Tag Futebol

You can prepare all you like, but you’ll never know if you’re ready until you’re flung into action. Kenny Dalglish made plenty of decent additions to his squad over the summer, but now that the season has began, there still appears to be a gap in Liverpool ’s squad that needs to be filled.

What struck me, watching Tottenham entertain Liverpool at White Hart Lane, is just how slow the Red’s defence is. Patience amongst fans seems to be running out when it comes to Skrtel who wont have won anymore favour with his performance yesterday. I understand that Skrtel is being asked to play out of position, but it’s not like he’s been all that impressive when he’s played as a centre-half.

At best he’s a solid player and at worst he’s somewhat error-prone.

Then there’s Daniel Agger , a player who I greatly admire, but who tends to spend to long on the sidelines as a result of injury. Let’s face facts: he’s not a player you can rely on to play week-in and week-out. Whilst he can’t help the fact that he’s picked up injuries, his bad luck has cost Liverpool.

Whilst there’s plenty to be said about Jamie Carragher ’s sense of positioning, his lack of pace is somewhat alarming. The Premier League’s more pacey strikers will turn Carragher inside out with the greatest of ease and I’m not too sure how much longer Liverpool can continue to support his presence. He may well be a club legend, but if he’s not got the legs for it anymore, it may well be time to move on, or to let another player take up greater prominence within the squad.

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Whilst Sebastian Coates is a player with a great deal of promise, with all the uncertainty surrounding other members of Liverpool’s defence, you can’t help but feel that it won’t be enough if the Reds want to make it back into the Champions League.

With that in mind, I wish Kenny had bought a centre-back like Gary Cahill , Christopher Samba or even Scott Dann during the summer transfer window. Still, better late than never and Liverpool will have a chance to fix the situation when the transfer window re-opens in January. My personal preference would be for Bolton ’s Gary Cahill .

Not only is he the best out and out defender of the bunch, but he’d also very likely be available at a bargain price, given that he’d be only have six months left on his contract at the Reebok Stadium.

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What’s your take? Would Cahill be a good addition to this Liverpool squad, or do the Reds need to focus on other areas?

Read more of Harry Cloke’s articles at This is Futbol

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Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has hit out at Fernando Torres’ record-breaking move to Chelsea on the final day of the January transfer window.

Speaking on Friday in Perth, Fowler was part of a radio promotion to raise money for Queensland flood victims, where Perth Glory players had to wear a ‘Shirt that Hurt’.

Although many expected Fowler to wear a Manchester United or Everton jersey, he chose a number nine Liverpool top, worn backwards and emblazoned with Torres’ name.

The 35-year-old striker took the opportunity to express his displeasure at Torres’ 50-million-pound move to the London club.

“There is nothing wrong with the front of the shirt but it’s just the name on the back,” Fowler told the Perth Glory website.

“With what’s happened this week it’s a shirt that not only myself but many Liverpool fans would rather not wear just yet.”

“He (Torres) did not leave the club in great hands or great shape but thankfully they managed to go out and buy a couple of decent players.”

The stunt was Fowler’s second crack at Torres after the striker used his column in the West Australian newspaper to fire the first shot.

“There’s something not quite right about the Spaniard’s last-minute transfer to Chelsea,” Fowler wrote.

“As a Liverpool fan it was disappointing to see Torres leave because on his day he’s a world-class player and I want the best players at the club. But if I was a manager and a player said he didn’t want to be at the club I’d try to get the best deal I could.”

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“Only a couple of weeks ago Torres was talking about how much he loved the fans and the club. He won’t be getting a warm welcome next time he plays at Anfield.”

Travelling Liverpool fans will soon get an opportunity to voice their displeasure as the Reds play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

And, while the Blues feature Torres up front, Chelsea’s defence will have to be wary of the strike force Liverpool bought to replace the Spanish World Cup winner in Andy Carroll, a 35-million-pound capture from Newcastle, and former Ajax striker Luis Suarez, who scored for Liverpool in midweek.

