All posts by h79snht.top

Not the Premier League’s highest scoring week,

But neither side of Manchester is starting to creek,

As Liverpool falter, Arsenal close the gap,

Four off Spurs, who they now can trap,

Fiery encounter on the Tyne,

Where Tioté made an almighty whine,

Sessegnon sent off results in a draw,

Whilst down in West London, it’s goals galore,

Who needs Zamora, when Fulham have the Pog,

As the Wolves defence sleeps like a log,

Whilst just a mile down the Fulham Road,

Villas Boas leaves his humble abode.

Player of the Weekend

In his three appearances for the Cottagers, Pavel Pogrebnyak has been sublime. A goal on debut against Stoke was followed up by a strike in the West London Derby with QPR – meaning Pogrebnyak fast became a fan’s favourite. His hat trick on Sunday will only increase his popularity by the River Thames.

What’s more it was the perfect hat trick. The first, a low diving header was swiftly followed by a sumptuous second, sweeping Andy Johnson’s pull back past Wayne Hennessey. For his third he managed to dig the ball in with his left as chants of “Who needs Zamora, when we’ve got the Pog” rang round Craven Cottage. Pogrebnyak has already managed to net more than Zamora did in his first season at Fulham in just three games. It’ll be interesting to see if the burly Russian can maintain his excellent start.

Goal of the Weekend

Another January signing to have an impact over the weekend was Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson. Like Pogrebnyak, the Icelandic international arrived from the Bundesliga and he produced not one but two fantastic strikes against Wigan on Saturday. His curling free kick to secure the game was edged out by his fantastic first. From 30 yards, Sigurdsson managed to arrow the ball over Ali Al Habsi and into the top right hand corner.

He was only signed on a loan deal from Hoffenheim and judging by his performances, Brendan Rodgers might have to pay a fair amount if he wants to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Miss of the Weekend

Some sitters defy belief and Akos Buzsaky’s miss against Everton falls into that category. As Bobby Zamora laid the ball across to the Hungarian just three yards from the gaping goal, the midfielder must have turned his thoughts to what his celebration was going to be. Buzsaky then conspired to hit the post and QPR went onto draw the game 1-1. Mark Hughes will be hoping his side don’t come to rue this miss when the season comes to a close such are the fine margins separating the bottom five teams currently.

Talking Point of the Weekend

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Another year means another sacked manager at Chelsea. André Villas Boas wasn’t even given a year to make his mark at the club but Roman Abramovich obviously felt that the Portuguese had had ample time. Yet if the Russian owner of Chelsea continues to be so flippant with managers, he can forget winning the Champions League, or the Premier League for that matter.

André Villas Boas deserves some sympathy but he must have known what he was letting himself in for when he was appointed in June last year. Not seeing eye-to-eye with the players has ultimately cost him job. Chelsea will now attempt to reclaim fourth spot off Arsenal under Roberto Di Matteo. Whether he’ll have much impact remains to be seen. As for AVB, he’ll certainly have learnt plenty from his managerial reign in West London.

For more on the Premier League, why not follow @arhindtutt on Twitter

The pressure is firmly on Manchester United now in the Premier League title race. Their eight point lead has been chopped down to just four points in the matter of a week. A 1-0 defeat at basement battlers Wigan has allowed rivals City to close putting the onus on Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to win their game in hand against Aston Villa. It’s inconceivable that the Red Devil’s will throw away their slim advantage but they’ll need to be a lot better than they were at the DW Stadium on Wednesday night. With the blue half of Manchester relentlessly breathing down their necks United know they have to keep winning in order to ensure the Premier League title remains at Old Trafford for another season.

This week on FFC has United’s number 10 really curbed his volatile ways and which young shot stopper has Fergie got his eye on?

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Best of FFC

Simply a changed man at Old Trafford?

Fergie and the other Premier League big boys given license to nab the cream of the crop

Juventus target United and Chelsea stars

Top 15 ‘most dynamic subs’ within the Premier League

Manchester United confirm transfer interest

Mad to leave Manchester United?

Fergie interested in young goalkeeper

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Best of WEB

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Is The Answer To The Scholes Question Already In The United Squad? – Red Flag Flying High

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures… Berbatov? Or Am I Talking Out Of My Squeaky Bum?! – 7Cantonas

The wake-up call – United Rant

A Stark Reminder If Ever One Was Needed – The Busby Way

Why always us? – 7Cantonas

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Quote of the Week

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“We have to put it in a bit of perspective. You drop points in the second half of the season. We have done it most years. There has been an odd year when we have gone on a long run without losing but a couple of years back we lost 4-1 to Liverpool

 and won the league.

