Arsenal’s want-away striker Robin van Persie is set to play his first pre-season game for the Gunners today as they tackle Cologne in Germany.
New Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal explained to the Sunday Mirror that the striker told him he was playing for the north London club today and that this game was vital to his international selection.
Speculation over a move to Manchester United continues for last season’s Premier League top goalscorer but he is set to remain as Arsenal captain as he will play at least 45 minutes for the club today.
Van Gaal, explained the situation: “Robin will play his first game this Sunday.
“He has told me he is at least going to play 45 minutes this weekend. It is a good job, because I almost had not selected him.
“This is the only time I’ll pick Van Persie and Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart while they are not fit.
“They have not played a single game yet for their clubs and normally I don’t pick players then. In future I will only pick fit players.
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“But van Persie is so important for the Dutch team.”
Tottenham shouldn’t really be in the top four going into December. It’s not that they don’t have a right to be there, but the 5-2 defeat at Arsenal and the rifles aimed towards Andre Villas-Boas suggested that there was plenty of work to do for this team to be back among the Champions League elite.
The manager didn’t have the players he needed and yet he’s finally found a way to bring some degree of balance to the team. It’s by no means the finished product, but everything we’ve seen since Tottenham fell in the North London Derby has been nothing but positive. How much more can come from Villas-Boas when the team are finally equipped with the players to carry out the Portuguese’s orders?
Level on points with the European champion following Chelsea’s impressive outlay during the summer, and wins already over Liverpool and Manchester United. It took some time to put together a good run of results, but that was always going to be the case. The three most recent results have arguably amounted to Villas-Boas’ finest two weeks at the club. Yes the win at United was outstanding as much as it was surprising, however with the league table beginning to take much more realistic shape, these wins have given the club the necessary boost and greater weight of confidence in the man in charge.
Villas-Boas hasn’t rode his luck, even when he needed a good amount to see him through. Maybe it was to his benefit that Emmanuel Adebayor was suspended for these games because so far no one can really take away Jermain Defoe’s contribution in front of goal. Perhaps that was all the England striker needed: an arm around the shoulder, figuratively speaking, and a good run in the team to show that he can be a consistent threat this season.
The striker even suggested that he is far from isolated in attack, with plenty around him to provide the necessary support. The team may be lacking a playmaker in the mould of Rafael van der Vaart or Luka Modric, but combined with Defoe’s excellent movement and predatory instincts, the other players in the team have had a seemingly easy time picking him out.
Should we be surprised that Hugo Lloris has started each of the last four league games? Not really. The manager is no fool, but there was always a slow transition needed from the past into the future. Brad Friedel, despite his performances for Tottenham, was always a stopgap, someone to hold the fort until reinforcements arrived. The signing of Lloris may not have been needed at this time, but the manager’s decision to cover his ears amid demands for the French international to be inserted into the starting XI has proven to be the right move.
It’s not as easy as saying this is it for Tottenham. If they remain as they are and hope that this is all that’s needed for another top four finish, they’re more than likely to fall away come May. The manager has found a way to bring results to a club that isn’t yet ideally suited to him in terms of playing personnel. He’s tried to force the issue and the results suffered. But the squad needed a preseason to come to terms with a new manager’s way of thinking—it just so happens that their preseason coincided with the start of the league campaign.
What Villas-Boas has shown so far is that he is good enough, even inside a storm of criticism. It’s Daniel Levy’s move now. The club can claim to have the money for big signings, and there is no bigger claim than reportedly entering negotiations for high-profile stars. And that’s what the manager needs now: there’s no time for a game of Russian roulette, and the cavalry cannot be postponed until the final few hours of January.
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If Tottenham make their way through a congested Christmas period and emerge still in or around the top four, the chairman will have little option but to roll the dice and give his full backing to the new manager. There’s a lot to be impressed with at Tottenham based on the last few league fixtures. But there should be absolutely no doubt that more is yet to come from Villas-Boas if he’s given a strong squad full of the right players.
As all fans of the lower leagues in football know, Crawley have had an historic past two years.
Unforgettable for their ever growing fan base. They have been blessed with finances after being within an hour of liquidation. Bruce Winfield their savour. With the money came players, with these players came back-to-back promotions. But are we now stuck or can we still go any higher?
The current Crawley team is probably the best in the clubs history. Players such as Claude Davis, who has Premier League experience and Paul Jones who was the first ever goalkeeper to save a penalty at Wembley Stadium in 2007. To many who don’t know the club inside and out this would come across as a team who are more than capable of getting a third consecutive promotion to The Championship. Which is true, the first team is capable of such, but there is a downfall, what happens if injuries hit the team? Low fatigue? Suspensions?
