After suffering an all too familiar defeat on penalties only two months ago, England have “an ideal opportunity to see some revolution” as they face Italy once more, Roy Hodgson has claimed. The implication was that this “revolution” would see a youthful side take on the Azzurri, however, the withdrawals of Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge, Joe Hart and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain means older players have been called up for duty.
There will still be six previously uncapped players starting the game, but the centre of midfield will be patrolled by Frank Lampard, 34, and Michael Carrick, 31, who share 112 full international caps between them. At the Euros this year, England’s midfield was built on ‘thirty-somethings’ – with Steven Gerrard, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard all in Hodgson’s provisional squads, but some pulling out due to injury. With this theme continuing into Wednesday night’s friendly, there seems to be less a glimpse of the future of England on offer, and more a stepping stone leading in the right direction.
Hodgson has never had the opportunity to pick either of these central midfielders, through injury or participation in Champions League, and will certainly be keen to analyse their performance during the game. However, while there is evidence to suggest England have real quality emerging in most areas of the side, central midfield remains a weakness. Finding a dynamic, youthful midfielder over the next few years leading up to Brazil 2014 will be crucial for England.
What do you think about England’s squad for the friendly? Are there any young players you think could make the step up to International duty? Tweet me @dudeyoungy
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It seems the last time Arsene Wenger sent out his strongest team on a consistent basis was the nearly season of 2007/08. That year, the central midfield duo of Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fabregas arguably became Arsenal’s best partnership post-Vieira. They were flanked by Alex Hleb and Tomas Rosicky, and their results and charge on the Premier League title was testament to how technically excellent and effective they all were.
That appears about it for Arsenal, as since then the injuries have continued to pile up, the best players have continued out the exit door, and for all of Wenger’s wisdom in the game, he never seems willing to seize the day.
The win against Tottenham saw Arsenal play their most impressive football of the season, certainly from an attacking perspective. It wasn’t just that the team were in the right frame of mind for the occasion, but every member of the starting XI was comfortably the best Arsenal had to offer. That so far has been the only league game where all of those players have started together.
But should it be seen as mismanagement from Wenger? After all, isn’t it he who often says that the club are only focused on the next game as it is the most important? Why then opt for rotation? Why keep one eye on the next game when all manner of disappointments can occur between two matches? Why not go out and grab all three points when they are clearly on offer?
It came to light a few days following the game at Aston Villa that Jack Wilshere was carrying a knock and needed to be rested. But supporters and the media weren’t to know that. The player was evidently fit enough to take a place on the bench, with the option of throwing him on in the worst case scenario. It sparks memories of the game against Aston Villa at the Emirates in 2009 where Cesc Fabregas came on for a 20-minute two goal cameo, only to be subbed off after aggravating his injury.
You can understand why any manager needs to rotate his players over a season which tallies up 50-plus games. But Arsenal have always been a greatly different proposition. They’re a team who can crumble with shocking ease, they’re a team who are often devoid of any leadership on the pitch, and the most obvious factor of failing to capture all three points has been the considerable lack of depth.
To reiterate recent points, Arsenal seem to fall to pieces when just one key player is taken out of the starting XI and replaced with someone of lesser quality. The most famous night at the Emirates up until this point is certainly the win against Barcelona in 2011, a match which saw Arsenal’s strongest midfield and attacking line up start. Goals came via Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin, the second of which being put together by Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere. Two weeks later, Arsenal crumbled in the League Cup final against Birmingham. The makeup of the team was largely the same, except for arguably the most important factor—Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal have always had fantastic players—undoubtedly some of the best in England and Europe—but the squad has always held them back. The lack of consistency with the makeup of the starting XI has been a problem, and there’s always a sense that we never really experienced the best of this Arsenal era on a regular basis.
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It was Robin van Persie who was a regular casualty for much of his Arsenal career, while the injuries certainly increased for Fabregas in his final few seasons with the club. It was also a disappointment that Aaron Ramsey missed the entire season in which Jack Wilshere rose to prominence, while Thomas Vermaelen spent a season out injured following his impressive debut year at the club.
