So whose place on the bench will Steven Pienaar warm?
For the first time in many years Tottenham have a wealth of talented midfielders at their disposal to more than cover every position. It seems an extremely strange signing unless Pienaar has been brought in to pave the way for the departure of one of Spurs first team players?
Pienaar by all accounts seems a model professional who has performed well under the guidance of David Moyes to become an integral part of the Everton team. The player was out of contract at the end of the season and offers are thought to have been tabled from top European clubs, in addition to Spurs and Chelsea. With such interest, the player must have been given certain assurances by Redknapp that he would be given a starting role in the Spurs line-up. Which poses the question, for whom?
On the left Bale has become a key figure in the Spurs midfield, as has Modric who has been a revelation in the central midfield role this season. Lennon has been much preferred to Kranjcar and Bentley on the right and VDV has cemented his place off of the main striker. So unless Redknapp intends to have the smallest, most vulnerable central midfield partnership in the league it would seem someone from the first team will be on their way.
For me Pienaar is a great player but a return of 12 goals from 132 appearances from an attacking midfielder suggests he is not an adequate replacement for any of these first team players. Pienaar is only a marginal improvement on the promising players Spurs already have at their disposal to come off the bench like Kranjcar, Gio, Sandro and Townsend whose first-team chances will now be even more limited.
What are your thoughts, will Pienaar be a bench warmer or does his arrival pave the way for the highly anticipated exit of one of Spurs most valuable assets?
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Manchester United were, once again, less than convincing at Southampton in the FA Cup. It was a familiar story as they under-performed in the first half, and then relied on the quality of the old guard to push them over the line. But as we continue to be unimpressed by performance, yet overwhelmed by the ongoing unbeaten streak, is it now time for the fringe players to move aside for a new generation to come through at Old Trafford?
I take nothing away from their season so far. How can you when United sit comfortably top of the Premier League table? My point is, with all the talk of United becoming the new ‘invincible’ side, how long can they really remain unbeaten playing the way they are, especially away from home? The first half performances at Blackpool and then St. Mary’s was nothing short of shocking. In both games, Ferguson had to throw on the likes of Ryan Giggs, Nani and Javier Hernandez to restore normality. Sooner or later though, a game is going to be beyond even their capabilities of rescuing. Giggs is a football marvel at 37-years-young, but he’s no superhero.
I watched Paul Scholes cut a frustrating figure against Southampton at the weekend, and I put a lot of it down to the fact that his centre midfield partner, Darron Gibson, gave the ball away far too often. And what about the stand-in-skipper for the day, John O’Shea? Don’t get me wrong, he has been a loyal servant to Ferguson, but he was about as threatening as a puppy going forward from right back.
These players are supposed to be good enough for the manager to rotate his squad to handle the congested fixture list United face. But when the likes of Gibson, O’Shea and even Jonny Evans take to the field from the start, it no longer fills you with the greatest of confidence. Against stronger opposition, United’s week could have looked a lot different: three points lighter in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage thanks to League One opposition.
This dilemma obviously brings us to question who Fergie is to play instead. But looking at the bench at the weekend, I would have much preferred Wes Brown on the field to O’Shea. Fabio is a prospect, and I like how positive he is from full-back – at least he doesn’t get a nose bleed every time he enters the oppositions half like O’Shea. As far as Gibson is concerned, again, he has potential. But with players like Tom Cleverley doing so well out on loan, he has to pick up his performances if he is to avoid being cast aside. He cannot survive off potential alone.
Ferguson puts a lot of faith into his youth set-up so I can’t see him selling off some of his under-performing players quite so hastily. Loyalty is something the 69-year-old Scot holds in high regard, so you could potentially see players like John O’Shea staying as long as Ferguson himself does. But forget all the emotional attachments, you have to ask whether the Irishman is actually good enough to be part of the set-up at Old Trafford or whether it is time United looked to bring though another crop of hopeful youngsters looking to become the next Manchester United generation.
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Sao Paulo launched a superb second-half comeback to beat Americana 4-3 in their Campeonato Paulista A1 fixture on Wednesday.
Undefeated going into the match, Americana gave the home fans something to cheer about when Marcinho opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
But Sao Paulo found an equaliser when midfielder Gercimar conceded an own-goal to leave the score 1-1.
