Everton manager David Moyes has stated that his team are focusing on taking on Sunderland in their FA Cup quarter-finals replay, and not the potential Merseyside derby that a victory would set up.
The winners of Tuesday’s clash at the Stadium of Light will face Kenny Dalglish’s men in the last four, but the Scottish coach is concentrating on his side’s trip to Wearside.
“It’s an irrelevance until the game’s over. I’ve hardly thought beyond going up to Sunderland and making sure we try and get a good result,” he told The Telegraph.
“That job’s big enough without thinking of anything else. I wouldn’t dream of getting ahead of myself, not with playing such a good side in a replay. I don’t think the fans are thinking past it either.
“I can’t think any further than going up to Sunderland and giving them all the respect. There’s no point thinking about anything else until this game is won or lost.
“It is a game that we are desperately keen to get through and get to a semi-final, but there are big games in the league as well. This game definitely taken precedence.
“It definitely keeps the buoyancy going and if we can stay in it the end will take care of itself. This game is of major importance because it’s the next one and we can progress to the semi-final,” he admitted.
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has admitted that star playmaker David Silva is suffering from fatigue, which in turn has led to a drop in performances.
The Spain international is widely recognised as one of the most creative players in the Premier League, and was one of the Etihad Stadium club’s star men in the first half of the season.
However, a dip in form has seen Silva’s impact neutralised in recent times, with Mancini blaming the high number of fixtures for the attacking midfielder’s current predicament.
“I don’t know how many games David has played for us in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Carling Cup, FA Cup plus internationals,” the Italian coach told Mirror Football.
“But it’s normal that a player can arrive at a moment when he can’t play 100 per cent.
“David always plays here [indicates high level with hand] and now maybe he is here [drops hand lower to chest].
“This is normal, but I hope he can recover,” he concluded.
City are currently five points behind Manchester United in the title race, and take on Arsenal this weekend.
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If you are of the Arsenal persuasion, you don’t need me to remind you just how much of a roller coaster ride the current campaign has been. From the knife-edge qualification for the Champions League against Udinese to the recent surprise slump at QPR, to the 5-2 demolition of The Spuds to the almost amazing comeback against Milan, you haven’t quite known whether to laugh or cry at the exploits of Arsene Wenger’s side this term. Always famed for their aesthetic qualities and quality on the eye, the Gunners haven’t always been interesting for the right reasons over the nine months of the season thus far. Amidst some calamitous defending and some scintillating attacking play, at times Arsenal’s season has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Currently in third position and well placed to secure Champions League football next term, the Gunners have recovered well from their perilous beginning, but the next few weeks will really test the Gunners staying power as large point gaps have been proved to evaporate in the blink of an eye. The fact Arsenal have remained competitive in their league positioning is a mark of Arsene Wenger’s work that he sold his two most influential players from last season and still remains in and around a similar berth. Burning frustratingly in the mind of all Gunners fans however, is the painstakingly long wait for a trophy and seeing all chances diminish yet again this term has only steeped up the pressure on Arsene Wenger, with widespread dissent and anger spilling over from the terraces. With patience at an all-time low and the race to beat The Spuds to the metaphoric title of ‘best London club’ papering over the Gunners true heartache surrounding their lack of silverware, Arsenal fans know that a top four finish is the very minimum requirement to avoid a very fractious end of season.
So let us cast the microscope over the past nine months and pick out 10 positives and 10 negatives for Gunners fans to take from the 2011/12 campaign. We’ll start with the good news!
Click on Robin van Persie to unveil the 10 positives and negatives
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Have you any more positives or negatives to add to Arsenal’s end of term report? I’d like to know Gunners fans @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is already planning for next season after religuishing his title to neighbours Manchester City on Sunday.
It was plain to see that Man United’s squad was not their best ever this season. And with Man City going from strength to strength and will certainly add to their already impressive squad this summer.
Many pundits have stated that Man United must add to their squad if they wish to halt Man City’s Premier League domination and one of the areas most believe United have struggled with this season is the lack of creativity in central midfield.
Well it seems Ferguson agrees and has already set his sights on Borussia Dortmund’s 23-year-old Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa.
Kagawa has rejected a new deal at Dortmund meaning he will be out of contract next summer but he is expected to complete a move before then.