“Unbelievable quality and talent” were the wisely selected words that Mikel Arteta used to describe compatriot and potential new teammate Santi Cazorla. Reports have been surfacing this week that Arsene Wenger is close to completing a deal for the Spanish International that would take the total of new Gunners acquisitions to a promising trio of talent. However, with a reported £20 million being requested by Cazorla’s current club Malaga, what makes the 27-year old so expensive and can he really assist in filling the void that may be left by Robin Van Persie’s imminent departure?

A popular face in his native country, Cazorla has already made 45 appearances for his national team; a feat that deserves unrelinquishing praise, especially given that the Spanish can arguably claim to have the most talented array of midfielders to have ever represented a national squad.

Having spent most of his career with Villarreal, the Llanera born playmaker was sold to Malaga last summer for around £16.5 million, after the ‘Yellow Submarines’ experienced major financial troubles. Cazorla impressed in his debut season with ‘Los Boquerones’, assisting the club to their first ever Champions League qualification and finishing second in the club’s goal scoring charts, with 9 from midfield.

The impressive superlatives used by Mikel Arteta to describe his compatriot may be valid. He is known as an exciting player, who has the rapidity and aptitude to alter the rhythm of a game. These attributes may allow him to slot in perfectly with Arsenal’s exciting brand of football.

If he were to make the move to the Emirates, Cazorla would be able to fill any position across the middle of the park. He is ambidextrous to the point of perfection with both feet, allowing him to flow with ease down either flank. His intelligence and speed could also allow him to play off a lone striker. However, when or daresay if Robin Van Persie departs the Emirates, it is likely that Cazorla would play on the wing, leaving new blood Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud to the impossible task of filling the void that will be left by their want away Dutchman.

A big money signing like Cazorla will be just what the Gunners supporters’ need. With their talisman searching for the exit, a new star needs to be crowned in North London and Cazorla and his eye-catching abilities could prove the remedy. Not only would the Spaniard inject energy and skill into the team, his international caps could prove vital to the younger members of Wenger’s squad. His small stature is more than made up for by his confidence and experience and with an unwavering eye for goal Cazorla could be the signing that many of the Emirates faithful hoped Andrey Arshavin would be.

About to enter the prime of his career, ‘Santi’ could have timed this move to perfection. Spanish flair is of small majority in the Premier League, with David Silva and Fernando Torres the only ‘Rojas’ to dip their talented toes into the English game. Not only could Cazorla become a favourite at Arsenal, he could also become a major player in the best league in the world.

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With the new season now under way, there are a number of new faces and old ones who will be looking to have a big season and impose themselves on the Premier League.

Some players have flattered to deceive in recent years and failed to live up to their talents, so will be looking to finally fulfil their potential and live up to their names over the course of this season. Other players may have gone through a dip in form, after initially making bright starts to their careers, and subsequently fallen off the radar, so will need a big season to re-impose themselves, otherwise they could be on the way out of their respective clubs. Plenty of players are recovering from long term or serious injury’s, and mentally and physically need to get back to a level they have shown in the past, by putting in the hard work over the season and with a bit of luck staying fit, and showing what they can produce. There are many players who have moved for big transfer fees and need to put in a huge season and impress, to show that their price tag was justified, and they are not overrated in this inflated market, these players really need to prove their worth. There are a number of youngsters at a pivotal point in their career, with this season really being make or break for them and whether they can make the leap to superstardom. Many others simply need to step up and impose themselves on this season as their club may have lost big names that have left gaps in their sides.

Whatever the season has ahead for the Premier League players it will a tough one, but for some players tougher than others, as they need to really impress this season. So here are the top 10 players that need a big season.

Click on Tom Huddlestone below to see the top 10

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West Bromwich Albion and Wigan settled for a point apiece in a lively 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns on Tuesday.

Despite Peter Odemwingie’s early opener the hosts trailed by half-time courtesy of free kicks from Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia and Ben Watson, only for Marc-Antoine Fortune to climb off the bench and grab Albion an honourable draw eleven minutes from time.

The result might keep them in the thick of the relegation mire but both teams will be happy to have claimed something from the game.

Less than five minutes in, Jerome Thomas received the ball in the centre circle and threaded a perfect pass through to Odemwingie whose well-timed run allowed for a simple finish past the onrushing Ali Al Habsi.

