All posts by h79snht.top

It’s a well-known proverb that all good things must come to an end, and nowhere in the Premier League is this more evident than at Chelsea. The likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher have all seen their roles adapted from key first-team players, to squad men, with playing time limited, as younger stars look to break into the set-up. But Chelsea’s veterans remain unable to let go of their status in the side, holding back the development of the club.

The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda and John Terry are all now the wrong side of 30; yet remain major components in the squad. Their relationships with the club hierarchy, and major influence in the dressing room make them powerful figures around the side, a trait which Andre Villas Boas seems to be struggling with. It could be time for these men to take a back seat, allowing younger players a chance in the first 11 under the stewardship of an unopposed manager.

Take Didier Drogba for example, who is maybe the most outspoken member of this quartet. His presence in the team has limited an already low on confidence Fernando Torres’ playing time, frustrating the Spaniard and further denting his belief. It was clear when he arrived from Liverpool that he was the type of player who likes to work the front-line alone, yet due to Drogba’s status around the club it was impossible to drop him. So in a bid to keep both men happy, they were played together, where their similar styles, as lone forwards, clashed. Who would have been the better long-term bet? The ageing Ivorian? Or the striker in what should be his prime? Drogba’s role within the squad has also limited Daniel Sturridge’s playing time in his favored central role, and as a future hope for club and country, he needs all of the experience he can get. Yes Drogba is still a talented player, with an obvious role to play, but that should now be one from the bench, allowing players for the future to step up.

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The same can be said for Frank Lampard. Although the Englishman has never been overly out-spoken, his omission from the starting 11 often leads to a media flurry, just look at the Napoli game this week, where AVB was much criticized for omitting the likes of Lampard. Again the 33-year-old is still a quality player, but with Chelsea needing to build for the future, the removal of the men so successful under the Jose Mourinho regime is necessary.

Terry and Malouda, both 31, have a few more years, but a slow phasing out, rather than immediate axing could prevent future issues. This would give the likes of Gary Cahill and David Luiz time to build a solid defensive partnership, while allowing youngsters such as Lucas Piazon the chance to secure first-team experience in place of Malouda.

There’s no doubt that Chelsea’s old guard still have a role to play, with their experience and know-how key in guiding young players. But, a less central role will ultimately benefit Chelsea in the long run, if they are to come out of this ’transition phase’ remaining a Premier League force.

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There were very few positives to take from Saturday’s defeat at the hands of Wigan from a Liverpool perspective. Being outplayed at home, by a side heavily embroiled in the relegation dogfight, is far from ideal, but the ten minute glimpse of Raheem Sterling will at least provide some hope for fans of the club.

The youngster, signed from QPR in 2010, has been earning rave reviews for his displays with Liverpool’s Youth and Reserve sides, turning in a string of fine performances from the left-hand side of midfield. Although still 17-years-of-age, Sterling is thought to be one of England’s brightest emerging talents, and an exciting part of a promising generation developing from the academy at the Reds. Kenny Dalglish is believed to be watching his fledgling stars closely, and with very little to play for in League terms, maybe it’s time to give these young men a taste of Premiership football.

Although the Liverpool hierarchy may well insist that Champions League qualification is still possible, mathematically at least, the recent poor run of results has made a fourth place finish all but impossible. This coupled with guaranteed Europa League football, courtesy of the Carling Cup win, and a relatively laid back run-in provides an almost ideal spring board for some of the Reds youth players to step-up to the first team.

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One of the most staggering observations from Saturday’s humiliation was the fact that many men wearing the Liverpool shirt looked disinterested in the cause. This was not the case for Sterling, who chased every ball upon his appearance from the bench, showing some neat footwork and a direct attacking threat. With continuing poor performances from the likes of Stewart Downing, Dalglish could do worse than to introduce some fresh faces, who are keen to impress and establish a role in the senior set-up. Although presenting too many inexperienced men at once could be detrimental, a process of allowing some of the better performers from the NextGen Cup campaign may well introduce some hunger and desire to the ranks, whilst being able to save some big names a rest for the FA Cup semi-final, which has now taken on even greater significance for the Anfield club.

