As the Luka Modric saga takes yet another twist with the player claiming he has been threatened with reserve team football it is now time for Daniel Levy to be bold once more. This time in the transfer market.
The Tottenham Chairman insists he does not want to dismantle the current playing squad and is adamant that he will not sell the clubs best players at any cost. But if Levy genuinely wants to build and maintain a team capable of challenging for top honors then now will become the defining time under his stewardship. Other clubs like Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea are all investing vast sums of money towards improving their playing squads. In order to maintain momentum Levy now needs to decide if Spurs are financially capable of doing the same, not just to keep up with the Jones’ but to surpass them.
Such intent in the transfer market is not required as contingency to Modric’s departure but to show the player and all of those around him that together they can achieve their footballing ambitions at Tottenham Hotspur. The Chairman needs to forget for the moment about reducing the current squad size, fringe players can be offloaded as and when the right offers come in. I say to Levy that Now is the time to show our ambition by identifying and securing the long-term targets that will take this club to where it wants to be. Now is the time to be brave, to be bold, to truly define your time with our great football club – to dare is to do!
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So, another of this summer’s drawn out transfer window sagas came to an end last night when Aston Villa finally accepted Liverpool’s bid for left-winger Stewart Downing, for a fee of around £20 million. After rejecting the Anfield club’s previous bids, Villa were left with little room to manoeuvre as Downing made it clear he wanted to join the Red’s, handing in a written transfer request. The signing ends what Liverpool have seemingly craved for many a year; a genuine winger.
Much has been made about the apparent need of width at Anfield for a number of years now, but that need intensified once big centre-forward Andy Carroll walked through the Shankly Gates back in January. Wide-men became a necessity, if Liverpool were to take full advantage of their record signing’s main attributes.
Whilst Liverpool seemed to be in the market for their old school wide-man, instead they were linked with a steady stream of central-midfielders. Liverpool were already overstaffed in this department and the addition of Charlie Adam increased the numbers. They had already signed a wide-man of course…well sort of, in Jordan Henderson, but the lack of a genuine winger added to the fans frustrations. Who would supply the new strikers without any width? However, if Liverpool were to just sign wingers, they would risk themselves becoming too one-dimensional. Over the last few seasons, Liverpool have lacked creativity in wide areas – but to solely concentrate on improving that area would then run the risk of not increasing the quality and inventiveness from a central area also. That is what the signing of Adam brings. With the eventual arrival of a genuine winger in Downing, Liverpool are no longer reliant on just one method of attack – they now have two. Also, in Adam they have a new supply line to the wings, and to Downing; the man who they hope will, in turn, supply the strikers.
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But it is Downing’s price, that was (and still is) a major gripe for many Liverpool fans, during the pursuit (and now signing). It is too high for somebody who’s seen as only a ‘slightly above- average Premier League player’, in many a fans eyes. In the normal course of things, this may be true. However, we all know that when it comes to English players, the Premier League market is far from normal. That price-point is now (unfortunately) commonplace (especially when certain clubs are looking to buy), and such fees should now just be looked at as ‘incidental’ if a club really wants a particular player. Many fans also felt uninspired by the apparent interest in Downing, and instead yearned for a more exotic, exciting signing like Valencia’s Juan Mata, who Liverpool seemed to be chasing at one point, and is rumoured to be available for a similar price. Mata, a Spanish under-21 star, is indeed a quality player – creative, full of tricks and has outstanding technique. He can unlock many defences with his repertoire of skills from the advanced attacking roles he is given. However, there lies the main reason Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish chose to pursue Downing over the Mata, and the main advantage the Englishman has over the little Spaniard – he is a genuine wide-man; and Dalglish craved a winger. Mata is intricate in his build-up play and can operate anywhere across the frontline; left, right and centrally – in the ‘hole’, similar to say, Liverpool’s former Spanish bag of tricks, Luis Garcia. But Dalglish wanted a specialized winger – someone with pace, who is direct and whips-in crosses for the strikers; and that is Stewart Downing. Besides, with rumours that it is Comolli who wants to sign Mata, many fans wish may still yet be granted.
