Fabrice Muamba has spoken out about his last moments before collapsing on the White Hart Lane pitch. The Bolton midfielder spoke of how he felt incredibly dizzy and started to see double before keeling over on the pitch. Muamba has now been fitted with what he describes as a ‘heart seatbelt’ that will keep his heart beating even if he has another lapse.
Elsewhere in the news Harry Redknapp remains confident of a top four finish; Mancini believes he doesn’t deserve the sack, while Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the Olympic selection process.
Headlines
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Harry Redknapp remains confident of a top four finish despite slumping to yet another defeat in the Premier League – Guardian
Sir Alex Ferguson has bemoaned the whole Olympic selection process and believes it could potentially leave United in ‘absolute chaos’ – Guardian
Roberto Mancini believes he has done too well to get sacked and is unconcerned over his future – Guardian
Tottenham are preparing a £10m bid for Hugo Lloris to replace Brad Friedel who turns 41 next month – Mirror
Theo Walcott has been ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury but should be fit for Euro 2012 – BBC
Adam Johnson suggested that if Manchester City fails to win the title it will be a huge blow for the football club – Sun
Fabrice Muamba has spoken of his last moments before he collapsed on the White Hart Lane pitch – Daily Mail
Wayne Rooney has stuck up for Ashley Young has says his teammate is no diver – Sun
Rafa van der Vaart have revealed that he is happy to remain at Tottenham, even if they fail to make the Champions League this season – Sun
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Kenny Dalglish has no regrets coming back into the Liverpool hot seat – Daily Mail
Arsenal are set to move for Fiorentina’s Adem Ljajic in the summer transfer window – Metro
Lille striker Gervinho is set to announce this week which club he will join in the summer. The player has admitted a liking for the Premier League with Newcastle planning a bid of around £9.5m but there is also likely to be interest from Liverpool and Arsenal. There is also likely to be interest from Spain and Germany, so there is certainly no shortage of offers for talented Ivorian.
Gervinho’s actual name is Gervais Yao Kouassi who plays as striker for Lille in French Lique 1 – although the player can also play as a winger. Gervinho started his professional career in Belgium playing for Beveren – where he scored 14 league goals in around 2 seasons. In 2007, he moved to France and played for Le Mans and impressed despite the fact that he only scored 8 goals from 59 appearances.
In May, 2008 Gervinho was linked with a move away from Le Mans with other French teams interested but Arsenal were also linked. After hearing about the interest from Arsenal Gervinho suggested it would be a dream to play for the North London club. However, despite the continued interest from Arsenal his next move occurred in France from Le Mans to Lille for a fee of 8 million Euros.
Since moving to Lille Gervinho has really started to fulfil that potential with his goal-scoring; this season hitting 15 goals. The 24 year old striker has also made a number of appearances for his country, since making his debut in 2007. Since then he has made 19 appearances and scored 5 goals. Despite interest from a number of clubs reports in France suggest that Arsenal is the team he is most likely to join. It will certainly be interesting to see how he gets on in the Premier League if those reports proved to be correct. However, the African players that have come in to the English top flight have generally done well – so there is no reason to think Gervinho will be any different.
Check out this video on Gervinho:
[youtube ZtfQXaYG-v0&feature=fvst]
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Both Manchester United and England fans’ hearts must have sunk when they heard the news that Owen Hargreaves’ long awaited return for Manchester United had only lasted five minutes. Thankfully for Owen Hargreaves, it was only a hamstring injury, that to be totally fair could have happened to anyone on the pitch. However, how long can Manchester United hold onto the hope that Hargreaves will be the same player that won both the Premier League and Champions League in his first season at Old Trafford. When Owen Hargreaves’ contract expires he will be 30. Is it time for Manchester United to move into the transfer market and look to replace the England international.
The worry for Manchester United fans must be the interview from Sir Alex Ferguson directly after the 2-1 win against Wolves. Ferguson spoke to Manchester radio station, Key 103 and gave his thoughts on why Hargreaves broke down only five minutes into his return.