There’s always been a gap, an unmistakable but costly void somewhere in the team. Would Arsenal have gone on to win the title in 2008 had van Persie, Eduardo, Bacary Sagna and Flamini not picked up injuries at various stages in the year? That was certainly Arsene Wenger’s best team since the move to the Emirates. But like the Invincibles, we simply didn’t get to see enough of them.
Former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Luka Modric has urged Gareth Bale to join him at Real Madrid, believing he would make the perfect counterpart to Cristiano Ronaldo on the opposite flank.
In the Premier League, the Welsh winger has been in hot form again this year, with six goals already to his name as well as an assist. Although just 23-years-old, Bale has been improving year upon year, and the suggestion from Modric that he should move to a bigger club sparks an interesting debate. Has Gareth Bale simply outgrown Tottenham – a team that currently plays in the Europa league, and certainly have strong competition to finishing fourth? A dive into the stats should help clear things up.
Bale is certainly a Champions League player, he proved that with his exceptional display against Inter Milan a few years ago, where he ran riot on the left flank against Maicon – an experienced defender who is a World Cup winner. Furthermore, he has often become talismanic at times for Spurs. For example, it is no coincidence that the Welshman was the only player capable of making a difference for Tottenham after Adebayor’s sending off during the North London derby. His second half goal, in which he penetrated the Arsenal half with his direct pace and dribbling, before producing a tidy and accurate finish into the bottom corner with his weaker foot is in many ways a trademark goal for Bale.
It seems a long time ago since Bale arrived at White Hart Lane from Southampton for £5million, at which time he was considered to be a left-back as opposed to a left-winger. He was best known for his free-kicks, which is another asset that the 23-year-old has in his locker. Since then his turn of pace and his dribbling control has greatly improved, and along with his technical ability has made him a serious goal threat. The Cardiff-born winger has a shot accuracy of 52%, which is on par with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Demba Ba, Michu, Robin van Persie and team-mate Jermain Defoe. But furthermore, that is hardly the only part of Bale’s game.
He is also the seventh best crosser in the league, with a success rate of 20% – which sounds low, but is comparably quite high – despite the fact he has spent much of the season with mainly Jermain Defoe to aim at, and considering he has attempted over 100 crosses already in just fifteen games. It is a better return than any of the Chelsea attackers, and is mainly overshadowed by full-backs and central midfielders who often have more space to cross from. In total, Bale has created 32 scoring chances this season, the tenth best in the league.
Back to Bale’s defensive roots – he should not only be considered an attacker. Unlike many of his other counterparts, the Welshman can tackle and anticipate the game well while his team is defending, and then has enough speed and acceleration to quickly advance on the break, or join the attack from a more defensive position. He has made twenty interceptions this season, with a tackle success rate of 68%, and is statistically much better in the air than the majority of Premier League wingers.
It would be wrong to suggest that the Tottenham man doesn’t come with faults. His incessant diving has agitated fans and referees, and despite being incredibly athletic, he often comes across weak and lacking in passion when it comes to stern challenges. Similarly, his passing is questionable at times, with a 68% passing completion rate in the final third, and 78% completion rate for passing overall – not the best for an attacking midfielder. He is also often inconsistent, sometimes with a dribbling success rate of 50% or more, but in other games failing to gallop past a single opponent and his work-rate off the ball is also sometimes lacking.
Perhaps suggesting he has outgrown Tottenham is somewhat harsh on a club who performed well last season and are currently lying in fourth place. But Bale is an important aspect of that team, despite his young age, and cannot drive the team on by himself. My main argument is quite simple – Gareth Bale’s abilities are rarely limited by his opposition, proved by the fact he has scored against Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool this season. His pace, skill and technique make him a constant danger to any defence, and he has the ability to score goals as well as create chances from either out wide or the middle. Furthermore, he can contribute defensively, although that side of his game has somewhat diminished as he takes on greater attacking responsibility.
