Fulham boss Martin Jol is reportedly interested in signing Ipswich Town’s transfer-listed winger Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.
Tractor Boys chief Mick McCarthy revealed last month that the 22-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 70 games since joining the club from Arsenal and has a year remaining on his current deal, could leave on a free transfer as he looks to free up some space on the Portman Road wage bill for a summer squad rebuilding job.
It is being suggested that Jol will make a move to give Emmanuel-Thomas a chance to prove himself in the Premier League, with a reported Craven Cottage source claiming that the Dutch tactician has already discussed a summer transfer for the player.
The source was quoted in the East Anglian Daily Times as saying: “Fulham like the look of Jay and are considering making a move, although they would not be prepared to pay a fee.
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“He has been in and out of the Ipswich team but, with the extra finances clubs like Fulham have from being in the Premier League, they would be prepared to take a chance on a player who they feel can turn a game.”
Jermain Defoe could be on his way out of Tottenham this January, after receiving a whopping £5million-a-year offer to play Major League Soccer, according to the Daily Mirror.
Toronto FC have been busy putting together a stunning offer, which includes £90,000 a week in salary, as they look to tempt the England forward with a move away from White Hart Lane.
They are set to face competition from Queens Park Rangers however, with Harry Redknapp still keen to bring the 31-year-old to West London to aid his sides promotion push.
Defoe has struggled for regular first team football at White Hart Lane since the signing of £26million forward Roberto Soldado in the summer.
The former West Ham and Portsmouth man has mostly been restricted to appearances in the Capital One Cup and Europa League, but has still managed a very respectable eight goals in 13 appearances so far this season.
Meanwhile, Andre Villas-Boas is said to be monitoring £15million rated Corinthians striker Pato, as he looks to increase competion for places up front in January.
Defoe may yet be pushed further down the pecking order following the reintroduction of Emmanuel Adebayor , who was frozen out following a bust up with AVB over the summer.
However the former Arsenal man is set to be reintroduced to the first team, meaning Defoe is likely to find his game time even more restricted.
Defoe is set to consider the stunning offer from Canada, as former teammate and Toronto boss Ryan Nelsen admitted his interest.
“He is one of the most natural goal-scorers I have ever come across,” Nelsen said.
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“Always out training, always trying to score. To get a guy like Defoe for MLS, I cannot think of many that are more suited – I think if you ask most Premier League teams, they would take Defoe.
“It would be incredible. I call him and text him all the time. Him playing in Toronto would be phenomenal.”
Manchester City’s pursuit of AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has received a blow with his coach Zdenek Zeman declaring his desire to hold onto his star man.
Roberto Mancini reportedly attempted to bring the midfielder to the Premier League during the summer, but was unable to complete a deal.
It has been speculated that the Italian international is frustrated by life under his new manager, after being deployed out of position, which has prompted rumours that the Sky Blues may return with a big money offer.
However, Zeman believes such speculation is nonsense and that his vice-captain is staying put:
“I’ve never had problems with De Rossi, I don’t know who spread this voices, certainly not me, and I think not even Daniele.” He is quoted by SkySports.
French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to be interested in the 29-year-old, but Zeman ruled out a potential sale to the Ligue 1 outfit:
“Ancelotti (PSG’s manager) wants De Rossi? Daniele is wanted by many, not only by the PSG, he has made an important career, he plays for the national team, I think he could help many teams.
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“However, he is staying at AS Roma.”
De Rossi was key part of the Italian team who finished runners up during EURO 2012.
While Tottenham Hotspur might still be somewhat short of possessing the sort of water-tight defense that’s been absenct in N17 for a small lifetime now, this season’s rearguard has drew refreshing praise from the Lilywhites’ support.
Certainly, when you view Spurs’ back four from an individual perspective, there’s plenty to be cheerful about during a campaign that still sees them in with a shout of attaining both Champions League qualification as well as Europa League glory.
The performances of those at the other end of the pitch – needless to say dominated by the box-office appeal of Gareth Bale – have naturally been given the bulk of the praise as Spurs have evolved under Andre Villas-Boas, with both the Welshman, Aaron Lennon and Mousa Dembele generally regarded as three of the side’s outstanding performers.
Although while Bale might be a shoo-in for the PFA Team of the Year, he might not be the only Spurs player set to make it into the starting XI. Indeed, quite whether he does make the cut remains to be seen, but the chances are Belgian stopper Jan Vertonghen might not be a million miles away from receiving some well-earned recognition at the end of the season.