Rafael Chorao fired the hosts ahead just prior to the break, but a brace from Dagoberto the space of nine minutes early in the second-half turned Sao Paulo’s deficit into a lead.
Jean hit Sao Paulo’s fourth on 73 minutes, with veteran midfielder Jose Fumagalli scoring what turned out to be merely a consolation for Americana shortly before the final whistle.
Santos failed to win for the first time in their Paulista campaign when they were held 3-3 by Sao Caetano at Arena Barueri.
Former Manchester City midfielder Elano netted a brace for the home side, while on-loan Barcelona striker Keirrison also scored for Santos.
Vandinho was the hero for Sao Caetano with his double – including the equaliser late in the second half – after Artur scored the opener for the visitors.
Ponte Preta’s trip to Portuguesa bore fruit as they stormed to a 3-1 victory at the Estadio Dr. Oswaldo Teixeira Duarte.
Renatinho scored first for the visitors in the 12th minute but Guilherme equalised for Portuguesa six minutes later.
Ricardo Jesus restored Ponte Preta’s lead in the 23rd minute, before a second-half injury goal to Jose Gerson sealed the win.
Second-half goals from Serginho and Roger guided Oeste to a 2-0 away win at Sao Bernardo’s Estadio Primeiro de Maio.
Ituano midfielder Jefferson twice pegged back Linense to earn his side a 3-3 draw at Estadio Dr. Jayme Pinheiro de Ulhoa Cintra.
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Noroeste and Bragantino shared the points in their 2-2 draw, following some late drama when both sides found the back of the net.
Noroeste led two minutes after the break through a Matheus strike, but Bragantino hit back with goals in the 72nd and 90th minutes to Juninho Quixada and Luciano Sorriso to seemingly steal victory.
Not to be denied, Noroeste found an equaliser when Jedson da Silva fired home in the 93rd minute to salvage a point.
Mirassol and Santo Andre split the points in their 1-1 draw at Estadio Jose Maria de Campos Maia.
Veteran striker Shefki Kuqi has signed for Newcastle United in a surprise move after being released by Championship club Swansea City.
Kuqi, 34, found himself surplus to requirements at the Liberty Stadium and had his contract terminated by mutual consent on January 26.
But the former Finland international has made an unlikely return to the Premier League with Newcastle, who are short of striking options following the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool and an injury to Shola Ameobi.
Kuqi has previously appeared in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in the 2005/06 season, during which he scored seven goals.
He also spent four months on loan at Fulham in 2007, but failed to find the net.
“I got a phone call from my agent last week who said there might be a possibility to go there (Newcastle) and when I heard this I was over the moon,” Kuqi told Sky Sports News.
“In the beginning it was hard to believe, but in the end it all came true.”
“I don’t really have the words to describe how happy I am. To get this chance is a massive thing for me.”
“I am just happy to be here now and I can’t wait to start and hopefully try to do the best I can for Newcastle United. “
“For me, it is a great opportunity just to be back in the Premier League again. It is something I have tasted before.”
“Everybody knows it is the best league in the world and to be part of it and a club the size of Newcastle United, I am really proud. It’s an honour to be here.”
With Carroll gone and Ameobi injured, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had only Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands and the inexperienced Nile Ranger to call upon.
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Pardew believes the squad will benefit from the arrival of the experienced Kuqi on a short-term deal lasting until the end of the season.
“We needed another option up front because we are a little light there due to the temporary loss of Shola, and Shefki will provide us with something different,” Pardew said.
“He’s match-fit and knows the English game well having been in the country for the best part of 10 years. He is ready straight away and that’s what we wanted.”
“Shefki is a good, honest pro who will give us a strong physical presence from the bench.”
A couple of years ago I had a spat with a fellow contributor to a football fanzine, when I perhaps foolishly commented that supporters that have to travel a long way to see their team play cannot complain when fixtures are moved for television or other reasons. That was the world we now lived in, part of the all-powerful Sky behemoth, and was part of the deal of getting all that lovely money. And out-of-towners had to accept that getting to matches can sometimes be very difficult.
He disagreed. Strongly. And with every passing year I move closer to his way of thinking.
Last Thursday, Manchester City announced the odd fixture change or two for the month of April.