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It is also worth noting, and has already been pointed out in many a previous article, that Downing (who turns 27 on Friday) was Villa’s Player of the Year last season, scoring 8 goals from midfield and provided numerous assists, which earned him an England recall in the process. If Ashley Young, who left Villa a month before, cost £16 million, then the market would dictate that a player who was currently rated higher, go for more. The price will obviously be a talking point for months to come, as it is with every expensive purchase Liverpool make. The attraction to debate such things is not unwarranted. They are a club where lots of high-priced signings have been made, only to then see the said player not justify their hefty price-tag during their time on Merseyside. In that sense Downing is yet another expensive gamble – but if he delivers, it will be because he finally gave Liverpool wings.
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In light of the launch of the new football gaming phenomenon that is ‘Goaldash’ I decided to look at the six fastest goals ever to be scored in the Premier League. I am not sure it will influence any of your choices ahead of the big kick-off, but it may serve as a source of inspiration.
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The six fastest premier league goals have come in such phenomenally quick times it seems barely possible to concede that fast. As one particularly despondent Coventry fan said after Dwight Yorke’s 13th second strike. “I like to have at least 5 minutes before I accept defeat.” With this list you get barely a minute to soak in all six.
1. Ledley King – 10 seconds
We start with Ledley King’s 10th second strike against Bradford in the 00/01 season. This goal remains the fastest in Premier league history (with Sky Sports going to great lengths to prove it’s quicker than Alan Shearer’s effort in 2003). Why Ledley King is taking centre and then strolling nonchanantly forward I do not know, but with the Bradford defence backing off his not outstanding shot finds the net. After 15 seconds of this video you can see the goal in terrible quality accompanied by an M People soundtrack. Unmissable huh?
[youtube JsdxCft3D_w]
2. Alan Shearer – 10.4 seconds
Second is Alan Shearer’s strike for Newcastle against Manchester City in 2003. This was just a case of terrible football from Manchester City who passed it back to the keeper from kick-off, he then miscontrolled it and kicked it into Shearer. The premiership’s record all-time goalscorer didn’t need any help but he got plenty here. This humiliation took 10.4 seconds apparently.
[youtube TScCgrcn9HU]
3. Mark Viduka – 11.1 seconds
The third fastest goal in Premier League history comes from a surprisingly slow player, Mark Viduka. The man had mastered the turn on a sixpence however. Unfortunately, his goal against Charlton for Leeds United in 2001 after 11.1 seconds is not deemed impressive enough to find anywhere so here’s a description from the BBC. ‘Straight from the kick-off, David Batty laid the ball off to Ian Harte who hoisted a long speculative ball forward that seemed to pose little danger to Charlton’s backline. But Alan Smith rose to flick the ball into the path of Mark Viduka, who took one touch before steering a precise shot past Sasa Ilic to give Leeds the lead.’ I’m sure there was some shocking Charlton defending involved.
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Find Out More About GOALDASH by clicking here[divider]
4. Dwight Yorke – 13 seconds
Fourth is Dwight Yorke’s 13 second strike against Coventry in 1995. Just as the commentator is explaining how large the gulf is between the two sides, Dwight puts it in the back of the net. For a further treat a Savo Milosevic brace follows.
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5. Chris Sutton – 13 seconds
At fifth and tied with Yorke on 13 seconds is Chris Sutton scoring for Blackburn Vs Everton again in 1995. Unfortunately this goal also appears lost in time and so I will have to assume it involves some diabolical defending, perhaps a cheeky elbow from Sutton in the build up and a long ball otherwise it would take too long.
6. Kevin Nolan – 14 seconds
The final goal is from Kevin Nolan. Complete with long ball and questionable defending it all takes place within 14 seconds to a background of an unsuspecting Bolton fan commentating on fanzone. This was scored in 2004 against Blackburn.
[youtube A5gZ3-I5d2s]
You might struggle to pick six numbers if you go by the timings of this lot, but at least you’ll get it done fast.
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So what is Goaldash all about then?
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The game Goaldash is the new weekly national prize game that combines the best of the Pools and the Lottery in one simple and fun format. Goaldash offers a £1m jackpot that can be won each and every week of the football season by having a flutter on the nation’s favourite game.
On any given Saturday at least 24 football matches (48 teams) kick-off at approximately 3pm. These matches are spread across a variety of leagues that include the Barclays Premier League; as well as the Football League and the Scottish divisions.
