”I’ve extended my contract and I’m staying with Bayern until 2016. Long live Bayern!” – Just the words that Manchester United fans didn’t want to hear. Up until his announcement, Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger had been linked with a potential summer move to Manchester United. It’s quite a loss for United – Schweinsteiger is one of world football’s best midfielders. He’s a genuine box-to-box player, has boundless energy, an incredible drive, a passion and determination that sees him dive into every challenge with everything he’s got. He’s also supremely talented – he’s good on the ball, delivers well from a set-piece and has been known to knock home the odd screamer.

All of these aspects of his being make him easily comparable to Manchester United’s Paul Scholes. Both are quality all round footballers with a competitive edge that makes them not just talented, but winners through and through. Scholes is 36 now, and despite still being an important part of Manchester United’s squad, can only have another couple of years left at the very highest level.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was being touted as a potential replacement for Scholes when he eventually retired or left United. Now that that possibility has been quashed, who can United turn to? I don’t believe for a moment that Anderson, O’Shea, Fletcher, et al will ever reach a level similar in quality to Scholes. I think it’s fair to say that Manchester United will have to look outwards for their inspiration.

One man who could fill the Scholes shaped void is Roma’s Daniele De Rossi. Despite being something of a one-club man, Roma may be persuaded to sell if United were to make an impressive offer. De Rossi is a real force. Energetic and passionate, De Rossi would add strength and steel to any midfield you care to name. He has the defensive nous of Mascherano and the vim and vigour of Steven Gerrard.

The next candidate is another Inter Milan player: Sulley Muntari. The Ghanaian has Premier League experience through his time at Portsmouth (‘07/’08) and I believe he has the ability to fill Schole’s boots. He’s a genuine ball-winner, he’s committed and has a wonderful positional sense. It’s his immaculate reading of the game that must make him such an enticing prospect.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, the perfect man to replace Scholes has to be Wesley Sneijder. He’s tough, versatile, has an impressive engine, and like Schweinsteiger, is something of a deadball specialist. He currently plies his trade for Inter Milan, yet you can’t help but feel as though he would fit into the Premier League with the greatest of ease. He’s competitive and he can give and take tough tackles. He would be a perfect fit.

Fun Fact: Schweinsteiger is German for “Pig Climber”. For more ‘knowledge’ feel free to follow me on Twitter: @ThePerfectPass

Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Liverpool v Utrecht and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

Reports in Spanish newspaper AS are suggesting that Manchester United are preparing a €13 million bid for Real Madrid midfield player Lassana Diarra.

Diarra has been linked with a move away from Spain for some time and it has been thought that Tottenham would be his likely destination. But with Owen Hargreaves suffering with injuries, Manchester United could be weighing up a move to give Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick some competition in the United midfield.

Diarra has seen his first team opportunities severely limited since the arrival of Sami Khedira and it is believed that the former Portsmouth player could be relishing a return to the Premier League.

Lassana Diarra also found first team football hard to come by in his spells with both Arsenal and Chelsea and accrued a meagre 20 appearances in three years with the two London clubs. A move to Portsmouth revitalised his career and he helped guide them to an FA Cup win and a place in the UEFA Cup.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Back in October, Diarra expressed his desire to stay at Madrid, but also his desire to be playing football: “I am happy at Real, but I need to play”.

Arsenal produced a stirring comeback at the Emirates, surviving a controversial opener from Louis Saha to beat Everton 2-1.

Saha handed Everton the lead after 24 minutes in north London even though he looked well offside, but second half goals from substitute Andrey Arshavin and defender Laurent Koscielny handed Arsenal a hard-fought and deserved victory.

The result keeps Arsene Wenger’s side second in the Premier League table, five points adrift of Manchester United but still very much in the title race.

The Gunners started the game in lively fashion with Cesc Fabregas shooting wide from a Robin van Persie back-heel when perhaps he should have done better.

Saha was offside when Seamus Coleman tried to find him when a through-ball but, perhaps unaware of that fact, Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny attempted to clear it anyway.

That proved a big mistake because his miss-hit effort deflected straight to Saha who fired home left-footed with Arsenal’s defence nowhere to be seen.