Crawley are in danger of a major losing streak at points of the season if any of their players are unable to play, because they have one fixed team that plays week in week out. There is not much rotation. A lot of their back-up players have not proved they are able to play in The Football League when they were provided with an opportunity. Last season proved this. We sold our two main goal scorers, Matt Tubbs and Tyrone Barnett and failed to replace them, struggling towards the business end of the season because the goals were not coming. In the end we only edged promotion on the final day of the season with a 1-0 victory against Accrington Stanley.
Since then The Reds have replaced Tubbs and Barnett and have even got back ups for the front two. We are content when it comes to their attacking options but are particularly weak in the middle of midfield where we have some talented players but are unable to control and command the middle of the pack which resulted in teams able to break the team down and having just the defence to beat. The defence is strong but if any players were unable to play Crawley would struggle because their back up defenders are not up to standards in terms of match fitness and physically. It is the same situation in goal where Paul Jones is a very talented keeper but if he was ever suspended or injured Crawley have just one substitute keeper in the experienced, Michel Kuipers. Who on his own lacks match fitness and is unfortunately passed his best at 40 years old.
Anyone who does already question the strength of The Reds team will usually say they can afford players, just buy more. What most don’t understand is that Crawley are not as rich as two seasons ago. The club blew an enormous chunk of money on a stand, which does not impress most. We have overspent on players and don’t make much money from the gates. The finances are at such a stretch Crawley have had to sell key players and all the youth teams up until under 16’s have folded.
I see promising things at Crawley this season but they do hold the risk suffering some defeats in must win games if they don’t back up some of their key players in key positions? Only time will tell.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter for more chat about Crawley Town.
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Tottenham have progressed to the next round of the Capital One Cup after beating Carlisle 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Jan Vertonghen’s strike ensured that the Premier League side went into the break a goal to the good, before Andros Townsend struck early in the second 45 to all-but seal victory.
Gylfi Sigurdsson put a gloss on the scoreline late in the affair, and confirmed a 3-0 win for the White Hart Lane side.
Spurs assistant coach Steffen Freund confessed that Carlisle made it difficult for his side but was pleased with the result.
“It wasn’t easy in the first half. Carlisle played very well, but we created chances and deserved to win the game,” the German is quoted as saying in The Independent.
“Townsend scored a great goal. He is quick with the ball at his feet, he just needs more belief but it was a great performance. Michael Dawson played well as a skipper today. I’m really happy because we played well and kept a clean sheet,” he concluded.
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Jack Wilshere has made his first appearance in 14 months on Monday night, as he completed 63 minutes of an under-21 game for Arsenal against West Brom.
The England international has been on the sidelines for over a year due to back-to-back long-term injuries, and has been in a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Wilshere returned to Gunners training recently, and successfully complete 63 minutes in the game on Monday.
Emmanuel Frimpong returned to action after seven months out also, and feels that Wilshere has done well to get back to match fitness.
“When you’ve been out for so long it’s only natural that you’re going to be tired. He needs more games to get back fit and the Arsenal and England fans should be excited to see him back, Frimpong is quoted as saying in The Telegraph.
“I’m happy for him to be back and seeing a smile on his face. Hopefully he can take it onto the next game. He gave Mikel Arteta a little tester in training the other day so Mikel certainly knows he’s back.
“I thought he did well after 14 months out and can be pleased with his performance here,” he concluded.
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Arsene Wenger has stated that the north London club will be cautious in bringing Wilshere back into first-team consideration.
Brendan Rodgers has hit back at criticism of £15 million signing Joe Allen this week after the Welsh Player of the Year was scrutinised by “so-called pundit” Alan Shearer on Match of the Day.
Rodgers brought the 22-year-old with him from Swansea this summer, and has become part of the new regime at Anfield. His career for the Reds has started well, being voted player of the month for August by Liverpool fans. However, Alan Shearer criticised the midfielder for not doing enough on the ball in attack.
The Liverpool boss believes Shearer’s analysis is wrong, and that keeping the ball is integral to the Welshman’s role in the team.
“I saw something the other day criticising Joe Allen for not playing risk passes. Unbelievable – so-called pundits who don’t know the dynamics of a team and how it functions,” Rodgers said.
“Joe’s role is to keep the ball. And that, in Britain, is a special talent. It is why Paul Scholes is still playing to his age.”
Rodgers believes the return of injured holding midfielder Lucas Leiva next month will give Allen more licence going forward.
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“When Lucas is back, you’ll see more aspects of Joe’s game. Lucas could hold, with Joe playing in an advanced role. Lucas is more defensive, and that will help Joe,” he added.