Albion looked confident until the visitors struck against the run of play with a 20th minute equaliser.

Yousouff Mulumbu was culpable in fouling N’Zogbia just outside the area and then deflecting the Wigan winger’s resulting free kick past Boaz Myhill.

Myhill suffered contrasting fortunes just before the break as first he blocked N’Zogbia excellent close range effort before allowing Watson’s aimless in-swinging free kick to drift in to his far corner to gift Wigan the lead.

An opening half that had begun with Albion full of bright and inventive attacking play ended with their frailty to both indiscipline and set pieces around the box fully exposed.

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Despite trailing, Albion began the second half as positively as they had the first with Thomas trying his luck without success as Wigan opted for quick counter attacks.

Chris Brunt saw his late snap shot hit the frame of the goal before Fortune met Thomas’ centre at the near post to snatch a draw.

Tottenham’s continued pursuit of a prolific goal scorer was always likely to lead towards Signal Iduna Park and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski. The young Polish striker, who had his breakout year last season with the German Champions, has successfully taken over the responsibilities in attack since Lucas Barrios was relieved of his first-choice duties and subsequently sold. If there was ever a striker for any club, not just Tottenham, to pursue with long term ambitions in mind, it’s Lewandowski.

The striker was much more of an impact player in Dortmund’s 2010/11 title-winning season, coming off the bench for the most part but still contributing to a good degree. It showed the amount of faith manager Jurgen Klopp had in the Polish striker when he opted to give him a starting and starring role in Dortmund’s starting XI last season. The injury to Barrios paved the way, but the excellent work ethic of Lewandowski did more than enough for him to be considered an important figure.

His record last season of 33 goals is no great surprise; the Dortmund team is awash with outstanding attacking talents who are able to provide for their strikers from a number of areas of the pitch. Along with Lewandowski’s predatory instincts, the high return of goals was to be expected.

But is there reason for clubs, specifically in the Premier League, to be concerned over his ability to transfer his good form into another league? The real case in point is that Lewandowski has only produced like this in one season. His natural, comfortable environment now is the Bundesliga, and it’s likely he will have another season of similar numbers playing with Dortmund. However, transferring to the Premier League brings a number of problems for the striker, namely the issue of adapting to English football and, of course, the pressure and expectation to produce.

It’s been reported that a hypothetical number Dortmund would be willing to listen to approaches is 35 million euros. However, that’s Dortmund’s valuation of their striker; he’s an integral piece to their title defence and they are now light in that area considering Lucas Barrios has recently departed. But that’s not to say that Lewandowski’s market value necessarily points to north of 35 million euros. Again, it’s unlikely that he would transfer his 30 goals a season performance into another league immediately, and it remains to be seen whether Tottenham are willing to part with that kind of money for a player.

But as for the player and style he represents, he is certainly in the right mould of what Tottenham should be looking for. His ability to play as a lone striker with heavily attack minded players on either flank does greatly suit him. Lewandowski has performed with this formation for the entirety of his career at Dortmund, and the Polish national team has also lined up in a similar formation to suit his strengths.

The desire of many clubs on the continent to ditch the traditional 4-4-2 formation in favour of five players operating in the midfield—Spurs being included—has opened up the market considerably to players who are capable of playing in similar systems to great effect. His height and strength is a significant plus, as is his technical ability and movement. Again, he had a wonderful season scoring a variety of goals, but it was just one season. The Dortmund team are engineered to create many, many chance in games, some of which come from unlikely sources on the pitch. The need will be to see if he can reproduce in what would technically be his “sophomore” season.

The real elephant in the room with this story is Dortmund’s lack of willingness to part with another one of their key players this summer. The need to sell Nuri Sahin last summer was obvious—the player had one year left on his contract. But the team replaced him and carried on in similar fashion to retain their league title. This summer has been another case of allowing one of their stars to move on. Shinji Kagawa is likely to be replaced in the same manner Sahin was, and other than Barrios’ departure, it’s unlikely we’ll see much more significant movement out the door at Dortmund.

The club have a smart way of running their club without disrupting the balance in the squad too heavily, and at this stage there is really no financial need for the club to part ways with Lewandowski.