Referee Lee Mason struggled to control proceedings as the game grew tetchier, making a string of questionable decisions to draw the ire of the home crowd.

He booked six players in all as tackles flew in from both sides, especially when Arsenal poured forward in the second half in search of an equaliser.

Theo Walcott and van Persie had both gone close when it eventually came in the 70th minute, Arshavin latching onto a fine Fabregas through-ball and firing home sweetly.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Van Persie then forced Tim Howard into a fine save from a free-kick before the Dutchman sent over a corner for Koscielny to head home in the 76th minute.

The goal was greeted with delirium by the home crowd and it was hard to say Arsenal did not earn it given their pulsating second-half display.

Moroccan international midfielder Houssine Kharja has been included in Inter Milan’s squad for Sunday’s game at Palermo.

Kharja completed his loan transfer on Saturday from Genoa and manager Leonardo immediately named him in his squad.

“I am very happy,” Kharja said on Inter Channel.

“After some difficult days of waiting, I am finally here. I want to thank President Massimo Moratti for giving me this opportunity and all those who worked to complete the transfer.”

“I have joined the strongest team in the world. I’m still a little stunned and excited after the first training session with my new teammates. I am ready for whatever the coach needs starting from tomorrow’s game.”

“I have taken on many midfield roles during my career and at international level I even played as a centre-back.”

Kharja will wear the number 14 shirt in honour of former Inter star Patrick Vieira.

“I hope and want to give a contribution to this team that is still so hungry for victory. I thank my teammates for the warm welcome.”

Inter will welcome back Diego Milito, Philippe Coutinho and Julio Cesar from injury.

Dejan Stankovic, Ivan Cordoba and Cristian Chivu are suspended, while Wesley Sneijder, Walter Samuel and MacDonald Mariga are injured.

Meanwhile, Palermo coach Delio Rossi has told his players to “forget about the table and play for the win against Inter, as we always do.”

The Sicilians have a history of entertaining clashes with Inter, losing 5-3 in Milan last season and losing 2-1 on home turf in September.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Every game is unique and self-contained,” Rossi insisted. “Since our last meeting many things have changed and Inter have a different tactician.”

“We will go to Milan in order to play our game and play for the win, as we always do. If we play the way we know how, then we can get a result against Inter.”

“I am not interested in the standings and we must forget about the table. After all, I’m used to not checking it until March.”

As Liverpool fans still try to get rid of the bitter taste left by Fernando Torres’ departure to Chelsea, another star player has hinted that he may be the next one out of Anfield if the club does not get back into the Premier League’s top four. Spanish Goalkeeper Pepe Reina is supposedly the target of Manchester United and Arsenal in the summer as both clubs will be looking to sign a top quality shot stopper. Reina is certainly that, making around 102 clean sheets in 208 league games for the club – compare that to a striker’s appearances to goals ratio, it’s highly impressive. Will Liverpool have a fight on their hands to keep Reina?

The rumours of Sir Alex Ferguson perusing their rival’s ‘keeper were started in January, especially since Edwin Van der Sar announced he will be retiring at the end of the season. However, Reina has not helped matters when talking to the Spanish media recently – when asked about Fernando Torres, he showed a more sympathetic and understandable approach compared to others associated with Liverpool. These comments will not sit well with the Anfield faithful who will not want to see another star player leave for a rival Premier League club.

Reina was also asked about a possible return to playing in Spain but the Liverpool ‘keeper said he believed that his future is in England whilst also highlighting his desire to play regular Champions League football.  I believe it all comes down to where Liverpool finish this season and after the start Kenny Dalglish has made at the club, there is still a possibility that the Reds can sneak into 4th spot come the end of the season. Reina would not have a case for wanting a move if this can be achieved but it is a huge ask for the current team to keep up momentum until the end of the season. Plus they will have to rely on the teams above them like Tottenham, Chelsea or Manchester City to lose points.

Alternatively, if Liverpool’s recent impressive results start to dwindle and their season ends up drifting into mid table mediocrity, Reina will be looking to go. Liverpool will of course try anything in their power to persuade him to stay, but just like Torres, he knows what he has to do if he wants out of Anfield – especially if the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are prepared to put in a significant bid, the outcome just seems inevitable.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Cruzeiro opened their Copa Libertadores campaign in style by thrashing Estudiantes de La Plata 5-0 on Wednesday.

