Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in Arsenal midfielder Alex Song, and are weighing up a move for him in the transfer window, according to Mirror Football.
The Santiago Bernabeu side have won the Primera Division this term for the first time in four years, and Jose Mourinho is eager to strengthen his squad in the summer in light of a Barcelona backlash.
With Los Blancos also monitoring Robin van Persie’s contract situation, a move for combative midfielder Song is now on the cards too.
The battler has been one of the standout players in the Gunners revival this term, especially given injuries to Jack Wilshere and the sale of Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal are thought to be reluctant to sell Song, and are eyeing a central midfield partnership between him and transfer target Yann M’Vila for next term.
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Fulham boss Martin Jol praised his team’s attack after a 4-0 second-leg win over Crusaders saw them progress in Europa League qualifying.The West Londoners’ crushed the Northern Irish side 7-1 on aggregate courtesy of their win at Craven Cottage on Thursday as Andrew Johnson, Damien Duff, Bobby Zamora and Steve Sidwell netted.
The win sees Fulham advance to the third round of qualifying and Jol praised Johnson and Zamora, who played up front and combined well after only scoring 10 goals between them last campaign.
“Even if you have got a tough defence you know you can score goals. Last year, Bobby was of course injured and Andy was the same – he only had 16 starts,” Jol said.
“So we had some trouble with injuries and luckily enough we had (Clint) Dempsey and he was our top scorer”
“I feel there is a lot more goals in Andy Johnson. Every game when I see him he is quick and he can score goals. I think he has scored three goals already and that is what you want, not the two goals last year.”
Fulham won the first leg in Northern Ireland 3-1 and Johnson opened the scoring in the 19th minute on Thursday to extend that advantage.
They then added three goals in a 15-minute spell beginning in the 56th minute and Jol said he was pleased with the performance.
“You always want to play perfect football and of course the first half we started well,” Jol said.
“The first half an hour I thought was good. Good movement and everybody was involved.”
“After that there were a few sloppy spells and that is not what you want.”
“But the second half was okay and of course we had to substitute a few players because we have 17 or 18 players who want to be involved.”
Fulham will meet Croatian side RNK Split, who beat Slovenian outfit NK Domzale 5-2 on aggregate, in the first leg of their third round qualifying tie next Thursday.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is concerned about Arsenal's style of play ahead of the Gunners trip to Old Trafford on Monday.
The Gunners are now the league leaders after seeing off Fulham last weekend, while United's game at Blackpool was called off due to a frozen pitch.
The Scot feels the north London team have become more aggressive and mature in their approach and feels this has helped them improve in their play; they are now able to combine their slick passing with a more physical edge.
The Red Devils boss has warned they will be much harder to overcome this time round. He also added that the fixture has not become any less of a major tie since the arrival of Chelsea as title contenders.
"I think they'll still try to play the attractive football Arsene (Wenger) believes in, but there's definitely been a slight change," Ferguson told his club's official website.
"The general shape of the team has been far more mature and aggressive this year.
"They're top of the league – that's a sure indication that they are better than they were last year and they'll have a chance.
"They were very difficult to beat in the days of Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira and the three at the back – Keown, Adams and Bould.
"That brought them great success and I think that this team is showing that kind of maturity now."
"The games, particularly four or five years ago, were so important because both of us were challenging for league titles."
"Chelsea have now come in and it's been ourselves and Chelsea over the last five years.
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"Nonetheless, it's Manchester United against Arsenal and the history of both teams always guarantees a match of intensity and a lot of the time, controversy.
"I think Monday night's game will be more or less the same because the pride and history of both clubs determine that."
Manchester United have been boosted by the return of Rio Ferdinand who picked up a hamstring injury against Valencia midweek. Paul Scholes (groin) and Patrice Evra are both fit so are likely to play. However, Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs (ankle) and Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) are both out for the clash at Old Trafford.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The award season is now upon us and as we look at the nominees for both the PFA player and young player of the year awards the debate is raging on twitter and forums at the selected few. While the general bone of contention is why no Newcastle players have made the list, given the season they have had, or how Daniel Sturridge was anywhere near the list especially when the likes of Phil Jones are surprisingly overlooked, considering his impressive start to his career at United. As always the nominations have split opinion and once again have supporters questioning the whole voting process in general.
