When you think about the World Cup you automatically think of the best players in the world, competing against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
But there’ll be one notable absence in Brazil this summer, with Real Madrid and Wales’ Gareth Bale sitting out and watching almost all of his team mates from the comfort of his sofa in his luxury villa in Madrid.
The chances of Wales reaching a World Cup soon are slim, but that doesn’t stop the former Tottenham midfielder dreaming of representing his country at a World Cup finals at some point in his career.
“For any footballer, they would love to play at the World Cup finals and obviously it’s not going to happen for me!” Bale said.
“But it’s obviously a massive goal of mine and of the whole team and something we’re trying to achieve soon.
“Every player wants to win trophies and for me that’s the first thing I want to do, and to be able to qualify and play in the World Cup… realistically I don’t think we’d win it but it would be great just to be there to experience it and create history for our country.”
And Bale believes Wales have a chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, particularly with other top class talents in the side like Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies.
“We’ve got a great group of young players coming through at the moment and we’ve all been together for quite a few years now,” he added.
“So we’re learning all the time and working hard together and hopefully we can get that little bit of luck with injuries and stuff so we can keep getting everyone out on the pitch.
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“It’s exciting times and hopefully we can do the job on the pitch.”
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When news broke of Fabio Borini’s broken foot last week, most Liverpool fans were surprisingly accepting of the situation. There was almost an air of inevitability about it.
Following the deadline day debacle, and the fact Liverpool were entering a Premier League season with just two senior strikers available to Brendan Rodgers, it seemed almost typically inevitable and cruel that one was going to suffer a bad injury.
It’s been in keeping with the fortunes and bad luck Liverpool have endured for the past 18 months, although without meaning to be cruel to Borini, the one saving grace was that at least it wasn’t Luis Suarez (touch wood).
On the day Borini suffered his injury, I had written how the influx of young talent at Anfield had gone some way to masking Liverpool’s lack of strikers. A couple of hours later Borini broke his foot. I am just praying following the publication of this article there is no announcement regarding the health of Luis Suarez.
Liverpool do look horribly short up top now, but one thing they must not do is attempt to rush the young Italian back too quick. It has been something we have seen at Anfield in the past, and it has come back to haunt the club and the players involved later on down the line.
Gerard Houllier attempted to rush back Michael Owen from a bad hamstring injury he picked up at Leeds in 1998. Liverpool were suffering from a lack of strikers back then aswell, and the French coach was desperate for his main goal scorer to return to the fold. Owen’s lack of a full recovery programme saw him break down with the same problem time and again. How much of an effect that has had on his career will never be fully known, although I am willing to bet it’s a pretty large chunk.
Rafael Benitez endured the same predicament on a couple of occasions during his time in the Anfield hot seat. His attempt to rush back Czech forward Milan Baros during the 2004-2005 season backfired. Djibril Cisse was out for the for seeable future with a horrific leg break, so Baros remained the one available senior striker.
Benitez was desperate to get Baros back in time for the famous Champions League game with Olympiakos (‘what a hit son’, and all that.) Having been rushed back for the game, Baros limped out after 70-odd minutes and spent the rest of season playing through the pain barrier. He was in and out of the side as Liverpool regretted not allowing him a full recovery programme.
Fernando Torres was exactly the same. Having been rushed back from a hamstring injury picked up on international duty, the Spaniard continued to break down, and one could argue has not looked the same player since.
Is this just a Liverpool thing though? Those three examples does beg the question as to why the Reds always seem to be so short of strikers, and does make you bemoan their wretched luck.
But when big players suffer injuries, is there too much pressure to get them back quickly rather than wait that bit longer to ensure their recovery is complete?
Wayne Rooney was afforded the full recovery time for the nasty injury he picked up earlier in the season and has been bedded back into the Manchester United team slowly. That is understandable as United have the likes of Robin Van Persie, Danny Welback and Javier Hernandez available as cover. It all depends on your squad size and the resources available to you. And Liverpool are extremely short at the moment.
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Liverpool’s medical staff will be under big pressure to get Fabio Borini back in the fold sooner rather than later, due to the somewhat ridiculous lack of resources available to Brendan Rodgers. Whilst this is not a muscle injury that would be more complicated, it is still crucial Borini is allowed to complete the full recovery programme in order to avoid problems further down the line.