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Bale is improving year on year, and considering he already has six goals to his name, will no doubt beat his total last season of ten, but has some way to go before matching his assists tally of eleven. I do believe however, Bale’s departure from White Hart Lane is not a matter of if but when, and is likely to happen sooner or later. I’ve always viewed him as a Manchester United player, but should the Spanish giants come calling, it is hard to imagine the young Welshman will be able to resist.
Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville argued an extremely salient point worth noting in the midst of all the madness of transfer deadline day, stating that the clubs that do the majority of their business in the final few hours of the window are more often than not poorly run. But does this theory carry any weight?
Neville tweeted at the height of the final day’s worth of trolley-dashing fun: “What the transfer deadline gives you is a clear indication of which are the badly run football clubs!!!”
It would appear to tie in rather neatly with the universally accepted opinion that if a club gets the majority of their transfer business done early enough in the summer, that they go into pre-season with the aim of integrating the new faces and start the full season with a more settled side. Nevertheless, there are obviously bargains to be had as the final hours of the clock tick down and before the window slams shut.
Of course, current reigning Premier league champions Manchester City made a big splash on the final day, bringing in the likes of Javi Garcia, Scott Sinclair, Maicon, Matija Nastasic and Richard Wright and it has to be said, there was a degree of desperation to the way that they went about their business.
The frustration felt by manager Roberto Mancini all summer was palpable and he had a very public falling out with the club’s football administrator Brian Marwood over their inactivity throughout the window, as they missed out on both Eden Hazard and Robin van Persie to rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.
The school of thought that unless you are constantly looking at improving your squad, you are in danger of not only standing still but going backwards is a sound one, and it appears that even though the club were mindful of the Financial Fair Play rules and the effect a potentially budget-busting signing could have on their financial future, it appears as if their movement was simply to indulge and placate Mancini.
Nobody in their right mind would state that Liverpool did well on the final day either, but for completely different reasons to City’s Arsenal-esque attempts to get bodies into the club. The lack of a CEO at the club appears to have cost them and managing director Ian Ayre has come in for some criticism for failing to secure a deal for either Clint Dempsey or Daniel Sturridge after allowing Andy Carroll to leave on loan to West Ham.
It’s been widely reported that Liverpool offered just £3m for Dempsey, who was in the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage, with the club’s owners FSG unconvinced that paying the £5m plus asking price was sound business considering the 29 year-old forward’s age. Their offer was rejected and Tottenham swooped in during the final hour to clinch his signature, leaving Liverpool woefully short on numbers up front now until January. It was a lesson in how not to conduct your business on deadline day and just drives home the point how risky it all is if it doesn’t end up falling your way.
Tottenham could never be accused of being a poorly run club, and chairman Daniel Levy is as tough a negotiator and astute businessman as there is currently operating in the top flight. He’s often criticised for running his club like a business, but when you take away the sentiment that often blinds your everyday fan, what other way is there to run it?
The club’s slow start to the campaign has once again been attributed to their lack of movement in the market this summer, as they haggled with Real Madrid over the transfer of Luka Modric. In the end, they managed to secure a package worth upwards of £30m, plus a potentially lucrative long-term commercial partnership that could be set to benefit the club in the years to come.
They signed Hugo Lloris and Clint Dempsey on the final day, only just missing out on Joao Moutinho by the narrowest of margins. Considering that prior to this summer, the club required a replacement for Luka Modric, a couple of strikers and a long-term replacement for Brad Friedel in goal, they haven’t done too badly, but they operate solely on the principle that they spend what they’ve got and they weren’t about to part with any cash until the Modric deal was tied up. In that sense, they can be seen as sensible, but they have still paid the cost of doing their business late, in the short-term at least.
It all depends on what sort of budget the club in question is operating with, to be honest – Stoke, for example, clinched deals for both Charlie Adam and Steven N’Zonzi for a combined total of around £7.5m – they clearly got both cheaper than they may have done earlier in the window due to the respective selling clubs willingness to shift them on. They already have a reasonably settled side, so the impact that the new players coming in can have will only enhance the team, whereas at a bigger side in transition, it may disrupt the harmony and balance of the starting eleven.