“You do drop points on the run-in. City and ourselves have both experienced that. But from the position we were in a few months ago, to where we are today, we have to be delighted. The great part of our club is that we do recover, and we have to recover from Wednesday.” Sir Alex Ferguson backs his side to deliver the title despite dropping valuable points at Wigan

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Match Review – QPR

Chelsea are ready to bid £22 million for Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini once the transfer window reopens, according to Mirror Football.

The Belgium international has grown in stature since moving to the Goodison Park club from Standard Liege back in 2008, and despite rumours over his future, signed a new contract with the Merseysiders recently.

Fellaini has been in good form of late, scoring in the team’s recent fixtures against Manchester United and Fulham, and with Everton cash-strapped David Moyes may well be tempted to sell the star.

Chelsea are expected to have a busy transfer window, as Roman Abramovich tries to add an injection of youth into his squad, and the west London outfit have already secured the £8 million signing of Germany international Marko Marin.

Fellaini is currently under contract with Everton until 2016, after signing a five-year extension back in November.

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By Gareth McKnight

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As Wednesday came around the majority of Leeds fans were sat furiously refreshing the home page of the official site, twitter feeds and various news websites waiting for Neil Warnocks ‘retained list’.

Nobody was really expecting anything other than the obvious fringe players being told they could leave, then rumours started breaking that Adam Clayton had been transfer listed.

Why though? Nobody could understand it. Clayton had been one of the standout players in a disappointing season, a bright spark in the dark times.  Then, when Warnock explained how we couldn’t match his wage demands, it all started to make sense. Some fans, with seemingly short memories, turned on Clayton, labelling him as greedy, too big headed for the club and almost instantly decided that he was never that good after all. The rest knew exactly what Warnock meant. The story sparked feelings of deja-vu, with the recent transfer sagas of Bradley Johnson and Jermaine Beckford fresh in the mind.

What is important to remember is that Clayton signed from Manchester Citys youth academy, meaning that he will not have commanded a particularly high wage (rumoured to be around £2,000 per week), so considering how he had been a first team regular for the entire season, you could understand why he may feel entitled to a rise in wages. Ken Bates stirred the pot by claiming one player had requested £15,000 per week in negotiations, though Clayton then tweeted to deny it was him.

Oddly, no contract offer was ever made to Clayton, which may say more than words ever could. In terms of contracts at Leeds, it may be worth letting Shaun Harvey take a backseat over the summer, as if this is a demonstration of his negotiating skills it could be a frustrating transfer window.

In regards to incoming players, Jason Pearce finally became Neil Warnocks first signing of the summer, signing a four year deal at Elland Road, and his signature was well received by the fans.  His second signing may not be too far away if you believe the rumours that are seemingly always flying around Leeds these days. One that may be a little too good to be true is that Leeds have bid one million plus Adam Clayton for Jermaine Beckford and Matt Mills of Leicester, which would be a real ‘Championship Manager’ type transfer bid.

As expected, the Jermaine Beckford rumours have been gaining momentum, with speculation claiming that Beckford has been placed on the transfer list. It was also stated that he was absent from the Leicester end of season awards party, which could indicate his future does not lie with the foxes.

All in all, it’s been a week that has ended with more questions than answers in regards to the future at Leeds. On the one hand we’ve signed a young, hungry, up and coming player with potential, yet on the other we seem more than happy to let one go.

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I for one wouldn’t be surprised to see Adam Clayton rubbing shoulders with Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson in the Premier league next season, two other players who were not deemed worth the money by Bates and Harvey.

Perhaps more worryingly, they were also never replaced.

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It seemed like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had all but made it and sealed the best days of his career at the Bernabeu when he signed for Real Madrid in January 2009. The striker, who had built his reputation at Ajax as one of the deadliest forwards in Europe, had completed his big move out of Holland and was sure to continue his goal scoring exploits in Spain. But unlike Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Robin van Persie who had made the switch from Holland to a league with a much higher profile, Huntelaar was not to follow the path of his countrymen—not for the moment at least. This was definitely not an Afonso Alves story either, Huntelaar had much more about him than the Brazilian who moved to Middlesbrough in 2008; but his stock had certainly fallen following his departure from the Eredivisie.

