I’m a bit tired of New Year’s resolutions. You make them up after seven drinks too many, promising a new start and a positive you. Well you could have decided to take a positive step forward in mid-July.
Footballers are the same and shouldn’t really wait about for a specific time of day to really pull their socks up. But it’s ‘traditional’ to think of it in this way, so after all the holiday weight is shed, what surprising performances could be in store as we head into the new year?
Well a fair few shot stoppers need to start earning their pay in the manner in which their pay packet suggests; they’re all certainly not car salesmen. How about scoring a few goals from the strikers? Or what about playing well for at least a month before attaching your name to European giants in the gossip pages?
Everyone needs a good 2013, otherwise what’s the point? But this hatful need to start proving their worth on a consistent basis.
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England manager Roy Hodgson celebrated the performance of Jack Wilshere after his side’s 2-1 victory over Brazil.
The Arsenal midfielder has returned from a series of injuries recently, making the game at Wembley his first Three Lions start since May 2011.
The 21-year-old slotted seamlessly into the side, alongside captain Steven Gerrard in central midfield, and linked up well with Theo Walcott.
Hodgson was delighted with Wilshere’s display, stating that the playmaker is fulfilling his potential:
“If he can keep up that level of performance he will soon justify all the expectations and hopes because he was very, very good,” He is quoted by Sky Sports.
He went on to praise Theo Walcott, who was instrumental in England’s opening goal:
“As was Theo Walcott, he terrorised the left side of their defence, was involved in the first goal and there were so many other occasions when he was within a hair’s breadth of scoring or creating a chance.
The former Liverpool and West Brom coach was also delighted to secure a win against Brazil, who will host the 2014 World Cup:
“It’s my first crack at Brazil as a manager and I’m delighted to have been able to oversee a victory.
“It was an all-round performance from the team, there were some very, very good moments and I thought we were good value for two goals to one.”
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Wayne Rooney put England ahead after 27 minutes, slotting ball home after Walcott’s effort had been saved by Julio Cesar.
Fred equalised for Brazil after some poor defending from Gary Cahill, but his Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard netted the winner on the hour mark with a neat shot from the edge of the area.
North London derby or not, yesterday was a case of another game and yet another goal for Tottenham Hotspur’s magnificent Gareth Bale. In what’s becoming almost standard procedure these days, it would appear that even if he’s not quite the star of the show as he has been in recent games, the Welshman is still ensuring that the headline writers find some way of fixing his name into bright lights.
The downside to possessing one of the most in-form players within European football is of course the subsequent attention that they’re going to receive from prospective suitors. And unless you’ve been hiding underneath a rock for the past few weeks, it’ll come as no surprise to see Gareth Bale’s name being linked with some of the biggest clubs on the continent.
Indeed, the amount of column inches devoted to a potential departure for the ex-Southampton man at the end of the season has become both a tiring and a boring read for fans in the white half of North London. Yet despite accepting such stories as something of a necessary evil in owning such a gifted talent, it’s also continued to cause its fair share of anxiety in N17.
But as strange as it sounds, while a potential Bale departure is hardly going to have supporters jumping for joy, it’s equally not something that they should be losing sleep about, either.
Let’s be under no illusions here; if Bale sustainably turns in the performances that he has done over the last couple of months and, heaven forbid for the opposition, manage to improve aswell, then he will eventually leave White Hart Lane. 99% of the time, the world’s best players usually tend to end up at the world’s best clubs.
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Is Gareth Bale one of the world’s best players? On the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he may not be – not now, perhaps not ever. But as far as the best of the rest goes, the 23-year-old doesn’t’ have too many peers on current form and if he does manage to develop his game and push on even further, then Spurs are perhaps entering uncharted territory in terms of possessing a player of his quality.
Considering he’s currently already on a different plateau of performance to most of the Premier League as it is, what’s the next level for him to attain? It’s always dangerous to pre-empt what might happen, but with ten league games remaining, Bale is only four goals short of a 20-goal top flight haul. If he goes on to, say, hit 25 goals or dare you say even beyond, next season, it will become almost impossible to argue with the notion of him being one of Europe’s best footballers. That’s if you don’t classify him to be in that very exclusive club of players, already.