The 3pm kick-off gives the game a unilateral start time and by definition a ‘finish time’.
So how does Goaldash work?
To begin each player will begin to guess, workout and strategise as to which 6 teams will score the 6 fastest goals and therefore produce the 6 winning numbers for that week.
Each attempt or ticket costs £1
The chosen teams for that week will each have a corresponding number listed in alphabetical order against each team thus creating the numbers 1-48.
Following the National Lottery ‘6 from 49’ format, Goaldash will use those 24 matches (48 teams) to produce the 6 winning numbers
Fancy a flutter ahead of the Premier League kick-off – visit Goaldash to find out more information…Good Luck!
On Monday, Luka Modric’s ‘head was not in the right place’ for him to play against Manchester United according to Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. The press instantly interpreted this staple line and ran with the real message: Luka Modric was on strike.
Modric is not the first player to attempt to force through a move by refusing to play but his situation raises eyebrows because he is so highly regarded for his professionalism. Redknapp has spent much of this transfer window saying that you couldn’t meet a nicer lad and he just wants to get on and play his football and so on and so forth. Resorting to such drastic action is a move that seems out of character, but more importantly it raises yet more questions about player power and the ever-increasing irrelevance of contracts.
This is Modric’s final move. When the first bid from Chelsea arrived he stated that he’d love to play for them, then he handed in a written transfer request and now, after a third, improved bid has been received, the only bargaining chip he has left is his most fundamental, refusing to play. It is a deeply disappointing development and shows an absolute disregard for his contractual commitments but in modern football it is nothing new.
In truth, this should not affect Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s stance. Modric still has four years remaining on his contract and it is highly unlikely that once the window has closed he would continue to strike. Redknapp would certainly want him back in the team.
Modric’s bargaining power is actually diminished by his reputation as a nice guy. Were he to kick up a huge fuss and create carnage in the dressing room then Levy may be forced to reconsider keeping him, but he seems incapable of this behaviour. His refusal to play will only serve to destroy his popularity with the fans and with his teammates, it does not necessarily make Chelsea’s bid more appealing to Levy and may just strengthen the chairman’s resolve.
The real worry here is that Luka Modric is regarded as a decent guy. Even if his strike were motivated by a personal ambition to win trophies rather than to make more money, he has still displayed a disregard for his contract and his club which tarnishes him. If a player of Luka Modric’s apparent integrity is prepared to make such a ruthless and self-motivated move then what hope is there for football clubs trying to keep their players?
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If Levy holds onto him and he starts playing again then there is hope. If Modric bites the bullet and realises his obligations and actually sticks to them then this will be a victory of sorts for chairmen and managers. If Levy lets him go, (which he has no good reason to do), then contracts are well and truly irrelevant and players will just refuse to play whenever they want a move. I sincerely hope that Levy stands his ground.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been praised by manager Sir Alex Ferguson after an excellent start to the season, with a newfound maturity identified as a key reason for his good form.
The England international became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score back-to-back hat-tricks, with Arsenal and Bolton at the receiving end, and has tallied eight goals in his first four league games.
With United firing on all cylinders, their Scottish boss has praised his main man and admitted he has seen a change in the 25-year-old.
“When players get to their mid-20s, there is more thought in their game. Their timing is better. Wayne’s presence is good and he is looking fantastic,” Ferguson stated in The Telegraph.
Team-mate Patrice Evra was also quick to compliment the goalscorer, and believes that the poor form that plagued the forward last term has been forgotten.
“Last season he had some problems, but now he is back. He is in a different way. He wants to show what a top player he is. Of course he wants to put last year behind him. Everyone thinks if they have a problem, the first thing they want to do is play football and enjoy themselves. That is what he has done.
“He wants to be the best player in the world, and he just has to keep doing what he is doing. After training, he does some finishing. This is something he did not do a long time ago.
“He is joking in the dressing room, saying that if he scores another three goals he will have the same number as last year. It is only four games in. You can see his hunger,” the France international stated.
Rooney will be a key figure as United travel to take on Benfica at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday in the first of their Champions League group games.
