currently unbeaten domestically and top of the Italian league with six games remaining.

Part of the reason for the Bianconeri’s revival this season is down to an active transfer policy last summer, and the club are planning to raid the Premier League when the transfer window reopens again.

Vidic has been a long-term prospect of Juventus, and the Italian club will hope to sign the centre half after a season on the sidelines through injury.

With Sir Alex Ferguson watching young prospects Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones maturing this season, the newspaper indicate that the Red Devils may be willing to let Vidic leave for the right price.

Torres meanwhile has had a frustrating time at Stamford Bridge since a January 2011 move from Liverpool, and uncertainty over his future has alerted Juventus.

With Alessandro Del Piero and Marco Borriero on their way out of the Scudetto favourites, a £30 million bid for the World Cup-winning Spaniard is being prepared.

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By Gareth McKnight

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The Daily Mail has reported that “the hardest man in all the town” could be set to leave Old Trafford in the Summer.

The rather succinct post on the Mail’s website notes:

Wes Brown is considering leaving Manchester United. The 31-year-old fell out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson last summer and believes he has a better chance of getting a long-term deal at another club.

I haven’t shortened that in the interests of brevity, that’s literally the post in its entirety, no mention of sources, or quotes simply two and a bit lines letting us all know how a player who’s been at the club since his childhood, is now on his way out of the door- because the Mail say so.

Call me a cynic but I’ve heard these ‘falling out with Fergie’ rumours ever since the Summer and I’ve struggle to believe them. For starters in Wes Brown has fallen foul of Fergie why was he made captain for the Crawley Town game?

Why has he figured albeit on and off all season? Why did he quit international football to concentrate on a club career if he knew it was doomed?

I’m sorry but the whole article- if you can call it that- smacks of lazy journalism- let’s just think of a fairly plausible story and publish it.

Brown may well leave in the Summer- after all only six league appearances all season mean he’s hardly a regular, but I for one hope he decides to stay.

Wes – and I feel more comfortable calling him that as he seems like such a down to earth bloke- is United through and through. Fergie may look at the defensive injury crisis of the past two seasons and realise that United cannot afford to start letting experienced defenders who can play either centre or full back leave.

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He may not have had the best of seasons but he’s still a top class defender on his day and his popularity with the fans is well justified.

The saddest thing about the Mail’s article is the amount of so-called United ‘fans’ commenting on it slagging him off.

Read more Manchester United articles at the excellent Red Flag Flying High

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We return to the Champions League this week as Manchester United and Chelsea look to follow Tottenham’s lead and book their places in the last eight of the competition. There is no such thing as a foregone conclusion in football but you do expect both sides to prevail victorious with home advantage ensuring English clubs have a healthy representation in the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that includes Lehmann in Arsenal talks; Henry concedes that Liverpool are yet to open talks with Kenny, while Manchester City have been given permission to sell naming rights of their stadium.

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Lehmann in Arsenal talks – Sky Sports

Nani weighs up leaving United and eyes possible move to Italy – Guardian

Henry: we have yet to talk with Dalglish – Daily Telegraph

City to sell stadium rights – Sun

Winger deal is Marveaux-llous for Liverpool – Mirror

Captain Jack! Fabio earmarks Wilshere as future England leader – Daily Mail

Terry may regain England captaincy – Guardian

City schedule forces FA to put plans on hold – Daily Telegraph

Roo: Don’t Ed off from Man Utd – Sun

Drunk Dunne ‘blasted Villa legend Cowans’ – Mirror

Wenger’s real blind spot is the captaincy – Guardian

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Fabio Capello confirmed last week that he will leave his post as England manager after the conclusion of the Euro 2012 tournament. In recent times the FA has acted like an overtly ambitious Premier League outfit, desperately seeking silverware and pursuing managers will glittering track records. With nearly two years to plan their next move, the consensus seems to be that an English or at least a British manager is needed once more. No shortage of managers have been associated with the role which has been an impossible task for many years. Unrelenting media attention and an equally demanding public who expect glory are a heavy burden for any boss. Regardless of a numerous disappointments hope still prevails and here are five managers who may be the focus of that optimism at the next World Cup.

