Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has complained that his side should have picked up all three points in their fixture against QPR on Tuesday, but the match ended all square in a 1-1 draw.
Danny Graham gave the hosts the lead at the Liberty Stadium in the first half, but Jamie Mackie scored the equaliser just before the hour mark.
Rodgers feels his side did enough to win the game, and is frustrated that The Swans did not hold on for victory.
“We have dropped two points, when we are at home particularly,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“We normally close the game out and the manner of the goal was disappointing also. It was a long ball up the pitch which we should have dealt with.”
Rodgers believes that his team should have had a penalty when Armand Traore appeared to foul Graham in the box, and was displeased with referee Lee Probert’s performance.
“It was a clear penalty, I have had the chance to see it from a few angles and it was a definite penalty,” he continued.
“We worked the space really well, Luke Moore got into a wonderful position, Nathan Dyer has done well, Danny has bent his run superbly, got a touch and Traore has made a foul. Normally with the referee so close that’s a penalty.
“I thought it summed up Lee’s performance which was interesting to say the least.
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“He is a good lad on the circuit, trying to get experience, but he was very inconsistent right the way through, which did not help us,” Rodgers concluded.
Arsenal transfer target Mamadou Sakho is now also being courted by Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, if reports in The Daily Mail are to be believed.
Liverpool entered the race for Paris St-Germain’s 21 year old defensive rock after Manchester City emerged as the strong favourites for Liverpool target Gary Cahill. Bolton’s huge asking price of £20 million is also likely to deter the Reds.
Former French U21 captain Sakho has now broken into the senior squad and his tough tackling and tireless work rate would be a welcome addition to Liverpool’s backline. Senegalese born Sakho can also fill in at left back and the Parisian’s asking price is likely to be significantly less than the fee the Trotters will demand for Cahill.
Sakho has played in the Europa League with PSG and after winning his first International cap against England recently he has the potential to be an astute piece of business. Liverpool are likely to face stiff competition from the Gunners in any attempt to bring Sakho to Anfield. Liverpool owner John Henry has already shown with the purchase of Andy Carroll that he isn’t afraid to splash the cash, so if it comes down to a bidding war Liverpool should come out on top.
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Manchester City will have to be more successful this season than they were last, that is if Roberto Mancini wishes to retain his job. Although fifth place was the club’s highest finish in the Premier League yet, there was a sense of disappointment around Eastlands as they failed to grab a Champions League place. Sheikh Mansour and his cohorts invested a lot of money in the club last season, under the proviso that they would get into the Champions League and would thus be able to attract the world’s best players as Chelsea had done when Roman Abramovich took over. Had Mancini been City’s manager at the start of the season, he would undoubtedly have been fired. But having already gotten rid of Mark Hughes, the Man City heirarchy would have risked their reputation had they sacked two managers in one season. This year however, Roberto Mancini starts the season as manager, and he will take ultimate responsibility for the club’s fortunes. If he does not bring success to Manchester City after a huge summer spending spree, there will be nowhere to hide for the Italian and he will not last if he is not successful. But what exactly will the Man City owners, and fans expect of their club this season?
Fundamentally, what Manchester City desire is Champions League football. This will be seen by the club’s owners as a minimum requirement this season. The fans will have more patience, but given the amount of quality players Mancini has at his disposal they will be expectant too. There is an outside chance of Man City challenging for the Premier League title this season, but it is a lack of Champions League football that is currently holding them back from mounting a serious challenge. Being in the Champions League brings kudos and money into a club, and it is also a major attraction for possible transfer targets. When a club starts playing Champions League football, the calibre of players it can attract is greatly increased, until then Manchester City will find it difficult to be regarded as one of the top European sides, and as a result will find it hard to sign the very top names. Who knows how the Kaka deal may have panned out had Man City been playing Champions League football. This makes a place in the top four absolutely necessary if Man City are to progress and become a major force in English football, and the owners will be more than aware of this fact.
