Transfer insider Dean Jones isn’t sure whether Leon Bailey will be at Aston Villa next season.
The lowdown
Villa paid £28.8m to sign the 24-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen just last summer. That made him the third-biggest signing in the club’s history, behind Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins, but the winger hasn’t been able to make too much of an impact up to this point.
Having struggled to stay fit, he has started only four Premier League matches, making a further eight appearances from the bench (totalling 472 minutes).
The Jamaican’s solitary Villa goal so far came in the 3-0 win over Everton in September, although he has also provided two assists.
The latest
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones suggested that Villa might let Bailey leave after just 12 months if the right offer arrives at the club’s door.
The journalist admitted: “Bailey I’m not so sure about. I think that he really could be moved on in the summer in the right circumstances.”
The verdict
It’s worth remembering just how good Bailey was at Leverkusen last season. He scored 15 goals and laid on 11 assists in all competitions, and with that kind of return, he looked like a real coup for Villa at the time.
Back in September, then-manager Dean Smith outlined his expectation that the 24-year-old would be a ‘crowd favourite’ at Villa Park.
According to Transfermarkt, Bailey had only missed 13 games through injury across his entire career before he moved to England, which should surely give Villa hope that he can overcome the problems he has encountered this season.
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Despite Jones casting some doubt over the Jamaican’s future in the Midlands, the winger deserves more time to prove his worth to Steven Gerrard.
In other news, one player on Villa’s books has suffered a major setback
Daniel Agger was not included in Liverpool’s matchday squad for the 1-0 victory over Gomel on Thursday night, with the player’s agent confirming that the defender is not injured.
The Denmark international has grown into an important player in the Merseyside club’s set-up in recent seasons, and his absence in Belarus has come as a source of surprise.
Agent Per Steffensen has admitted that he is unsure of the reason behind the central defender’s omission, but that the player is happy with Brendan Rodgers’ men.
“He is not injured in any way,” Steffensen told Politiken, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“Only the club and the manager can answer to why he is not in the squad.
“But the reports of Agger handing in a transfer request are purely nonsense. He is very happy at Liverpool.”
Agger is currently under contract until the summer of 2014 at Anfield.
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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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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has taken plenty of firepower to Greece for his side’s Europa League clash against Aris Salonika.
Strikers Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko have all travelled to Greece for the round of 32 first leg, while there could be a return for midfielder Michael Johnson after 15 months out through injury.
Balotelli has been out since December 28 with a knee injury. He has scored three goals in just two Europa League games this season.
Dzeko has only one goal since his 27-million-pound move from Wolfsburg last month, although he did set up City’s goal against Manchester United on Saturday after his shot was deflected in by team-mate David Sliva.
Tevez’s inclusion is a sign of the seriousness with which Roberto Mancini is taking the competition.
Mancini has problems in midfield for the clash with James Milner and Nigel de Jong both sidelined.
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Milner picked up an injury in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at United while De Jong will miss out because of an ankle problem.
Lionel Messi has turned his nose up to teams that solely play for the purpose of victory. The Argentinian forward believes that football should only be about the fun of it and not winning. But surely football is about winning? Why do teams sign the best players and fight for the title every season if they’re just playing for the fun of it? Take Manchester City winning the Premier League title over Manchester United last season, that last day, no one could have ever imagined what happened prior that day, but it turned out to be one of the best Premier League seasons of all time because of the competition involved. Is that not why people play competitive sports? To win? Or have I got it all wrong?
The iconic 24 year old has remarked that “Football is a game, I’m trying to have fun on the pitch, always just to play.” Arguably the best footballer in the world has uttered those words all football fans dread to hear ‘Football is just a game’. In a literal sense, yes football is just a game but mentally football is much more than just a game. Its a business and to some fans football is their biggest passion. We weep, risk relationships, forge lifelong relationships and walk around feeling 10ft tall all because of 22 sweating men. It’s difficult to understand how a world class player like Messi considers football as just a game after being named 2012’s highest paid footballer with massive earnings this year of a whopping £27.5m. It is understandable that he plays football for the fun of it, but surely he can’t consider it as just a game?
Messi tried to reiterate that he would rather play well than to win, and that winning is not everything in football. Okay it’s not everything, but is still a huge aspect of the game. “For them, it’s more important to win than to play well” but in competitive football, winning a game is the most important isn’t it? Thats how you become the best. Why do we have various competitions throughout the game if it’s not about winning? The FA Cup, The Carling Cup, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, Champions League and Europa League are all examples of external competitions that teams compete in to win a trophy prize not to mention international competitions. Messi must not have cared or worried when he missed that penalty for Barcelona in last year’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, because at least he was having fun.
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Winning does matter in football, it’s the whole reason why it is a competitive sport. Teams win to win titles and promotion and teams win to avoid relegation it works both ways. But maybe when you are the best player in the world playing for one of the best teams in the world you don’t have to worry about winning. Because Messi is naturally talented and Barcelona have a squad of quality players so it’s natural for them to win and when they don’t, it hardly plays an effect on their position.
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.
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier expects his new signings to have a continued impact at the club.
Record signing Darren Bent scored on debut against Manchester City on Saturday, while Tottenham loan signing Kyle Walker also scored on his first Villa appearance against Sheffield United in the FA Cup win two weeks ago.