Manchester City v Sunderland is now on Sunday 3rd April, 4.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports (but subject to involvement in a FA Cup 6th Round replay). Liverpool v Manchester City is now on Monday 11th April, 8.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports. Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur is now on Sunday 17 April, 1.30 pm. Live on Sky Sports (but subject to participation in the FA Cup Semi-Finals). Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City is now on Monday 25 April, 8.00 pm. Live on Sky Sports. Oh, and Manchester City v West Ham United is now on Sunday 1 May, 4.10 pm. Live on Sky Sports of course.
In the quarter finals of the FA Cup, Manchester City or Aston Villa will play Everton or Reading at 4:45pm on a Sunday. Manchester City v Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League will kick off at 6pm, to suit television schedules. I should be thankful – in Kiev the first leg kicks off at 10:05pm. Liverpool themselves kicked off at 6pm in the previous round. Even last weekend, City should have played Fulham live on Sky on Monday night, but it was moved back to Sunday late in the day because City have to play Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Now if City draw with Aston Villa, then we’re really in trouble……
On Saturday, City play Wigan. This too is on Sky, so is a 5:30pm kick off. But never mind. I will only have to wait another two months to see City play on a Saturday (if they don’t change our May 7th fixture of course). And by the end of the season, City are virtually guaranteed to have appeared live on television at least forty times.
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This will be a similar pattern to other clubs, especially the “big” ones that Sky et al love to show. Manchester United has had over 30 consecutive FA Cup games televised – every single tie since 2005. It seems to have jinxed them, as they haven’t won the competition since. United’s first six league games this season were televised. Sky and ESPN will show 138 league games in total this season – surely a record?
And then there’s football on a Monday. Sky love to ‘big up’ Monday night football. “Monday night football is back!” screamed Richard Keys back in August as though our lives had suddenly been enlightened after years in the wilderness. I guess for a viewer it’s nice to have a football match to watch on a Monday night, but if you choose to attend a match, I cannot think of a worse time. No day is safe from football any more. Well, maybe Christmas Day, but they used to play then as well, so don’t rule out a return.
I was under the vague impression that teams could refuse to move fixtures for television, but whether they can or not, they are unlikely to, considering the money on offer. Sky offer approximately half a million pounds a game to any club whose game is televised. Clubs are guaranteed ten payouts a season even if they aren’t televised that much. The FA Cup offers about a third of the Sky reward for a TV airing.
Most football fans prefer a Saturday 3pm kick off. This will never change. But any given week you can expect around 6 of the 10 Premiership games at most to kick off at that time. If you’re a team in the upper echelons of the Premier League, you will rarely kick off then.
As shown by United, it’s not just Sky of course that is causing rescheduling. And the Premier League would happily have every team play a game abroad each season. The day will come when Manchester United will play Liverpool at 2am on a Friday morning in silk kimonos to suit the Asian market. And let’s not forget it’s not just television that causes changes either. If you participate in the Europa League for example and play a game on a Thursday, the weekend game will automatically be switched to the Sunday. Domestic cup commitments might mean further changes. One way or the other, it seems few games stay where they were originally, if you’re even remotely successful at least.
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So where does it all end? What is the tipping point? Do we accept the improvements that Sky (and to a lesser extent the other broadcasters) have brought to the game and accept that this is the consequence of their involvement? Or do we say enough is enough and look to limit the amount of changes to the fixture list? And do we accept that not all people can go to matches, and thus more televised football is only a good thing?
Personally speaking, I love football, but you can have too much of a good thing. Coverage has reached saturation point, and surely it is time to limit how much live football is shown. I wouldn’t count on it though.
Arsene Wenger was left furious last night as Robin van Persie’s sending off ‘killed the game’ as far as the French boss was concerned. It certainly ruined the spectacle, in which Barcelona were at their brilliant best, and questions will now be asked of the official about his reasoning behind a decision that even had UEFA delegates scratching their head.
In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes David Gill blasting the FA; Spurs announce lucrative kit deal, while Kolo Toure is blasted by FIFA.