I wonder how many of those chosen will make the PFA team of the year – in my view the hardest selection given the huge array of talent that have plied their trade in this Premier League season. I decided to have a go and why it was not easy; I think this line-up best represents what has so far been a fantastic Premier League year for football. I have opted for a 4-4-2 formation, as well as adding honourable mentions for those who were close to make to starting XI.
Click on David Silva to unveil the Premier League’s best XI for the 2011/12 season
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It is simply ridiculous for a man of Steven Gerrard ’s caliber to be doubted. Gerrard is one of the best footballers (a complete player) of his generation with everything in his armour. Pass, shoot, tackles, headers, goals, vision, strength…you name it, he has got it all. It would not surprise me if we put him in goal and he takes Pepe’s place too. He is a world class midfielder and he will be vital for everything Liverpool will do next season. Every footballer goes through a rough patch in their career and yes we played better football towards the second half of the season when Gerrard was injured but this certainly does not mean we are a better team without Steven Gerrard. We can only get better and stronger with him coming back into the team and we should be optimistic about how good we can get having him back rather than dwelling on the negatives. I think Stevie will be back with all guns blazing and the contributing factors will be:
1) Fitness : After his groin operation which was a successful one last season, he is claiming he feels fitter than ever and very confident about his physical condition. This is brilliant news for Liverpool because these niggling injuries have certainly taken their toll over him and he has not been performing to his capability. If he is as fit as he is claiming and is to have a strong season appearance wise, it will certainly help our cause to finish in the top 4 and higher.
2) Mentality : This break from football, the longest since he made his debut for LFC at the young age of 18 was a much needed one. Physically he seemed drained but he needed a break from football mentally as well. It takes a lot mentally playing week in week out for as long as he has done and this break can only do him a world of good. Having a wee bit more time for his social life can only benefit him. He will be back fresher not only in terms of his physical fitness but also fresher and sharper in terms of mentality.
3) Motivation : Motivation plays a major role in a footballer’s performance and with King Kenny at the helm we can rest assure that there will be no lack of motivation (which happened during Roy’s 6 months in charge). There will be a burning desire to go all out and achieve what has eluded the Anfield trophy cabinet over the past to two decades and what we believe is our birth right. I am not saying Steven Gerrard lacks that motivation but simply stating that there will be that extra bit of it with Kenny back and with everything that has happened surrounding the club.
4) Transfers : One world class player can only do so much in a team sport like football. There have been times when Steive has single handedly lifted the team to victory most famously in Istanbul(05) and Wembley(07). Adding a few more top players this summer will take the burden and responsibility from Gerrard which can only be better for him and the team ultimately. This will be a major factor in our title charge.
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5) Kenny Dalglish : King Kenny is Liverpool through and through and he understands the Liverpool way better than anyone else. Dalglish’s achievement both as a player and as a manager commands the respect which Hodgson could never get from the players or the fans. Everyone looks up to Kenny and he brings in the motivation and desire to play for him which Roy failed to do and thus struggled. After a dismal reign of the bloody cowboys, we needed a leader who could steady the ship and keep his calm when everything around him was in utter chaos and since the arrival of Dalglish he has been nothing but that. He is an idol for the fans, an inspiration for all the players, a hero for everyone connected to Liverpool Football Club and is a living legend. This will be a influentional factor for Steven and the team next season.
6) Owners and Stabilty : Now that everything on and off the pitch seems stable and we have stopped making the headlines for all the wrong reasons we look to be heading towards the right direction. Now we seem to have owners who understand what our club means to the fans and are interested in the well fare of the club and not just in making profit. For the local boys (Stevie and Carra) who are so attached to the club, it does matter how the club is being and it will have an impact on them. So now with everything in place we can look towards a bright and successful future.