“The signings gave us a bit of a buzz about the place,” Houllier said.
“The first signing was Kyle Walker who couldn’t play against Man City because he had a back problem. It happened on Friday in training.”
“We thought he would be OK but he couldn’t make it. Kyle started with us at Sheffield and practically with the first movement he had he scored a goal.”
“It was Darren’s first game for us and he scored. The luck went right to the end. The spirit and heart is very important.”
Walker is available again after his back problem and striker Emile Heskey returns after completing a three-game suspension.
Houllier could introduce another new face to his squad on Tuesday, if six-million-pound Lyon signing Jean Makoun features, but with the team’s form on the rise he will have to be at the top of his game to force his way into the side.
“I said if we can stick together things can happen. If Jean Makoun plays against Wigan, he’s got pressure on his shoulders.”
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One man who has not been involved in recent weeks is full-back Stephen Warnock, the 29-year-old’s former club, Liverpool, is believed to be interested in re-signing the left-back but Houllier insists that he has not received any bids for the player.
“He trained on Saturday,” said Houllier. “I’m not his agent, he’s an Aston Villa player at the moment. He’s not involved, but who knows what can happen tomorrow?”
Chelsea are thought to be the frontrunners to sign Inter right-back Maicon, according to The Daily Mail.
The Brazil international only has one year to run on his current deal with the San Siro club, and the Serie A side are thought to be keen to offload him to lower their wage bill.
Real Madrid were initially believed to be interested in the South American full-back, but have baulked at Inter’s £6 million valuation of the 30-year-old.
With Jose Mourinho’s men out of the reckoning, Chelsea are ready to launch a bid for Maicon, who they see as a replacement for Jose Bosingwa.
The Portuguese full-back left Stamford Bridge on a free transfer earlier this summer, with Mathieu Debuchy also being speculated as a possible target for Roberto Di Matteo’s men.
However, the France international is also subject of interest from Newcastle, as a move away from Lille seems likely this summer.
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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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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.
[youtube KLT5W6oImZI]
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!
Since Alan Pardew replaced Chris Hughton as Newcastle manager, he has put one task at the top of his list: to sign players to long-term contracts. In recent weeks Steven Taylor, Mike Williamson and Nile Ranger have all signed new contracts, and at the weekend they were joined by starlet Haris Vuckic who signed a new five-and-a-half year deal to keep him at St James’ Park until 2016. This is an admirable move by Pardew as now these players won’t be lost on the cheap, but will any of these starlets make their mark at Newcastle United?
Let’s start with Steven Taylor. Taylor has been around for quite a while, but he’s still only 24 and should have a long future in football at the top level ahead of him. Those inspiring performances for the England U21s can still be repeated, and don’t forget he played an important part in Newcastle’s promotion winning season before he got injured. This could be the one thing that holds Taylor back: injuries. They seem to have blighted his career, but now he’s fit and raring to go (as long as the injury he suffered against West Ham isn’t serious) and has been given a starting berth by Pardew. A fit and firing Taylor should really be on the fringes of the England squad, so can he become a rock in the Newcastle defence and even long term captain? Absolutely.
With Alan Pardew selecting Steven Taylor as Fabricio Coloccini’s central defensive partner for the meantime, it has meant that Mike Williamson has had to make way. Williamson has been immense since he joined around one year ago, and looked pretty solid alongside Colo at the heart of the Newcastle defence. Aged 27, Williamson should be coming into his peak and his towering presence at the back could be invaluable for Newcastle. However, if Pardew doesn’t really like the look of him, which is what it seems from the outside, then maybe he’ll have to rely on another Taylor injury to get his place back. If he has the bad luck that saw Stevenage’s opener deflect in off him on Saturday for the rest of his Newcastle career, then maybe it won’t be such a fruitful one despite early promise.
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Another player that seems to be getting on the wrong side of Pardew is Nile Ranger. Ranger is one of the most exciting prospects at Newcastle right now. He has most of the attributes to be a top striker: pace and power especially, but maybe he’s lacking a couple of the most important facets needed to be a Premier League hotshot. His finishing still leaves much to be desired, something demonstrated against West Ham, but maybe more worrying is his attitude off the pitch. He infamously had personal problems at Southampton, but it was thought he’d left them behind at St James’. However, Pardew has already commented about a lack of professionalism, something he can still rectify at the age of 19. Ranger can be as good as he wants to be, it really is up to him…
Finally we have Haris Vuckic. Every Newcastle fan will know just how much hype there is surrounding the 18 year old Slovenian international. Let’s face it; hype is all it is at the moment. Unless you’re a regular watcher of the Newcastle reserves all you will have seen of Vuckic is a few senior appearances in which he’s played well, but hasn’t really made you stand up and take notice. The talk surrounding Vuckic is all promising, with Pardew saying that “Haris is a player with real potential who we believe could have an exciting future here at Newcastle.” As long as Newcastle can fight off any potential interest and give him the game time he needs to develop, Vuckic’s contract could be the most important deal of the four.
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Steven Taylor, Mike Williamson, Nile Ranger and Haris Vuckic. Four players who have all signed new long-term deals at Newcastle. In my eyes Taylor is a potential captain and Vuckic could be the spark they need in years to come, whereas Williamson will only ever be a squad player and Ranger will flatter to deceive. But what do you think? How will these four fare in years to come in a black and white shirt?
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