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Hillsborough disaster panel to investigate evidence from after 3.15pm for the first time – Mirror
Gill blasts the FA – Guardian
Wenger: referee cost Arsenal the match – Daily Telegraph
No financial fears for Blues – Sky Sports
Spurs announce new £50m kit deal with US manufacturer Under Armour –Daily Mail
Fabio – Bale is world’s best – Sky Sports
Kalou hits back at ‘diver’ jibe – Sun
Refs’ union warns officials could quit – Guardian
Sports Secretary admits: I don’t know football’s rules – Mirror
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With the start of any Premiership season comes a new optimism and excitement for football supporters all over the world. The start of the new season brings the thrills and spills of football back into our lives after months of Saturday afternoons where something has been missing… The holy grail of football. New additions to the Premier League are raring to get started, and those familiar faces are back again to show us what we have been missing all summer long. For many football fans with the new season comes the opportunity to test out their own managerial acumen by selecting their very own fantasy football team. So what I want to establish is whetherthe fantasy teams many of us would select, would in reality be a fantasy team.
The main objective of a fantasy team is to accumulate as many points as possible by choosing the players you think are best equipped to assist you in this end game. So the first names on the majority of fantasy mangers’ team sheets would surely be the big hitters – the likes of Rooney, Drogba, Tevez, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Vidic. Any manager who has taken up a fantasy team before would see it’s blatantly obvious, that with the budget available to spend, you can’t accommodate all the best players, as they are clearly the most expensive. That’s where good judgement and knowhow comes into play. Managers will have to look to some of the players who won’t be suited and booted at the PFA Awards come the end of the season to bolster their teams. Nevertheless, these players can often be the surprise packages and often produce good points on the fantasy scene.
Would many people have looked to Matt Jarvis, Charlie Adam, Andy Carroll or Matthew Etherington at the start of the season when selecting their team? I would suggest not as many as would now. These players have all amassed large points totals this season but with the exception of Adam, would they be selected in a Premiership Fantasy Eleven come the end of the season? I doubt it. Robert Huth is another player who has produced a large points total this season, but this is largely as a result of the eight goals he has scored. So does this mean the points totals divert away from the facts? I would say yes, as Stoke’s other defenders aren’t within sight in comparison to Huth. What I’m trying to convey is that while a player may have a high fantasy points total it doesn’t necessarily mean he has been one of the outstanding players in that position.
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When selecting a team of the season each player who is considered for a spot in the team has their performance across the year scrutinised. Jack Wilshere and Scott Parker are players who may well justify inclusion in any potential team of the year, but in terms of the Fantasy League they don’t generate a great deal of points so are likely to be overlooked by fantasy managers. Furthermore, a fantasy team could consist of four wingers in midfield as they could be considered as the men who pick up the most points, but a coherent team of the year is likely to be defined to two wingers, a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder.
Fundamentally the main body of this article is trying to argue that a dream team in the newspaper or on a website gives you the opportunity to mould together your own fantasy team which could well prove fruitful in gaining points. Although, when logically considering a fantasy team of the season there are more variants to be considered than just goals, assists and clean sheets. Performances of players who have defied the odds and carried their club almost single handily at times in the case of Scott Parker make me believe there is more than one way to determine a Fantasy Team.
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Recently Norwich City were involved in complicated transfer negotiations with Peterborough United regarding their star striker Craig McKail-Smith. That sentence alone may lead to confusion, because the transfer window closed at the end of January. However, the loan window remained open until as recently as this Thursday. But loan deals should not be complicated and at no point should transfer fees be discussed.
A problem may present itself when the parent club doesn’t really want to loan the player out. When this happens a transfer may effectively be agreed with the player joining initially on loan. Sometimes these types of deals are called loans with a view to a permanent transfer, but more often than not the transfer has already been agreed.
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The situation is understandable from the parent club, but why should the club getting the loan player in be committed to signing that player for a set fee in the summer? This appeared to be what Peterborough were attempting to engineer. The fact is they very nearly managed to do it, but they decided to up their demands at the last minute and the deal was off. That level of greed may come back at them, because the player’s contract is up in summer 2012 and they may end up selling for a small fee this summer.
I can’t help thinking that a loan deal should always be a loan deal and nothing more; if deals like this continue to be made then the name may have to be changed from emergency loan window to covert transfer window. It appears though that there can sometimes be a get out clause and an example of that would be Shola Ameobi’s proposed move to Stoke. When Stoke were still a Championship club Shola arrived on loan and the transfer was said to agreed, but in the summer the deal was called off. In many ways this is a concept behind some loan deals and it can be a try before you buy opportunity. There is really no need for commitment beyond the length of the loan.