Having not tasted any silverware for many years, Manchester City supporters will also be keen for the club to end their long trophy drought. City have not won a major honour since their League Cup triumph in 1976, 34 years ago. If Roberto Mancini and his players really want to endear themselves to the fans, then picking up a trophy would go a long way towards doing this. Winning the league title is unlikely, but Man City are more than capable of winning the FA Cup or the Carling Cup. In fact I am making them my early prediction to lift the Carling Cup this season. Although it is not the most important of competitions, victory in either this or he FA Cup would give the club a massive boost, and could play a big part in pushing them on to greater things. This season for Manchester City, the minimum requirement is Champions League football, and this will be their primary goal; if Mancini could win a cup tournament along the way, he would be firmly embedded in City hearts.
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Dennis Tueart is one of football’s most forthright and eloquent characters, and his long-awaited autobiography is the refreshingly honest story of his days as a flying left-winger with Sunderland, Manchester City, the New York Cosmos and England.Typically candid in his views on his career, his clubs and his team-mates, Tueart recalls his spell at Sunderland in detail – from his early days under inspirational manager Alan Brown to the famous Wembley triumph in 1973 when the city was brought to a standstill and Bob Stokoe and his men returned home to a red and white heroes’ welcome after achieving one of the most sensational FA Cup final triumphs of all time.http://www.youtube.com/v/lDvFHLm5RMo?version=3&hl=en_USAs well as Dennis’s reflections on his football journey, and his forceful views on Manchester City and the game itself, the book is also packed with great stories – from the Sunderland training session which involved the defenders heading golf balls, to a tour to the Far East with City when Asa Hartford offered to help stretcher him off then promptly dropped him. At the New York Cosmos – who had signed him to replace none other than Pelé during the razzmatazz heyday of the North American Soccer League, and for whom he starred alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto – he rubbed shoulders with icons of showbiz and sport like Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, Rod Stewart and Bjorn Borg.Offering an intelligent insight into the world of football from the perspective of both a player and a club director, Dennis Tueart: My Football Journey is a powerful and entertaining story of the Sunderland cup final hero, Manchester City legend and one of the game’s most opinionated and enduring personalities.All Dennis’s royalties from the sale of this book will go to the teenage and young adult cancer unit at The Christie cancer centre in ManchesterAbout the authorBorn in Newcastle but considered too small to play for his hometown club, Dennis Tueart was snapped up by local rivals Sunderland, with whom he sensationally won the FA Cup in 1973 against the mighty Leeds. He signed for Manchester City as the iconic Bell/Summerbee/Lee era came to a close, famously firing the Sky Blues to League Cup glory in 1976 with the overhead kick pictured on the cover of this book. In 1978 he was signed by the New York Cosmos to replace arguably the world’s greatest ever footballer, Pelé.He returned to City in 1980, eventually playing 268 competitive games and scoring 108 goals for the club he continues to follow, and later played briefly for Stoke, Burnley and Derry City. After hanging up his boots, he forged a successful career in business, one that he combined with his nine years as a director of Manchester City between 1997 and 2007.He now continues to run a successful conferencing business, Premier Events, and still follows City from his executive box at the Etihad Stadium.
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Having been appointed official captain of England, after temporarily sharing the honour with David Platt, Tony Adams led his country through an international tournament to the semi-final stage, a feat which has not since been replicated by any of his successors. Speaking on Glenn Hoddle’s decision to strip Adams of the armband in favour of Alan Shearer, the ex-Arsenal skipper conceded to a fans’ forum in 2008: “I have some resentment over the way Glenn Hoddle gave the captaincy to Alan Shearer instead of me but I can let that go. I reacted positively.” Although Adams’ attitude following the change was never questioned, England, spearheaded by Shearer, crashed out of France ’98 less than two years later in the first knock-out round.
Fast-forward to February 2010 and yet another England captaincy reshuffle. On this occasion, John Terry, denounced for his off-field misdemeanors, was removed as captain following a close association with what most regard as one of the lowest periods in the national team’s history. That said, Terry’s leadership qualities and status as one of Europe’s finest centre-backs never weakened. Since his initial appointment back in August 2006, Terry had guided Chelsea to two FA Cup triumphs, one Carling Cup, a Champions’ League final and been selected in UEFA’s Team of the Year on three occasions.