In the mean time, youngsters the like of Adam Morgan, Dani Pacheco and Samed Yesil will have to step forward. It is not ideal, but what other choice does Rodgers have?
It is crucial he does not bow to the pressure of bringing Borini back too quickly, for the player and the teams long term benefit. Liverpool have seen it happen too many times before, and you just hope the lessons have been learnt.
Tottenham fans have been reacting to the latest transfer links, after a report claimed they will finally make a formal offer for Morgan Sanson.
According to La Provence, Spurs are one of several teams interest in a summer swoop for Sanson.
The report claims Marseille are worried about losing their midfield maestro, but will not do business for less than €30m (about £26.5m).
Arsenal were also mentioned in the report, but Spurs are the team most seriously chasing his signature.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
The French midfielder, who can do a little bit of everything in the middle of the park, could be a direct replacement for Mousa Dembele, who seems almost certain to leave North London.
Valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the 23 year-old scored nine goals in 33 league appearances last season, while also averaging 1.9 tackles per game and 1.1 key passes per game.
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Spurs have been linked with the French youngster for quite some time, and the report from La Provence claims they could finally make their move in the coming weeks.
Fans are completely split on the reports, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, Manchester United are lining up a £50m summer move for Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford if David De Gea leaves to join Real Madrid at the end of the season, and Red Devils fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.
The Sun on Sunday says that United are expecting the La Liga giants to once again try and bring the 27-year-old back to Spain having targeted him on numerous occasions in recent years, and if the stopper does go then Jose Mourinho’s men already have their contingency plan in place.
They want to snap up Pickford, who has impressed following his move from Sunderland last June despite the fact that the Merseyside outfit have conceded 45 goals in 26 Premier League matches so far this term, including five in the 5-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.
Man United supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one labelled him as “overrated”, another simply said “no thanks”.
Liverpool’s Kolo Toure has been the Premier League’s laughing stock for some time now, but last night he took his comedy value to a completely new level.
The Red’s 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, which put them within four points of league leaders Chelsea, should have been the major talking point of the evening’s Premier League fixtures.
But instead, in true Kolo Toure fashion, it was the Ivorian defender who stole the headlines with two moments of madness.
Firstly, he sliced a clearance in to his own net to give Fulham a 1-0 lead. Then he somehow managed to take out referee Phil Dowd in what has to be the most bizarre incident seen on a football pitch for some time.
In the words of Miley Cyrus, he came in like a wrecking ball…
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Real Madrid’s 21-year-old winger Denis Cheryshev is being target by Premier League new boys Reading after the Royals sent scouts to the Spanish capital, according to the Daily Mail.
Cheryshev played for Real Madrid’s first team during pre-season but now features for their second side, Castilla in the Spanish second division. Reading have had scouts monitor the Russian as one of many January options and a loan deal could be on the cards come the new year.
Reading are currently bottom of the Premier League, but they may well look to add more quality to their squad after Christmas and owner Anton Zingarevich has confirmed not only their interest in Cheryshev but also that they have a few players on trial.
Royals’ owner Zingarevich said: “Our scouts watched Cheryshev for Castilla against Barcelona B. Denis played 20 minutes.”
“I’m not guaranteeing that he will go to Reading, but it’s possible. And Denis knows about it.”
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As reported by Spanish outlet Marca, Newcastle are interested in bringing Sporting striker Bas Dost to St James’ Park this summer, but face competition from Sevilla and Everton.
What’s the story?
The Magpies did excellently on their return to the English Premier League last season, but often lacked a cutting edge in the final third, with their recognised strikers struggling to perform consistently across the campaign.
If they’re to improve on their 10th placed finish next term, they need to bring in more potent attackers.
One player on their radar is Netherlands international Bas Dost.
That’s according to Marca, who report that both Newcastle and Everton want to bring him to the English top-flight this summer, but face a significant fight from La Liga side Sevilla, who are planning to negotiate his transfer.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
Should Newcastle sign him?
Dost is coming off the back of a sensational season in the Portuguese top-flight with Sporting, scoring 27 goals in league action and another six in all competitions for a total of 33. That’s no fluke either, with an incredible 36 goal return in the season prior.