7) And finally Man Utd breaking our title record :
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It was a very painful day for all related to LFC when ManU claimed the 19th title. It was heart breaking to see them go past us and claim what seemed to be near impossible two decades ago. But let’s face it, we certainly have not been good enough and have ourselves to blame for this. Born and bred in the red half of Merseyside, Steven Gerrard will want nothing more than to break United’s record and get LFC back on top where we belong. There will be a fire in his belly next season as this determination will drive him more than ever. Manchester United beating us for the 19th title will only make him hungrier for success. He will be ready for all challenges that comes his way and he should have a sensational season.
So we will surely be back not to knock Manchester United off their perch as Fergie once claimed to do to Liverpool but we will be back to take what is ours.
This article was written by Bikesh Shrestha and is courtesy of our partner website ourkop.com
Newcastle United central defender Mike Williamson has been charged with violent conduct by the FA following his weekend clash with Bolton Wanderers' Johan Elmander.
Williamson was shown by TV pictures deliberately blocking a run by the Trotters' in-form Swedish forward, a clash which was seemingly missed by the match officials at the Reebok Stadium.
An FA statement read:"Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson has today been charged with violent conduct.
"The charge relates to an incident involving Johan Elmander in his side's fixture with Bolton Wanderers on Saturday 20 November.
"Williamson has until 6pm on Tuesday 23 November to reply to the charge and under The FA's fast-track regulations may admit the charge and accept a standard three-match suspension."
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The heavy defeat at Bolton also saw Williamson's defensive partner Fabricio Coloccini red-carded for elbowing Elmander in the face as the duo chased a long ball forward.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity but it’s hard to agree when football constantly finds itself decorating the back pages for all the wrong reasons. On occasion the detrimental coverage is inescapable and unwarranted but more often than not, certain individuals are only too willing to provide the nation’s press with all the ammunition they need.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish arguably tops of the list of such guilty parties with a bullish and uncouth attitude towards journalists that creates an uncomfortable and graceless viewing experience. He has seemingly failed to realise the importance of a symbiotic relationship with the media, instead creating an ‘us against them’ mentality – that has worn thin even with Millwall fans – and kept the Anfield club firmly in the tabloid firing line.
I have previously voiced my opinion regarding why I think post-match interviews should be scrapped, seeing as how they only offer an opportunity to create headlines that detract attention away from events on the pitch. The players and staff that descend down the tunnel are running purely on adrenaline, having endured a gruelling physical and psychological workout. The last thing they want to do is wander into the clutches of a swarm of reporters, desperate to probe and force a reaction with a flurry of difficult questions.
Players can only find the strength to summon answers from the traditional catalogue of football clichés whilst managers are understandably highly-strung and incredibly emotional. This is where Kenny perhaps trips himself up as his unyielding allegiance to the club will see him jump to its defence at the first sign of criticism. His commitment, whilst commendable, means he’s often guilty of ‘tunnel vision’, failing to consider both sides of an argument and instead firing off a string of abrupt and defiant retorts.
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His recent interview in the wake of Liverpool’s last gasp victory at Ewood Park acts as the perfect case in point. Dalglish is clearly irritable the moment Sky’s Andy Burton begins speaking, almost waiting to undermine the questions that come his way. Having been prompted to give his reasons why he thought his side could win the game Dalglish questioned why he had to explain himself, seemingly forgetting the popular question-answer format of a typical interview.
Dalglish continues to look agitated throughout, pushing his tongue firmly in his cheek as he refuses to comment on the game’s key discussion topics. After just two minutes Dalglish attempts to cut short the interview by pushing past Burton but finds his path blocked by the cameraman and has to make a hasty retreat. He deflects a question about the upcoming derby in the FA Cup semi-final and manages to sneak in a childish insult before making his exit. An all-together embarrassing series of events in which he could have simply conveyed his joy at grabbing an important 3 points and praised the match-winner Andy Carroll, who he failed to mention even once.
Dalglish is incredibly fortunate to have the unyielding admiration of the Liverpool support, especially as his antics have seen neutral fans develop somewhat of a distaste for the club. His comments only serve to invite unnecessary pressure that comes naturally to a club of Liverpool’s stature and has perhaps helped contribute to a number of unconvincing performances at home this season.