The elephant in the room here is of course, he might not be at White Hart Lane next season to do so. Although even though there is the capacity for him to depart this summer, you can’t help but feel that it’s becoming increasingly likely that he will stay at the club for at least another season. And even if he doesn’t, what’s the worst case scenario?
Should he pack his bags and leave, Tottenham are going to receive an outrageous amount of money in order for a deal to stick. It’s always incredibly difficult to gauge a potential figure in a proposed deal such as Bale’s, although it seems generally accepted that the worst figure chairman Daniel Levy can hope to walk away with is near on £50million.
Now some will suggest that selling your best players isn’t much of a selling point to any potential new recruits, but selling Bale isn’t anything like selling a Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov or a Luka Modric. Yes, it would be weakening the side and yes, it would be a massive blow to all connected to the club.
But there are only a handful of clubs in the world that could think about hanging onto a player like Bale. Even Manchester United failed to hang on to Cristiano Ronaldo fresh after winning their 18th league title. For as great a club as Tottenham Hotspur are, they’ll never be a Real Madrid or a Barcelona and supporters must be realistic in regards to his long-term future.
Although while achieving Champions League football would greatly aid the club in reinvesting any return on selling Bale, it’s also the most crucial tool they have in persuading him to stay at Spurs. And should they do so, there’s no reason to think why Gareth Bale would necessarily be in any rush to move on this summer.
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For as good as he may currently be, Bale is still only 23-years-old. He’s currently playing for a club that is set-up to exert the very maximum out of him and one that’s slowly beginning to base themselves around his eclectic gifts, if they haven’t done so already. His age suggests there’s still room for even further development and it also dictates that there isn’t any rush for him to fling himself into a much harsher environment.
There are few teams better set-up to cater towards that growth than Tottenham Hotspur and in Andre Villas-Boas, Bale is thriving under a manager who has managed to catalyse his game into one that cultivates goals and the Welshman will be mindful of that. On a personal level, he can almost certainly expect to see his wage-packet rise should he stay and with the recent birth of his daughter, it’s been reported that he’s more than open to delaying a move abroad for the time being.
Only time will tell whether Gareth Bale will leave Spurs this summer. But while his ultimate destiny may lie abroad, his future – for the time being, anyway – may well lie at White Hart Lane.
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has penned a new contract with the Premier League champions, ending speculation surrounding his future, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
The Ivorian international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium recently, with his agent claiming that he felt unappreciated at the club.
This led to links with the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, who were both keen to spend big to secure the 29-year-old’s signature.
However, he has put a stop to speculation by agreeing a new four-year deal worth an estimated £210,000-per-week (£11m-per-year)
Toure joined City from Barcelona in 2010 for a fee of £24m, citing linking with brother, Kolo, as a major factor in the decision.
He quickly settled into lift at the club, playing a major part in the Sky Blues’ FA Cup and Premier League winning campaigns.
City moved quickly to dispel rumours that he could be leaving, illustrating his importance within the dressing room.
Roberto Mancini’s men have an outside chance of defending their championship status, with a clash at Old Trafford against table-topping Manchester United awaiting Monday evening.
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The Red Devils have a 15-point lead, but City could reduce this to give themselves an opportunity to make a late comeback.
Mark Schwarzer could be set to leave Fulham in the summer after revealing that he has not yet started contract extension talks.
The 40-year-old Australian international will be a free agent in the summer and is looking to continue playing for another campaign because he wants to be in contention to feature in next summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
Cottagers’ boss Martin Jol recently said that he thought Schwarzer could play for another two seasons in the Premier League, but that has not stopped speculation linking him with a number of goalkeepers, including Stoke’s Asmir Begovic.
And the veteran shot-stopper, who joined the Londoners from Middlesbrough in summer 2008, has now hinted that he could be on his way out of Craven Cottage.
When asked if he was in talks, Schwarzer told The Mirror: “Not at the moment, no. I’m just trying to do the best I can and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.
“I have a contract until the end of the season and we will wait and see.”
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Reading boss Nigel Adkins says he has begun planning for next season and has held talks with the club over potential transfer targets.
