Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho’s inflammatory post-match accusations could be subjected to action by Barcelona.Mourinho was left enraged following Pepe’s sending off in the 61st minute in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg, which also led to his dismissal to the stands and an ensuing 2-0 defeat to Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona take a healthy advantage heading into the return fixture against their arch rivals at Camp Nou next Tuesday.
And the Catalan club is now deliberating whether it can refer Mourinho’s stinging post-match statement, in which he declared Barcelona constantly received favourable refereeing decisions to the UEFA Disciplinary Commission.
A statement on the club’s official site read: “Barca’s legal department will study the declarations made by Jose Mourinho following his team’s 0-2 defeat at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night to determine whether to refer them to UEFA.”
Mourinho claimed Barcelona were being afforded preferential treatment by match officials in his press conference after the loss, drawing parallels with his experiences as then-manager of Chelsea in the 2008/09 Champions League season.
“But I just do not understand why Barcelona always receives the help of the referee. All my life I will be asking myself this question, and one day I hope to receive an answer,” Mourinho said.
“I don’t understand why Barcelona have this power. It happened two years ago to Chelsea, almost to my Inter last year, and also to Arsenal this year.”
“Why do the opponents of Barcelona always have a man sent off? Where does this power come from? Maybe it is to give more publicity to UNICEF, maybe because of the power of (Spanish federation president Jose Angel) Villar in UEFA.”
Opposite Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a war of words and instead focused on his side’s winning performance.
Kenny Dalglish, one of the greatest players to have pulled on the Number 7 shirt at Liverpool, has done a fantastic job in turning the club’s fortunes around as the Merseyside club look challenge for fifth place in this year’s Premier League. His job has been made easier by the willingness of the club’s new owners to reinvest the money earned from the sale of Fernando Torres in Andy Carroll and, more importantly Luis Suarez.
Handed the Number 7 shirt by Dalglish, the Uruguayan has had a phenomenal opening eleven games to his Liverpool career. His return of four goals doesn’t do justice to the phenomenal work rate and superb vision that has helped create numerous goals for his teammates.
Following the loss of their leading marksman, fans initially looked towards Andy Carroll as the man to lead the line in his absence. But, due to an injury picked up at Newcastle, the England striker did not make his debut until the victory over Manchester United in March. But it has instead been the cheaper acquisition, albeit still at a cost of £23 million, who has stolen the plaudits.
Some felt Suarez might suffer a similar problem to Mateja Kezman at Chelsea. Whilst prolific in Holland, Kezman struggled to make the step up to the Premier League and was shipped out of Chelsea after a single season with only four goals to his name. But, in already passing Kezman’s tally of goals, Suarez has proved himself far better at adapting to the English game.
Comparing Suarez to the likes of Kezman or Torres is a harsh comparisons, however, as he is a completely different type of player. With his pace, creativity, energy and goalscoring ablity he is far more similar to previous wearers of the 7 shirt such as Dalglish and, before him, Kevin Keegan.
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A player capable of lifting both fans and teammates alike, Liverpool have mustered 27 goals in the 11 games Suarez has played. Compare this to the 11 games before his arrival, where Liverpool only scored 14 times, and his influence is obvious.
But it is still very early days in his Liverpool career and fans must be careful not to pile on too much pressure before next season. Suarez has joined a transformed Liverpool team with momentum on their side where even the likes of Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt have found goals plentiful. Only continued performances next season as Liverpool look to push for the return of Champions League football will confirm whether Suarez will continue to be a class performer for Liverpool for years to come.
In the short term, however, he has proved a great bit of business. Fans have warmed to the ex-Ajax man and, in cashing in on an inconsistent and unhappy striker in Fernando Torres and replacing him with two potential young stars, Suarez and Carroll look like representing great value for money and a bright future at Anfield.
FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan
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Sheffield United have responded to their relegation from the Championship by sacking manager Micky Adams on Tuesday.United finished second from the bottom in the Championship this term, with just 11 wins from their 46 games, and both Adams and his assistant Alan Cork have been dismissed by the club’s owner Kevin McCabe.