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The features which define Terry; his strength of character and ability to motivate others, should have surpassed his relationship with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend as justification for remaining captain. Unfortunately for Terry, Bridge’s position within the England set-up forced Capello to make a decision he otherwise shouldn’t have. It seems unlikely that Terry would have been punished to such an extent had it not been a relationship with a team mate’s girlfriend in question.
Capello, stirred by a widespread roasting of Terry in the media, opted to promote Rio Ferdinand to full-time captain, before reinstating Terry just over a year later. The Italian’s handling of the captaincy situation has come under heavy criticism, but for Capello, and perhaps more importantly, the England team as a whole, the means justify the ends. During the thirteen months Ferdinand was captain, England competed in thirteen matches with the Manchester United defender completing 90 minutes just twice; the unconvincing World Cup warm-up friendly against Japan and the goalless yawn-fest at Wembley against Montenegro last October.
What’s more, the most expensive British defender in history has had little impact on England’s more promising conquests since the capitulation in South Africa last summer, most notably away wins in Switzerland and Denmark, Ferdinand being absent for both. Whilst it remains to be seen whether Ferdinand will react to Capello’s change of heart in the same manner Adams did nearly a decade and a half ago, the decision to reinstate Terry has come at the right time, as England’s European Championship Qualification bid progresses from its earliest phase.
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Capello will struggle to ever convince England fans of his man-management methods, this latest episode providing more evidence of his inability to keep the peace. But, having originally stated his indifference to the significance of the captain’s role – Italians traditionally awarding the responsibility to the squad’s oldest player – his reassessment should be vindicated, provided he stands by his captain this time round in spite of future offences Terry is likely to be accused of.
At Everton, Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta are given freedom to express themselves. David Moyes has moulded his team over his tenure at Goodison Park into a balanced, competitive outfit. To match the creativity and guile of Pienaar and Arteta, the likes of Neville and Fellaini add the extra bite. Regardless of of who plays at the back – Yobo, Jagielka, Heitinga, Distin etc – there is an organisation that exists throughout. Everton have a lot of good players, and because of the fact that the club isn’t in the upper echelons, those players are always susceptible to rumours of bigger deals elsewhere.
Everton have struggled to make the inroads that Villa, Man City and Spurs have managed over the last few seasons because they simply don’t have the money to compete. David Moyes has to be certain in the transfer market because his board cannot afford expensive mistakes (think James Beattie). It’s not that Moyes has no money to spend, the likes of Fellaini, Saha and Yakubu didn’t arrive for nothing, but in terms of offering big contracts, and trying to match other clubs over transfer fees, then they are more limited than their rivals. If a bigger club come calling, it can be difficult to fend them off, case in point – Joleon Lescott. The biggest help Everton can get, is the commitment of the player them self.
Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar have both been linked with bigger clubs, most notably Arsenal, but would it really be the right move for them? Would Steven Pienaar get 40 games a season at Arsenal when competing for places with Arshavin, Nasri, Rosicky and Walcott? What he has at Everton may be very difficult to recreate elsewhere. Understandably, players want to play for as bigger club as possible; it takes a brave person to turn down a move to a big club and the chance of proving them self on a higher stage. Understanding that you have a good thing and not being greedy, balanced with the lure of trophies and success at the risk of a lack of games, is a difficult thing to come to terms with. For some it pays off, for others it can be years in the wilderness.
Louis Saha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Scott Parker are players who moved to bigger clubs only to find that maybe it was a step too far. All have moved on from those transfers with varying success, but how different would their careers have been if they had stayed put. Then again, if Man Utd want you, how do you say no? It has happened to Everton before, Duncan Ferguson and Francis Jeffers both moved to bigger clubs only to find their career hit a stumbling block. Francis Jeffers is currently on trial at Blackpool, what would be his eighth club in the nine years since he left Goodison. Leaving Everton for a bigger club, for Jeffers, was a gamble that failed to pay off.
