Tag Futebol

Pre-season is now in full swing and Leicester City are wasting no time in their search for a championship winning squad.

After the acrimonious departure of Matt Mills, you could be forgiven for thinking Nigel Pearson was on the warpath. Any manager is well within his rights to make big decisions but with Lee Peltier, a solid performer in his time at the club, now also out of the door, and Jermaine Beckford also seemingly heading out of The King Power Stadium, Pearson is taking no prisoners in his desire to re-shape the squad for a title push.

Pearson’s overhaul has seen him sign seven new additions, with Jamie Vardy and Zak Whitbread, being the 2 most likely to make an immediate impact on the first XI.

The signing of Vardy could prove to be a very astute piece of business. The former Fleetwood Town striker had a wonderful time of things last season, bagging 31 league goals in his one season at the promoted club.

There is however question marks over whether he has the ability to cut it at a higher level. Leicester has provided him with the perfect platform for him to showcase his talents and prove the doubters wrong.

Pearson will be hoping Vardy and Nugent can be Leicester’s very own -York and Cole or Shearer and Sutton – and fire Leicester back into the big time. Goals were at a premium for The Foxes last year, so if Beckford does leave for pastures new, expect Pearson to be on the lookout for another striker to add depth to his frontline.

With plenty of time still left in the window, 24 days and counting, for clubs to delve into the market, Leicester’s transfer business is far from over. With so many new additions, and the likelihood of more moves in and out of the club, Pearson’s main worry should be making sure the players can gel in time for the club to reap the benefits.

Leicester’s main rivals for the title have also been making moves to strengthen their squads ahead of the season openers on the weekend commencing the 17th. The three clubs demoted from the Premier League last season will all be a major threat to The Foxes.

Whenever a club is painfully ejected from the top flight, the main objective is to hold onto as many of their best players as possible. Inevitably this almost always fails to happen. Big name clubs come calling, offering potential European football, bigger wage packets – and let’s be honest, what footballer isn’t driven by money?

In an age where the game is over aught with agents, staff and players all wanting their piece of the money pie, a club just relegated from the top flight can rarely afford to meet such demands.

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With that in mind, Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves have all done reasonably well in keeping some of their outstanding players. Sure Bolton has lost clinical Croat Klasnic, safe hands Jussi Jaaskelainen and the driving force of their midfield Reo- Coker. But they have also, so far, managed to keep hold of Mark Davies, Martin Petrov and Lee Chung-Yong, all of whom could set the championship alight.

It’s a similar story for both Blackburn and Wolves, both have lost some good players but have also managed to retain some even better ones. Fans of all three clubs will be praying that come August the 31st, Jim “Deadline Day” White isn’t screaming the bad news, what seemed like the almost inevitable departures, of the clubs better players at the 12th hour.

The upcoming Championship season is shaping up to be the best it’s ever been, with some outstanding players on show and a title race that has 5 or 6 genuine contenders. After several seasons of anguish and pain, Leicester fans can only hope and pray Nigel Pearsons plan will come to fruition and result in a jubilant return to the promise land.

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Manchester United. Chelsea. Arsenal. Liverpool. For years this quadruplet of footballing giants bossed England , each using their own individual styles to bring success (or at least valiant attempts) to their clubs, but all good things must end, and with the Premiership becoming ever more competitive, we have to ask, are others ready to be accepted into the elite?

Clubs will always have their highs and lows, my own club Derby County had a period at the top of the premiership some years ago. These days they sit in the Championship on their rocking chairs, reminiscing glorious times with Leeds and Nottingham Forest , but the trio who were once unbeatable are all struggling to even get into the top league, let alone top it. So it is important to remember that as great as teams seem, it won’t last forever and some years down the line, these powers could well be facing relegation.