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Xabi Alonso has for Real Madrid always been a centerpiece in Mourinho’s tactics. In each game you see Madrid play, they play with a ball-winning midfielder besides Xabi, just so that Xabi Alonso can find the space that he needs, to further collect the ball and transport it forward. He is the world number one at engineering this forward momentum in my view. But Xabi has, just today mentioned to the Spanish Press that it’s difficult to always be the one single defensive midfielder, as the other defensive midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 system, most of the time bridges away from position.
“For us to be a very good team, there are for us alternatives that could work out well if we all engage in defence and attack. In midfield it´s about getting involved. Depending on our approch of the game, and the opponents approach, there are some formulas that could work out well”
Often when you see Real Madrid play their game, they have Xabi placed low down the field. I’d say that he even sinks down to a couple of centimetres in front of the central defenders. That’s basically because he is a deep playmaker. But Madrid are so dependent on Xabi; On his passes, that the whole team whirs into motion when Xabi gets the ball to his feet.
Xabi can expertly play a ball across the field, as well as quick, short passes to team mates. He has mastered every kind of passing and his range is basically unrivalled. And there are moments or matches where Xabi seems to be a complete midfielder. His intelligent playing style is really appreciated down the corridors of the Bernabéu. He builds up plays, finishes them with shots from time to time and takes corners and freekicks when Cristiano isn’t up for it.
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Last season Mourinho openly came out saying that this team had three untouchables; meaning that these three players will always play matches when available. Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso are these three players. Casillas stands for the safety within the group, Ronaldo stands for the decisive moments and Xabi Alonso stands for the most important moments on the field because Mourinho has built all his team around Xabi. Many even go as far to say that Xabi makes other players look better than they really are.
“There exists some good communication between us and the coach and the door to the coach is always open. Things are good at all moments.”
Xabi also acts as a father to the team with all his routine, outside of being outstanding on the pitch most of the time. The only real problem that I see, if I have to point one out, is that Alonso sometimes over thinks his plays. He is obsessed with getting the pass forward, perfected, should it be a long or short one, it doesn’t matter and sometimes it’d benefit him more to rely on instinct.
“The important thing is that Sahin recovers soon because his return is being delayed a little longer than expected. We have gotten to know him a little better, we all know that it´s a great player.”
That’s a good point that Xabi himself notes. Nuri Sahin , who was Bundesliga’s best player last season and moved for big money to Madrid, is expected to deliver a lot this season. The signing of Sahin isn’t seen as a future replacement to Xabi, for Xabi will continue a while as he has said previously. But Sahin will hopefully finally fill the gap of the man who is going to play beside Xabi Alonso; a role the club has had numerous problems with filling. But it will also be interesting which role Xabi will have to take on should that happen.
Article courtesy of Joseph Janerique from This is Futbol
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With everyone, including Alex Ferguson himself, labelling the Manchester derby on the weekend as a ‘6 pointer’, just how bigger effect will the game actually have on the title race? Obviously it would be foolish to say that the winner of this game will be the winner of the Premier League title come May, one game is not the be all and end all, and in reality it is just worth three points.
The winner of the game would obviously have the bragging rights for the moment, and it would not sit too comfortably with defending champions United if City were to consolidate their place at the top of the table by winning at Old Trafford, in what would be their second league victory there since 1975 – the solitary other being a 2 -1 win in 2008. Not only that, but City would certainly be underlining the message that they are real title contenders and a force to be reckoned with.
Should United be victorious, and they will be the favourites to do so being on home turf, they will return to the top of the league one point ahead of City. This would not mean that City’s title challenge would be over – in football anything can happen, and the season has a long way to go yet before anyone is crowned as champions, and a single point gap does not mean this will happen.
One thing that the winner of the game will take is the confidence and belief that they are Manchester’s premier side, and especially for City, the psychological impact of a win at Old Trafford would be huge.
Much has been made of the fact that City have played relatively easy games when compared to United, with them still having to play Chelsea, Arsenal Liverpool and Stoke away, whereas United have played all of the above. Clearly City may be expected to drop points during this run of tough games, in which they also have the small matter of playing Bayern Munich to contend with. Should they come through these games, that will have a bigger effect on the title race, and should City be top after the end of December and the tricky Christmas period, that is when United should be genuinely worried, not after the game this weekend whatever the result.
Fergie and Manchester United have been there and done it too many times to really place too much emphasis on the derby, and in reality it is just three points, regardless of the result nothing will be decided this weekend.