Harry Redknapp

Football’s equivalent of Harold Macmillan, who once famously told the voters that they had never had it so good, is the favourite to take over the reigns from Capello. The Tottenham boss is vastly experienced, having managed a number of clubs and achieving FA Cup glory with Portsmouth in 2008. The 63-year old also took Spurs from the relegation zone to the Champions League in the space of two short years. The manager who would be freed from accusations of being a ‘wheeler dealer,’ is a popular choice amongst the fans and has said the job would be difficult to reject. His strength is his unquestionable man management skills and his ability to lift the confidence of fragile stars. Players apparently paralysed by fear would presumably have not occurred under his stewardship.

Martin O’Neill

Currently a free agent after walking out of Villa Park, the Northern Irishman has spent huge swathes of his football career in England, playing under the legendary Brian Clough. In management the bespectacled gaffer won three SPL titles and one Scottish Cup with Celtic and two League Cups with Leicester City. More recently his Villa side recorded two successive sixth place finishes. His teams are always well organised and difficult to beat, retaining discipline throughout any contest. His tactical rigidity may count against him, as he invariably opted for a 4-4-2 formation at Villa with an onus on fast wingers and balls into the box. That conventional formation was widely scorned after England’s insipid World Cup performances.

Roy Hodgson

Fervently respected in the game, Hodgson is narrowly behind Redknapp in the bookmakers’ standings. International management is already well known by the 63-year old who took Switzerland to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup. The studious manager’s CV is as crammed as it is diverse, having managed across Europe and beyond, including two stints at Inter Milan. His reputation has been enhanced further by taking previously lowly Fulham to the Europa League final last season. The team’s rapid transformation was credited to the avuncular figure who made a habit of improving the fortunes of underperforming players. His successes have been mixed but he commands the respect of those he manages and allows players to express themselves on the pitch. The Herculean challenge of reviving Liverpool will determine whether he is one of the frontrunners in two years time.

Continued on Page TWO

Stuart Pearce

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The current England Under-21 manager has been mentioned as a possible successor to Capello. Pearce is said to be flattered but has moved to distance himself from this speculation. He lacks the experience of Hodgson and Redknapp, having endured a trying time at Manchster City between 2005 and 2007. His side struggled for goals but as the Under-21 manager he has impressed, tutoring a number of talented young starlets who have progressed to the senior team. He coached the team to the 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship final but lost resoundingly to Germany. England’s former captain is known for his passion and has assisted Capello at a major tournament. His appointment would ensure continuity as he would have managed many of the senior squad already come the next World Cup. It was a move which worked for Germany, having promoted assistant coach Joachim Loew to the senior role after Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure ended in 2006.

Sam Allardyce

His teams are often attacked for having a one dimensional style but Allardyce is more tactically astute than he is given credit for. An ill-fated period at St James’ Park is still a stain yet to be shifted on his otherwise impressive record in club management. His unremitting success at Bolton meant the Trotters were transformed into a fixed PL entity. On this basis he was interviewed for the vacant England manager job in 2006. His sterling work with Blackburn, who finished tenth last season, has seen his name bandied about once more. He has prospered on a tight budget by playing to his side’s strengths. His reaction to Capello’s omission of Paul Robinson ahead of the World Cup shows he is no diplomat and can lack judgement.

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The Spanish La Liga side have reportedly made a u-turn over the sale of Bruno Soriano with Manchester United now in pole position to sign the midfielder. Villarreal President Fernando Roig appeared to be holding the 27 year old to ransom in an attempt to ease the financial pressure at the club.

Riog had previously suggested that Soriano could not be released for less than £10million leaving United boss Alex Ferguson mulling over whether the player was worth the fee.

However, now it seems Riog is prepared to negotiate that figure following the sale of Soriano’s team mate Santi Cazorla to Malaga for around £21million. The emphasis was originally on the midfielder’s sale to help balance the books but Villarreal have accepted that Soriano will now leave them in January for a far-less sum.

It remains to be seen if Sir Alex is still interested as the United boss is not one to be kept waiting for any player but rest-assured he will be more than aware of European rivals Barcelona circling the Villarreal nest. Despite the giants of Europe having a surplus of midfielders, they have had an interest in Soriano for some time but as yet have not come forward with a bid.

