Despite having signed two centre-backs over the summer, speculation persists that Arsene Wenger is looking to add another option to the heart of the Arsenal defence.
French pair Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci both arrived before the season began. The jury is still out on them, especially the signing of Koscielny, who at £8.45million did not come cheaply. Both players may yet come into their own and at first glance, they appear to be better than some of Wenger’s options in the centre of defence last season, although neither has made anything like the same instant impact as did Thomas Vermaelen last term.
In the meantime, Wenger remains linked to additional centre-backs. While the focus of the summer speculation centered on France, the latest rumours surround German centre-backs. In particular, Werder Bremen ‘s Per Mertesacker has cropped up again as a possible signing. In addition, Schalke’s Benedikt Howedes appears to be in the frame.
So, if Wenger is to bring either Mertesacker or Howedes to Arsenal, who would be the better option for the Gunners?
Click here to see IM Scoutings analysis of which centre half provides the better option for Arsene Wenger
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Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa has stated that he was glad to get a rare start against Arsenal on Monday night, and is eyeing a regular place in the team.
The France international attacker has suffered with long-standings injuries since moving to Tyneside, but scored the Toon’s opener against Arsene Wenger’s men on Monday night’s 2-1 defeat.
Ben Arfa was disappointed with losing the game, but from a personal perspective wants to play on a more regular basis.
“It was a good goal from me, but we lost, so it doesn’t mean anything,” he told The Sun.
“I am very disappointed and in the next game, we have to win. We have 10 games left now and we have to be prepared to achieve something at the end of the season.
“I was very happy to start and I am very happy to be on the pitch. I hope to do much more for the team when I am on the pitch. I am doing everything I can.
“I want to start games — every player wants that. Now I start it is good, I hope I keep going to play more and more for the team between now and the end of the season,” he confessed.
Meanwhile, Geordie boss Alan Pardew is hopeful that Cheik Tiote will be fit to face Norwich this weekend.
“Cheick had cramp,” Pardew told the Evening Chronicle.
“We had no subs left, and we were losing bodies. Demba Ba, for example, could hardly move.
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“We’re just hoping it was a bit of cramp,” he concluded.
Sergio Aguero , Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez , Juan Mata and Yann M’Vila are just some of the names that Liverpool have been linked with in recent months. For any Reds fan, such names sound exciting but I feel we have to be realistic about the sort of players that will arrive at Anfield in the summer.
Due to the fact that Liverpool will not be in the Champions League or possibly Europe at all next season, it means our sights have to be lowered somewhat. In the case of somebody like Kun Aguero who is expected to leave Atletico Madrid in the summer, the Argentine’s price tag alone of £40m+ will be enough to put off the Reds. On others such as Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata, price would not be an issue but it will necessarily come down to the specific aims and desires of the players themselves.
For Eden Hazard for example, he has stated recently that he doesn’t want to move to Real Madrid because he fears he wouldn’t get a first team place at the Bernabeu. A potential opportunity for the Reds to exploit then, but Hazard then goes on to explain that Inter or Arsenal would be his preferred destination. Places where he can get first team football but also, crucially, play in the Champions League like he can with Lille next season.
A similar problem would most probably arise when trying to purchase Juan Mata. The Spanish playmaker is a player I have long admired, but if the reports are true that Manchester City are indeed interested, the Reds may have little chance of acquiring the Valencia midfielder. City can offer more money and Champions League football next season, while we would have to hope that our history and stature alone could attract the player. The same could be said of another winger Alexis Sanchez who is also attracting interest from Eastlands.
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At the end of the day, Director of Football Damien Comolli has been tasked with the responsibility of bringing players in who are good value for money. The task will be to find players, near to Hazard, Mata and Sanchez’s abilities, but who are valued at less money and are more likely to come. For that reason, the Reds have also been linked with the likes of Ashley Young , Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Marko Marin, Eljero Elia, Iker Muniain and Blaise Matuidi in recent months. Players not necessarily less sought after but more likely to move to Liverpool due to their own contract situations or the circumstances at their own clubs. Young and Downing’s Aston Villa are currently 13th, Adam’s Blackpool are 18th, Marin’s Werder Bremen finished 13th, Elia’s Hamburg finished 8th, Muniain’s Bilbao are in 6th with Matuidi’s St Etienne lying 8th in Ligue One.
Pepe Reina mentioned yesterday that he had spoken to Damien Comolli:
“Recently I have talked with Comolli, asking about the future, and I believe in the club and this project. I am happy here. We know how much work there is to be done, but I believe we are in the right place and we are going in the right direction. Next season will be more positive. The quicker we improve, the better for the club, but we cannot change overnight. The owners are preparing a big summer and hopefully the players that come in will improve the squad.”
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It is clear he wanted to be reassured about the targets the club were pursuing before committing his future. It would be interesting to know what Comolli and Dalglish have in store for the summer but my instincts tell me that the list more like resembles the ones I have listed second, rather the first list at the top of the article. What do you think?