Kagawa has been in tremendous form for Dortmund this season as they secured a league and cup double, weighing in with 17 goals and 13 assists.
The 5ft 7ins star is another in a long list of new ‘little men’ who are lighting up football in this new era. Kagawa is primarily a central midfield player but can also play on the wings which makes him an attractive propersition for Sir Alex.
He would certainly add creativity to United’s midfield and bearing in mind they lost the title on goal difference this season I’m sure Ferguson will want to see more goals from his team next year to avoid a repeat.
Kagawa has already admitted meeting with Ferguson, stating:
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“It was good to meet and actually talk to him. He had some nice things to say to me. Several clubs contacted me but I can not say which is the best.
“I want to choose the club where I can challenge. It would be good to play in the Premier League.”
It seems it will be a busy summer at Old Trafford with many comings and goings as United look to regain their title next year, halt Man City’s progress and hold off challenges from Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham who will all be aiming to win the league next year.
Premier League managers are always keen to secure new arrivals in their squad, regularly entering the transfer market for the next big thing. With home-grown status becoming more and more craved, due to new squad quota rulings, the prices of English talent has inflated drastically.
Foreign imports have always been much craved in the Premier League, yet the passion and commitment of British stars has always formed the backbone of the set-up.
Due to their increasing price tags, many English players have have struggled with the burden of high hopes weighing heavily on their shoulders. The media often pounce on failure, with a desire to find stories to fill column inches, ramping up the pressure on players still adjusting to new surroundings.
This list looks at 15 victims of the inflated fees associated with English talent.
Click on the Liverpool duo below to see 15 victims of inflated fees
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What are your thoughts? Let @Alex_Hams know on Twitter
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Becoming stuck in a rut is a habit that even the most content of people hope to avoid. The repetitive nature of circumstances that produce mediocre results is perhaps the most frustrating outcome. In order to progress, one must find ways of escaping this repetitiveness and take advancing steps toward development. This practice is undoubtedly required from Roy Hodgson and his England setup. Too long have England been thwarted at an early stage in International tournaments, never having the technical ability to beat the worlds elite. Bloodied hard work is just not enough sometimes and with Spain’s triple crown glistening above Europe for all to admire, it may be time to ditch the way of ye olde England and take a page or fifty out of Spain’s best-selling book of tactics.
Appointing Roy Hodgson as Fabio Capello’s successor was a surprise to many and an excitement to few. Although, his experience of the game rivals even the most glorified of managers, his popularity on home soil had decreased since his disastrous tenure at Liverpool after which his reign at West Brom was quietly covered. Hodgson’s tendency to achieve success at clubs with smaller reputations didn’t bode well for an England team full of the most famous, outspoken and acclaimed players that the Premier League had to offer.As kick-off arrived against the French in Donetsk, it came as no surprise to the watching nation that Hodgson chose a rigid 4-4-2 formation. Why would he use this formation? Well, having adapted it to every single club he has managed in the last 36 years, it is as familiar to him as inevitable disappointment is to England fans. Despite obtaining 7 points from a possible 9 in the group stages, England were chasing their opponents in all three games, a 20 minute spell against Sweden where the Scandinavians had to push for a victory was the only period in 270 footballing minutes that we fully controlled. It was our final outing in Kiev that really showed the chasm between England and International glory. Playing the surprisingly superlative Italians, Hodgson once again plumped for a lathargic looking 4-4-2 system. It was totally undone by Andrea Pirlo and his diamond midfield compatriots. More accurate finishing from the Azzurri could have lead to an almighty thrashing for England. The tactics just didn’t surface for Hodgson, especially with the Italians having a man extra in midfield. The fact that the extra man was the metronome of the opposition meant that our two men at the centre of the park, looked as if they were ready to hang up their boots. Steven Gerrard fell with cramp just 70 minutes in and Scott Parker hobbled off the field through exhaustion; face redder than his soon to be eliminated compatriots. Although a 0-0 result was earned through sheer defensive work, no fan at home or in the Stadium that night were surprised when, yet again, the country fell to the dreaded penalty shootout. However, such dire offensive performances were concerning and the stats that shocked so many after the game, really compounded the misery for the Three Lions. Italy tripled England’s passing rate (815-320), dominated possession (61%-39%) and had more shots on goal (20) than England achieved during the entire tournament.The chasm between England and current World and European