Sterling is not alone in the emerging generation, with many other youngsters showing genuine potential. The likes of Spaniard Suso, and Merseyside born front-man Adam Morgan have been regularly turning in the sort of displays that deserve a level of recognition from the management. As well as the attack minded players, names such as Reserve captain and centre-half Andre Wisdom have been circulating the corridors of Melwood, as a potential long-term replacement for Jamie Carragher and a short term cover option in light of Daniel Agger’s injury problems and an over reliance on Martin Skrtel. Steven Gerrard will need to be managed for the run-in to avoid further injury worries and insure he is available for Cup duties but, in Conor Coady the Reds have a home-grown back-up option who may well be the future of the Anfield midfield.

Blooding too many youngsters at once is a risky strategy, but with careful management, and some wise decision making from Dalglish, the emerging generation from academy may introduce a new verve to the side. Instead of spending once more, Liverpool may well find their next star is very close to home.

Have your say by commenting or follow @Alex Hams on Twitter

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Everton have warmed up for their FA Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool in convincing fashion, beating Sunderland 4-0 at Goodison Park on Monday.

Second half goals from Magaye Gueye, Steven Pienaar, Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe sealed a comfortable victory for the Merseysiders; Black Cats boss Martin O’Neill admitted that his side were well beaten.

“We were well beaten in the second half. We didn’t have enough energy and Everton deserved to beat us,” the Northern Irishman confessed to Sky Sports.

“I thought the first goal was the most important one. My first thoughts were there was a foul on Jack Colback for it. If that had been the deciding goal I might have been more concerned about it but we were well beaten.

“It’s been a tremendous effort by the team this last three or four months but we just ran out of steam today.

“We’ll just have to try and get ourselves together and recuperate as we still have a lot to play for between now and the end of the season.

“I think every single time we’ve had a setback we’ve responded and that’s shown the character of the team,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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I may be jumping the gun here by looking so far into the future as next season; but really, are there any Arsenal fans who fancy reminiscing about this past season? No? Good.

Laurent Koscielny’s winner at the Hawthorns on the weekend may be of even greater significance than it seemed at first. Sure the club are now certain of Champions League football, but that competition and the financial income of it gives the club a great hand with which to build a title-challenging squad for next year.

There’s got to be some degree of confidence that Robin van Persie will finally sign a contract extension, despite the way many will interpret his recent comments. Coupled with that, the club have an incredible position with which to take their transfer activity to the next level with the draw of European football.

It’s not that crazy to assume the club can take that huge jump away from the horror show of this season and morph into a competitor for Manchester City and Manchester United. The past few seasons have offered up varying levels of title challenges from the Gunners, even though they failed miserably at the final hurdle.

The change in back room staff should also be an indication that the club are looking to take a positive approach into next season and beyond. The club undoubtedly needed freshening up and the additions of Steve Bould certainly add to that.

But let’s not assume that third place in the league glosses over the huge shortcomings of this Arsenal squad, because it doesn’t. There’s a great deal that needs to be done to ensure the club have a squad fit for a title challenge, rather than just a first XI. The captain needs assurances that he won’t be doing it all himself, and will surely want to shake that “one man team” moniker.

It seems that Wojciech Szczesny has reminded Arsenal fans of the misery goalkeepers have put them through over the years by putting forward his own collection of unmemorable moments. The young ‘keeper is talented and has what it takes to be the club’s No.1 for many years, but the inexperience, overconfidence and arrogance gets the better of him at vital times. A much more confident back up to the youngster would add another level of maturity and ability to the goalkeeping position at the club. Honestly, there is barely a  move that could offer a lower level of competition that has been at the club over the past number of seasons.

The club also need to distance themselves from the idea that they will never spend big. There’s not always a need for marquee signings or the introduction of superstars, but sometimes it is necessary to mark the transition into a new phase for the club. Dennis Bergkamp had that impact in the mid nineties when clubs were not as keen on foreign players, and a similar signing can really give the club a positive lift.