There is certainly a degree of validity to Neville’s statement, as best highlighted by the fact that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all remained inactive on deadline day, despite all having noticeable gaps in their squads that needed plugging. A big club can be held to ransom on deadline day while a smaller one can profit and secure the odd bargain – it simply all depends which side of the coin that you approach it from.
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Naming and shaming a club as poorly run is a rather simplistic way of looking at things; QPR for instance look to be without a coherent plan as they invested in practically a whole new spine to their side, while Tottenham were shackled by negotiating a large deal out of the club.
There are many reasons for conducting the majority of your business on deadline day, and it’s a hugely risky strategy to say the least, but to call every club poorly run that does dip their toe into the murky waters of the market in the final few hours would seem to be a somewhat dramatic generalisation, not taking into account the various factors which clubs are run by.
Liverpool offered Fulham the chance to sign Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique as part of an attempted deal to bring Clint Dempsey to Anfield, The Daily Mail claim.
The United States international was a summer-long target for Brendan Rodgers, but in the end the attacker moved to Tottenham after the Reds failed to meet the Craven Cottage club’s asking price.
It is believed that the Merseysiders’ owners Fenway Sports Group would not offer the Northern Irish manager any additional transfer funds, and as such the coach tried to broker a deal using the exchange of players.
A deal to trade Henderson was initially discussed before the England international midfielder rejected the chance to move to Fulham, but it has emerged that Downing and Enrique were also used as pawns in Rodgers’ attempts to sign Dempsey.
The failure to land the American has left the Reds short in attack, with only Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez left for Rodgers to pick from after the loan of Andy Carroll to West Ham.
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has once again had to answer questions surrounding his relationship with temperamental striker Mario Balotelli after the forward was not included in City’s Champions League squad to face Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Some major news sources were claiming that Mancini dropped Balotelli after he was seen on a night out with British boxer Amir Khan in Manchester on Saturday, but was forced to travel with the squad to the Spanish capital despite knowing he would not be playing.
However, Mancini wanted to make his feelings clear in his weekly press conference that his relationship with the Italian forward was completely fine.
“I want to make this clear; there has been no argument, and no row. Absolutely not,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Mario went in the stand only because we started to play with Carlos Tevez in attack and we couldn’t have three strikers on the bench.”
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If Brendan Rodgers thought life on Merseyside was going to be all plain sailing he should never have left the comfy confines of South Wales. A week earlier seemed to signal a turning point for the Northern Irishman as the Reds strolled out of Carrow Road with three points under their arm after doing what Sylvester the Cat has been trying to do for years and maul a Canary. Luis Suarez was the man of the moment in Norfolk, firing in a superb hat trick, but was at the centre of controversy once again as Rodgers presided over another frustrating Anfield draw. In no uncertain terms Suarez has built up a reputation as a notorious diver but his pitiful attempt to con the referee into awarding his team a penalty plumbed new depths. Quite frankly it even went as far to repulsing sections of the home crowd. There is no doubt the Uruguayan is talented but this constant stream of play acting only serves to overshadow the positive aspects of his play. For Rodgers, who curiously defended the striker despite the irrefutable evidence, must wonder when he will wake up to the contention free working week.
This week on FFC do FSG need to open their cheque book in January to solve the Reds’ problems and which striker is Rodgers hoping to sign in the New Year?
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Best of FFC
Liverpool need to heed the warnings from the failed Arsenal experiment
A real pressing problem at Liverpool FC?
What to make of ‘Being: Liverpool’
Will Liverpool forever rue the decision to let him leave?
Liverpool and City join race for £12m Palace star
Living on borrowed time at Anfield?
Time for FSG to splash the cash in January?