So let us assess the six teams in my opinion will be battling for that elite:

Manchester United:

Being just 18 years of age I’ve grown up as United as the backbone of every top four, and despite money troubles beginning to surface, you couldn’t possibly rule this team out. Always seemingly an older squad, Ferguson has worked on decreasing the average age this year, which although pundits questioned, has so far breathed fresh life into the team, seeing them muster a terrific result against tough cookies Tottenham on Monday night. Prediction: 1st

Chelsea:

I held a conversation with a Chelsea fan during the close season, who, despite being a fan of his club through thick and thin, admitted he felt he was watching the slow decline of his club, and after thinking about it, I guess I understood. The greatest managers and high quality players have played for Chelsea in recent years, and yet Chelsea usually vary between outstanding and shocking, but as manager after manager faces harsh sackings you wonder if Chelsea have expectations too high. With a squad of relatively old players you feel they are going to struggle more now. People have seen Liverpool and Arsenal crumble recently, and I feel Chelsea’s time in the big four is almost up. Prediction: 2nd

Manchester City:

The big spenders have, to my annoyance been praised in the last year for contending with the big four. I would’ve thought a squad as good as this with this much money spent should be challenging for 1st not 4th but that is why I am not a professional manager. Despite this rant, there is no doubt in my mind that we are seeing a permanent entry to the force, and I feel ultimately they will lose to Chelsea in the battle for 2nd due to their lack of experience fighting at this level. Prediction: 3rd

Liverpool:

After a lot of “umming and ahhing” I decided to award my final place to Liverpool. I have to admit last year I had already decided the end had arrived for Stevie G and the boys, but it was clear the players were still very much capable to achieving more and lacked desire and belief. Enter “King Kenny” who, with a couple of good signings and his aura fulfilled the reds beliefs in their abilities, seeing them manage a great end of season display. Now I expect him to push them a little bit more with his squad improvements and see Liverpool set themselves back as an Elite club. Prediction: 4th

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Arsenal:

I almost couldn’t decide between Arsenal and Liverpool for 4th place. I have always admired Arsenal having grown with their fantastic unbeaten run and players such as Thierry Henry and Robert Pires gave me great respect for them. At first I was very much in favour of Wenger’s youth plan, but in my opinion he did it wrong. If the Frenchman has chose to bring in a load of youth players to play with the heavily experienced winners such as Henry, then the younger players would have grown up knowing success making it easier to achieve. However they only have weight on their backs and no experience at winning so only seem to fluff every great chance they get. With the exit of Nasri and Fabregas, I hope this will give younger players the chance to play as having those two around will only lower morale but I fear, for this season at least, top four is just out of reach. Prediction: 5th

Tottenham:

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Which just leaves Tottenham Hotspur. Allthough undoubtedly a good team with great players and a manager I admire, I feel in order to break into the top four you need to use a specialised trait that you use to your advantage be it youth, experience, money, reputation etc, and I simply consider Tottenham to be the jack of all trades, good at everything, master at nothing, and that is what I consider is ultimately holding them back. If Redknapp wants to bring Champions League football back to White Hart Lane, he needs to find a specific area to strengthen and make them the best in England at that area whilst remaining strong in other areas. This is not an easy task but I believe Redknapp (hopefully future England manager in my opinion) has the capability to pull it off. For now though I predict disappointment. Prediciton: 6th

So there you have it. These are of course only my thoughts and so not the right answers, but please let me know if you agree/disagree and your own thoughts in the comments below, or feel free to debate with me on Twitter @tomster93.

Article courtesy of Tommy Holland from This is Futbol

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Newcastle striker Andy Carroll will visit a specialist in Sweden in a bid to rid himself of a troubling thigh injury.

Carroll, 22, has played a big part in Newcastle’s success in their first season back in the Premier League, scoring 11 goals in 19 appearances as Alan Pardew’s side have climbed inside the top 10.

A thigh injury has seen Carroll out of action since his side’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham on December 28,despite hopes he would only miss three weeks at most.

Carroll’s return was earmarked for the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland on January 16, but after the striker missed that match and Newcastle’s home clash with Tottenham the next week, action needed to be taken.

Pardew’s squad are currently in Portugal in a break between fixtures, but Carroll will be sent to a colder climate to see a specialist in the hope of fixing his thigh complaint.

“We brought him out here to start running, and the disappointing news is that he hasn’t,” Pardew told The Northern Echo.

“His injury is in the muscle, just above the tendon where it joins the knee, so it’s not an area that gets great circulation and therefore it doesn’t heal quickly.”

“We have had a consultation this week about sending him to someone who is the world’s best tendon repair expert – there are experts in different fields – and this guy is at the Arctic end of Sweden.”