Adams became United’s third manager of the season in December when he replaced Gary Speed, who left to take charge of Wales.
Speed replaced the sacked Kevin Blackwell just three games in to the 2010/11 season.
In his 24 matches at the helm, Adams tasted victory just four times and McCabe said the club needed a new direction as it prepares for life in League One.
“Micky is an honourable, hard-working and honest man who has had difficult circumstances to deal with from the moment he came in,” McCabe said.
“No one can criticise the effort he and Alan put in to turn around what was already an awkward season for us.”
“The fact remains that we have been relegated. With that in mind I feel that in order to give ourselves the best opportunity we should make a clean sweep at the top and start afresh next season.”
Adams, a lifelong United supporter who began his youth career with the Blades in the mid-1970s, said he would continue to support the club.
“Obviously I am very, very disappointed with the decision but I still wish Sheffield United all the best,” Adams said.
“I am a Blade and will always be a Blade so I am just sorry that my move here has not worked out.”
Tottenham’s have seemingly missed the boat this season after a shocking run of form in the last third of the season has cost them dear. Harry Redknapp must be forever wondering what if, especially given the amount of points they have thrown away in particular at White Hart Lane.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Spurs blogs that includes fingers pointed at White Hart Lane; Van der Vaart debate, while Tottenham rumours simply out to stir the mix.
We also look at the best Spurs articles around the web this week.
*
Spurs finally unearth the complete midfielder they crave
Where do Rafa van der Vaart and Spurs go from here?
Fingers to be pointed at White Hart Lane
Injury saves Tottenham a transfer circus this summer
Why Tottenham have handed it on a plate
Harry and Arsene on transfer alert as a fire sale looks likely
These Tottenham rumours simply out to stir the mix?
Bad attitude or badly treated at White Hart Lane?
Harry and Tottenham should keep the £12m and shop elsewhere
Why White Hart Lane provides him the best platform at this juncture
* Best of WEB *
Clutching at straws – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2
Slip Sliding Away – Tottenham On My Mind
Ain’t no pleasing you – Dear Mr Levy
The conundrum of the football manager – Martin Cloake Online
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Italian giants Inter Milan have had a £26 million bid rejected for Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, according to talksport.
The Brazilian midfielder has failed to live up to expectations since his £56 million switch to the Bernabeu two summers ago. He has struggled with injury and form and only made 53 appearances for the club.
Kaka, who has represented Brazil 82 times, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League with both Chelsea and Manchester City reportedly interested in the 29-year old. But it is 2010 Champions League winners Inter who have made the first move for the player.
Kaka first made a name for himself during a 6-season spell in Italy with Inter’s bitter rivals AC Milan. He first signed for the club from Sao Paulo and made 266 appearances winning Serie A, The Champions League and FIFA World Player of the Year along the way.
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Real are reluctant to make a huge loss on the player and are holding out for £40 million. Kaka is also reluctant to take a pay cut and Inter could struggle to afford him unless they sell Dutch star Wesley Sneijder. Manchester City and Chelsea are in a far better position to afford the player but will refuse to pay over the odds for the Brazilian.
Arsene Wenger is reportedly ready to make a move for Valencia forward Juan Mata, who is valued at £15 million. The Spaniard, fresh from winning the under-21 European championships, can play as either a winger or second striker. He has been involved in Vicente Del Bosque’s senior side and was part of the squad that won the 2010 World Cup.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the 23-year-old’s capture could be motivation for Samir Nasri to stay at the club as Arsene Wenger shows his intention to spend in the transfer market and compete for trophies in 2011/12.
The former Real Madrid youth player was a key figure at the Mestalla last term, and inspired Los Che to a third placed finish in La Liga as a key goalscorer and at times captained the team.
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Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Burgos born man also, but a move from the Anfield side will depend on whether they can pry Stewart Downing away from Aston Villa.