Rodgers is playing a dangerous game with Raheem Sterling
Reaping the rewards of his footballing bravery in quitting Liverpool
Liverpool eye up surprise move for Celtic ace
Liverpool to move for striker
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Best of WEB
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L4L Exclusive: We Talk To Reds Midfield Star Lucas Leiva! – Live 4 Liverpool
Get off his back! Angry LFC Hero blasts Brendan Rodgers ‘doom merchants’… – Liverpool Kop
Uruguayan FA write to FIFA to defend Suarez – This is Anfield
Fowler: Forget Gerrard – This guy is ‘best I’ve ever played with’. Good choice? – Liverpool Kop
Xenophobia, Hypocrisy and Cheating – The Tomkins Times
Kids Rising to Gerrard’s Challenge – Live 4 Liverpool
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5 things… Liverpool 0-0 Stoke – This is Anfield
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Quote of the Week
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As manager of this football club I find it incredible that in nearly all the coverage about Luis Suarez this weekend, very little focus has been placed on the fact that he was actually the victim of a stamping incident within the first five minutes of the game. At this moment there seems to be one set of rules for Luis and another set for everyone else.” Brendan Rodgers comes to Luis Suarez’s defence after his diving antics at the weekend
The mathematical equation of four into two isn’t one that would appear to be particularly manageable to most people, but you try telling that to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. The Italian boasts an attacking quartet that most other Premier League bosses could only dream of. And as we saw against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the depth of talent within that quartet is a somewhat invaluable asset.
Boasting any one of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli would have most supporters salivating but to have all four in the squad at the same time? It almost seems greedy.
But until now, Mancini seems to have been able to pull off the task of keeping all four of his gifted frontmen, relatively happy. Of course, there have been injuries, suspensions and several months worth of gardening leave in between, to keep his strikers fully occupied. Yet this season could be a somewhat different scenario for the Italian to get his teeth into.
As Manchester City fought back from a goal down with a one man disadvantage to beat Steve Clarke’s side 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Saturday, they exhibited all the gleaming attributes that saw them become Premier League champions in such dramatic style last term. But beyond their startling mental resilience to overcome the odds, it was their wealth of attacking options that Mancini could call upon to change the game, that were just as unique.
All great teams have the sort of proven strength in depth that allows them to turn a game on it’s head from the bench and although Dzeko didn’t quite turn in a showstopping performance, it speaks volumes that Mancini had a striker of the quality of the Bosnian to bring off the bench. He offers City a different dynamic to all three of his striking rivals and his superb headed goal for the equalizer was executed with an aerial ability that is perhaps unrivalled in the ranks up at the Etihad.
Yet after the game, Dzeko wasn’t particularly all smiles, despite his match winning brace.
“I’m not a super sub and never will be,” he said, speaking after the game.
“I scored a lot of goals before I arrived at Manchester City and not as a sub. I’ve scored goals from the beginning. Sometimes it will be from the bench, sometimes from the beginning of the game.
“In the last few games the situation has been like today. I will never be a super sub. I want to play.”
Such is Dzeko’s amicable tone, that even as he has delivered his disgruntled sentiments to the cameras, he didn’t seem like a man who was fuming with his manager’s decision. Indeed, the Bosnian had just returned from an international double-header that would have influenced the decision to leave him on the bench, as Mancini’s assistant David Platt was particularly eager to point out. But it does suggest that the City are now entering a critical period in the management of their mercurial attacking unit. A long season awaits, but the chances are that at least one of the four are going to be left particularly unhappy as the term plays out.
You can make the very valid argument that all four of Mancini’s fevered quartet made a cameo against West Bromwich Albion, but you would have thought that last Saturday’s fixture represented something of a one off. It’s not going to be every week that City find themselves a goal down with ten men left on the pitch and nothing to loose. Such a gung-ho approach won’t be in effect every week.
And while all four of them bestow their individual qualities, you could perhaps argue that Mancini is left with a very small amount of room for tactical manoeuvre with his quartet. Both Balotelli and certainly Dzeko, require central accommodation within a starting line up and Carlos Tevez doesn’t offer much more flexibility. Sergio Aguero has the ability to play as a second striker, or even slightly wider if pushed, but with 23 league goals last season, you’d be hard pushed to meddle with him too much.
Ultimately, four top class strikers are ultimately competing for two starting spaces and you get the feeling that something has to give sooner or later.