The former-Ajax man has been the jewel in the crowd of Villas-Boas’ back four, but although he might be the only one to scoop much in the way of individual recognition, he’s been backed up by superb lieutenants along the way.
In Steven Caulker and most notably Michael Dawson, the Lilywhites have been lucky enough to possess a pair of central defenders that haven’t just performed magnificently when brought into the side, but a duo that have surpassed all expectations that fans may have bestowed at the start of the season, Dawson – already a fan favourite at White Hart Lane – has done especially well to come back from the cold and he’s been quite rightly singled out for his fair share of praise in recent weeks.
Moving out wide, while Kyle Walker hasn’t enjoyed a season anything like his breakthrough one last term, but he’s still regarded as one of the better right-backs in the country and following Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s return at the turn of the year, Villas-Boas was able to call upon one of the classiest left-backs in the Premier League.
And just in case their outfield defensive unit isn’t enough, Tottenham are lucky enough to possess a man widely regarded as one of the best in between the sticks in Hugo Lloris.
Throw in the veteran nous of William Gallas and the fact that Younes Kaboul is now only a matter of weeks away from full fitness, then you would have thought that positivity should be in abundance at White Hart Lane from a defensive perspective.
Yet for a defense that seems to attract such praise from an individual viewing, why is it as a collective they still continue to represent such a leaky and often unreliable outfit?
Despite currently sitting fourth in the table, having shipped 37 goals and counting so far this campaign, they currently possess the worst defensive record in the Premier League’s top six. To put that into perspective, that’s only two less than Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, who can lay claim to the unenviable statistic of having the worst record at the back out of 10 of the league’s top 11 clubs.
But it’s when you consider the two teams’ relative targets, that Spurs’ defensive issues seem to illuminate their current plight. Because where as Liverpool are very much still a side in transition, Tottenham are one looking to qualify for Champions League football. And their defensive record should read more in touch with those adjacent to them in the table, rather than a side some nine points behind.
Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea may well currently sit just the one point in front of Spurs with a game in hand, but as well as scoring seven more goals than the Lilywhites, they’ve also managed to concede seven less aswell.
Similarly with their North London rivals, while Arsenal came out of the recent 2-1 derby day defeat with a slew of headlines seemingly writing their back four’s obituary, they have in fact managed to ship five less goals than Villas-Boas’ side. If the critique aimed at Arsene Wenger’s back four was too fierce, than the praise that’s surrounded Spurs’ back four has certainly been a little too overzealous.
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In recent weeks, the likes of Vertonghen and Caulker have perhaps dropped off in form as the season has gone on and with both of Spurs’ full-backs continuing to look enigmatic, perhaps it’s no surprise that Tottenham are looking a little shaky as we head-into the season’s run-in.
Although this isn’t something that has happened over night and you don’t rack up a record of having conceded more goals in the 90th minute and beyond than anyone else in the league, after a few games of indifferent form.
Despite Villas-Boas claiming to have solved Spurs’ last minute woes, the side still look vulnerable in a game’s closing stages and it seems staggering to think that a side who have conceded less shots per game (9.7) than anyone else in the Premier League, can sit with such an inferior defensive record as to that of their peers.
Concentration may not be an attribute as quantifiable to the cause as an aerial presence or esteemed technical skill, but judging by the disparity that Spurs possess defensively with those around them in the table, it could well be something that’s continuing to cause serious damage to their hopes an aspirations this season.
Manchester City have lost Yaya Toure earlier than expected to the African Cup of Nations, rather than after the weekend’s FA cup tie as first thought, the Guardian reports.
City boss Roberto Mancini had expected both Yaya Toure and his brother Kolo to be available for Saturdays FA Cup third round test against Watford, a game which striker Sergio Aguero will also miss due to a hamstring injury.
However Mancini now has to deal with not having the Toure brothers available for as long as six weeks, while they represent the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations during a crucial time in City’s season.
The Citizens currently sit seven points adrift of bitter rivals Manchester United in the race to retain their Premier League crown, and face a tough away trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal in their next league game.
After a slow start to the season, Yaya Toure has recently begun to show the kind of form which he displayed last season. The powerful Ivorian has been an ever present in the City line up, playing virtually every minute of every league game so far this campaign, scoring four goals along the way.
And with summer signings Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell struggling to find their feet since arriving at the Etihad in the summer, Mancini looks short of reliable cover for his influential midfielder.