Tonight sees Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham side head to the San Siro for a Champion’s League clash with the current holders Inter Milan. Not a man to be intimidated by such a situation, Redknapp has spoken out regarding his confidence in the team. “We’ve got a lot of players here who could play for any club,” Redknapp told the Daily Mail. “There are an awful lot of them who could. You’ve seen their performances. That includes the left back (Benoit Assou-Ekotto) who you don’t hear much about but has everything to be as good a left back as there is around”. This confidence is not without its basis: as things currently stand Tottenham are nestled 5th in the Premiership Table neck-on-neck in points with their top-four rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.
So how does Harry see the future of Tottenham? “I think Tottenham may be one or two big signings away from being a team that could win the championship… one or two players in the right positions – and I’m talking about two top, top players in the right positions.” The man’s not lacking in any optimism then.
But does he have a point? As things stand Tottenham have a solid well organised squad who have managed to develop a consistency that has been lacking within a Spurs team for quite some time. Then there’s van der Vaart who made a storming start to his Spurs career, one that is sure to continue on his return from injury. If you add a couple of world class players to this squad, you’d have to put it up there with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, if not Chelsea.
That’s the flipside. Whilst Chelsea seem favourites to win the League, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place are up for grabs this season in a way that they haven’t be for quite some time. Winning the Premiership just seems like such a long shot for any team that isn’t Chelsea right now. Of course the footballing landscape will change a great deal over the next couple of years and anything could happen. But it strikes me that a more realistic target is to become a regular member of the Top 4. With a couple of good signings and Redknapp’s managerial nous, Spurs fans should soon find themselves accustomed to big European matches like the one they are anticipating tonight on a season-by-season basis. When they find themself in this situation, it will be the perfect platform to launch a prolonged title challenge. Let’s not forget that given Redknapp’s interest in the England job, he may not be around in a couple of years time to marshall Spur’s title challenge. This is why it’s essential that Spurs develop the consistency we attribute to teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and used to attribute to Liverpool.
I don’t wish to sound overly pessimistic. I realise that this Tottenham side has come a long way under Redknapp. The Premiership Title is no longer such a distant dream. I just think we’ll be in a much better position to discuss Tottenham’s title credentials are come this season’s end.
If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter.
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Patrice Evra has bemoaned Manchester United’s injury list, with nine first-team players currently unavailable for selection.
The French defender is the Premier League champions’ captain in the absence of Nemanja Vidic, and he has applauded the Red Devils’ squad for pulling through with a lot of senior players on the treatment table.
“I don’t know what is happening, I think someone is doing some voodoo on us,” he is reported to have said in Mirror Football.
“It’s amazing how many injuries we’ve had. I see many teams complaining about the injuries they have but, for us, it has been amazing.
“To lose a player like Nemanja Vidic for the season… yet we’ve coped with that.
“I think to get so close to Manchester City, given the injuries we have had, shows we have really good spirit in the team.
“That’s the most important thing and that’s the culture of the club – no matter what happens, we don’t like to have excuses.
“I just say ‘Well done’ to every player but the job is not finished. The most important part is still to come,” he concluded.
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Vidic, Anders Lindegaard, Darren Fletcher, Chris Smalling, Michael Owen, Nani, Tom Cleverley, Anderson and Phil Jones are all not available for selection for United’s game against Liverpool on Saturday.
Sporting Braga manager Domingos Paciencia was delighted with his side’s progression to the Europa League final on Thursday.The Liga Sagres outfit won through to their first European final after a 1-0 second-leg win against Benfica which gave them a 2-2 aggregate result, progressing on away goals.
They will face another Portuguese side, Porto, in the final in Dublin on May 18 and Paciencia sang the praises of his players after reaching the showpiece event.
“I’m happy for the squad, it’s a fantastic group,” Paciencia said.
“They are great professionals and have reason to be proud. It’s unique to be in a final.”
Braga defensive midfielder Custodio won the tie for his side with his 18th-minute header but afterwards he played down his personal performance, insisting it had been a team effort.
“I’m no hero. We all are heroes – those who played, those who stayed on the bench, those who stayed in the stands, the fans,” Custodio said.
“There are no words to describe how we are feeling. It’s fantastic. I want to dedicate this to our families. We will play to win the final. It’s our ambition. We are true warriors.”
Benfica boss Jorge Jesus blamed his side’s failure to convert their chances as the reason why they missed the chance to take on rivals Porto in the final.
Javier Saviola hit the post in the first half and missed a gilt-edged chance with 10 minutes remaining, while Alan Kardec had a header cleared off the line on the verge of injury time.
“We didn’t get lucky,” Jesus said.
“We had several chances and we couldn’t manage to score. The Braga goalkeeper (Artur) was inspired and denied us some chances. We are disappointed.”
Benfica defender Jardel said his side did not deserve to make the final as the disappointment of defeat lingered.