The former Southampton and Scunthorpe boss was unable to save the Royals from relegation having taken over from Brian McDermott in March and is now planning for life in the Championship.
Adkins says he has already held talks with owner Anton Zingarevich, director of football Nick Hammond and head of recruitment Steve Head on who he wants to bring in and let go once the transfer window opens.
The Royals boss says he was pleased with the outcome of the discussions and is beginning to make plans for next season in the hope of getting Reading back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Adkins said: “Now we know what division we’ll be in, we can start to put in process our decisions for next season. We’ve had good conversations with the regime, the owner, and there’s a lot of ambition about the football club. Since we joined we’ve known potential targets for each division.
“And in terms of players moving on, we will do the business that we want to do, that’s the important message.
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“We’re in a position whereby yes we’re in the Championship but it’s a well-run club and whatever business we do it’s because we want to do it.”
Newcastle United may have to sell striker Papiss Cisse this summer, due to the forward’s religious beliefs, according to the Daily Mail.
The club have signed a new sponsorship deal with money lenders Wonga. But Cisse informed the club several weeks ago that he does not want to wear the sponsors branding on his shirt next season because of his beliefs as a Muslim.
Under sharia law, it is prohibited to benefit from lending money to another person, which is how payday loan company Wonga operate, who have an annual percentage rate of 4,214 per cent.
However, fellow Muslims Hatem Ben Arfa and Cheick Tiote haven’t protested the deal so far, meaning Cisse is the only player to do so.
The club may offer Cisse an unbranded shirt to wear to avoid the forward leaving the club. But the Toon have no interest in cancelling the sponsorship deal, something that Bolton Wanderers did with similar company QuickQuid.
Cisse, who has been linked with a move to Anzhi Makhachkala this summer, could well leave the club because of the sponsorship deal. Managing director Derek Llambias intends to discuss the issue with Cisse when he returns from World Cup qualifying duty with Senegal.
The forward came off the bench in Senegal’s 1-1 draw with Angola, and could feature in their next match against Liberia on Saturday.
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Would you be devastated to see Cisse leave? How should Newcastle solve the issue? Join the discussion below.
The sale of Steven Caulker to Cardiff City saw the most promising Tottenham academy star in recent times leave the club. A deal that appeared strange by way of exposing the bare bones of an ailing Premier League defensive line; it also begged serious questions about the faith the club places in its youth setup. Do Spurs take their academy system seriously?
Spurs’ academy appears to be in the best shape in recent memory. A recent move to the state of the art Hotspur Way has provided the ultimate proving grounds for the next crop of talents. A U-21 Premier League final and an impressive run by the U-18s in the European NextGen series would suggest that prospects are very much on the rise. But if you look back at the last 10 years who has really ever made it? Club legend Ledley King appears to be a one off, and currently the only player to be retained beyond their early 20s is Jake Livermore. Hardly the class of player to get fans pulses racing is it?
The issue for me is either that the academy simply isn’t good enough, so in that case scrap it, or that it just simply isn’t being utilised in the right way. It would be unfair of me to pass judgement on the current pool of players’ futures because they are all at early stages in their careers. However, what I do know is that Spurs have a long history of seeing future talents placed on the lower league scrapheap. The likes of Johnnie Jackson, Dean Parrett and Lee Barnard are names that are never likely to be heard again at the summit of English football.
My view is that in general the academy players just simply aren’t used or integrated properly. Too often a loan to lower league opposition is deemed sufficient, but in my mind there comes a point where this stops being effective. Players like Jon Obika and Adam Smith appear to just be on a continual cycle of loans, when will their time ever come?
This isn’t a dig specifically at Spurs because I believe the majority of academies are guilty of the same failings. In an era where instant-gratification dominates club policy, it is easy to see why that multi-million pound instant hit is the more enticing ahead of an academy graduate who may take a number of seasons to grow into a role. The hope is that the inception of FFP may go some way to changing the onus back towards an academy focus, but I believe the willingness must be there from clubs as well.
Or perhaps the perception of an effective academy needs to be changed? Do players necessarily need to make the first team squad to be deemed a success? A number of players have made their name for other clubs having graduated from Spurs and the Caulker transfer just represents the most financially fruitful of the lot. Personally I don’t see the financial or footballing benefit to the club being enough to justify the investment as it stands. So what can be done to help encourage academy players into the first team?