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Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are preparing to swoop in for Nemanja Vidic and lure the towering centre-back away from the Premier League with a huge 250k-per-week contract offer, according to the Daily Mail.
Rumours have been circulating over the Serbian’s future at Manchester United and the player has been linked with a move to either Juventus or Barcelona this January.
Although considered a key player at Old Trafford, the defender’s future at the club has been in question since his second serious knee injury within the last year, and Ferguson has shown interest in signing Fulham’s Brede Hangeland, who is of a similar mould to the Serbian international.
It has been reported that United are expecting a £33 million bid for Vidic from Anzhi to bring him back to the Russian League. Vidic is currently sidelined after aggravating his previous injury to his cruciate knee ligament against Liverpool at the start of the season, however the centre-back is expected to return to fitness by the start of January, meaning he would be immediately available for Anzhi should the deal go through.
Nemanja Vidic’s agent Silvano Martina has previously played down talks of a move away from the Premier League.
“Vidic is not playing at this time because he`s had surgery, so he`s only thinking about his recovery and not about the transfer market.
Vidic is already part of a top club and there are no negotiations with Juventus or Barcelona” he added.
A statement is yet to be made about a potential return to the Russian League. Anzhi’s huge contract offer to Vidic may be tempting, but will not make the defender the club’s top earner. Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o is currently on a 350k-per-week deal for the Russian big spenders.
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Saturday was a day of firsts for Liverpool FC. The 1-0 victory over Reading marked Brendan Rodgers’ first league win at Anfield since he joined the club, but perhaps even more defining was Raheem Sterling’s first senior goal for the club.
Sterling has been something of a revelation this season, a chink of light in what has otherwise been a difficult start to Brendan Rodgers’ Anfield career. But in and amongst all the hype surrounding his performances, there are those questioning whether the 17-year-old is a flash in the pan, or is in fact the real deal.
Having watched Sterling’s Premier League performances closely this season, I agree with the latter. And first and foremost the Liverpool manager deserves tremendous praise for throwing him at such a young age. There are those who could argue it was born out of necessity considering Liverpool’s paper thin squad, although many managers would have gone for the easier option of selecting £20 million man Stewart Downing.
The fact Sterling already has a goal and two assists more than Downing managed throughout the entirety of last season, suggests Rodgers’ gamble has paid off. But there is plenty more to Sterling’s game which has been hugely impressive, and suggests the youngster can fulfil his captain’s prediction and go ‘all the way to the top’.
Steven Gerrard was quick to come out after the game on Saturday and suggest Anfield’s latest young star has all the attributes to be a top player for the club, something he should know all about having made his own Liverpool debut as a fresh faced 18-year-old back in 1998.
“He hasn’t let anyone down and he’s been sensational so far,” Gerrard said.
“First and foremost he has the trust of the manager. He is the one who picks the team and week in, week out he is getting a start.
‘That is what you need when you break through, you need the manager to believe in you because sometimes it is hard to play well every game. If he can add assists and goals to his game the more he grows he can go all the way to the top.”
His finish on Saturday suggests Sterling will indeed add more goals to his game. The clinical nature of which he dispatched his chance was a welcome sight for Liverpool fans, who have seen a ridiculous number of chances wasted at Anfield in the past year.
Having seen Sterling’s goals for the youth team, and his pre-season strike against Bayern Leverkusen, a common feature is his ability to find the inside netting of the bottom corner, just as he did on Saturday, displaying unnerving accuracy. His finishing ability is not to be underestimated.
But what has impressed most about Sterling so far is his work rate and bravery, especially for somebody so young. Nothing is a lost cause for the young winger. He is willing to take on players time and again, even if he is dispossessed, there have been plenty of occasions this season he has won the ball back in a matter of seconds. This may be born out of the fearlessness that youngsters often bring to teams, but Sterling has put himself about time and again.
The recent goalless draw against Stoke City was a defining performance. Although the youngster failed to provide a goal or assist in the game, the fact he remained a constant threat throughout despite being brutally fouled on several occasions was testament to his character and desire.
Rodgers is a huge believer in hard work and the fact Sterling has started seven of Liverpool’s eight league games this season suggests he has the work rate Rodgers is looking for. The Liverpool manager has also often spoke of his impressive positional play and his understanding of the tactical part of the game. It appears Sterling’s footballing brain is far more mature than his age suggests. The timing of his run for his goal and the position he picked up was testament to that, with Rodgers admitting afterwards it was a move straight from the training ground.