“We’re very sad. We didn’t deserve to go out like this for all that we achieved in the competition until now. Unfortunately we couldn’t score,” Jardel said.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was always confident that Dimitar Berbatov would hit top form following his stunning hat-trick in Sunday's 3-2 win over arch-rivals Liverpool.
The Bulgarian, who has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford since he arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008, nodded the side in front before doubling their advantage with an audacious overhead kick.
Steven Gerrard's penalty and free-kick tied things up, but Berbatov had the last laugh as he glanced home John O'Shea's centre to seal the three points and Ferguson praised his efforts while suggesting it would have been a travesty if the Merseysiders left with a positive result.
"He had a lot of criticism last season from the media and that happens when we buy a player for a lot of money and he's not scoring a hat-trick in every game," Ferguson said.
"That's the way of the world for some players who come here. This season he's started off in the right fashion. His pre-season training was very good and his pre-season tour was very good.
"He has carried that on and I have never had any doubt about the quality of the man, and you've seen it again today."
"From a game of saying to myself, is it going to be 10 we end up 2-2 and it was a travesty of a scoreline, but a great result at the end of the day.
"They didn't offer anything really and had to depend on decisions from the linesman to get back in the game.
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"Edwin (Van der Sar) had not had a save to make and Scholes was controlling the centre of midfield.
"We were looking dangerous up front, with Berbatov and Nani, in particular, and I couldn't see us losing the game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The trials and tribulations of Liverpool Football Club over the past few decades has certainly meant that the club has had its fair share of players that have adorned cult hero status. But what is a ‘cult’ hero though? It’s a difficult thing to define, but more often than not, it’s a player that rarely meets expectations yet is adored by the terraces for the rare occasions that he reminds us that he’s still a professional footballer. Full-blooded commitment to the cause, eccentric characters and the ability to do something unexpectedly and inexplicably out of character in its importance are often essential ingredients in making up a cult hero.
Here are a list of 10 that plied their trade for Liverpool at one time or another in no discernable order. If there is anyone that you think is more deserving of a place on this list than the ones that I’ve chosen? Post your comments below.
Click on the image below to see the Top 10 Liverpool Cult Heroes
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West Ham head to Eastlands on Sunday knowing the writing is on the wall for their future in the top flight.The Hammers are bottom of the league and have lost their last four matches.
City are fourth, four points clear of Tottenham. They maintained their push for a Champions League spot with a 1-0 win over Blackburn on Monday.
It was also their 15th clean sheet, the equal best in the division, with Manchester United and Chelsea. City have also conceded only 30 goals, just three more than Chelsea.
Spurs are at Chelsea on Saturday and Arsenal face leaders Manchester United on Sunday. If all three games go to form, City would be seven points clear of Tottenham with four games to play and just two points behind the Gunners with a game in hand.
West Ham, meanwhile, are looking worryingly at relegation to the Championship following six seasons in the Premier League.
When the Hammers were last relegated, in 2003, they won three and drew one of their last four games but still went down.
They amassed 42 points that season but still could not avoid the drop. They have won just 13 of their 32 points away from Upton Park.
Manager Avram Grant cannot use Wayne Bridge at City as the defender is on loan from Eastlands and is ineligible.
Mark Noble, who damaged a stomach muscle in the 3-0 defeat at Chelsea, is out for three weeks while Scott Parker is also a likely absentee, meaning West Ham will be short of midfielders.
West Ham are hoping Matthew Upson recovers from the chest infection that ruled him out of the loss at Stamford Bridge.
Even owner David Sullivan fears the worst.
After City, West Ham face relegation rivals Blackburn and Wigan before finishing at home to Sunderland, who should have little riding on the game.
Sullivan added: “We still have at least a 25-30 per cent chance of staying up so all is not yet lost.”
City manager Roberto Mancini will have one eye on the FA Cup final at Wembley against Stoke City in two weeks.
Carlos Tevez is still receiving treatment for a hamstring injury and he has been given an ultimatum that he must return against Tottenham on May 10 if he is to be considered for the final.
One player keen to add to his match-winning performance against Blackburn will be striker Edin Dzeko.
The Bosnian will be keen to start against the Hammers and impress Mancini with the FA Cup showdown in mind.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has described his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger as a 'nutter', but says that he still gets on well with the Frenchman.
Redknapp was speaking of the changes in Wenger's demeanour on the touchlines, with the Gunners manager having long since cast off his image as a quiet, studious coach.
"When Arsene first came to England I remember reading articles and they said that he was like a professor watching the game," Redknapp said.
"All the other nutters were jumping up and down shouting and screaming, hollering and hooting – and this man is not like those idiots.
"He just sits there and is studying every move that goes on on the pitch like chess. They didn't lose a game all season.
"Now he has joined the nutters, you know. In fact, he is one of the key nutters. That is the tension that you are under. It has affected him now.
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"He is no longer sitting there now. He is up there arguing with everybody and gets into it all. I think he has changed. He was the quietest man of the lot at one point.
"I don't have any problems with him at all, he's always been good. Sometimes I go into his office at Arsenal."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email