It would be ridiculous to suggest that 18-year-old academy players should be fielded for 90 minutes in games, as that would probably do more harm than good for their future. What I do think is pragmatic is a phasing in of prospects over a number of years. Currently the academy just looks like a road to nothing apart from maybe a career down in League 2.
I think it will be interesting to see how the career of Tom Carroll progresses in this regard. Probably the most promising that remains of academy graduates, his first team opportunity has been on the increase in the last few years. My worry is that he will eventually hit a wall where he becomes no more than a second string squad player. For a man of Carroll’s ability this would be a waste and would no doubt see the young Englishman move on.
So no of course Spurs do not take advantage of their academy, millions of pounds invested to see only a tiny return on that investment is actually quite bizarre. It sometimes occurs to me that an academy is just a PR requirement of any football side these days, but its use is not a necessity. The rumoured link-up with Swindon Town could be curious in this respect. Would having Swindon Town as a feeder club act as a replacement to an academy if the relationship were to grow?
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Spurs along with the majority of top English clubs fail to capitalise on the plethora of talents their respective academies afford them. As much to do with the environment as individual club beliefs, the current situation is a sad indictment of our game.
Should Spurs be making better use of their academy system?
Marouane Chamakh got his second goal in two games to help Crystal Palace to a 2-0 win over Cardiff.
Having helped Palace to a win on Wednesday against West Ham, Chamakh’s header was the final nail in the coffin for Cardiff who offered little at Selhurst Park. The victory made it three wins from four games for Palace.
With both sides at the bottom end of the Premier League table today’s match was worth more than just three points. Palace went into the game 19th, four places below Cardiff, but were the quick out of the blocks.
Cameron Jerome got the hosts ahead when he headed home a cross from Jason Puncheon after just six minutes, his physicality proving too much for the Cardiff defence to handle. Palace were quick to pile on the pressure with Barry Bannan, who curled a right-footed shit just wide of the Cardiff goal. Apart from a half chance from a free-kick from Peter Whittingham, Cardiff’s efforts were limited.
Whittingham helped lead the charge for Cardiff after half time with a delicate cross which nearly picked out Jordan Mutch, but the Palace defence stood firm. It was only a matter of time before Chamakh scored, having shown great confidence throughout the match, and his time came on the 58th minute when he volleyed his strike home with the outside of his boot on 58 minutes.
Peter Odemwingie nearly got Cardiff back into it 5 minutes later but his header went just over the bar from six yards out.
Cardiff substitute Peter Odemwingie should have reduced the arrears five minutes later, heading over when just six yards out.
From then on it was all Palace, as Jerome, Chamakh and Bannan continued to torment the visiting defence.
Palace continued to pile on the pressure until the final whistle and are now within a point of Cardiff in the Premier League table.
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Manchester United boss David Moyes has been warned by Sir Alex Ferguson’s old assistant coach that missing out on Champions League football could be costly in the club’s pursuit of new players.
The Premier League champions have endured a difficult opening to the season, which has left them 11 points adrift of the top four and completely out of the title race.
With a number of areas of the Red Devils’ squad in serious need of strengthening – which will be further highlighted when experienced stars such as Nemanja Vidic leave in under six months’ time – a major summer spending spree at Old Trafford has been mooted.
Moyes is said to be looking at a number of top players, but with rivals from both England and abroad also interested in their targets, it may become difficult for United to get in the calibre of player the need.
Phelan feels that his old club still have pulling power, but that getting into the Champions League could be decisive in who they can sign this summer:
“It might turn into a situation where David Moyes has two shopping lists, he’ll have one for being in Europe and one for not,” he is quoted by The Metro.
“Playing in the Champions League is always an issue. You’re always going to be in competition with other football clubs for big players, whether you’re in Europe or not.’
“The big players want to go to the big football clubs and Manchester United certainly is one of those.
“The attraction to play for Manchester United will still be there though. They’re making the sign that they’ll plough money into the market this summer and pay big salaries, so it’s an interesting time.”
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