‘It is possibly because of a lack of match fitness,’ Ferguson told Manchester radio station Key103. ‘Maybe a bit of anxiety at playing his first game had a bit to do with it too.’
This is the issue that Ferguson has to contend with. Does the manager have any faith in Hargreaves’ mental state. Before his return against Sunderland last season. Ferguson again stated that it was actually Hargreaves’ own mental state that was holding him back from returning. It is very difficult to damn a player who has worked so hard to get himself into a position where he was ready to play, but if his mental state isn’t right it seems unfair on the player to keep building him up only for his confidence to be knocked every time he breaks down. Owen Hargreaves is an exceptional player, but he is no use to Manchester United on the bench. Unfortunately it is time to look at replacing the midfielder.
In January Manchester United need to enter the transfer market in search of a world class defensive midfielder, who at the same time has the passing ability and work rate of Hargreaves. United’s top target should be Lassana Diarra of Real Mardid. With Jose Mourinho purchasing Sami Khedira it seems that Diarra is not needed at the Bernabeu. Diarra is only 23 and would retain his sell on value, a factor that should interest Ferguson. Diarra has also spoken of his frustration of being on the bench at the Bernabeu and has suggested he will be looking for first team football in January.
Manchester United need a player like Diarra. A strong robust midfielder, who has grown up since his days at Arsenal and Chelsea. Diarra would offer United a greater balance to the midfield. At the moment the problems are clear. Michael Carrick can’t tackle and Darren Fletcher’s distribution is poor at times. Added to this the fact that Paul Scholes can’t play every week, United have midfield issues. Diarra would without doubt give greater stability and freedom to Manchester United’s midfield.
Manchester United have waited too long for Owen Hargreaves to return – and to return the player he once was. The fear must be that Manchester United could wait even longer, to find out that Hargreaves will never be the player he once was. Have United waited long enough for the player to prove his fitness. The reality has to be they have, and they must look at replacing the midfielder. Without doubt, there is so much admiration and respect for Hargreaves in the way he has battled to get back to a position of recovery.
However, when the problem has moved from mental to physical, can Manchester United hold on to much hope of him returning and commanding a starting place in the team. I am not saying for one minute that Manchester United should hang Hargreaves out to dry – far from it. The facts are United need Hargreaves playing week in week out. If this is not possible, and the events of the last week suggest this, its time to look at replacing the midfielder.
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Kenny Dalglish has called upon Raheem Sterling to do his talking on the pitch, amid talk that the youngster is growing impatient at the lack of first team chances.
According to reports in the Daily Mail, Sterling has been frustrated at his failure to break into the first team picture and supposed ‘broken promises’ about his opportunities in and around the team.
Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the situation closely and have sent scouts to watch the 16-year-old in recent weeks, in case Sterling decides to call time on his short career at Liverpool.
Sterling is one of the brightest talents at the football club and there has been a clamour for him to get his chance; however Dalglish clearly doesn’t believe he is ready and has called upon the youngster to prove to himself on the pitch, rather than relying on what is said about him in the newspapers:
“You earn the right to a run out by what you do on the pitch, not by what is said in newspapers.”
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Tottenham Hotspur favourite and former Argentina international Osvaldo Ardiles has heralded Barcelona as the ‘future of the football’.Barca defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, capturing their fourth European Cup in emphatic fashion.
It was their second Champions League triumph in three years under coach Pep Guardiola, whose reign has also yielded three consecutive Spanish league titles.
Speaking at Sunday’s London Legends’ Cup, a post-season tournament contested by retired players at Fulham’s Craven Cottage, 1978 World Cup winner Ardiles had no hesitation in declaring this Barca side one of the greatest.
“Barcelona are the team to beat, they are the best team in the world,” Ardiles said.
“I think they are probably one of the best in the history of football. I think they are an extraordinary team with a few wonderful players like Lionel Messi.”
