Wesley Sneijder has admitted he could leave Inter Milan for the right offer reports the Mirror.
The admission will fuel speculation that a move to long time suitors Manchester United is imminent.
Valued at £35 million the Dutch midfielder finally spoke up on the controversy that has surrounded his future at the San Siro all summer.
With the Serie A side club suffering a cash crisis the midfielder admits that they could sell him for financial reasons.
Sneijder said: “All I know is that Inter need money and that I’m for sale if the right offer comes in.
“I have five days off after the international friendly against England on Wednesday. I expect clarity on my future by then.
“I can be very brief about the interest from Manchester United and City: I haven’t spoken with either of those two clubs, so I can’t really say much about my future at the moment.” He added
Speculation at the weekend saw him linked with a move to the Blue side of Manchester only for this to be quickly dismissed.
It seems United is the only option for Sneijder who is wanted by manager Sir Alex Ferguson as a replacement for Paul Scholes.
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A move to Old Trafford now looks to be on the card although his £200,000-a-week wages could delay the deal as it is out of the clubs pay structure.
Saudi Arabia have sacked coach Nasser Al-Johar for failing to rescue the proud nation’s Asian Cup campaign in Qatar.Al-Johar lasted just eight days at the helm of the Green Falcons after replacing Jose Peseiro, who was given his marching orders following a first-up 2-1 loss to Group B rivals Syria.
But they fared no better under Al-Johar, going down 1-0 to Jordan before a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Japan sealed Saudi Arabia’s exit in the group stages.
It was a humiliating early departure for the Green Falcons, who were runners-up in 2007 and considered one of the favourites to challenge for the title this time around.
Instead, Saudi Arabia failed to make the knockout stages of the Asian Cup for only the second time in the history of the tournament.
Team manager Fahd Al-Misaibeeh and his entire staff have also reportedly resigned, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.
“The Saudi Soccer Federation has accepted the resignation of Fahd Al-Misaibeeh, manager of the Saudi national team, and his crew, and relieved Nasser Al-Johar of his post as the current team’s coach,” read a statement from Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal, president of the Saudi Football Federation (SFF).
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“We vow to immediately replace them by a highly-qualified international crew and domestic aides.”
Prince Newaf was promoted to head of the SFF to replace Prince Sultan Bin Fahd, who was removed by King Abdullah following the loss to Jordan.
Nottingham Forest went behind after 27 seconds against unlikely play-off chasers Millwall at the Den on Friday afternoon and never looked like recovering.
Neil Harris’ side opened the scoring early through Shaun Williams before Lee Gregory made it 2-0 before half-time and that’s how it stayed as Aitor Karanka’s side were unable to derail their hosts’ promotion push.
At this moment in time, Millwall are everything that Forest are not; organised, settled and full of momentum. Karanka’s side have little to play for and they’re playing like a side still trying to get used to each other ahead of next season.
Forest fans must acknowledge that but they were still unimpressed with the lifeless way their side surrendered at the Den.
Millwall are making a late burst for the play-offs and on the form they’re on, few would back against them getting there. That’s where Forest fans want their side to be – minimum – next season and we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…
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Arsenal produced arguably the perfect away defensive performance in their 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. It wasn’t the usual ‘tippy-tappy’, slick possession style play we are so used to seeing from the Gunners, they defended magnificently and got their just rewards with two well deserved goals.
Arsene Wenger has finally seemed to have sussed out what it takes to get the right result at one of the Premier League big boys. A disappointing result at the home of Manchester City was becoming a recurrent theme for the Gunners in recent years – prior to Sunday’s win, you have to go back to October 2010 for the last time the north London club tasted victory at the Etihad – when goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner impressively saw off Roberto Mancini’s 10-men City.
But it was a very different Arsenal that showed up in Manchester on Sunday. They were solid right from the first whistle to the last, and goals from Santi Cazorla (pen) and Olivier Giroud earned the Gunners an excellent 2-0 victory. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville didn’t think too much of Arsenal’s chances pre-match, but the former Manchester United defender was quick to praise Wenger’s side as they proved him wrong in more ways than one;
“I was wrong and I’m happy to be wrong. We’ve seen so many examples over the last four or five years of Arsenal capitulating that if you offered me the opportunity to come back as an Arsenal defender, I would have said no. It wouldn’t have been much fun.
“I have to say, they get exposed and they have no appreciation of their defenders when they’re in trouble. But today, they were protected all over the pitch. Bellerin got beat once in the first half by James Milner and Aaron Ramsey was close to him, and you expect that because in big games, you cannot rely upon defending one on one.”