Professional football is a notoriously ruthless business. The game is littered with stories of players cast aside after failing to make the grade, however, once a player reaches the top level, an uncharacteristic amount of faith and patience can come their way.
The recent signing of Kieron Dyer by QPR is a fantastic example of such faith. Dyer made 30 appearances in four injury blighted years at West Ham United and yet he has now been signed by another premiership club. Does Neil Warnock really believe that he can get a full season out of Dyer? Does this move simply show that there is a startling dearth of players available who have experience at the top level? Such a severe shortage that a player of Dyer’s woes is a tempting option.
The signing of Jonathan Woodgate by Stoke raises the same questions. Woodgate appeared 4 times for Spurs in the last 2 seasons. He has been plagued by injuries since 2004, and yet he is still considered a top defender, still worth the gamble. It seems that once you have shown yourself capable of competing at the highest level, managers will display an unending amount of faith and patience in your ability to recover. The hope that you will rediscover the form that once made you a top premiership player does not fade quickly. The possibility of a bargain and a glorious renaissance keeps managers interested far longer than the fans.
Both players have been signed on a pay-as you-play deal, eliminating potentially huge losses such as those suffered by West Ham where Dyer picked up a reported £83,000 a week during his spell. Even so, do these players represent good business? In a sport where careers can be so brutally short, why are these players deserving of such patience?
Would you take a gamble on this man?
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson expects arch-rivals Manchester City to challenge for the Premier League title next season.The Eastlands outfit have significantly strengthened their squad since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour, and have managed to break their long-standing trophy drought to win the FA Cup while also qualifying for the Champions League during their last campaign.
Now the Old Trafford boss believes that Roberto Mancini’s men will get a boost after having won a trophy last season, and reckons they will now have the belief to mount a title challenge.
“There was a period not so long ago when City were actually in the second division and they were never a thorn in our flesh,” Ferguson was quoted as saying in The Mirror.
“Whereas every year in the past we’ve had to contend with Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool.”‘
“But winning a trophy does you a power of good. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. It takes the pressure off the manager and gives confidence to the players.”
“We’ve experienced it ourselves over the years and we expect City to be challengers next season.”
“But nothing changes. One of the teams will always be a thorn in our flesh, whether we like it or not – possibly all four of them.”
Ferguson also insisted that he had no intention of calling time on his career, despite having realised his ambition of knocking Liverpool off their perch – by winning the 19th league title last season.
“Absolutely not,” said the experienced manager, when quizzed about whether he had thought about bringing his career to a halt.
“Not at all. I’m not even thinking about it. You just have to keep going.”
“The challenge, whether it’s with young players or old players, is that you have to do something. There’s always that expectation at this club.”
During the 80’s and a period in the 90’s English football’s top tier had a glut of forward players who were characterised by one thing – goals. Goals were their currency – and they amassed a fortune! Scoring, was what they lived and breathed for out on the pitch and, for most, their ability to sniff out a chance and put the ball in the back of the net was the sole reason for selection in the team. These goalscorers or ‘poachers’ often had two distinct skill sets, with some even excelling at both: they sat on the shoulder of the last defender and timed runs to perfection, using their pace to get onto through balls and finish one-on-one situations, or, they had an uncanny knack for finding space in the penalty box, anticipating play and getting onto the end of crosses or pouncing on mistakes. Names like Kerry Dixon, Tony Cottee, Ian Rush, Gary Lineker, John Aldridge and Clive Allen all fell into this category and were later joined by the likes of Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole and Michael Owen in the Premiership era.
Back then, English teams played generally played a 4-4-2 formation. It’s what every schoolboy knows and what we were brought up on. Of the two selected to play upfront, one would mainly comprise of the poacher (as detailed above). In order for him to work best, he would need a partner on whose presence he could thrive on. Famous ‘poachers’ usually operated best in partnerships, and his striking partner would come from two distinctly different groups. The first being the physical ‘big man’ or target-man – who’s play would involve holding up the ball, being a ‘battering-ram’, winning aerial duels and flicking on balls to his partner. Think partnerships like Heskey and Owen, Sharp and Lineker/Cottee/Heath or north of the boarder, Hateley and McCoist.