Players can spend entire careers trying to find a club that fits them; Craig Bellamy, Marcus Bent or Peter Crouch for example. Pienaar and Arteta have found their club. They are adored by Toffee fans, their team plays a brand of football that suits them, they are integral members of a squad that competes with the top teams in the country and enjoys European football. Everton have helped raise the profile of both players, considered far better than the ones that arrived at the club, and in response, the midfielders should realise they are part of a good thing. For fans of any club, it would be sad to see them have to start from scratch somewhere else, than continue to blossom at home.
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
Chelsea target Neymar has ended transfer speculation for the time being by signing a new contract at current club Santos.
The Brazil international has shot to worldwide fame over the last 12 months after impressive performances for club and country, and has been heavily linked with a move to Europe.
With Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid all seemingly ready to pay the striker’s €45 million buy-out clause, the Copa Libertadores holders have moved to keep their star man in South America.
It has been revealed that the attacker has received a substantial increase in wages to stay at Vila Belmiro, and his buy out clause has now also been increased.
“Neymar is happy to be able to remain with Santos until at least 2014, after that he will decide where to go,” the starlet’s agent Wagner Ribiero confirmed to Lance.
Santos president Luiz Alfaro Ribeiro de Oliveira admitted that the forward’s buy-out clause had been increased but would not reveal what to.
The Brazilian executive also stated that the length of Neymar’s new deal matched his previous contract, which expires in June 2015.
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Last week Tottenham agreed to a sponsorship deal with American sports brand Under Armour. The deal will see them replace Puma as the shirt manufacturer for the 2012/13 season. It might seem like it a boring subject, but there are some interesting points to discuss.
As an American brand, and a relatively unknown one in Europe, Under Armour was keen to secure the sponsorship of Tottenham to raise their brand awareness. For this reason, they are apparently paying £10m a year, for the rights to make Tottenham’s training kit and replica shirts. This is twice the figure that Deloitte reported Puma to be paying for the same rights.
However, being a big American company on a mission of expansion, Under Armour will want to make a big impression. Here are three ways they might try to be different, and the reasons that Under Armour could split the opinion of the fans.
Firstly, Under Armour currently makes the kit for football clubs Hannover 96 and Estudiantes Tecos (Mexico). One thing to note about these kits is that they are both tight fitting around the chest. Tottenham fans might, here, think back to the Kappa kit of the 2005/06 season. While this looks great on a professional athlete, it doesn’t on the average football fan.
Secondly, the kits are innovative and not classic, with big blocks of colour contrasting each other. The colours that have been used so far for Hannover are new and futuristic opposed to classic shades. Estudiantes’ deal with Under Armour coincided with a rebranding of their club. This saw them change their club kit colours from White and Red to ‘Wine and Yellow’ with Under Armour. (Their new kit is pictured above). I hope Tottenham do not follow that path. I was never a massive fan of the yellow trim on the kit and I think a Tottenham kit should be a simple Lilywhite and Blue.
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Thirdly, Under Armour produces American Football kits which feature the ‘E39’ technology. Basically, the shirts are fitted with a micro chip that is able to record heart-rate, body temperature and other vital statistics. Furthermore, it allows a coach to see exactly how fast a player is moving, how quickly they change direction and how many yards they cover during a game.
This helps managers in their analysis of players and also helps them in deciding substitutions. In football this information would allow viewers to know just how high Rooney’s heart rate is when he screams at a referee, or just how cool Berbatov is in front of goal.
Personally, I think that is ridiculous. It is invasive and unnecessary. It is an example of the extent of corporate influence in sport in America. I hope Tottenham don’t use it and I hope it doesn’t catch on in the Premiership. It would just be a distraction to the beautiful game.
I just hope Under Armour don’t try too hard to promote their brand before that of Tottenham. Most importantly, I hope Under Armour stick to the basics of making a football kit. Sadly, they have not done that so far and are unlikely to do it now.
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But all in all, I don’t have a massive problem with the new sponsors as it is a good way for Tottenham to increase their revenue. If Under Armour are willing to pay £10m a year, that is a good thing. This will give the club more money to spend and shows that Tottenham, as a club, is becoming a bigger brand.