Arsenal only had 35% of the ball, that’s a stat you don’t see too often when the Gunners are concerned, but it was what they did with it that really mattered. Despite weathering a bit of a storm in the second-half from the home side, Arsenal were never really threatened too much, and little Santi Cazorla was undoubtedly the standout player on the pitch.
Over the years, you always get the understanding with Arsenal that they are too proud at times to try and defend to get the right result. Since Wenger took over back in 1996, he almost instantly imposed a style of play which has very rarely been altered – they love to keep possession of the football, and have been accused in the past of trying to ‘score the perfect goal’, and trying to ‘walk the ball into the back of the net’.
Now the Gunners have proved to the football world they can indeed defend and they’re not just a one dimensional all-out attacking side, it’s vital that they continue that going forward. Arsenal have now moved up to fifth in the Premier League table, just one point off of Manchester United in fourth.
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Wenger’s side travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday to continue their FA Cup defence, and they have the Champions League first-leg knockout game to contest with Monaco at the end of next month. All of a sudden, things are starting to look a little bit brighter for Wenger and Arsenal, and exciting times could lay ahead for the Gunners.
One of the fears from many supporters of the game is that the art of tackling will be outlawed for one reason or another. Football has the history of being an aggressive game, but the ambiguity surrounding what is an acceptable tackle is taking away a vital dynamic that has made it such a joy for most.
Everyone has their opinion about what is a dangerous tackle and what is an exceptional example of that side of the game. The Paolo Maldinis are not bone crunchers, but the Italian remains one of the finest defenders we’ve seen. The biggest problem about the whole debate is the word ‘opinion’ and that most people – including referees – make their decision based on what they believe to be within the rules of the game.
Vincent Kompany’s tackle on Jack Wilshere two weeks ago became a hot topic for debate, and it’s not the first time the Manchester City captain’s tackling has sparked serious discussion. The argument in favour of Kompany is that he got the ball, while also carrying through onto Wilshere. So what’s the problem?
The issue is we don’t really know what we’re looking for. Yes, a few decades ago the debate and the boundaries of the rules had greater clarity. Now, do we punish tacklers for following through on the opposition player? Some would say Kompany’s tackle could have been dangerous had he got it wrong, but then why would Manchester City win their appeal?
What about the reaction of the player who is in possession of the ball? That brings into question another debate on diving or feigning injury, but it really does distort the view when at first glances a tackle looks to be a good one.
On that occasion, none of the Arsenal players protested; none of the Manchester City players expected much to come from the referee. So who really knows the rules? How can players compete if one week a dangerous tackle is deemed acceptable, yet the following week a strong but clean tackle is viewed as a red card offence?
Incidentally, there was a passage of play during Barcelona’s game against Malaga on the same weekend, where Javier Mascherano flew in to challenge Diego Buonanotte with a strong tackle which did leave the Malaga midfielder on the deck. It was a strong tackle but it was equally an excellent tackle. Mascherano went through the player but there was no doubt that he took all of the ball. It was notably one-footed and the referee had no hesitation about letting play carry on.
Now, it’s one thing to talk about foreign leagues coming down heavier on tackles, but a good tackle remains a good tackle no matter where it takes place. Mascherano’s challenge could have been dangerous considering the speed at which he came in, but then that raises the point that tackling is an art form perfected by some, and one to be admired. The greater problem here is that referees are calling a lot of their decisions on the fly.
And I’m not sure that ex-professionals don’t really help the cause either. Yes, they give their view on whether Kompany should have been sent off, for example. But do we ever get a definitive answer on what is an acceptable tackle in the modern game? One ex-pro will give their opinion – again, opinion, not precise rule of the game – and the following week another ex-pro will give a totally contrasting view. What if you bring together two footballers who played in the early nineties but in two different leagues? Doesn’t that just create further problems on what is a good tackle and what isn’t?
Tackling remains a pride of the English game, but it’s not something other nations particularly regard as highly. There’s a case to be made that a tackle is used by lesser players, those who don’t read the game as well as others and who aren’t able to stay on their feet to intercept or halt opposition play. But that’s a view from other parts of the footballing world and one that is unlikely to sit well with many Premier League fans.
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At this stage, the issue needs the intervention of football’s governing bodies. If UEFA and FIFA want to outlaw tackling then they should do so; it at least might be a little better than sitting in purgatory and arguing every other week over what are considered strong tackles and which cross the boundaries into dangerous play.