Champions Spain’s style of play is almost immeasurable. Granted, we do not have the capabilities and natural ability in our squad to play with the flair that Spain do. However, when your national manager comes out in his first press conference after elimination and says that he believes “possession stats tell you nothing about a game”, you must wonder if he has ever wondered why Spain have dominated so supremely in the last 4 years. If we are to dip our trophyless hands into the fountain of youth in order for our national team to progress, we must not use a system that suggests we are going backwards, relying on dated tactics in order to achieve constant mediocrity. We must take a gamble, move forward and replicate the World Champions style of play, regardless of our supposed strengths. The England squad are no amateurs; 6 of the starting line-up against the Italians are Premiership winners, 4 are European Champions. To discount our ability to play exciting, flair football is to distance ourselves from that current tactic, that has proved so successful, not just for Spain but for countless other clubs and countries around the world.Thankfully, we have a two year gap before the rigmarole of another International tournament grips the nation with fear and ultimate disappointment. However, to avoid slotting himself in the ever growing group of England managers who have failed to make the grade, Hodgson needs to stray away from his beloved formation and start fresh, with a new system, new players and a revitalised energy. After 36 years though, Roy seems to be set in his ways and in danger of speaking too soon, it may have been the wrong appointment at the wrong time.England, what do you think? Is Hodgson the right man for the future of our national team? Have your say on twitter @mattpegg1[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson recently conceded on the club’s pre-season tour of Asia that the current squad has a few ‘issues’ which need addressing, namely in the central midfield area, but the way in which he spoke about Michael Carrick and his importance to the side this season just further highlight what a pivotal figure he is at Old Trafford these days – with that in mind, has he been cruelly underrated in the past?
The main criticism often levelled at Carrick is that he often lets big games pass him by, and he appeared to fall out of favour with Ferguson in the aftermath of the 2009 Champions League final where he was given the runaround by Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets in midfield. You could call it something of an English fascination that we expect our players to run all day long while being destructive in the tackle and graft is almost always rated higher than craft, with Carrick the latest in a long line of players to have fallen foul of this common misconception.
Ferguson waxed lyrical last week about the Geordie, stating: “In the modern day game, you don’t need tacklers the same way you used to. There’s no call for it. It’s about anticipation and reading the game. The refereeing is also of such a standard now that you can hardly tackle anyone, so that sort of thing isn’t the same issue as it used to be. Carrick can read the game and also play in front of the back four. If you look at the central midfielders in the Premier League, he can match up against any of them in terms of quality – the likes of Modric, Yaya Toure, those are probably the best central midfielders and Gerrard. I think Carrick is the key to it. He did really well in second half of last season and I think he’s going to be the key man.
“Scholes and Giggs will obviously play their part and Tom Cleverley hopefully, as well as Anderson if he keeps fit. They will all play a part but for me Carrick is the key player. But we do have an issue in central midfield, there is no doubt about that because getting a Scholes or a Carrick is very difficult these days. By the time he gets to December he starts playing consistently well, but he had a really good end to last season, so he’s the key to us.”
While Paul Scholes was equally effusive in his praise with: “Over the last six years at the club he’s been terrific, one of the most underrated players that the Premier League has had. Since he’s come we’ve won the league in all but one season – that says it all. You need players such as Michael to be successful. He’s a total team player, which players around him really appreciate. I’ve always found him very easy to play with. He’s capable of doing anything. He can create goals, score goals, he’s a great passer of the ball and is a big strong lad with a lot of presence who can run all day long. Michael is a different breed to the likes of Roy and Nicky Butt. They were brilliant, but so is Michael in a different way. He brings calmness to the game and parades around the pitch like a Rolls-Royce.”
Yet the stigma persists over his perceived ability in big, pressure-cooking games and his lack of assertiveness is often maligned and used as a stick to beat him with. He’s usually used as a convenient scapegoat when things aren’t going according to plan, much the same way Darron Gibson, John O’Shea and for a time, Darren Fletcher were before him.
You can’t argue with Ferguson’s estimation that he is an integral player for the club next season as the side continues to show a worrying reliance on both Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, despite both entering the twilight of their respective careers. This becomes even more true when you account for the long-term fitness concerns over both Anderson and Tom Cleverley.