Pardew admitted the striker will not be in action against Fulham on February 2 and said he could also miss Newcastle’s home match with Arsenal three days later.

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“He’s flying out there on Friday and we’re hoping that we can turn him around quickly,” Pardew said.

“But now I have to say that Fulham is definitely out and possibly even Arsenal. We can’t rush him back.”

Tottenham’s efforts to sign Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen have seemingly hit a brick wall, with the deal on the verge of collapsing according to Mirror Football.

The Belgium international centre-half has been the north London side’s number one transfer priority this summer, with a deal thought to be close to completion.

However, a clause in Vertonghen’s contract that states that he is entitled to 15 per cent of the transfer fee, which the Eredivisie champions have refused to honour.

The defender has vocalised his disappointment at the talks breaking down, with Vertonghen now expected to report for pre-season training in Holland.

“As it looks now, I’ll be at Ajax on July 2. I’m hoping for a solution, but I’m not expecting a solution,” he is quoted as saying.

“This is a shame. I thought that it would be sorted out much sooner.

“I have one advantage: Ajax have got a good coach who knows me. I play in a good, stable squad. Let’s become champions with Ajax for the third time in a row,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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With time to buy players running out fast and very little progress made so far, Tottenham Hotspur have it all to do. This is familiar territory for Spurs fans. The last minute flurry is becoming a habit for the North London club. So what can we expect? What are the recurring patterns of a Tottenham Hotspur transfer window? Will Robbie Keane go to his childhood dream club and then somehow find his way back, wandering down the M1 like a dog tracking down its owner. Somehow springing back into the squad. He is becoming the world’s most expensive yo-yo, impossible to get off your finger.

Will Harry Redknapp continue to buy time by choosing from his select list of stock answers. Is it a) Well yeah he’s a ‘triffic lad and of course I’d be interested in him. Or b) Well, it’s very difficult to know I mean there’s a lot of clubs in for him or c) that’s up to the chairman or d) a combination of all three. ‘Well he’s a triffic lad and of course I’d be interested in him, but It’s difficult because there’s a lot of clubs in for him so I have to leave that up to the chairman, it’s up to the chairman.’

Spurs have held their cards very close to their chest, if they actually have any cards at all and are not just waiting it out and hoping the fans don’t notice. There are no certainties. But here’s what to expect.

Procrastination, this may seem obvious but we can always expect more waiting, with the need to sell before we can buy and some very optimistic price-tags, particularly Kranjcar at £10 million, we can look forward to the Levy school of bargaining taking our transfers right up to the last minute yet again.

A striker. The rumours keep pouring in, Adebayor, Vucinic, Rossi, if there is one thing Spurs are chasing this year it’s a front man, and with promises made to impress Modric with the club’s ambitions, this is one player that Tottenham really need.

Jermaine Jenas still at Spurs next season. Jenas has a remarkable ability to go missing in games and he has also cunningly extended this to transfer windows. Even though he sits at the bottom of the central midfield pecking order, the chances are he will hide out using his special invisibility skills and turn up again next year, ready to contribute very little.

Missing out on a player due to wage demands, this seems a certainty. The rigid wage structure is becoming increasingly restrictive to the club’s ambitions. This allowed us to miss out on Joe Cole fortunately but is also seriously shortening our list of world class striking options.

Harry Redknapp quotes. The above selection of quotes will be heard in any order at least twice a week until we actually sign someone. Then it’ll just be ‘he’s a ‘triffic lad.’

Another Luka Modric bid. Despite Levy’s stance, the press are still convinced that he has a price and Chelsea are expected to launch at least one more bid of £30 million to tempt the resolve of the iron willed chairman.

Robbie Keane still at Tottenham. Despite Levy’s best efforts to tie West Ham into buying Keane, the boomerang landed back in the Lodge this summer. God knows what Liverpool did to him in his brief spell there but a recovery seems impossible, nonetheless, he seems as difficult to shift as chewing gum in the carpet.

One surprisingly good sale. Levy’s nemesis is financial loss, this makes the sale of David Bentley basically impossible, however, the man fights tooth and claw for a deal and the chances are he will negotiate a respectable return on someone like Alan Hutton or Kranjcar.