The real concern of the weekend could well be the relative dark horses this season of Chelsea, who look to be getting better and better under Andre Villas Boas, and will be the winners this weekend regardless of who wins at Old Trafford. A draw may be preferable for Chelsea, with both teams then dropping points, but either way, as long as the blues do the business at Loftus Road they will make up ground on one or both of the top two.
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Although the media and fans may revel in placing greater emphasis on the most anticipated derby in recent seasons, nothing will be decided this weekend between the top two, but don’t be surprised if Chelsea fly out from under the radar and people start considering them just as likely to win the title as either of the Manchester clubs.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that he is happy with the upturn in form of his side over the last six weeks, but feels his team can still get better.
After a poor start to the season, The Gunners have managed to turn their season round with improved performances and results, capped off by a 3-0 win over West Brom on Saturday.
Despite the Emirates outfit now finding themselves in 7th place, the French coach feels there is a lot more to come from his team.
“I think we have made some improvements, that is for sure. There is still some room for improvement,” he told Mirror Football.
“But I have always said ‘come back in December’ because, for us, the real test we knew was Chelsea.
“After winning a big game we had to see if we could repeat that performance and then get the consistency from now on,” he stated.
Saturday’s win puts Arsenal level on points with Liverpool, and gives Wenger’s men a positive goal difference for the first time this season.
Wenger wants to overtake the Anfield club into sixth place, and is relieved that his side have now scored more goals than they have conceded.
“Well, we put ourselves at a big handicap with the 8-2 at Manchester so we had a mountain to climb. I was not used to seeing that as well.
“It was a shock every time when you see a minus in front of your goal difference.
“That could make the difference at the end of the season so not only is it the first time we have a positive goal difference, but if you look at the teams that are just above us there is not a massive difference.
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“We are plus two, they are plus four so that is catchable,” he concluded.
Arsenal’s next fixture is against Norwich at Carrow Road next Saturday.
Managerless Sunderland travel to the Midlands to face fellow struggles Wolves at Molineux just 72 hours after sacking Steve Bruce following a disastrous start to the season.
Former Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy suffered a similar fate at the Stadium of Light five years ago and will take great pleasure in adding to the misery on Wearside. The Wolves boss saw optimism levels rise in the Black Country after winning their first two games and putting in some dynamic performances. However their next 11 games saw them win just once and slide down the Premier League table to 17th with that victory coming against Wigan at the start of November. McCarthy has now found himself under increasing pressure to turn things around at Molineux with supporters not prepared to tolerate another morale sapping relegation battle. Defensively they need to improve tenfold with summer signing and captain Roger Johnson failing to provide a stable presence in the back four and stop goals flowing in. Wolves have conceded 23 goals in their 13 games so far and need to get back to basics with their defending with the partnership of Johnson and Christophe Berra proving ineffective against the ruthless Premier League forwards. They also need some big performances in the final third against Sunderland this week with winger Matt Jarvis, in particular, not showing the kind of form that won him an England cap earlier in the year.
The Black Cats go into the game without a manager in the dugout after chairman Ellis Short dispensed with the services of Bruce after two years in charge. Three home wins in 2011 and an appalling start to the season saw the former Birmingham and Wigan manager relieved of his duties with the club lying two places above the relegation zone. Defeat against the Latics last week was the final nail in Bruces coffin with his already sour relationship with the clubs supporters completely evaporating as they turned on him once and for all. It’s no surprise that he find’s himself out a job after seeing Sunderland slip to 16th in recent weeks following a run of one win in their last eight games and a series of displays that fell way below the standard expected on Wearside. It was always going to be a challenge once Darren Bent left in January but to lose Danny Wellbeck and Asamoah Gyan just a few months after left the club without first choice centre forward. £30 million was spent on improving the squad in the summer with the former boss opting to spend £8 million on teenager Connor Wickham and unknown South Korean Ji Dong Won. Nicklas Bendntner was also brought in on loan but has failed to suitably plug the gap and it has ultimately Bruce paid the penalty. His tactics often left Sunderland looking directionless on the pitch at times this season and it has cost them dearly and whoever takes charge for the trip to Wolves will need to get the defence structured and the midfield disciplined. Getting Bendtner scoring and Sessegnon purring in behind the Danish strike will be key to the Black Cats starting the post-Bruce era with a bang.