Of course there is a long way to go for the youngster, but Liverpool fans are rightly very excited about their number 31. Some have suggested Sterling will soon be ‘found out’ by opposition defences, another statement I disagree with.
Another exciting thing about him is the unpredictability he brings to his position. He is not simply a speed merchant and has a vast array of tricks and skills he has not been afraid to try so far. His assist for Suarez’s equalizing goal in the draw at Sunderland in September saw him throw in several step overs to beat his man before delivering the cross.
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There are those who say not to put too much pressure on him too early, although I am of the opinion if you are good enough you are old enough. Another England call up is rumoured and you have to say based on performances in his position it’s currently deserved.
It’s early days of course, but as Sterling made his way into the top ten youngest Premier League goalscorers chart, I am willing to bet he is more likely to emulate the likes of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, rather than Danny Cadimatari and Mikael Forsell, who also find themselves in the top ten.
Liverpool and England fans will certainly hope I’m right.
What have you made of Raheem Sterling this season? Real deal or flash in the pan? Follow me on Twitter @LukeGreenwood89 and let me know your thoughts.
Alan Shearer has criticised Newcastle owner Mike Ashley for not improving the squad since last season’s heroics, which saw the Magpies finish fifth.
The English tycoon spent £8.1million in the summer to bringing in Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana, Curtis Good and Romain Amalfitano (on a free).
Of the four signings, only Anita has managed to establish himself in the Toon’s starting line-up, and former Newcastle marksman Shearer says Ashley should have spent more money in order to keep challenging up at the top of the Premier League table.
“Newcastle missed a huge opportunity in the summer,” Shearer told The Sun.
“Having punched above their weight last season and almost made it into the top four, this was the time to spend.
“The club was up and running again after so many years mired in uncertainty.
“There was once again a feel-good factor and even Mike Ashley was enjoying it.
“But he needed to put his hand in his pocket and strengthen with two or three quality players.”
And Shearer feels his former club should have been able to compete with Tottenham in the transfer window, despite the fact that Andre Villas-Boas’ side were far more active during the summer months.
“It’s up to Ashley how much he spends — but just look at what Spurs did.
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“They pipped Newcastle to fourth place and went out and spent £57million on six players. Newcastle spent £8.1m on three and got a fourth in on a free.”
Newcastle are 15th, just two points above the relegation zone. Saturday’s defeat to Manchester City means the club have won just one of their last ten games in all competitions.
Every round of Premier League fixtures involves controversial refereeing decisions that makes fans and pundits alike question the standard of officiating in this country. From offside decisions to the failure to award a corner when it should have been, there is no end to the debate every weekend.
The fear is that it can only get worse because, after years and years of talking about the same incidents that result in the same decisions, there seems to be no improvement from the men in the middle, or even their assistants.
The recent festive period failed to disappoint. The round of fixtures before Christmas saw Anthony Taylor hit the headlines by sending off both West Ham’s Carlton Cole and Everton’s Darron Gibson for what were challenges worthy of yellow cards at most. Cole’s dismissal looked to have changed the outcome of the game with Everton going on to take all the points afterwards, and then Gibson’s red in the dying stages stunk of an attempt to level things out by Taylor.
Both reds have since been rescinded but West Ham will still feel aggrieved because they ultimately lost points from what was a poor decision. This is the harsh reality of what poor refereeing does – it costs teams points, points that they can never get back.
Boxing Day brought up several more controversies and the managers who’s teams were affected look set to be fined for speaking out against the respective referees. All managers have a case to argue and all but Sir Alex Ferguson saw their team suffer as a result.
But how can things improve in the Premier League? It is clear a lot needs to be done and it could be said referees need more immediate policing. As it stands, the performances of officials are analysed on DVDs after games and, apart from more serious incidents, are not really punished for bad performances.
One way to go about things would be to have someone in the stands watching the referee live, marking his performance, his decision making and his positional awareness. Then, when it comes to reading his match report he will have someone there to either agree or disagree with his reasons behind what he claims he did and did not see.
The official in the stands would also be able to speak with the referee during the game, giving his thoughts on incidents in order to aid a referee when his view isn’t particularly clear. This is already the job of the referee’s assistants and it should also remain that way, but with the help of a man who can see every that’s going on from an elevated view, there would be much less room for error.
We all makes mistakes, but we also tend to learn from them. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with referees at the moment. One mistake in a game can be acceptable, especially when you consider the speed at which the game is played as well as the fact officials don’t have the luxury of replays.