Soriano is believed to be regarded as the best player in his position in La liga by the Villarreal President but the lure of United and Barca will be tempting the midfielder to consider his options. United will offer the opportunity of English football and better wages which almost every player in the world would fancy a stab at. Barca on the other hand can only offer the same league except with improved wages but also the possibility of reduced first team opportunities. This would suggest Soriano may opt for a move to England but that can have its negatives given the standards at United.

Competition at United is fierce and the expectations are immensely high so it would soon be revealed how good Soriano is based on how well he adapts. Soriano though does offer more than just a midfield talent with evidence of playing at left-back. This could help Soriano increase his first team opportunities with either United or Barca.

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It’s always hard to tell how good these players are that are linked with high profile clubs until they get out on the pitch. The clubs scouts will know their potential and so only time will tell whether Soriano will prove to be a real find for either club and worth the wait. If he is as good as Villarreal make him out to be they will struggle to replace him once he’s gone.

Read more of Phil Wareham-Mewse’s articles at the excellent Transfer Tavern

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France head coach Didier Deschamps has revealed that new Tottenham signing Hugo Lloris is unhappy with comments made by club boss Andre Villas-Boas.

The goalkeeper made a deadline day switch to White Hart Lane from Lyon, and is viewed as the long-term successor to Brad Friedel.

However, Villas-Boas has stated that the new signing is not guaranteed a first-team place automatically after moving to north London, which has apparently frustrated Lloris.

“Hugo has not appreciated the statements of his coach,” Deschamps told reporters at a press conference, published in The Guardian.

“I am not going to create a problem that I do not need today. But if it were to happen then it would need some consideration. I do not want Hugo to find himself in this situation.”

Friedel made a number of excellent saves in Spurs’ most recent fixture, a 1-1 draw with Norwich, and it remains to be seen who AVB will select between the sticks in the side’s next game after the international break.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has urged his side to concentrate for 90 minutes after they conceded a late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday to draw 1-1.

Joleon Lescott had headed the Premier League champions into the lead in the first half, but Laurent Koscielny denied the hosts all three points with a late strike.

The Italian boss feels that his men took their eye off the ball and allowed the Gunners back into the game.

“I don’t know if we lost our concentration but it’s strange,” the home coach told Sky Sports after the game.

“Eight, 10 minutes to go to finish the game, we should have had our concentration 100 per cent.

“We had the game under control. [It was] only for the last 10, 15 minutes… I don’t know why we don’t continue to play.

“We were too deep. The problem is we need to close when we have a chance to score,” he concluded.

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Sergio Aguero made a return for City in the game, who now take on Aston Villa at home in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.

By Gareth McKnight

Manchester City have been given a boost by the news that Sergio Aguero is back training once more.

The Argentina international suffered a knee injury in the Premier League champions’ opening fixture of the campaign against Southampton on August 19, and has been working his way back to fitness since.

The South American forward has been pictured working with the club’s physios, running, stretching and doing ball work, whilst Aguero has tweeted that he can’t wait to get back to action.

City had initially hoped that Aguero would be fit to return by mid-September, but his rehabilitation has taken slightly longer than expected.

The club have admitted that ‘whether the league match on Saturday away against Stoke is too soon for a return or not remains to be seen’ according to The Guardian.

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Meanwhile, The Sun states that Aguero is eyeing the Champions League game against Real Madrid as a possible match to return to action in.

Manchester City have been handed a tricky Champions League group, with the draw being kinder to Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

The Premier League champions crashed out of the tournament last season in the group stage, and will have a fight on their hands to progress again this term.

Roberto Mancini’s men are in a group with three other domestic champions, as they face Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.

Chelsea will defend their crown this season and have been handed Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland as opponents in Group E.

Arsenal take on Olivier Giroud’s former side Montpellier, Schalke and Olympiakos, whilst Manchester United will come up against Galatasaray, Club Cluj and Braga.

Finally, Scottish champions Celtic have been handed a monumental task after qualifying for the group stages, with Neil Lennon’s men to face Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.

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The first round of fixtures will take place on September 18.

By Gareth McKnight