As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has opened up on potentially making a move for striker Odsonne Edouard this summer, revealing all the Hoops have to do to make it happen is trigger the fee.
What’s the story?
Not much is known about the clause in place to make the Frenchman’s loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain permanent, but The Daily Record say that Rodgers has insisted it is below the £7m fee previously quoted by media outlets.
The Hoops boss has also openly discussed the deal this week, praising the player for his ‘fantastic’ ability.
As quoted by The Daily Record, Rodgers said:
There is a clause in the deal. The clause is there and there’s been an agreement – but we would need to trigger the fee. There’s a lot to do in terms of the bigger picture too. In time we’ll see. He’s a fantastic player and we’ll see between now and the end of the season.
But he’s settled in well and if we have any chance to do something at the end of the season then we can look at that.
Because his representatives aren’t running about throwing him to every club under the sun it doesn’t mean he’s not a top player.
There’s no propaganda around him, but he’s a top talent.
It certainly sounds as if the Celtic Park boss is interested in Edouard’s services and they wouldn’t have agreed a fee with PSG if they couldn’t afford shelling out for him, so is a deal inevitable come the end of the season?
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Finding consistency
Perhaps the biggest barrier between Celtic sanctioning the deal and not is Edouard’s lack of consistency this season. Impressive in bursts and scoring eight goals, he has gone through spells without finding the back of the net or performing well. However, the same could be said of Moussa Dembele.
By far his biggest moment so far in the Hoops was his stunning winner at Ibrox recently, making him a firm favourite with supporters.
If he could produce that kind of magic on a regular basis then his signing would be a no-brainer.
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Perhaps Brendan Rodgers is ahead of the curve and recognises that will come in time as the 20-year-old develops further.
Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see if the Hoops boss makes his move at the end of the season.
The January transfer window is open in the Premier League and Arsenal fans will be desperate for Arsene Wenger to spend some money on strengthening his squad.
After a successful summer which included the £30 million capture of Alexis Sanchez, Wenger kept his faith in the defensive midfield duo of Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta by choosing not to purchase any potential replacements in the summer window. The departure of defenders such as Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson left the Arsenal manager short of defensive options despite the acquisitions of Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy.
Arsenal still look weak in terms of squad depth defensively. Injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy over the past few months has really exposed Arsenal’s lack of cover in the centre of defence, with full-back Nacho Monreal often playing out of position to cover absentees. Wenger has shown his usual faith in younger players by allowing them to break into the first team but it looks as if Arsenal need experience at the back to provide solidarity.
Recent January transfer windows at Arsenal suggest that Wenger will not splash the cash.
In the past three winter windows, Arsene Wenger’s total outlay does not even amount to £10 million. The additions of Thierry Henry in 2012 and Kim Kallstrom last year were loan signings, with Nacho Monreal the only player to arrive for a sizeable fee of around £8.5 million across the three years of winter business.
Clearly, this suggests that Arsene Wenger will not be looking to spend big money on replacements. This may frustrate Arsenal fans as there are clear signs of weakness in their squad.
However, Wenger may still look to bring in replacements on the cheap. Rumours that Winston Reid could be available for as little as £7 million would certainly fit the bill for and provide Arsenal with the cover in central defence that they so desperately need. Although Arsenal fans will be hoping that a major signing is made in this January transfer window, the recent evidence suggests that this will not happen.
Instead, the summer will probably be the time when Wenger chooses to spend big on new signings. The situation at Arsenal could be a lot worse, they are still in the Champions League and look comfortable enough to break into the top four sooner rather than later.
However, many Arsenal fans have grown tired of the same results each season and are demanding improvement. Realistically, if Wenger does improve the strength of the Arsenal squad, there is no reason as to why they can’t be challenging for the Premier League title next season.
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Arsene Wenger has already given glimpses of Arsenal’s spending power through the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in previous windows. If he chooses to really compete with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United’s spending power then Arsenal fans should expect their team to be competing for the title next season.
However, expecting Wenger to spend big in January could be wishful thinking.
Five Premier League teams feature in the Deloitte’s list of football’s top 10 richest clubs in the world, the BBC reports.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City are included with Real Madrid taking top spot for the eighth year running ahead of La Liga rivals Barcelona.
The rankings were compiled using data from the 2011/12 season and has Sir Alex Ferguson’s side as the top ranked English team in third spot with revenue streams of 396 million euros.
Local rivals City jumped from 12th to seventh, the joint biggest rise, with their Premier League triumph and a lucrative sponsorship deal ensuring their earnings rose from 286m euros from 170m euros on the previous season.