It’s incredibly hard to form a title-winning squad without a big name to lead the club on the pitch. And yes, van Persie does offer that, but again he needs and wants support. The short-term future of Jack Wilshere remains unclear—another issue which the club should maybe shed some light on—and there’s no telling how well he’ll adapt upon his return. A little more confidence from the fans in the playing squad certainly won’t go amiss, but the club need to give supporters a reason to raise their voices.

One of the most worrying aspects of Arsenal’s game is their defence. It’s a problem that’s been obvious since the move into the Emirates Stadium. But with the right coaching there’s a lot of potential for a stubborn defence. Not necessarily water-tight, but definitely better than 49 goals conceded in the league.

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Arsenal’s performances on the pitch have always been bordering on the unpredictable, but the club’s summer activity has traditionally been even more difficult to map. Again, the Champions League is so important for the club going forward, but it is down to Arsene Wenger to ensure a repeat of last season isn’t on the cards.

If the club play the transfer market smartly and improve the coaching staff, there’s every reason they can better their position of third in the league next season.

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QPR midfielder Joey Barton has been handed down a double charge of violent conduct by the FA, after he was sent off against Manchester City on Sunday.

With his side leading 2-1, the temperamental Loftus Road captain was given a straight red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez, before kicking Sergio Aguero and trying to headbutt Vincent Kompany.

Barton will be given an automatic four-match ban for the sending off, but it is likely that this will be extended, possibly up to as many as nine matches.

“The FA has today charged Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton in relation to two acts of alleged violent conduct during Sunday’s match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium,” a statement read.

“Following the player’s dismissal in the 54th minute of the fixture, there followed two incidents involving Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.

“As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside of the jurisdiction of the referee,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, The Guardian have reported that Barton may well be on his way out of the Loftus Road club, as Mark Hughes has lost patience with the midfielder and will offload him in the summer.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester United have confirmed that Paul Scholes and Ben Amos have extended their contracts at Old Trafford.

Veteran midfielder Scholes came out of retirement in January to feature heavily for the Red Devils in the second half of the season, and a new one-year contract was agreed upon last month.

Scholes has put pen-to-paper on the contract after sorting out all formalities, and will look to play a part in United’s efforts to regain their Premier League crown from rivals Manchester City next term.

Amos meanwhile has signed a three-year extension with Sir Alex Ferguson’s men as a reward for impressive showings.

Amos has made seven appearances for the United first-team so far, and has also starred in loan spells at Molde, Peterborough and Oldham.

The youngster will look to provide competition to David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard in the first-team squad next season.

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By Gareth McKnight

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It was unprecedented. Three consecutive major international tournament triumphs ensure that this Spain generation will rank among the greatest teams to have ever played the game. Not only because of the glory they have achieved, but the manner in which they have done it. The beautiful game used to be commonly associated with Brazil and South American flair, yet now it is the Iberian nation that is widely considered as the home of football’s most fascinating team.

What chances are there of retaining their World Cup title and securing their fourth consecutive trophy in Brazil in 2014? The only player who may be uncertain of participating in that competition could well be Xavi, who will be 34 when it rolls around. He may be the heartbeat of the side, but they have an abundance of talent who can step in and attempt to replicate the role of the Barcelona man. Defensively they will remain strong. Even without Carles Puyol at the European Championships they rarely looked troubled and it is this solidity that will provide them with a terrific foundation from which to launch their defence.

The same cannot be said for many of the South American nations, where suspect defences seem endemic and will severely hamper any prospective charges for the trophy and indeed even their qualification for the tournament. Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile and indeed Argentina all have their faults at the back.