“I think they are going to reign in football for a long, long time. They are all very young as well, it’s a real pleasure.”
“It’s the future of football, this is how football is going to be played in the future certainly.”
Fulham boss Mark Hughes has defended Danny Murphy, after the midfielder came under attack for comments criticising fellow Premier League teams for an over-physical approach.
Murphy named Stoke City, Wolves and Blackburn Rovers as sides he felt stepped over the mark and has since been attacked by the managers of each of those three clubs, as well as a number of other leading figures.
However, Hughes believes that Murphy was merely speaking his mind and making a pertinent point.
He commented:"You must recognise that Danny is at the coalface. In his view in certain games against certain opposition, opponents have over-stepped the mark.
"You have to accept that because even as a manager you don't know the intent of somebody.
"As a player I knew when someone was over-stepping the line or just making a fair and competitive tackle.
"There's a lot been said about Danny being disrespectful to the managers, but having had conversations with him he has huge respect for the managers of the teams he mentioned.
"Maybe the fact we had recent history against the teams he mentioned was fresh in his mind and he was giving examples.
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"We're disappointed by the reaction to it. You must respect he has an opinion. He was being honest.
"He's an honest guy and has forthright views. He's quite prepared to have his say. He's probably been surprised by the reaction."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Lets face it, as football fans, we all appreciate our stadiums. The history, heritage and tradition that surrounds them. The emotions we dispense inside. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a hulking figure that dominate the skylines or a slither of grass flanked by a few dilapidated stands. Every football stadium has a story. Each one is beautiful in it’s own right.
Unfortunately there are some poor structures affixed with names that really do make you giggle like like a young child stuck in a laughing fit after viewing their first episode of Mr Bean. You really have to wonder what goes through the heads of some football chairmen don’t you? Naming a football stadium after a chocolate bar is both ludicrous and hysterical all in the same measure.
But, football is big business these days and no matter how absurd it my be naming a ground after the countries leading manufacturer of crinkle cut crisps or a popular Hollywood actor can financially benefit a club in the long-term. The Premier League is no stranger to such occurrences with Arsenal, Bolton, Manchester City, Stoke and Wigan all showcasing the positives of a naming rights deal. Luckily for them though their footballing cathedrals have steered clear of any madcap monikers.
There are a ton of them out there around the globe but here is the Top TEN Weird & Wacky Stadium Names.
Click on the stadium below to get started
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New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union moved to first and second respectively in the MLS Eastern Conference with 1-0 wins on Saturday.The Red Bulls moved a point clear on top with a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Wizards, which came from a 21st-minute strike by English striker Luke Rodgers.
Philadelphia kept the pressure on with a 1-0 win at home against the San Jose Earthquakes, with French midfielder Sebastien Le Toux scoring the winner 14 minutes from time.
The Columbus Crew enjoyed a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, a second-half brace from Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria proving the difference between the two sides, and the Colorado Rapids were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the struggling Chicago Fire.
The Seattle Sounders cruised to a 3-0 win over Toronto with Brad Evans scoring a double to add to Alvaro Fernandez’s opener, and Chivas USA had goals from Nick LaBrocca, Marcos Mondaini and Alejandro Moreno to thank for their 3-0 win over New England Revolution.
The Portland Timbers enjoyed a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake, with Kenny Cooper scoring the winner after 22 minutes.
For some the dive is a useful weapon in a footballer’s armoury. A well timed, theatrical tumble may just con a gullible referee, thereby securing your team an important advantage. For others (listen to Call Collymore!) use of the dive is flagrant cheating, depriving the players and fans of a fair contest. Whether outraged or discreetly sympathetic of footballers’ amateur dramatics, here are ten memorable moments of diving and simulation.
Eduardo
This was one of the more controversial dives in recent years. The former Arsenal striker Eduardo appeared to dive past Celtic keeper Artur Boruc but subsequently won a penalty. Uefa opted to ban the Croatian for three European matches but this was overturned on appeal.