Chelsea occupy fifth place after their coffers were boosted thanks to success in the Champions League and the FA Cup, with Arsenal dropping down a place as a result, while Liverpool remain in ninth after a 30 million euros increase in their revenue despite a poor domestic campaign and failure to qualify for European football for the first time since 1999/2000.
Deloitte Football Rich List
1. Real Madrid: 513m euros
2. Barcelona: 483m euros
3. Man Utd: 396m euros
4. Bayern Munich: 368m euros
5. Chelsea: 323m euros
6. Arsenal: 290m euros
7. Manchester City: 286m euros
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8. AC Milan: 257m euros
9. Liverpool: 233m euros
10. Juventus: 195m euros
Check out our infographic about finance in football below
Mark Noble has never hidden his thoughts, particularly as captain of West Ham United, and he was at centre stage during last weekend’s unsavoury scenes.
During the team’s 3-0 defeat to Burnley at the London Stadium, individual supporters forced their way onto the pitch to protest against the club’s board.
One of the incidents saw Noble grappling with a fan, who was pushed to the floor by the visibly angry midfielder.
Co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold were targeted verbally with angry chants from groups of supporters in the stadium.
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Tottenham Hotspur fans were among the rivals who found the scenes amusing, but serious action is expected to be taken by the club.
Noble has now issued a rallying cry via West Ham’s official website stating that the fans need to get behind the team in the final eight games of the season.
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The midfielder went on to admit that last Saturday was one of the “toughest days” that he has experienced at the club.
Fans took to Twitter to give their reactions to Noble’s interview.
Manchester City are proving to be very much beatable this season in both the Champions League and Premier League, whereas ‘title rivals’ Chelsea are looking likely to go unbeaten in the league, or as likely as anything can be at this stage.
Meanwhile City have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, a dismal record by anyone’s standards. The current champions have lost twice in the league during the opening eleven fixtures, and despite playing Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, it’s Stoke City and West Ham United who have managed to topple the champs.
Things are not going well for Man City in Europe either – in fact they’ve yet to win a single game in out of four. When initially looking at their admittedly tough group, CSKA Moscow would have been the top pick for winning 6 points from.
After all not many get anything off Bayern Munich at the moment, and Roma are no slouches either. Yet CSKA are the only team that City have played twice, and after throwing away at 2-0 lead in an empty stadium in Moscow, Man City lost to the Russian side at home.
It’s no fluke that City have lost in the league to two lesser sides, as with a little bit of fortune and the right game plan, City are relatively easy to beat.
The reason that they are beatable is that they play the same every week. Manuel Pellegrini relies on the quality of his players as individuals to pull him through – and they often will, especially with Sergio Aguero on the pitch.
Tactically astute managers will be very much aware that you’re not going to come up against any surprises when you play City, and once realised by a manager who is willing to change their style to suit their opponent, the champions can be overthrown. Of course it’s not just a battle of the managers, and if City’s forwards are on form, there’s not much a team with less quality can do.
Chelsea are already looking certainties for the title despite the season only being 11 game-week’s old. Bookmaker Paddy Power has already cheekily payed out on Mourinho’s men winning the league.
The Blues have a manger in charge who is willing to grind out results if necessary, and change his tactics to suit the opposition. Parking the bus is nothing to be ashamed of when it works, as it did away to Liverpool at the end of last season.
There’s no doubting that Man City’s squad is one of the best if not the best in the Premier League right at this moment. Their strength in depth is phenomenal – on their bench for their last fixture against QPR was Jovetic, Dzeko, Zabaleta, Lampard and Milner. That bench would have been even stronger if it wasn’t for the absence of Kompany, Kolarov and David Silva.
Yet compare that to the side who are a place and four points ahead of City, Southampton, who had both Jack Cork and Harrison Reed come off the bench in their win last time out. Not quite the same frightening names, but The Saints are harder to beat than the Champions.
Perhaps it’s purely a case of being underrated and underestimated each week despite their league position. Everyone tries their hardest against the big teams, and that’s why it can be harder for the top teams. It’s a case of it being big game for the little teams, and a little game for the big teams, which can make all the difference for the so-called ‘lesser’ side.
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We mustn’t forget that Manchester City are the current Premier League champions, and that they more or less have the same squad and manager as in that victorious campaign. However, they now are up against a team that are playing hard to beat as a collective whilst City remain hoping for moments of magic from genius players.
If enough of those moments come then they may catch Chelsea before the end of the season, but it’s already Chelsea’s to lose and you wouldn’t want anyone else in charge other than Mourinho in that situation.