Though Ecuador currently sit fourth of nine in the marathon CONMEBOL qualification group for the 2014 World Cup, their lacklustre form away from home could make it difficult for them to maintain that position. Tim Vickery pointed out in his recent article for the BBC that La Tri will need to improve on the road if they want to provide any sort of opposition should they manage to make it to the tournament proper. It is a similar case for Peru who despite vast attacking talent, currently languish at the bottom of the qualifying table and suffer from a lack of quality at the back.

Another squad with a similar imbalance of talent is Chile, yet Claudio Borghi’s side are at the top of the table. Former coach Marcelo Bielsa turned them into one of the neutrals favourites at World Cup 2010 with his novel 3-3-1-3 formation and a philosophy of a possession based, high intensity game. They can count on a vast array of attacking and midfield talent and with their domestic league improving at a rapid rate they should only get better. Tim Vickery noted how they were unfortunate to defeat Spain last September and it was by no means against a second-string side. The threw away a two-goal lead in that game and unfortunately they do not appear to have someone capable of orchestrating a tighter defence in Brazil.

Following recent managerial changes at both Paraguay and Bolivia they must be considered among the outsiders to progress. Dark horses for qualification however are without a doubt Venezuela. Their fourth-place finish at the Copa last year encouraged a number of European-based players to declare their allegiance which added to the squad. Cesar Farias side have shown tremendous resilience despite not possessing huge quality in defence and are capable of giving anyone a game. This was borne out in their defeat of Argentina and a 1-1 draw against Uruguay in Montevideo.

Indeed the Uruguayans should perhaps have done better in that game. Despite a forward line the envy of many teams across the globe with Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, one of their strongest assets is actually the partnership of Diego Perez and Arevalo Rios in midfield. The former will be 34 by the time the World Cup comes around and Uruguay will need to find a similar partner for Arevalo if they are to remain as competitive. Diego Lugano and Diego Forlan could also be on the way out too but there is no shortage of talent to fill those places.

Another of the continents traditional heavyweights Colombia have struggled for consistency in the early stages of their qualification but they too possess an extremely potent attack. If they can ensure qualification then they could well cause some trouble to the favourites. In Radamel Falcao they possess one of the best strikers in the world whilst recent European moves for forwards Dorlan Pabon and Jackson Martinez can only serve to improve that. Along with the craft of James Rodriguez, who shone in the Under-20 World Cup last year, they will provide formidable opposition. But an ageing defence again could cause problems with solidity at the back in Brazil, but their firepower may be enough to counteract that.

Argentina face similar difficulties as defensively they remain week, as was shown by Brazil in the recent friendlies. Alejandro Sabella still searching for the right balance to his side but Lionel Messi is starting to produce his best form at international level at the right time. The criticism regularly levelled at him is  that he does not perform for Argentina but nine goals in his last seven games, and eight in his last four, suggest otherwise and  his link-up with Sergio Aguero has proved devastating at times.

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Then of course there is the hosts, Brazil. It was the right decision not to sack Mano Menezes after an abysmal Copa America campaign but a lack of competitive fixtures will have been frustrating for the coach. He may have stumbled across the core of potentially his best team in the build-up for the Olympics. They will undoubtedly possess the best defence on the continent when the tournament comes and will have to hope that home pressure does not become too great. With the likes of Neymar, Leandro Damiao and Thiago Silva there is plenty of talent throughout the squad that should be more than capable of reaching the latter stages.

Whether any of these sides will be able to overthrow the Spaniards remains to be seen. Brazil surely have the best chance but their home advantage could just as easily work against them due to the fickle nature of their fans. If Argentina can find the right balance to the team, then with Messi leading the charge up the front few would bet against them. Colombia and Uruguay must also not be written off in a tournament that could well see the Jules Rimet trophy heading back to South America.

Follow me on Twitter @thwebber

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has once more defended his comments on Twitter, stating that it is supposed to be fun.

The veteran centre-half caused a controversy by agreeing with a racist comment posted by a user about Ashley Cole, who testified against his brother Anton in John Terry’s court case.

However, Ferdinand has once more claimed his innocence and stated that he is subject to a lot of abuse that fuels him to excel on the pitch.