The great performers in Europe are always going to see their popularity rise in the Premier League. The pull of English football means that many of the best will always find a way to transfer to one of the leading clubs in England.
It may have been disappointing that England never got to witness past greats such as Zidane, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, and even now English clubs have to battle the two giants in Spain for the very best Europe has to offer. Regardless, it would also seen inappropriate for players to dismiss English football and any future in the Premier League. Rising empires all over Europe also means it’s difficult for many clubs to compete financially, but the history of some of the big clubs is sure to be a greater pull than the size of any potential pay packet.
English clubs want the glamour and high-profile nature of the best Europe has to offer. Their quality also almost guarantees security in clubs’ investment, although that’s evidently not always the case.
Some may be in their prime while others are still establishing their qualities in European football, but all of the following players would be big hits in England.
Click on Marco Reus to unveil the top 10
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has slated his teams’ performance after their 2-1 defeat away at Wigan yesterday, as reported by talkSPORT.
West Ham were second best throughout the game at the DW Stadium and the manager felt that the performance was of a bottom three side rather than a top ten side which he expects from his players.
“It was a bottom three performance rather than a top four display. We never hit the level of performance that we know we can,
“We never really tested Wigan. When we got into the final third we hardly produced a ball of quality to cause them a problem. We also kept giving the ball away before we could get into their half. It was a lackluster performance all round in possession and out of possession.
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“We were chasing around instead of staying as a tight solid unit. We had too many players not hitting their top form,”
Aston Villa are locked in a battle with Fiorentina in a bid to sign French U-21 ace Massadio Haidara, according to talkSPORT.
The Nancy left-back has gained the attention of a number of top European clubs after impressing for his club at the age of just 19. It was reoprted that Paul Lambert had lined up a deal for Haidara in the summer but the move never materialised. The Villa boss now hopes to reignite his interest in the player, who has spent his entire career at Nancy. However, the Scotsman may have to do battle with Fiorentina, who have only recently declared their interest in the young Frenchman.
It is thought that Haidara can head to Birmingham or Florence for as little as €2.5 million, a relative bargain considering the supposed talents that the youngster possesses.
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Since making his first professional debut for Nancy in 2010, at the age of just 17, Haidara, who is also eligible to play for Senegal, has made 33 appearances, taking over as first choice left back midway through last season. With Villa performing below standards this season, Lambert keen to invest in new blood in January, With Haidara one of many targets that the former Norwich man is set to bid for.
“He scores when he wants” has been the chant at Portman Road for a while now and of course those chants have been rightly aimed at in form striker DJ Campbell.
I must admit, at first I was skeptical as to whether he would be the right man for the club. After all, it is usually hard work and grit that gets you away from the relegation zone and Campbell is not a player that I thought had these qualities. However it has been a pleasant surprise to see the man on loan from QPR work his socks off and score some crucial goals.
He has already become a bit of a fans favourite and it is safe to say that everyone at Ipswich would love to see him stay, but I find myself thinking; has Campbell done too well during his loan spell?
The problem with the striker doing so well is that he will have grabbed the attention of his parent club as well as any other clubs that have some cash to spare.
I guess another factor to think about is whether QPR would be happy to let him go and whether the player would be happy to go back to QPR. It seems clear that Campbell would love to go back to QPR if he has a chance of playing Premier League football and before Mark Hughes was sacked it looked certain that the player would be going back there for good. Now his future will depend on whether Harry Redknapp can offer him first team football.
Although QPR are struggling, their main problem is their defence rather than their front line so it seems likely that Redknapp will not be too bothered about letting the 31-year-old forward move on. The London club will no doubt splash the cash on a number of high profile signings in January too so I cannot see Campbell being high up in the pecking order there for very long.
That suggests that Ipswich will have a good chance of keeping him but many other Championship clubs will be relishing the chance to snap up the former Blackpool man.
Unfortunately, if history is anything to go by then the Tractor Boys have very little chance of securing his signature. Over the last few seasons the club has missed out on almost every one of their preferred transfer targets. This summer we saw Sam Baldock and Tomasz Kuszczak chose to move to smaller Championship sides rather than joining Ipswich, but hopefully the same thing will not happen again.
It may not be much to go on but Campbell looks happy at Ipswich and he has obviously fitted in well with the rest of the team. His body language suggests that he gets on well with his teammates and would be happy to stay put. Also, from his point of view it would make sense to join Ipswich because he knows that the team work well around him, whereas if he moved elsewhere he may not have the same success.
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It would be a shame if Ipswich did not sign Campbell as he is a brilliant poacher at Championship level and will always provide at least 15 goals a season. QPR may demand a fairly high fee for him and he may ask for a lot in terms of wages, but you cannot put a price on a consistent goalscorer.