Wolves – 17th
Last Five
Lost 3-0 v Chelsea (A), Lost 2-1 v Everton (A)Won 3-1 v Wigan (H), Lost 3-1 v Manchester City (A), Drew 2-2 v Swansea (H)
Potential Starting X11: 1. W. Hennessey 23. R. Zubar 14. R. Johnson [C] 16. C. Berra 3. G Elokobi 11. S. Ward 4. D. Edwards 20. N. Milijas 17. M. Jarvis* 29. K. Doyle
Injury News: McCarthy will be without key defender Richard Stearman for the visit of Sunderland whilst Kevin Foley has been ruled out until Janaury with an ankle injury.
Key Player: Matt Jarvis
It’s been a disappointing season from the Wolves winger who has looked a shadow of the player that made his England debut earlier in the year. Jarvis’ performances this season have been well below par and fairly inconsistent with his brilliance on the wing only appearing in flashes. A display worthy of an England cap would be welcomed on Saturday against Sunderland as his club strives to move clear of the drop zone.
Match Fact: This will be only the fifth time Woves have met Sunderland in the Premier League the omens definitely favour McCarthy’s side. Wanderers have won their last three games against the Black Cats and would take great pleasure in making that four in a row.
Sunderland – 16th
Last Five: Lost 2-1 v Wigan (H), Drew 0-0 v Fulham (H0, Lost 1-0 v Manchester United (A), Drew 2-2 v Aston Villa (H), Won 2-0 v Bolton (A)
Potential Starting X11: 24. K. Westwood 16. J. O’Shea [C] 4. M. Turner 6. W. Brown 2. P. Bardsley 7. A. S. Larsson 6. L. Cattermole 16. J. Colback 11.K. Richardson 28. S. Sessegnon* 52. N. Bendtner
Injury News: Managerless Sunderland are still without key players Simon Mignolet and Connor Wickham whilst Fraizer Campbell remains out for the long-term.
Key Player: Stephane Sessegnon
A rare bright spot in what has been an awful start to the season for Sunderland the former PSG midfielder’s importance in the side has soared. The departure of Asamoah Gyan in the summer has left Sessegnon as the only real flair player in the Black Cats squad and has proved a capable partner for Bendtner up front. His agility on the ball and forward thinking nature will come in handy against Wolves on Sunday.
Match Fact: Sunderland first met Wolves in 1890 – a staggering 121 years ago! Since then they have visited Molineux 60 times since then but have emerged victorious from the Midlands just 15 times.
Last Time at Molineux
Wolves 3-2 Sunderland
Foley, 51 Hunt, 81 Ebanks-Blake, 89
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Bent, 67 Wellbeck, 77
Attendance: 25,112
Referee: Mike Jones
PREDICTION
Both sides have struggled to string a decent set of results together this season and find themselves fighting to pull away from the drop zone. Sunderland sacked manager Steve Bruce on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Wigan and the Black Cats will travel to the Midlands without a leader in the dugout – something that could prove disastrous. Wolves are also in a slump and need to start being more ruthless at home having lost three out of six at Molieneux. This could be considered a game that will shape both clubs seasons going into the festive period.
Blackburn manager Steve Kean is confident that his side can get the necessary points to avoid relegation this term, and feels that the club have been hard done by in some refereeing decisions this season.
The Ewood Park club sit bottom of the Premier League currently on 11 points, but showed resolve to get a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Boxing Day.
Despite acknowledging that his team were in a bad situation, the Scottish coach feels the Lancashire outfit will get out of the relegation mire.
“Of course we believe, absolutely no question,” he told Sky Sports.
“I believe even now, with our injuries, we can go back and look at some real tough decisions.
“I know everybody can do this, but we can go back and look at a last-minute penalty against Norwich, a last-minute penalty against Everton.
“There have been a number of games where we have just fallen the wrong side of decisions.
“I think we should already have six or seven more points, even though we have got so many defenders out injured.
“We are really confident if we have a good transfer window, which I am sure we will, and get these defenders back, then we will really fly out of the blocks in the second part of the season,” he concluded.
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Blackburn face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday to complete 2011’s fixture list.