Of course Dalglish is not the only culprit, with almost every other manager in the Premier League being accountable for their fair share of rants, rudeness and walkouts. However, with Dalglish it feels like this is the default setting rather than a rare spectacle and his insolent approach may start to grate should results in the league continue to suffer. Liverpool need only look at Newcastle and their employment of Keegan/Shearer to remind themselves that such fairytale appointments aren’t always what’s best for the club.
Away from the pressure and stress of football management, Dalglish is often reported as a mild-mannered and charming individual. His press conferences for Liverpool TV are in stark contrast to those we see on mainstream platforms, which begs the question why Dalglish acts the way he does the moment a Sky microphone is thrust towards him. If Liverpool are to be allowed the time to re-establish themselves at the top of the table then it’s vital that Dalglish doesn’t allow the club’s vision to be repeatedly blinded by the media spotlight.
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Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I’ll be deliberating who’s more likely to score in the FA Cup final, Carroll or Torres?
Arsene Wenger has never been one to do all of his transfer deals as early as possible, but it is of paramount importance that he changes that attitude for this particular summer.
Since Arsenal finished fourth this season, just over the horizon lies a Champions League qualifier which, under the new UEFA rulings, shall be infinitely harder to win than some of the games the club has had in previous seasons against the likes of Sparta Prague and Dinamo Zagreb. Now, Bayern Munich, Villarreal and Fiorentina haunt the draw.
Therefore, Arsenal need to move quickly. There should be no anxious waiting up on August the 31st in eager anticipation of a deadline day bargain. Regardless of the players whom one thinks the club should be signing, the fact is that they should arrive in June, in order to give them the best possible chance of settling into the side before the early start of the season.
There is very rarely any negative attached to signing players early in the summer. For example, whenever Manchester United need to inject new life into the squad, they immediately bolster the team by announcing signings as early as June 1st. This was exemplified by when they signed Anderson, Nani and Hargreaves in quick succession in the summer of 2007. Arsenal need to take a leaf out of their book; no more deadline day deals in order to shave a couple of hundred thousand of pounds off the price, the purchases have to be made quickly and forcefully.
The added bonus of getting the transfers done as early as possible is that a feel-good factor surrounds the club in the build up to the new season. This is particularly relevant this season, given that the season ticket prices have increased, and there are real doubts about the power of the club in the transfer market, and whether the ambitions of the board mirror those of the supporters.
Should the Champions League qualifier at the Emirates arrive without any kind of marquee signing having been purchased, the atmosphere around the stadium will match that of the last few games of the season just gone; songs of ‘six percent, you’re having a laugh’ will inevitably be replaced with chants of a somewhat more positive nature.
So this summer is extremely important for a number of reasons; not only does the squad need to be strengthened considerably in various areas, but the rebuilding work needs to be done sooner rather than later, not only to increase our chances of Champions League qualification, but also to state intent for the season to come, and to put Arsenal back on the map.
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Read more of Alastair Bayliss’ articles at Gunnersphere
Peter Crouch divides opinion, with his awkward style and ridiculous body shape he is not to everyone’s taste. And a scoring record of 18 in 62 games at Tottenham is not an overly prolific return for a centre forward often deployed alone this season. The most common criticism thrown at Crouch is that for a big man he is not commanding enough in the air when the ball is in the box and when he is this is usually done by conceding a foul. He rarely attacks the ball in the air, often over jumping and having to bend down in order to make contact. It is at this point he tends to get penalised for climbing on the defender. Although I feel his size tends to count against him here, with referees, particularly in Europe, being too quick to pull him up on this.
Where he is good is winning flick-ons and knock downs for a strike partner or runner from midfield to latch on to. His partnership with Defoe was developing quite well based on this fairly route one style. However he is now partnered with Van der Vaart who is not that type of player, lacking the pace to exploit any flick ons from Crouch. This is not to take away from Crouch’s technical ability on the ground as he is more of a footballer than just a route one target man. This was demonstrated the other night against Inter by juggling the ball brilliantly to evade two challenges out on the wing.