A tight contest was expected between two of last season’s quarter-finalists, but forward Wallyson put Brazilian hosts Cruzeiro in front within the first 60 seconds of the Group Seven match at the Arena do Jacare.

Roger made it two on 17 minutes and Argentine champions Estudiantes found themselves 3-0 down when countryman Walter Montillo breached their defence in the 38th minute.

Midfielder Montillo struck again to put Cruzeiro 4-0 up just before the hour mark and Wallyson also finished with a brace after completing the scoring at 5-0 eight minutes from time.

The emphatic win sees Cruzeiro top Group Seven on goal difference ahead of Colombian side Deportes Tolima, who beat Guarani on Tuesday.

Union Espanola salvaged a point thanks to a last-minute penalty in their all-Chilean Group Four clash with Universidad Catolica.

Hosts Union went ahead through Leonardo Monje two minutes into the second half at the Estadio Santa Laura, before Lucas Pratto levelled for the visitors.

Five minutes later midfielder Fernando Meneses gave Catolica the lead and they looked to be heading for an important opening victory, before Braulio Leal equalised from the spot in the 90th minute.

Reigning champions Internacional of Brazil opened their title defence with a 1-1 draw away to Ecuadorian club Emelec in Group Six.

Internacional, who beat Mexican outfit Guadalajara 5-3 over the two legs of last season’s final, took the lead through Mario Ariel Bolatti in the 79th minute at the Estadio George Capwell.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But midfielder Fernando Gimenez rescued a share of the spoils for the hosts with an equaliser in the 90th minute.

In the other match in Group Six, second-half goals from Miguel Martinez and Ricardo Esqueda helped Chiapas of Mexico secure a 2-0 win over Bolivian side Wilstermann.

In Group One, a brace from Heber Arriola and a German Alemanno strike gave Peruvian champions Universidad San Martin a 3-0 win away to Colombian title holders Once Caldas.

After Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland at The Emirates on Saturday, I sympathise with them. They were very unlucky. They deserved a penalty for the rugby tackle by Titus Bramble and they had a legitimate goal disallowed. Both decisions led to Arsenal not getting 3 points, which on another day they could so easily have won. However, Arsene Wenger’s comments at the end of the match could prove to be detrimental for Arsenal, particularly with the impending match against Barcelona.

His first comment on the refereeing was “I’m too disgusted to speak about it frankly”. He continued, “these kind of decisions have too big an impact on the Premiership”. Wenger had clearly lost his cool and was feeling hard-done-by. And his bitterness over Arsenal’s continued lack of silverware came through when he said “It’s not the first time”.

The implication seems to be that ‘the whole world is against’. Furthermore, it shows that Wenger felt these 2 points could cost them the Premier League. These comments will only bring previous failures and injustices to the surface.

Obviously, this might not have been the worst thing Wenger could have possibly said, but I think these comments will have done nothing to help his team.

[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]

I was much more impressed with Wilshere’s attitude. He saw the game as a “good point” and added that there was a “long way to go in this title race”. This showed a side of maturity to Wilshere that I had not previously realised.

And Wilshere is right, Arsenal can still win the Premiership, they just need to keep their cool and play to their strengths. They still have to play against Manchester United in the Premier League. At the time of the interview, Manchester United still had to play against Liverpool on Sunday.

Now, United’s loss will no doubt have calmed Wenger down, but if they had won, Arsenal’s morale would have taken a huge dent. Those opinions of Wenger could have damaged more than just their Premier League hopes.

Admittedly Alex Ferguson has overreacted in recent weeks too, but I would not criticise his style of management to the same degree. He is a master of mind-games and has seen so much success at Manchester United.

In Giggs, Scholes, Van Der Sar and Ferdinand (the list goes on) they have experienced winners. Most importantly, Manchester United are not playing a hugely high-billed Champions League game on Tuesday.