What do Tottenham fans make of the new deal with Under Armour? You can let me know at www.twitter.com/joeaustin8
Fulham have vowed to appoint a new manager "in the soonest timeframe possible" after being knocked back by Martin Jol.
Jol rejected the chance to replace Roy Hodgson in the Craven Cottage hot-seat on Thursday in order to stay in charge of Ajax.
The former Tottenham boss had agreed personal terms with the Cottagers but has decided to remain in his native Netherlands.
Fulham have been without a manager since Hodgson left to take over at Liverpool at the beginning of July and Jol had been the number one choice for the job.
However, chief executive Alistair Mackintosh must go back back to the drawing board and the club has issued a statement stressing their insistence in making the right appointment.
"When Fulham commenced negotiations with Martin Jol, the club was informed that an exit clause existed in his contract with Ajax," it read.
"Subsequent negotiations revealed that the clause was no longer valid and Ajax remained steadfast in their desire to keep their manager, therefore dialogue between the two clubs has now ended.
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"Since Roy Hodgson indicated that he wanted to leave Fulham, a short list of potential managers was identified, and the club is committed to ensuring that the right candidate is brought on board to continue the club's progress, in the soonest timeframe possible."
Caretaker manager Ray Lewington will remain in charge of first-team affairs but a host of candidates, led by Cardiff City boss Dave Jones and former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, are now back in the frame.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
After being the first choice striker at Madrid and favoured by Mourinho, Gonazalo Higuain got a sharp shock on his return from a lengthy lay off last season, as Karim Benzema had played him out of the team. During Higuain’s absence, Benzema took his chance, and this season especially his form has been scintillating. How ironic then that the same situation that caused Higuain to lose his place in the first team has almost repeated itself again this season, but with Benzema as the injured player, and Higuain keeping his place in the side purely on merit. It would be pretty hard to bench a player who has just scored his third hat trick in four games, and Higuain has done just that, being unlucky not to get a fourth goal against Betis before being taken off.
Obviously the age old cliché of it being a fantastic dilemma for any manager to have is true here, and Mourinho must now be thanking his special stars that both Higuain and Benzema have come through for him and now look like truly world class strikers. It is unfortunate for both that the trademark 4-3-3 that is so favoured by Mourinho only allows for one central striker, and for the vast majority of the time, one of them must be content with warming the bench.
When looking at what each player can offer the team, it is certainly true to say that the biggest galactico of them all Ronaldo prefers to play with Benzema in terms of his goal return and the role he plays in the team, with a slightly more selfish approach being the one taken by Ronaldo. When Higuain plays however, the role of Ronaldo becomes much less focused on himself and more on the team, with the amount of assists outweighing the goals he scores. Evidently either approach works for both Ronaldo and Madrid, with the star winger being capable of doing pretty much anything and playing with pretty much any player.
Another major positive for Real is the continued form of Kaka, with the Brazilian now cementing the suggestions he is finally back to his best with a brilliant goal and again all round solid performance. The combination of Ozil and Kaka is one that seems to be working for Madrid, and although it leaves Di Maria on the bench, it cannot be denied that in recent weeks Madrid have been slowly improving after a questionable period that resulted in defeat at the3 Ciudad de Valencia and a goalless draw away to Racing Santander.
After clear the air talks between Mourinho and the squad, and a team BBQ, Real now look to be a major force to be reckoned with all over the field, evidently more in tune with both their manager and each other. The creativity and extra spark that has been provided by Kaka has been more than a little bit responsible for their resurgence in form recently and when Di Maria came off the bench in the second half he provided the two assists for the final two goals showing that Real have class in abundance. With Sahin on his way to returning to the first team, there is certainly a wealth of talent in the Real Madrid side, and perhaps more so than at any other time during Mourinho’s tenure there.
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Real now face a tough tie in the Champions League against Lyon before an away trip to Andalucía where they face money boys Malaga who lost again on the weekend to surprise package and joint league leaders Levante last time out. Mourinho’s men will be looking to continue their excellent form, and really give Barcelona something to worry about before the Classico meeting in December. With Barcelona having lost Pique to yet another injury and Real looking stronger than ever, that is not such a distant possibility anymore.