But, if a referee makes more than one mistake and subsequently costs a side a result, then they should be made to face the consequences. When a player makes a mistake and mis-times a tackle he is punished, so why shouldn’t referees receive the same treatment? After all, it is their mistakes that can prove just as costly to the outcome of a match as a player making a mistake and being sent off.
The argument in favour of a video referee also has significant substance behind it because the referees will be able to have the help of someone who can see replays, just like in rugby and cricket. The fear of a video refereeing disrupting the flow of the game is fair enough, but adding on an extra few minutes to a football match in order to ensure decisions are made correctly doesn’t seem like much of a hindrance, does it?
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The general consensus is that the majority of referees in the Premier League just aren’t good enough to handle the pressure of what is a stake in the game these days. Money, bragging rights and reputations are all on the line and can be won and lost on the basis of just one or two wrong decisions.
So unless some drastic changes are made to the way referee’s performances are analysed and even the introduction of some extra help from the stands, teams, players, managers and fans will continue to feel hard done by each and every week.
What do you think? Do referees need more training and even more help in order to erradicate serious mistakes, or should we accept that it’s what happens in football and move on? Leave your thoughts below.
The hope will be that Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers will finally tame Mario Balotelli and bring the best out of the Italian for an entire season. That hope was held in the past by Manchester City and AC Milan, both aware of the undoubted talent in the striker but unable to convince themselves that the headache was worth a reward that wasn’t guaranteed.
Though Balotelli has a good record in front of goal for Milan, the club have made no secret of their intention to sell this summer. Liverpool’s bid and interest has come late– and that’s if we’re to believe Rodgers’ statement that Balotelli was “categorically” no on the agenda. That they’ve been unrivalled in their advances for Balotelli should be an indicator as to how volatile the forward can be. There is upside, obviously. But few clubs have deemed him worth the gamble.
Whichever way you cut it, £16 million is a bargain fee for a striker with so much experience, potential and current ability. Balotelli’s baggage is well known and that wackiness and unpredictable nature looks set to be warmly welcomed back to the Premier League. If Liverpool and Rodgers strike gold, they’ll easily be able to forget the goals that have been lost following Luis Suarez’s departure to Barcelona. Yes, the style of play is different; Suarez is a livewire that looks to control the game from all areas of the pitch, whereas Balotelli can appear subdued for the majority before providing a match-winner in spectacular fashion.
There is nothing that really needs to be said about Balotelli acclimatising to the Premier League. Regardless of whether he’s been involved in English football before, Balotelli is that rare breed of footballer that can seamlessly slot into any league, no matter its reputation; his unwavering confidence in his own abilities providing the platform for him to succeed.
It’s been clear that Liverpool have needed another striker since Suarez’s sale became a talking point during the World Cup. I’m not for following the line of thinking that dictates that in order to compete successfully in the Champions League you need a wide assortment of strikers. There are plenty of top clubs who compete in UEFA’s premier club competition with far less than four senior strikers.
But Liverpool only have Daniel Sturridge to turn to this summer. There’s a lot of romance attached to Rickie Lambert’s move from Southampton to Anfield, but the 32-year-old is not good enough by a long way to play anything more than a reliever.
Liverpool are simply taking advantage of the availability of a striker that can offer far, far more than, say, Wilfried Bony. The Swansea forward isn’t the headache (and understatement, of course) the Italian can be, but his talents fall well short of what Balotelli can produce. The fees, with Swansea now open to negotiating Bony’s sale, would be in the same ballpark.
Liverpool can also find a lot of comfort in Balotelli’s age. Having recently turned 24, Balotelli has the kind of sell-on value that will see the club recoup their £16 million investment. Naturally the club will need a buyer if that situation comes to pass, but for arguments sake, there should be no worry about recording a future loss in their signing of the striker.
With Balotelli, it doesn’t appear as straightforward as simply having a troubled forward find a manager who can guide him away from his current controversial nature. Balotelli is naturally the kind of person who likes the attention, whether it be in his post-match interviews or his driving of camouflaged Bentleys. Top managers at three major European clubs have been unable to force the Italian to mature; there is no guarantee Rodgers will finally be able to do so.
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But at only £16 million and the upside so rewarding, there is no obvious danger in Liverpool completing a deal for Balotelli.
Unless he changes his ways, sooner or later the biggest clubs around Europe will collectively decide that they’ve had enough. Fortunately for the Italian international, that time hasn’t come yet.