[youtube PncY9BnkTEk]
Rivaldo
Nobody witnessed the ball rebound of Brazilian’s leg and hit his face but it must have done judging by his Oscar worthy performance. The ball-kicker Hakan Unsal was duly dismissed for Turkey in this 2002 World Cup encounter. Rivaldo was later fined but unrepentant: “Obviously the ball didn’t hit me in the face, but I was still the victim.”
[youtube cVksdN4QnvA]
Diego Simeone
David Beckham’s name was mud after being sent off for kicking out at Simeone in England’s 1998 World Cup last-16 match against Argentina. However the Argentinean fell to the deck in a remarkable dramatic fashion. “I took advantage,” he later said.
[youtube _zTne4JzgBM]
Continued on Page TWO
Alberto Gilardino
Some dives can appear deceptively genuine. This could not be further from the case when the former Milan forward Gilardino inexplicably went to ground in a Champions League match at Celtic Park. His bizarre dive provoked the ire of the crowd and the referee.
[youtube 8W00d3yJKl4]
Jurgen Klinsmann
The former Tottenham favourite is credited with having initiated the staged dive with the inclusion of a few forward rolls. Football was never to be the same again. In the 1990 World Cup final his histrionics saw Argentina’s Pedro Monzon red-carded instantly.
[youtube tB7Y33VteME]
Kader Keita
An ill-tempered World Cup group match this year between the Ivory Coast and Brazil culminated in a transparent dive by Keita. The Ivorian ran into Brazilian playmaker Kaka and may have received the slightest nudge to the midriff. The clutching of the face trick ensued as he fell to the ground like a proverbial sack of spuds. Much to his team-mates’ dismay Kaka received a second yellow card.
[youtube 0kJ9dN5SK5Y]
Steven Gerrard
For both club and country Gerrard has been something of a serial offender. Say it quietly because Englishmen do not dive and if they do it is surely the malign influence of the league’s foreign contingent. Against Andorra in 2007 the talismanic midfielder was out of options and promptly opted for a tumble in the box. A booking followed.
[youtube hvLJFoEEm-c]
Continued on Page THREE
Paul Alcock
After some unseemly fisticuffs with Martin Keown, Sheffield Wednesday’s Paolo Di Canio was legitimately shown a red card by referee Paul Alcock. However the ref should have been red carded for simulation after falling backwards for what seemed an eternity following the Italian’s petulant push.
[youtube 9TFVuHrwgyY]
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Kyle Lafferty
Glasgow Rangers’ 6ft 4in striker dropped to the ground with his hands clasped over his face after squaring up to Aberdeen’s Charlie Mulgrew. The left-back was red carded but even the Rangers fans appeared mildly embarrassed by their player’s antics. Lafferty later described the incident as the biggest mistake of his career.
[youtube G7s19WpllNQ]
Slaven Bilic
If a player is contemplating using Lafferty’s feigning frolics it is probably best reserved for a World Cup Semi-Final. Bilic, now manager of Croatia, had appeared to take a knock to the head from Laurent Blanc’s flailing arms whilst defending a French set piece. In practice he had received a minor push to his upper chest. Blanc was penalised and missed France’s 1998 final against Brazil. But the former West Ham defender was defiant: “I am not a cheat. I am honest. I am not to blame. After all, he hit me in the face.”
When the transfer window opens, reinforcing a team’s striking department is a unique pleasure in football. There is much to be taken from shoring up a leaky defence – with say a mountainous centre back or a new safe pair of hands in nets – but games are won by scoring goals, and the rumours, bluffs and obligatory ‘inside sources’ that contribute to the build up to snaring a new predator to do the business upfront make for scintillating viewing as a fan. It’s a feeling only amplified when the team in question happens to be one of the country’s big guns.
Once such rumour from one such ‘source’ was aired by the Daily Mirror’s David Anderson last week, in which he claimed that an insider at Anfield had leaked that a move for Aston Villa and England hitman Darren Bent is done and dusted.