The Dutchman’s time in Spain was short-lived, moving to AC Milan the following summer after amassing a total of just eight league goals. While a change of scenery might have been best for Huntelaar, a move to Milan saw him experience similar problems of settling in and adjusting . His first goal came only in November and he continued to struggle for first-team chances. Just a season had pasted since his arrival when he was once again on the move. This time, however, the suggested suitors of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United were nowhere to be seen and Huntelaar elected to join German club Schalke in order to revive his career. Possibly the best move for all concentred as Huntelaar has finally found the form that drew the attention of Europe’s elite and has re-established himself as one of the best strikers in Europe at present.

What we’ve seen from Huntelaar during his time in Germany is a striker who has not lost any of his instincts to put the ball in the back of the net. He’s formed a productive partnership with former Real Madrid captain Raul and has led the German side’s scoring charts all season with 33 goals so far. While the move to Gelsenkirchen is a notable step down from the heights of Madrid and Milan, what it certainly doesn’t suggest is a step down in quality from a striker who needed to regain his confidence in front of goal.

Huntelaar’s first goal on the weekend against Wolfsburg—his team’s second of the night—was a perfect example of a player who has re-gained his scoring touch. A ball played in from the wide position and with Huntelaar left on his own in the penalty area to side foot the ball into the net. An easy goal for a player of his quality, but one he would have no doubt wasted two or three seasons ago. Despite a number of chances to put his side further ahead—including a missed penalty—the striker completed his brace with a close range header to tie with Mario Gomez as top scorer in Germany.

There’s no questioning that the 28-yeard old, who has a fantastic scoring record for his country, would be welcomed with open arms to the Premier League. Tall, strong, and able to lead the line as a solitary striker or in a pair, Huntelaar represents everything of an old fashioned No.9. While suggestions of a move to Arsenal and Manchester United in the recent times did quickly rise and just as rapidly disappear, he has erased any doubt that here is a player very much of the quality with which to be given a key role in any top side in England.

Bernd Schuster, who left his managerial position at Real Madrid just before Huntelaar arrived, compared the striker to Marco van Basten, stating, “He looks like he was cloned from Marco van Basten. The way he moves, shoots with both legs and powerful headers all remind me of van Basten.” Comfortably one of the highest compliments a Dutch player can receive, and testament to his work and application to re-gain a standing at the summit of mountain.

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As Sunderland prepare for one of the most defining seasons in the club’s history, to the outside eye things at the Stadium of Light would appear to be as rosy as they’ve been for over a decade. Not since days of Peter Reid have the Black Cats embarked on a Premier League campaign with such confident aspirations and with manager Martin O’Neill at the helm, fans are expecting big things from their beloved side. This apparent upturn in the club’s fortunes can be attributed to Chairman Ellis Short whose unassuming involvement has largely been greeted with admiration from the terraces but that hasn’t stopped some questioning the motivations of their Texan billionaire.

For every fan who believes his cost cutting is merely streamlining the club after heavy spending, there’s another who is concerned that Short is merely safeguarding his own investments. As the club’s reputation teeters between being known as a bottom half team or a potential European challenger, is the American really the right man to take the club forward?

Having begun his North East affiliation in September 2008 when buying a 30% stake in the club, Short soon replaced previous owners the Drumaville Consortium before taking full control of the club in May 2009. His initial influence came courtesy of Sunderland legend Niall Quinn whose Irish connections could only take the club so far and he was soon heavily involved with more than just boardroom finances. It was reported Roy Keane’s exit was in part due to Short’s controlling interest in the club and when the former Manchester United captain’s overspending needed to be curbed, he was typically unyielding and left the post with the club sitting in the relegation zone. Short’s intentions were clear and by refusing to humour Keane’s demands, his reorganization of the club had already begun.