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A defensive crisis, Spurs love a shortage in defence and playing people out of position. Somehow we’ll contrive to lose our left backs, Assou-Ekotto will choke on his gum and Gareth Bale will fall out of a tree and we’ll be forced into an emergency buy at great cost. I admit, this one’s tenuous!

A last minute buy, probably the result of a last minute sale. Last season Rafael Van Der Vaart was a real treat, let’s keep our fingers crossed that someone good comes on the market again, because the chances are Spurs will still be looking.

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During the history of the Premier League, there have been many famous moments where managers have lost the plot when under severe pressure, and have hit out at rival players and managers. There was of course Kevin Keegan’s “I would love it…” interview, and more recently, Rafa Benitez was at pains to point out some “FACTS” about Manchester United.

However, this week’s feud started by Manchester City boss, Roberto Mancini, with the white half of North London is one of the strangest episodes in recent times.

Mancini’s claim is that without Gareth Bale, Tottenham would be half the side they currently are – a strange statement to say the least. Whilst Bale has put in several high-class performances in a Tottenham shirt over the last twelve months, the main reason for Spurs’ continued success is their ability to rotate their squad, with quality replacements in every position.

The Welshman has excelled this season, however his displays have mainly been in European fixtures – the consistent week in, week out Premier League performances have come from other players – particularly earlier on in the campaign. Rafael Van der Vaart has been a revelation, and the creativity of Luka Modric has been a joy to behold. The scary thing for Mancini is, that could Bale find a greater level of consistency in his league performances, the Lilywhites could be even stronger domestically.

Were Mancini to locate a realistic weak point, he may have looked at the obsession with bringing a 35 year old David Beckham to White Hart Lane, or the poor fitness record of the Tottenham back line, but his attack on Tottenham’s squad depth is laughable, particularly looking at the resources available at Chelsea and Liverpool.

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Mancini’s comments are sure to rile Tottenham fans all over the country, but why do it? Bearing in mind it was this exact Spurs side that forced Manchester City out of the Champions League spots at the end of last season, the Italian tactician is making a rod for his own back should his team slip up in the coming months.

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A bigger concern for the former Inter Milan boss is that his own players have caused enough difficulty over the last few weeks. From Carlos Tevez’s insistence that he would never play for the club again, to training ground bust-ups amongst his expensively assembled squad, you would have thought the Italian would have used the time away from the spotlight to quietly strengthen his hand rather than get involved in a needless squabble.

Throughout the course of a season there are inevitable verbal jousts between rival managers, particularly as we move towards the business end of the campaign. Mancini’s comments may be simply washed over in the coming weeks as the battle for Champions League qualification takes its most significant turn, however if his remarks result in a dramatic backlash when the two sides meet in a couple of months time he will only have himself to blame.

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Patience is not a virtue that is typically respected by all in the world of football. When results a lackin then a manager could last only a short few months in a job. With the impressive Brendan Rodgers announced as the new man to lead Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) must exercise extreme diligence and equanimity under their new man’s reign if the potential success of the appointment is to come to fruition.

The club had been linked with a host of big names including Fabio Capello, Frank De Boer, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Martinez, who reportedly turned down the job because of the increased management structure the club wished to put in place. Rodgers had similar concerns, but after the Wigan manager rebuffed their approach FSG dropped the idea which included employing Louis van Gaal as a director of football. They then turned back to their leading candidate who was willing to accept the move from Swansea with complete control of the team being offered.

The Northern Irishman has received much acclaim for the way in which he has set his teams out to play. Regardless of the quality of players, Rodgers insists on a possession-based passing game. Coupling control of the ball with crisp interplay and movement, the goal is to outmanoeuvre and tire their opponents. This is clearly borne out in the fact that Swansea defeated Manchester City and Arsenal on route to an 11th placed Premier League finish in their debut season.

Swansea also ended the season with the fourth best pass completion rate in Europe’s top five leagues, with only City bettering them in England. It is this attractive style of football that has won Rodgers so many admirers in England, but he remains a relatively inexperienced manager at the top level. The decision evokes some concerns as it represents a gamble for FSG so they must offer their ultimate backing to their new man. He will need time to instil his philosophy among the players and get the team working as a unit if he is truly to benefit the club.