I don’t often buy into the argument that just because a manager has been successful in the past, that you can’t criticise him in the present, but the fact that Ferguson has entrusted Carrick to be a first-team regular during his six-year stay at Old Trafford, a period of great success both home and abroad, has to be worth something at least. He has been a regular during the four title triumphs and had an excellent game against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final victory.
Carrick can at times lack penetration, incisiveness and the ability to physically impose himself on the opposition, but nowhere near to the extent that he is criticised for and his game is often held up to the sort of scrutiny not usually reserved for most players. He retains the ability to dictate the tempo from deep and he completed on average, a quite superb 90.1% of his attempted passes last season, averaging 73 passes per game.
He may not be the natural heir to Roy Keane that many cried out for and you’re not likely to see him thundering into challenges any time soon either, but it’s a perverse state of affairs where we judge a player more by what they can’t do and the strengths of another player as opposed to lauding him for what he is actually good at himself. His uncanny ability to time his interceptions is as crucially important in the modern game as any eye-catching slide tackle is and the way in which he has been marginalised on the international scene has been a source of much frustration and bafflement for the club’s fans.
When players are usually hailed as being ‘underrated’, it’s normally done to such an extent by various talking heads and former pro’s that it’s little more than a cliche trotted out when they’ve got nothing more to add, so much so in fact, that in the end, they become rated pretty much level according to their ability, with Claude Makelele a prime example of this recent phenomenon – we were often told that he was an underrated member of Chelsea’s title-winning sides, but I don’t know of a single intelligent football fan that didn’t appreciate his importance on that team. Carrick, though, is definitely more of a divisive figure than the Frenchman ever was and probably always will be.
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The 30 year-old always plays better with somebody beside him willing to put in the hard yards and he’s perhaps suffered as much as anyone else by Darren Fletcher’s prolonged absence from the side through illness, but that doesn’t take away what a good, sometimes exceptional player he can be. Capable of spreading the ball, playing defence-splitting long-passes and with the consistency to match, Carrick will certainly go down as one of the most underrated players currently in the top flight.
Everyone’s been loving the London 2012 Olympics, watching our nation finally enjoy some long overdue sporting success as every new day brings a gold medal in a sport you probably didn’t even known competed in the Olympics. The athletes have been an absolute credit to themselves and to sport in general and the talent on show has been simply amazing. Obviously, the football didn’t go according to plan though.
After seeing former Chelsea, Reading and Dagenham and Redbridge trainee Adam Gemili fly through his Olympic heat with a time of 10.11, just behind the third fastest man of all-time, Asafa Powell, it shows that the 18-year-old clearly made the right decision about switching sports. His career looks a promising one and he impressed in his semi final heat as well, just missing out on a place in the final. However, it left us thinking who else in the footballing world could transfer their skills into Olympic sports and we came up with 10 footballers who should consider taking up Olympic events.
Click on Eric Cantona to unveil the top 10
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Chelsea have beaten Reading 4-2 on Wednesday night to make it two wins from two games and move to the top of the Premier League table.
Frank Lampard opened the scoring with his second penalty in two matches after 18 minutes, but to their credit the Royals stormed back to take the lead at the break through Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie strikes.
However, the Blues managed to get back into contention with a Gary Cahill effort on 69 minutes, before Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic sealed victory for the Stamford Bridge side.
Roberto Di Matteo was pleased with the efforts of his team and glad to get three more points.
“It was a very entertaining game for the supporters. I was very pleased with how we started but then we lost a bit of our composure,” he told Sky Sports.
“In the second half we wanted to keep them under pressure and we did so. We had to take a bit of a risk but we managed to get the goals and win the game.”
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Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is ready to walk out on the club after contract negotiations broke down, The Sun report.
The veteran left-back is in the last year of his current deal at Stamford Bridge, and has been in talks over an extension at Stamford Bridge of late.
However, it is believed that Cole has only been offered a one-year extension, which he has taken as an insult and as such may well be willing to leave the club for a new challenge.
With young prospect Ryan Bertrand signing a new five-year deal with the west London outfit recently, Cole is thought to be on his way out of the Champions League winners as the side look to think towards the future.
It is said that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will only offer one-year deals to players over the age of 30, which saw Didier Drogba reject an extension to leave the club this summer.
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