The eventual appointment of Steve Bruce was not hugely popular with supporters but despite his acrimonious departure last season, the current Hull City manager actually turned a profit during his time at the club while improving their league position year on year. Whether that record would’ve continued last season is questionable considering O’Neill transformed Sunderland’s stuttering season but Bruce still kept the club financially viable during his tenure. He may not have littered the squad with exciting talent but he built a strong enough foundation for O’Neill to build on without overspending. Eventually his inability to impress the terraces meant he had to leave but from Short’s point of view, the club had improved financially and in terms of league position. Clearly he has a strong business mind and even if the majority of fans will not look back fondly at the Bruce era, many still appreciate the work done behinds the scenes to make the club sustainable. If the appointment of Bruce was purely for financial reasons, his sacking must illustrate Short’s concerns for on field results as well as off. Despite FIFA’s Financial Fair Play Rules sitting at the forefront of most club owner’s minds, clearly Sunderland’s chairman will not suffer a downturn in the team’s performance either. He also bowed to fan opinion when appointing their new messiah in O’Neill so anyone who felt ignored when Bruce was given the hot seat can now feel their views have been heard.

So far so good but the coming season will define the intentions of Ellis Short and prove whether he’s working for himself or the club. By placing O’Neill in charge he has signalled his intent to make the team a genuine European challenger but the Northern Irishman doesn’t have the best record when spending big in the transfer market. Though a repeat of his misspending at Aston Villa cannot be afforded, given the impression he made when turning the club around back in December, Short must be willing to trust him with more funds if he wants to establish the club in the top 10. It may be a difficult to time view his motives fairly because the majority of clubs are trying to spend more wisely nowadays but fans will hope that isn’t just an excuse to fatten his own wallet. After all his reformation was meant to be for the club’s future as a business model so now the bank balance is looking healthier, if Short fails to use the money he’s been saving up on better players then fans will wonder what he’s been keeping it for.

The key element is patience. If Short has simply recouped his own expenditure by streamlining the club then he will happily turn a profit while they struggle to progress with their hands tied behind their back. On the other hand, if he’s made the club financially stable and it continues to evolve under a strong business model while bringing in exciting talent then fan’s trust in Short will have been vindicated.

Despite the majority of fans having no contractual obligations and being fairly uneducated in boardroom politics, it’s always difficult for them to hand over the responsibility of their treasured club to a mysterious businessman whose objectives are unknown. If Sunderland fans are to feel assured that Short has their best interests at heart then the level of backing given to O’Neill in the coming window will signal the club’s intentions loud and clear.

Should Sunderland fans trust his judgement even if league finishes don’t improve?

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Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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With the new season a month away, manager Eddie Howe is making sound decisions in the transfer market and adding well to what proved itself to be a top-half squad last term.

Howe has stuck with his policy of signing young, relatively inexperienced players with lots of potential. So far Luke O’Neill, George Porter and Joseph Mills have joined the club with Mills being the oldest of the trio at 22 years of age.

What is more encouraging is that Howe is signing players in the positions we need them; too often in the transfer market in recent years we have brought in players whose positions are already filled, leaving the side weak in other areas of the field.

O’Neill arrives with a good reputation from Mansfield Town and although he is unlikely to force Kieran Trippier out of the side at right back, his versatility across the defence will be important in what is likely to be another small squad in comparison to other Championship clubs.

Mills, signed on loan for a year from Reading, is more experienced at Championship level and is likely to challenge with Danny Lafferty for the left back role. Towards the end of last season this was a real problem position for us, with Ben Mee – a centre half who lacks the pace required at full back – filling in for long periods before injury meant Ross Wallace was forced into emergency cover for the final few games.

Porter arrives from Leyton Orient to add competition to the wide midfield places, another area of the field where I felt we were lacking last season. Junior Stanislas was erratic at times last term, which led to frustration building in the stands. Josh McQuoid, asked to fill a wide berth for much of last year, performed manfully but has since left the club, as has Zavon Hines, who was restricted to five-minute substitute appearances at most.

Despite these youngsters arriving, the most encouraging signing for me so far has been Jason Shackell. We have been crying out for a solid, consistent centre half for years and I rate Shackell as one of the best defenders in the Championship. We had to fend off a handful of other clubs for his signature and it is excellent to see us filling such an important position with someone with Shackell’s experience.

We have struggled for a reliable centre half partnership in recent years with Andre Bikey, Clarke Carlisle and Steven Caldwell among those to have come and gone without really nailing a place down for any length of time. Michael Duff has been given a new one-year contract, which he thoroughly deserves for his performances last year, and David Edgar really grew into the side alongside him.

After paying Derby County just over £1million for Shackell (a bargain) I would be astounded if he is not in the starting eleven for the first game of the season, probably alongside Edgar. I think that Duff has one more season of Championship football in him, and this could be the year that he finds himself doing more watching than playing.