The fact of the matter is a player should either be available for loan or not and transfers should not be arranged until the summer. There is also the argument that a player should not be allowed to join a club on loan, if they are already due to join that same club when the transfer window opens. Loan deals can be complicated enough with loan fees and portion of wages for transfer agreements to be included as well.
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Something strange happened in Sunday’s early kick-off between Arsenal and Blackpool. Arsenal found themselves without any of their four first-choice goalkeepers – having instead to rely upon a 41-year-old German who nobody in their right mind thought would ever play in the Premier League again. Jens Lehmann was called into action just moments before kick-off when keeper incumbent Manuel Almunia picked up a knee injury whilst warming up.
I’m sure Arsenal fans were full with a mix of joy at seeing their beloved German goalkeeper once more and trepidation at the possibility of the 41-year-old being creaky and not cut out for the rigours of the Premier League any more. As it happened, they needn’t have worried – the Gunners churned out some of their best attacking football for quite some time and ended the tie with a 3-1 victory.
When questioned about Jens’ return, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere told the press: “He was brilliant. He was only called in 10 minutes before kick-off but it was great to have him around. He’s been there, done it all and was part of the ‘Invincibles’ so he knows what it takes to win the title. And we want to be like the ‘Invincibles’ too.”
‘Brilliant’, I think, is a strong word. I’m not questioning his ability to motivate Arsenal’s players, nor that Jens adds a large amount of experience to Arsenal’s squad. I would question, however, if Lehmann’s performance was quite as ‘brilliant’ as Jack and many other Arsenal fans would like to make out.
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Controlling your penalty area is one thing – something we all knew Jens is capable of, but he did have a couple of dodgy moments. I don’t want to appear overly critical but on the other hand I don’t want to see too much faith poured in the direction of a 41-year-old who has been out of the game for quite some time. Jens Lehmann is not a solution to Arsenal’s goalkeeping woes – not in the long term and not in the short term.
The fact that he marshalled the Gunners to a victory against relegation threatened Blackpool, won’t make me any less nervous next time I see his name on the Arsenal team-sheet. How will he fare against the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham – against teams who can apply consistent pressure on the Arsenal goalmouth?
Jens made a couple of good saves on Sunday but he also demonstrated that old habits die hard. By the letter of the law he should have been sent off when he brought DJ Campbell down as he raced towards goal (recalling, of course, the Arsenal-Barcelona Champions League final in 2006) but referee Lee Mason waved play on and Taylor-Fletcher slotted home Blackpool’s only goal of the afternoon.
At the risk of appearing too negative, I want to make it clear that a couple of decent saves aside, when it came to fulfilling his role as a goalkeeper (and not as a motivator/leader) Jens looked shaky. It’s my hope, that Arsenal don’t have to rely on the German too much for the remainder of the season.
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Read more of Harry’s articles at ThisIsFutbol.com
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Norwich City moved back into the Championship’s automatic promotion places after a 5-1 away win at Ipswich Town on Thursday.What will make Norwich’s triumph even more memorable is the fact it was their second easy victory over their arch-rivals in the East Anglian Derby this season, with Thursday’s triumph surpassing the Canaries’ 4-1 win in November.
Andrew Surman kickstarted celebrations in the away end with his 13th minute strike and the Portman Road crowd were stunned when 11 minutes later, Gareth McAuley turned the ball into his own net for Norwich’s second.
Norwich were not content with a two-goal lead and wanted to put the match beyond doubt in the second half, with Simeon Jackson scoring his fifth goal in as many games after 73 minutes to seal victory.
Jimmy Bullard has impressed since joining Ipswich on loan from Hull City and scored a consolation for the hosts on 78 minutes, only for Russell Martin to respond two minutes later for Paul Lambert’s side.
Liverpool loanee Dani Pacheco added the finishing touches to the huge victory with his first goal for the club in the third minute of injury time to seal a convincing defeat for the hosts.
The result sees Norwich two points above third-placed Cardiff, who have a game in hand, but the big win has almost drawn the Canaries level on goal difference with the Welsh side.