Liverpool have a reputation as one of the biggest clubs in the country but they have failed to participate in Champions League football since the 2009/10 season. Rodgers now becomes Liverpool’s fourth manager in just two years but he must not be expected to challenge for an immediate return to Europe’s top competition. The club have not only bought into the man, but also his philosophy. They must therefore employ a greater degree of patience than under Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish, even if results are not instantaneous.

The hiring is a risk, and it offers Rodgers the greatest challenge of his managerial career. But lest we forget, the 39-year-old worked under Jose Mourinho as reserve team manager at Chelsea and gained the admiration of the Portuguese. It is a proven route to success. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left his post as Manchester United reserves manager and went on to win the Norweigan championship with Molde and is now attracting interest in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola also went straight from managing Barcelona B to the first team and ended up as the club’s most successful ever manager with an insurmountable 14 trophies. Whilst Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao and Jorge Sampaoli at Universidad de Chile have proved that with the right philosophy, glory could soon be in tow.

There could be a source of instability in the fact that the club have put their higher-tier management structure plans on the back burner. If things do not work out immediately then FSG may well regret their decision to forego their original plans. Any appointment at a later date could create friction, but Rodgers should thrive with the free reign he is set to be given.

It could well prove to be a shrewd appointment with a youthful, modern coach who claims inspiration from the Netherlands and Brazil sides of the 1970s. Yet it is of the utmost important that FSG and the Liverpool fans maintain prudence. As long as the club do not go backwards then the supporters will be happy. They can look forward to attractive football but must remember that Rome was not built in a day.

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Do you think Brendan Rodgers is the right man to take Liverpool forward? Let me know on Twitter.

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Corinthians extended their lead atop the Brazilian Serie A to six points after a 1-0 win over Internacional on Thursday.Playing in front of their home fans at the Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho, Corinthians entered the fixture with seven wins and a draw from their first eight matches of the campaign.

Internacional had also been impressive in the early stages of the season, but headed into the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat to fellow mid-table side Vasco da Gama.

The visitors frustrated Corinthians in the first half and both sides entered the break locked in a goalless stalemate.

And the sides seemed destined to share the spoils until Willian’s strike with just 13 minutes remaining.

It was the Brazilian forward’s fifth goal of the campaign and second consecutive match in which his strike yielded a 1-0 result for the Sao Paulo club.

Internacional’s defeat sees them sitting in sixth, with 15 points from 10 matches.

No change at the top of the table as the top four teams all took maximum points to leave the table as it was. Carlo Ancelotti will be desperate for a home win, this afternoon, to ensure they remain within touching distance at the top of the table.

In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories including Redknapp hints that Beckham deal is close; Roy Hodgson believes he has total backing of the owners and players, while Ryan Giggs is wanted by the New York Cosmos.

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Newcastle line up bid for PSG’s Stephane Sessegnon – IMScouting

Redknapp hints Beckham deal is close – Guardian

Balotelli committed to City – Sky Sports

Aston Villa prepare second offer for Jean II Makoun – IMScouting

Players and owners back me at Liverpool, insists Hodgson – Guardian

Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs wanted by New York Cosmos – People

Ferguson: Rooney was out of this world – Daily Telegraph

Liverpool lead the race for Germany star – Mirror

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Fans’ fractured faith could be Houllier’s downfall – Guardian

Ancelotti opts against Video nasty – Daily Telegraph

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Borussia Dortmund are readying a bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, as the Gunners prepare to slash their wage bill, according to The Daily Mail.

The Denmark international has been on loan at Sunderland this season, but the Black Cats have decided not to make the Scandinavian attacker’s deal permanent and sent him back to the Emirates Stadium.

With Bendtner not part of Arsene Wenger’s plans, the forward will have to look for a new club, with the German champions ready to make a bid for him.

Arsenal want to strip at least £20 million off their wage bill this summer, with the likes of Marouane Chamakh, Denilson, Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou and Carlos Vela also on their way out of the north London club.

Finally, Arsenal are also keen to offload Andrei Arshavin after a poor last year for the Russia international.

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The club’s record signing has spent the last six months on loan at Zenit St Petersburg, and Wenger hopes that the Russian Premier League side will finalise a permanent deal for the eastern European attacker.

By Gareth McKnight