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The admiration from Spurs for one of the most lethal finishers in Europe last season is understandable, and he absolutely represents the type of player the club should be looking to pursue: A young, hungry talent with plenty to prove. Players like Emmanuel Adebayor just do not fit that description.

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Manchester City this evening showed that they are serious contenders for the 2011/12 Premier League title as they swept away newly promoted Swansea with four second half goals. It will be £38 million signing Sergio Aguero who will steal all the headlines as the Argentinean international scored twice in a 30-minute second half cameo, and his second was a real stunner.

Swansea gave as good as they got in the first 20 minutes, as the Championship Playoff winners kept the ball for large periods without creating any real chances. Man City then started to exert their influence on the match and were unlucky not to go into the break with the lead, as first David Silva and then Gareth Barry hit the crossbar, and Swansea’s new goalkeeper Michel Vorm made a couple of decent saves.

In the second half Man City had more and more of the ball and it was only a matter of time before they broke the deadlock. They did that 10 minutes after the break, as Edin Dzeko netted the first, and after that it was the Sergio Aguero show.

Minutes after coming on he scored a tap-in thanks to a cross from Micah Richards and then turned provider as he set up Silva for City’s third. In between Vorm made a number of great saves, racking up 11 in total, but there was nothing he could do about Aguero’s second.

The little Argentinean most certainly saved the best till last, launching a rasping unstoppable shot from outside the area to make it 4-0. The scoreline didn’t flatter Man City, but was a bit harsh of Swansea considering the Welsh side’s first half efforts. They’ll be looking to bounce back against Wigan next week, while for City it’s onwards and upwards and a top of the table clash against Bolton.

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Watch the goals from today’s game by checking out ESPN’s New GOALS APP

A host of Premier League clubs are chasing promising young Spanish footballer Oriol Romeu, according to reports in Spain.

The Barcelona midfielder has recently signed a new contract with the Spanish league leaders, but that hasn’t put off potential suitors Everton, Blackburn and Manchester United from making enquiries for the player.

Romeu has recently been promoted to first team affairs after playing 45 games for Barcelona’s B team. He has risen the ranks in a similar fashion with the Spanish national team, having played for the Spanish U-17, U-19 and U-20 sides.

It is thought that Arsene Wenger has also previously been interested in the services of the 19 year-old and sent scouts to watch him earlier in the season.

Romeu plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also switch to centre back if required.

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Blackburn’s new owners will be keen to get fans back onside with a big signing in January after the controversy of the Sam Allardyce sacking. The addition to the squad of an exciting Barcelona youth product could be just what is required at Ewood Park and could fill the hole left by the injury to Phil Jones. Everton will be hoping that they can agree a loan deal with Barcelona as their transfer budget is unlikely to be able to stretch far enough to sign the player permanently.

As the dust settles on a tumultuous week at White Hart Lane as Tottenham embark on the search for Harry Redknapp’s successor after he was sacked on Wednesday evening. It’s certainly been a torrid eight weeks for Redknapp after losing out on the England job to Roy Hodgson and seeing the Blues steal their spot in the Champions League despite guiding Spurs to a fourth place finish. That being said the 65-year-old’s demise was undoubtedly self inflicted. He seemed nailed on to take over the national team after Fabio Capello’s departure but fatally took his eyes off the ball and well… the rest is history. Their North London rivals crept above them into third and denied them an automatic seat on Europe’s top table. It proved to be the decisive blow. However Redknapp stated in the wake of his dismissal that even if he had delivered Champions League football he would have been ousted by chairman Daniel Levy sensationally claiming that none of the Tottenham  hierarchy didn’t like him. Whatever the reason it’s now up to Levy and the board to appoint the right man to succeed Redknapp and match his achievements at Spurs. It’s a decision that will ultimately define the clubs future.

This week on FFC did Redknapp unintentionally engineer his axing from Spurs and is David Moyes the man to fill his shoes in North London?

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Best of FFC

The TEN ‘Transfer Targets’ Tottenham should be looking at this summer

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The architect of his own Tottenham downfall?

The ideal man to fill the Tottenham void?

Facing up to another midfield renaissance?