“Anyone who says they’re thinking of going on Twitter, I always say ‘You’ve got to have a thick skin’,” The Telegraph report Ferdinand as saying.

“You’ve got to be able to take abuse. If you can’t take abuse, then it’s not the place for you to be on there.

“You have Liverpool fans, Manchester City fans, obviously now Chelsea fans, who seem to follow me and come on there just to abuse me, but I’m not a—-.

“I’ve said it before, but that kind of stuff is like fuel. You use that stuff, so when you play their team, there’s a little bit more rivalry about the game.

“It’s fun and I treat it as fun. Some people take themselves too seriously on it and they’re the people who are going to get caned by every Tom, Dick and Harry,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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It’s that time of the year again when all the ups, downs, heartbreak and passion come rushing back to a football fan.

Hopefully this time it is Sheffield United’s year. With a range of new signings, cracking youngsters and a below par league, there is no reason why not.

John Cofie, Nick Blackman, Darryl Westlake, Tony McMahon, Matt Hill and Shaun Miller have all been added to the ranks with a mix of youth and experience already in the team with have a very good chance of returning to where we belong.

But even with six new signings coming in our best bit of business this summer was renewing the contract of Kevin McDonald who was instrumental in our 3rd place finish last season. The former Burnley man was a vital player last season with his pin-point passing and amazing football brain which makes him unmissable. When he plays well, we play well.

Our first summer arrival was Premier League wonderkid John Cofie who signed on a loan deal from Manchester United. He has joined until January when his loan move will be reviewed by Sir Alex and then he will make a decision if he can stay for the remainder of the season. Cofie brings with him blistering pace and an eye for goal.

The second summer recruitment was Darryl Westlake from Walsall who was signed just days after we sold Matty Lowton to Aston Villa. Westlake looks like a suitable replacement for Lowson and he bring an attacking side to our game just like Matt did.

When we returned from Malta we made a treble signing in Shaun Miller, Matt Hill and Tony McMahon. Miller has joined from Crewe for a fee around 65k and he possesses decent pace which is what we lacked last season in the rest of our strikers. McMahon joins on a free from Middlesbrough; he’s a naturally gifted player who has already proven his attacking intent after a scorcher on his debut against Morecombe in pre-season. Most ‘Boro fans will be sad to see him go as he is at least Championship quality. Matt Hill is a familiar face at Bramall Lane after he enjoyed a successful loan spell last season and to me he shone in the last three games in the run and personally I’m happy to see him back at the lane

The last of our summer purchases so far is Nick Blackman from Blackburn who joins with an undisclosed fee. He, just like, Cofie has blistering pace and made the perfect start with a debut goal on Saturday during out Capital one Cup exit to Burton. With both Cofie and Porter injury doubts for Saturday’s season opener against Shrewbury, Blackman will be raring to open his account in the league.

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The signings this summer are proving we mean business this coming season and if we can keep hold of key players like Quinn, Maguire and Doyle we can once again push for the long awaited promotion back to the Championship.

Feel free to follow me on twitter @jakkUTBveall 

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In the traditional football season curtain-raiser at Villa Park last weekend, Premier League champions Manchester City beat ten-man FA Cup winners Chelsea 3-2.

It wasn’t a match without controversy, though, as Serbian right back Branislav Ivanovic was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Aleksandar Kolarov.

Here are Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard arguing with referee Kevin Friend following the dismissal of Ivanovic in the Blues’ Community Shield loss against Manchester City last weekend.

Can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?

Leave your suggestions in the comments section below…

This week you can win a copy of ‘Chelsea FC – Champions of Europe 2012’ on DVD!

From the group stages right through to Drogba’s winning spot-kick, this DVD features highlights from every game and every goal in a fitting tribute to the heroes in blue.

Extras include exclusive interviews with Chelsea’s top stars, Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill and Petr Cech, a tribute to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba and highlights of the victory parade.

Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_wvKd-EkTg

Order now here: http://amzn.to/NWKn8V

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