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However he is often crowded out too easily by defenders when he has the ball at his feet and not clinical enough in front of goal to be the main striker at a club with genuine European credentials. The lack of a true goal scoring instinct is the most infuriating aspect of Crouch. The recent game against Everton cried out for a clinical striker to finish one of few chances made. Instead these chances fell to Crouch who was wasteful with timid finishes, that were little more than handling practice for Everton keeper Howard. The most notable being a free header just six yards out being cushioned rather than attacked to the goalkeeper’s grateful arms. The result was two points dropped that wouldn’t have been had a more convincing striker been leading the line. Compare this to a truly world class forward in rich scoring form, Samuel Eto’o was shown the other night. The latter taking his sole chance expertly after stepping inside Gallas and dispatching his shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Contrasted with Crouch who seemed too desperate to score, taking the wrong decision to go for goal on the volley from Bale’s cross when Van der Vaart was crying out for it to be rolled along the six yard box for him to tap home.
The tendency when playing Crouch, through no fault of his own, is to loft the ball up from the back, not only is this route one football sore on the eyes it bypasses Spurs’ best technical players in Modric, Bale and VDV. It also rarely results in any sustained pressure and is a sign of desperation more that a tactic designed to best threaten the opponents goal. As such it should only be used as something different when Spurs’ traditional passing game is not working. Crouch has shown he does not have the quality to be a lone striker that can be relied upon to find the net if only presented with one or two chances in a tight game, where things are perhaps not going all Tottenham’s way. If Spurs wish to cement themselves in the top 4 and become regulars in Europe’s premier competition, they need a more lethal forward. However Crouch can offer a different dimension from the bench if and when required, for this reason he adds something as a squad player. But due to his finishing limitations and age, he turns 30 in January, he can offer little more than this option from the bench, if Spurs want to join the established Premier League elite.
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Swindon Town may be sitting pretty at the top of League Two with only ten games remaining but on Saturday they face another crucial clash in their quest for promotion as they travel to Gresty Road to take on in-form Crewe Alexandra.
The two sides last met on the first day of season when the Robins emerged victorious thanks to goals from Callum Kennedy, Oliver Risser and Aden Flint. However it will be a different contest tomorrow due to the changes in personal for both sides since August.
Both teams go into this game on the back of impressive results after Crewe beat Gillingham away 3-4 with an injury time winner coming from young sensation Max Clayton. While Swindon will be rightly full of confidence following a massive 1-0 home win over Cheltenham with in-form forward Paul Benson netting the only goal of the game after Cheltenham had earlier missed a penalty.
Swindon has been boosted by the return of Defender Aden Flint who has missed the last few months following a groin injury. Captain Paul Caddis is still not fit though, with the defender still nursing an ankle injury however he is expected to play a part in Tuesday’s top of the table clash against Torquay United at the County Ground.
New signing Lee Holmes is set to make his debut after completing his loan from Southampton in time. The 24-year-old winger had previously been on loan at Oxford and coincidently got both assists for the U’s against Swindon only a few weeks ago. Crewe have defender Carl Martin injured and fellow defender James Tunnicliffe has returned to parent club Wycombe after having an operation on a shoulder injury.
Both teams still have something to fight for as it gets toward the business end of the season with Swindon sitting quite comfortably at the top of League 2 and having aspirations of going on and winning the title which could result in a sweet double with the JPT final coming up against Npower League 1 side Chesterfield next Sunday at Wembley.
While our opponents Crewe still have ambitions of making the play-offs and they know beating Swindon would be a massive boost especially with fellow play-off chasers Oxford and Rotherham facing each other at the Kassam stadium.
The Alex manager Steve Davis has highlighted Robin’s striker Paul Benson as the main threat to his side and believes if they can keep him out of the game they have a massive chance of coming away with all three points. It could prove to be a very tight encounter with Crewe currently on an unbeaten run of six matches while Swindon have the best defence in the entire league so goals could be at a minimum. Both sides are in need of points to continue their respective fine seasons but hopefully it will be Swindon that prevails tomorrow to further increase our chances of becoming League Two Champions come May.
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