Furthermore, they don’t have a recent record of giving away leads, or collapsing. The results against Newcastle and Birmingham will be lurking in Wenger’s mind as he goes to the Nou Camp, and after his comments it could well be in the player’s minds too.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that managers are human beings. As a spectator I welcome their passionate overspills. But Wenger’s timing could not be worse. If I were an Arsenal fan I would want a bit more composure from my manager. Wenger’s comments only highlight the fact that he is getting desperate.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

To be honest, that is exactly what Arsenal are. They are desperate to win a trophy. But Arsenal’s future success will not be won through over-reaction, they will come from self-control. We have seen just how good they are going forward, but they need to match this with a sense of discipline in defence. The defenders need to match the calm of Wilshere not the desperation of Wenger.

They bounced back well from the Newcastle slip up to beat Barcelona 2-1 at home. This time, the challenge is a lot harder. They need to put a lot behind them; the Birmingham defeat and the injustice of the Sunderland game, and I hope they do, as in Europe I support all English teams.

[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']

We all love a spectacular goal, and since the start of the Premier League back in the 90s, we have seen a fair few stunners. But what would you regard as the greatest Premier League goal of all-time? Would you go for a goal that required a great technique? Is a long-range strike what you’re looking for? Or does it all depend on how important the goal is?

Choosing the best Premier League goal of all-time is too great a task for one man, so we’ve gone all democratic and decided to give you the fans the final say! There will be no coalition here, just one great goal that has received the most votes. There’s no way you can remember all of the great goals that the Premier League has seen, so we’ve even got some videos to jog your memory. Simply watch a bundle of great strikes and then vote for the greatest Premier League goal ever!

Click on the image to see the contenders – ENJOY

[divider]

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

The WAGs of Premier League footballers get just as much attention as the players themselves these days. There was the whole John Terry v Wayne Bridge incident last season, which saw Vanessa Perroncel coming between the ex-Chelsea teammates. This season we’ve seen Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney hit the front pages for his actions off the pitch that will have put him in the doghouse with Coleen, which is exactly where Tottenham’s Peter Crouch finds himself after cheating on Abbey Clancy.

Given the increased status of football WAGs we thought it was only right and proper to put the spotlight on the best of the best, the Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s of the WAG world. They’re showcased in all their glory in our countdown of the Top Ten Premier League WAGs. You won’t be surprised to know that Rooney’s recent bits on the side didn’t make the list, but who did make the list?

Click on the beautiful Daniela Martins to see the top 10 Premier League WAGS

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

Recently we have seen players getting into trouble for things they have done on the social networking website Twitter. In January of this year former Liverpool player Ryan Babel was fined £10,000 for posting a photo of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt. The post was intended as a joke and a reaction to decisions that were made in the match featuring Liverpool and Manchester United refereed by Webb.

Within the last few days, Carlton Cole faces a charge for a comment he made on his Twitter account. Cole made the comment during the recent international friendly between England and Ghana. Cole tweeted “Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George’s flag!”

It appears that charges for the use of Twitter are becoming more common and it is certainly something players will need to be vigilant of. The real issue here is who should be policing the use of Twitter, the club the player/s are contracted to, the players themselves or the FA?

At the moment it seems like the FA are taking control – but in the first case can matters of this nature be kept in house by the club? Is there any scope for an outright ban on Twitter or would that make matters worse?

[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]

I think there is also a role that can be played by both the FA and the club in the form of education. It would be useful to everyone if the FA can release some information on what sort of things are likely to be investigated and what sort of things are just harmless banter. The club can let their players know that they should be careful on what they write on Twitter and again outline what sort of things the players should aim to stay away from.

Once players have a clear understanding on what they should and should not write then they can regulate themselves; if they then step out of those guidelines and get fined by the FA they really only have themselves to blame. But as Ipswich Town player Billy Clark recently found out, it’s not always a case of comments that can get you into trouble with the FA that you have to be wary of. Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell recently made the decision to not offer Clark a new contract beyond the end of this season. Clark foolishly made a public tweet directed towards a fan to suggest he was glad to be leaving and after hearing about this Jewell has informed Clark that if he feels this way then he should leave immediately.

Twitter is a wonderful tool and used the right way can bring players, fans and the club closer together – but it should be respected and used sensibly.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Like this article? Follow me on Twitter

[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']