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In terms of other positions, I would like to see us bring in another striker who will challenge Danny Ings and Charlie Austin for their starting roles. I am also desperate for us to sign a creative midfielder.

Last season, with Chris McCann and Dean Marney in the middle we looked strong and up for the battle, but when we got the ball down we looked short of ideas. I think the addition of a creative midfielder, with that ability to play the final killer ball, could prove the big difference between this season and the last.

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Cesar Azpilicueta has admitted it would be a mutually beneficial deal for both Marseille and Chelsea if an agreement can be reached to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old right-back has been linked with a move to the London club for quite some time over the summer – and Marseille have admitted their main aim for the summer was to reduce their wage bill. As one of the players they would be prepared to sell if the price is right, Azpilicueta looks set to complete a £7m move to the Blues over the next week.

The U23 Spanish international spent 3 years at Osasuna, his hometown, before moving to Marseille in 2010. Having progressed quickly since he joined Marseille, Azpilicueta understandably feels a sense of loyalty to the French club, but he recognises that a sale would ease their money worries and is open to the idea of going to Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea. He told the Daily Mirror “Everyone thinks it’s been a tough time with my thoughts split between Marseille and Chelsea, but if my departure can help Marseille’s finances, it’s good for everyone.”

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Real Madrid recorded victory in the Super Copa for the first time since 2008, beating arch rivals Barcelona on away goals.

Jose Mourinho’s side trailed 3-2 from last week’s first leg encounter at the Nou Camp, and went into the second leg at the Bernabeau knowing they would have to win to secure the trophy; a feat they had not managed in their previous seven home encounters against the old enemy.

Their cause was helped by two goals in the opening 20 minutes, first from Gonzalo Higuain and then Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former Manchester United man was heavily involved in the first half action, and was at the centre of attention once more as he raced through on goal – only to be hauled down by Barcelona’s Adriano who recieved a straight red card for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

Mourinho’s men had endured a dreadful start to the new season, with two draws and a defeat from their opening three matches.

The Real Madrid boss had asked for a reaction, having publicly admitting he had given his players a dressing down following last weeks defeat in the Nou Camp, and his players responded in the first half especially.

The 10 men of Barca did not go down without a fight, with their talisman Lionel Messi pulling a goal back before half time with a sublime free kick.

But Real held on to truimph 2-1 on the night and leave a final score of 4-4 on aggregate, enough to claim the Super Copa on away goals.

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Following a difficult start to the season, this result will no doubt give Mourinho and his men the confidence to challenge on all fronts once more.

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Brendon Batson, the Professional Football Association’s Deputy Chief Executive, is aiming to get more managers from minority backgrounds into management, the Mirror reports.

In the Premier League, Chris Hughton of Norwich City is the only black manager, while there are only two more in the Football League – Charlton’s Chris Powell and Keith Curle of Notts County.

Batson was joined by England Manager Roy Hodgson at St George’s Park who gave a pep talk to 44 aspiring coaches from black and Asian backgrounds.

In order to change the current state of affairs, coaches will be given bursaries to help them achieve the relevant coaching qualifications.

This bursary programme is run by all the leading bodies within the game including the FA, the Premier League, the Football League, the LMA and the PFA.

Batson highlighted the problem: “At the moment we’ve got just one in the top flight in terms of ­managerial ­positions. The figures don’t lie. But football has ­recognised that. And this is an opportunity to do ­something about it.”

It has led to suggestions that the game could benefit from the Rooney rule, named after Pittsburgh Steelers’ Owner Dan Rooney in America’s NFL.  This requires all teams to interview at least one candidate from either a black or ethnic minority background as part of their recruitment process.

But the different employment laws in the UK would mean that a successful implementation of a similar ruling would be unlikely, though the financial backing given to these coaches will allow them to apply for prominent positions within football and help remove the so-called glass ceiling.

One coach, Marlese Levermore, said: “I’ve been in the women’s game for 13 years and, in terms of minorities, they are starting to turn it around because they have seen there is a need. The game is crying out for a more diverse approach and the FA is adapting.”

Batson ended by describing the tough task ahead, but believes this is the correct first step.

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“We are not fooling ourselves that this is a silver bullet, but what we are saying is that it’s a start,” he commented.

He also urged coaches to go for any opportunity: “Now, put yourself forward and try to challenge for that position.”

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