Back in August last year, the idea wouldn’t have carried a cup of water. But six months on, while it’s still far too early to form firm conclusions, it is fair to suggest that Liverpool fans could have expected more from their main striking duo. Luis Suarez has certainly caught the headlines this season, simultaneously for all the right and wrong reasons – a not entirely unimpressive feat. His touchline trickery and fleet footed fishing have been a delight.
The petulance, hand gestures and casual racism, not so much. The latter has landed him a (quite incredible, even given the context) eight game ban from the FA, leaving a Luis shaped hole in Liverpool’s striking options for the next couple of months.
It’s a problem only compounded by the fortunes of his transfer teammate. Andy Carroll ’s ridiculous £35m price tag would weigh heavily around the neck of any player, but for a lad of 23 still learning his game, it threatens to become a millstone. His performances have been described as ‘off the pace’ by more charitable sections of the Scouse faithful, and six goals in 31 appearances have done little to silence the already-sharpening knives. Even if he was playing well, Liverpool are still short up top, and the transfer window has now taken on a new lustre for the club.
Darren Bent in many ways fulfils the immediate criteria necessary. At 27 he’s the right age and, having spent his footballing education in and around the country’s top tier, there should be no ‘bedding in’ or adaptation period. A recognised goal scorer across his career but still somehow not considered amongst the Premiership’s elite, Bent has suffered from a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ reputation, which is perhaps hard to shake at the top level. Pacy, but not blisteringly quick. Solid, but not a hardman. A goalscorer, but not likely to trouble the golden boot regulars on a consistent basis.
Many of these ‘criticisms’ could be levelled as unjust when one takes into account the sides he has had to lead the line for. The catalyst for Bent’s current spotlight basking time was the 2009-10 season; his first of two for Sunderland, in which he netted 25 from 40. This was (and remains) his highest seasonal tally, and finally encouraged England coach Fabio Capello to consider him as more than a mere afterthought.
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With the greatest of respect to the Mackems, anyone with the ability to squeeze that many from Sunderland’s modest midfield service deserves serious consideration from any side with loftier ambitions. And while his subsequent output has yet to meet this exceptional standard, one can only anticipate what Bent might be able to do with a top-notch midfield behind him.
But therein lies another concern; can a big fish in a small pond make the transition to choppier and more competitive waters without ill effect? Bent’s most fruitful periods have come about while he has been the main man up top – at Villa, Sunderland and previously at Charlton – playing centre stage, week in week out. The one time in his career in which he has faced real competition for places was in his ill-fated spell at Spurs.
Statistically, his two seasons at White Hart Lane look reasonable value – eight from 36 and 17 from 43 – but in truth, he didn’t make a significant impression on the starting eleven, often more so on the subs bench in favour of Dimitar Berbatov and compatriot Jermaine Defoe.
One hot-headed tweet too many saw him shipped out to Steve Bruce’s side shortly after. With competition at Liverpool at least as intense, would an older and perhaps wiser Bent be in better shape to cope with rotation and team tinkering?
One area in which Bent does fit is in King Kenny’s wider plan to implement a British spine to the club. With Adam, Bellamy, Downing, Henderson and Carroll, the Liverpool manager has aired his penchant for a homegrown base to his side; as well as his willingness to pay top dollar for them. If figures are to be believed, the final three on that list joined for a combined total of over £70m.
For the £20m+ fee Bent is likely to command from Villa, there are certainly more economical options abroad. It’s an interesting point particularly given that in Suarez, Liverpool’s most effective signing in recent times had been a foreigner. It’s about more than passports; a player from a different league and footballing mantra can inject something different into a side in a creative rut. And isn’t that where this Liverpool side has struggled most of late?
For our money, Bent is a steady choice likely to do well in more sophisticated environs than those in which he currently finds himself in Aston. But as for a real game changer? More affordable, and dare we say it, exciting options undoubtedly lie elsewhere.
Article courtesy of Luke Geoghegan from This is Futbol
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