The school of thought is that the Argentine pair of Tevez and Aguero are Manchester City’s de facto first choice strike partnership. But in Mario Balotelli, City bestow a striker who not only exhibited a glimpse of finally fulfilling his startling potential during the European Championships, but a player whom Mancini clearly believes in. His continued showing of faith despite a deluge of misdemeanours, suggests as much anyway.
Yet in Dzeko, they have a striker who harnesses a better goals-per-minute ratio than any of his Manchester City peers, during the calendar year. The Bosnian may not have be able to conjure up the sort of sublime pieces of skill his three striking rivals can, but his abilities as a goalscorer aren’t in any doubt. Dzeko toiled behind Aguero last season, was stuck behind Balotelli for long periods and Carlos Tevez upon his return, in City’s pecking order last season, Yet he still conjured up 19 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions last term.
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Being able to call upon four strikers of the quality of Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko is a wonderful story, but it’s one that is surely destined to have an unhappy ending. No one can predict the way the winds of injury will blow, but you’d imagine that none of Mancini’s strikers will go on any four month holiday’s this season, to break up his striking dilemmas.
Who will be the first to break? Dzeko has stated his desire to stay and fight for his place at Eastlands and undoubtedly, the smart money would have to sit with the enigmatic Balotelli. But one thing’s for sure, if it is Dzeko, someone would be picking up one hell of a goalscorer. And with his knack of picking up important goals, you wouldn’t bet against him coming back to haunt City, either. It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out at the Etihad and make no mistake about it, Mancini has a real test on his hands to keep all four of his strikers happy.
How do you see the striking situation playing out at Manchester City? Can Mancini keep all four of his frontmen happy? Let me know on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and tell us how the Italian should play this one out.
owner Tony Fernandes claims he is completely behind manager Mark Hughes after he saw his club slump to their sixth defeat of the season away to Arsenal on Saturday.
Hughes has been the subject of increased speculation regarding his future at QPR following a winless start to the Premier League this season.
But Fernandes took to Twitter to defend his manager and explain that whatever has been written in the press has no truth at all.
He tweeted: “Mark has my backing and the shareholders. We need a little luck and no injuries. What’s written in the press is all rubbish.
“I honestly believe we have one of the best managers in the premier league. And we are in for the long term. Whatever happens. We love QPR.”
Fernandes also pleased with the fans to trust him in on his decision to stick with Hughes through what is a difficult time for the club and welcomed any fans with any questions to approach him at their next home fixture against Reading next Sunday.
“I’ll be there at Reading so Rangers
fans I’ll be available to meet and chat. Trust me on this one. Keep the faith. Stability is the key.”
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Hughes brought 12 new players in at Loftus Road in the summer, in an attempt to improve on their final day relegation survival last season, but still finds his side bottom of the league with just three points from their opening nine games.
Arsenal look set to make a £1.5 million move for Croatian U17 International Ante Roguljic, according to The Sun.
The starlet who currently plys his trade at NK Adriatic Split is thought to be ready to make the step up to Premier League action.
It is believed that Roguljic has been the subject of scouting missions from several Premier League clubs, and Arsene Wenger is looking to steal a march on his rivals by tempting the Croatian to North London.
The 16-year-old attacking midfielder has made a real impression at youth level and has been likened to Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric.
Roguljic competed for Croatia under-17s in the European qualification for Slovakia 2013, producing a number of dominant displays.
The player impressed in Croatia’s latest set of games as the under-17 side have won all three of their qualifiers with Roguljic scoring in two.
The Gunners have a proven track record of developing and nurturing young talent. It is thought that they would look to bring the player through in a similar style to the way they have with several of their youth products, the most notable being Jack Wilshere.
The trend has also emerged this campaign with both Serge Gnabry and Thomas Eisfield successfully stepping up into the first team to appear in the Capital One Cup.
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However, he is not the only player from the Arsenal academy to break through into the first team in recent seasons with Francis Coquelin, and Wojciech Szczesny also graduating with flying colours, establishing themselves in the Starting XI and matchday squads.