Lack of Transparency Cost Harry his Job

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FOUR possible Replacements Should Redknapp Leave Spurs

Premier League trio on alert as Heldt reveals £17m release…

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Best of WEB

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The Word on the Street – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2

From Inside The Lane – Harry Hotspur

Harry Redknapp. Thank you and goodbye. – Dear Mr Levy

Spurs Hunt For Tactician After Redknapp’s Outdated Approach – Transfer Tavern

Luka and ITK mathematics – Dear Mr Levy

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Goodbye & Good Riddance – Harry Hotspur

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Quote of the Week

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We finished fourth and were unlucky at the end, but I think the same outcome would have happened. It’s always disappointing but that’s football.

“The people who run the football club have to make decisions that they think are right and that’s their decision. You know I abide by it. I don’t spend my life holding grudges, thinking about what could have been. That’s life, we all move on.” Harry Redknapp believes he would have been sacked even if he had secured Champions League qualification for Tottenham

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Harry Redknapp sacked by Spurs

Nothing epitomised West Ham last season better than the match they were relegated in. At the beginning of the season the fans were optimistic that new manager Avram Grant would be able to move the club forward after having narrowly avoided relegation the year before. They weren’t able to climb the league, but going 2-0 up away to Wigan meant they still had a chance of keeping their place in the Premiership.

And then they blew it. 3 goals without reply for the Lancashire club and West Ham dropped out of the basement. It had been a horror year for the Hammers, and not even Scott Parker’s Captain-Fantastic-performances or the return of Thomas ‘Der Hammer’ Hitzlsperger could turn it around.

Now facing up to the prospect of a spell in the Championship, new manager Sam Allardyce has a lot of work to do to bring the London club back up to the promised-land of the Premier League. His brief is to do this at the first time of asking, which is generally what is hoped for when a team is relegated. But his strategy for doing this, questioned in some quarters, appears to be a somewhat high-risk, if not completely kamikaze, policy of signing players on Premier League wages to get the job done.

But is this the right way of securing a way out of the second tier of English football, or a doomed path to further embarrassment?

It seems wrong to argue with Big Sam (after all, he could easily have managed Real Madrid) because his track record with struggling clubs is impeccable. Most people would agree that if Allardyce had still been in charge at Blackburn then they would have found themselves much higher up the league than they eventually did; scrapping for survival on the last day of the season just wouldn’t have happened. His time at Newcastle was ill-fated, that is for sure, but maybe fans expected too much, and only being given half a season is no way to tell if a manager will be successful or not in the long-run.

He has so far brought in Kevin Nolan for an undisclosed fee and Abdoulaye Faye on a free transfer. But the issue is not with the amount he pays for them, but the amount they are paid in their contracts. Nolan’s £50,000 per week is a lot of money for a team in the Championship to splash on the wages of just one player. And with West Ham having been linked with moves for Eidur Gudjohnsen (although this proved to be a failed effort), Matthew Taylor, Andy Johnson and even Joe Cole, he might not even be one of the highest earners at the club. If they were to fail to get the promotion they crave, West Ham could be plummeted into further financial difficulties, something the team and the fans will not want to have to experience again.

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So is Allardyce right to pin so much on the ‘bouncebackability’ of his team? In a word, yes. Newcastle, Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion are some of the few teams that can boast immediate returns to the Premier League, whilst the likes of Leicester, Sheffield United, Derby County and many others have become bogged down in the lower leagues. This is mainly because the Championship has been getting more and more competitive over the years, and this year looks to be one of the most challenging ever. West Ham will need the kind of quality that Allardyce is looking to bring in, and the fact that he has managed a lot of the players before should mean that he knows how to motivate them.

The target of 1 season, 1 promotion is also important as the move to the Olympic Stadium approaches. The likes of Tottenham and Leyton Orient don’t need any more ammunition to throw at the Olympic Park Legacy Company as evidence of the Hammers’ undeservedness. Whether or not Big Sam can hold off the hits and deliver on his promise remains to be seen, but he is certainly building a squad capable of cashing on the return tickets he has issued.

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Who’s your tip for the Championship next season? Let me know on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/_tomclose