The second group from which successful partnerships were forged came from the deep-lying forward, or player in the ‘hole’ – a creator, whose quick thinking and skills would engineer chances for the poacher often by feeding him through balls with their sublime vision. Think Dalglish and Rush, Beardsley and Aldridge, Bergkamp and Anelka, or Cantona and Cole.
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However these diminutive types of goalscorers started to fade as the Premier League era took hold and have all but vanished from the game. The likes of Fowler, Owen, Cole and Anelka the last of a dying breed. Some might say they haven’t vanished as such, but merely evolved. The demands of today’s game along with all the tactical and physical changes, have saw any player unwilling or unable to get involved in team ethics and build-up play, cast aside. In other words, JUST bringing goals is deemed not enough. This has led to current strikers having to amalgamate two roles into one; they have become hybrids of the partnership era. We only have to look at the likes of Thierry Henry, Leo Messi and Wayne Rooney to see they are both the deep-lying forward AND the goalscorer, mixing the ability to both score and create for others. From the other group which consisted of the target-man came the likes of Shearer, van Nistelrooy, Drogba and Adebayor – all physically imposing, integral to build-up play but mobile and sharp goalscorers. With these types of player at their disposal, managers are able to field ‘two-types-of-player-in-one’, thus freeing up another space for an ‘additional’ player in today’s quest to control the midfield areas, be it another creator or holding player. We only need look at the various formations for the majority of today’s teams to see the evidence. Gone (for the most part) is 4-4-2, and in has come 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1, 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3. This modern phenomena is not just set to the Premier League of course, it has been going on all over the continent for years.
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Last season in the Premier League we were treated to what appeared to be a throwback player. A ‘poacher’ had returned to our league – but he wasn’t English. Step forward Javier Hernandez. The Mexican bagged a very impressive 20-goals in his debut season for Manchester United, but it was his style of play that intrigued. Not since the 80’s and early 90’s had we seen a striker of this sort. He wasn’t particularly tricky, he wasn’t physically imposing and didn’t seem to concern himself too much with build-up play. However, he was razor-sharp – and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to score goals. That instinct of knowing where to be in the penalty box, of which many often said ‘couldn’t be taught’ appeared with to be with him. In light of his success, one wonders if the rise of Javier Hernandez has signalled the start of the return for the old style ‘poacher’, to our game?
Sir Alex Ferguson is set to watch Mario Gotze with interest over the next few months after identifying him as a potential replacement for Paul Scholes.
Reports after the transfer window suggested that Arsenal had offered £35m for the young German, however Borussia Dortmund were understandably very reluctant to accept any offer.
Footybunker.com reports that Manchester United have offered £1.5m to have the first option to buy Gotze but the article gives no details of whether this was accepted or not.
Gotze will undoubtedly draw plenty of attention from Europe’s biggest clubs this year as he prepares to make his Champions League bow with Dortmund. But raises another issue as far as Mr Wenger is concerned.
Dortmund have of course been drawn in Arsenal’s group. If Wenger is serious about wanting to sign Gotze, which a £35m bid certainly indicates, surely he will be, at the very least, having a word in the ear of Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp . It is fair to say Alex Ferguson would not allow that opportunity to pass him by.
Still aged only 19, Gotze has already been capped 8 times by Germany. His international career has started with a bang too having scored a fantastic goal against Brazil and the final goal in the 6-2 demolition. With the European Championships at the end of the year, at which Germany are expected to be Spain’s closest challengers, Gotze’s stock is only going to rise.
If true, Sir Alex’s first option deal could be the most astute bit of business of the transfer window.
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Article courtesy of Chris Smith from the excellent Transfer Tavern
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