That kind of clinical finishing from a poacher is something the Magpies badly need, who don’t lack for industrious and at times ambitious midfield play from the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez.
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With strong competition coming from other sides with big ambitions, Newcastle should waste no time in making a move for the striker, who could be available on the cheap given Sporting’s troubles with supporters at the tail-end of last season.
As signings go, he might be one of the best available in the summer.
Sky Bet have shortened Everton’s odds of signing Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy to 8/1.
What’s the latest?
Ever since Vardy played a major role in helping Leicester lift the Premier League title in the 2015-16 season, the striker’s stock has risen.
During the campaign, which stunned the football world, the former non-league player netted 24 goals and became the league’s first player to score in 11 consecutive matches.
Despite committing to the Foxes following the club’s shock title win, numerous clubs continue to be linked to the forward.
Who wants him now?
All of the league’s big boys – Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea – have been linked with Vardy at one time or another.
Now, the bookies believe that if the striker does decide to move from the King Power Stadium, Everton might be his next destination.
Sky Bet have made the Toffees outside favourites to nab Vardy’s signature at 8/1, with United next in line at 16/1 with Ladbrokes.
The Merseyside outfit have struggled in front of goal this season, scoring just 25 in 23 league games.
Is Vardy a decent option?
On his own, the England international would be a positive signing for the misfiring Toffees.
The club, though, have already recruited Turkish forward Cenk Tosun and Arsenal star Theo Walcott, which would make the arrival of Vardy that much more exciting.
Former Everton boss Ronald Koeman failed to replace Romelu Lukaku last summer when the Belgian left for Manchester United.
Sam Allardyce, who replaced the Dutchman in November, has moved quickly to try to solve the issue by bringing in two attacking stars.
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Tosun is unproven in the Premier League, but Walcott has scored more than 100 goals in England and his ability to play anywhere across the front three gives Allardyce options.
If the club throw in Vardy as well, then Everton’s problems up front are sure to be over.
Manchester United boss David Moyes pulled the plug on an £18million move for Benfica defender Ezequiel Garay to Old Trafford, according to the Argentine, reports the Daily Mail.
Moyes’ predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson, was a keen admirer of Garay, and it was taken for granted that the defender would move to Manchester as Fergie went about strengthening the back-four.
The formerly reliable pair of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are both growing old and appear to be unable to play a long series of consecutive games. The emerging talents of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have shown signs of solidity, but the youngsters have failed to provide the champions with consistency.
Garay himself thought his time in Portugal was up, but claims Moyes was unwilling to pay Benfica’s asking price.
“I believed I was going to join Manchester United in the summer. The deal was nearly closed but finally Benfica did not accept the offer,” he said.
“I believe the exit of Ferguson has influenced the deal.”
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A possible explanation for Moyes’ reluctance to splash money on the defender is that he has identified the midfield as his team’s weak link. Despite struggling to bring in new arrivals in the summer, there are increasing reports suggesting that the Red Devils will spend big come January.
However, it seems Garay will not appear in the Premier League, as Barcelona are inclined to bring him in as a replacement for the ageing Carlos Puyol.
Wayne Rooney has said that he does not “want to be making the wrong type of headlines” in his first game as England captain tonight.
It had been rumoured earlier this week that the Manchester United star would wear the captain’s armband. Rooney takes the role becuase of regular captain Steven Gerrard’s suspension from the match. Additionally, Frank Lampard, who would have been a prime candidate for the captaincy, is injured.
With tonight’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino looming, Rooney says that while he doubts he will change his atttitude in his role as captain, he wants to avoid making silly mistakes.
“I don’t think I’m going to change my attitude because I’m wearing the armband. I’m quite vocal on the pitch and my determination can hopefully help the team. But I don’t want to be making the wrong type of headlines and missing games I don’t want to be missing,” he said.
He also regrets being sent off in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro which saw him banned for two of the competition’s group stage games.
“What happened in Montenegro was stupid. I regretted it as soon as I’d done it. It won’t be happening again, I can promise.
“I’ve matured more as a player and a person. I have cut out a lot of the silly tackles and mistakes I made as a young player.”
Rooney, who has appeared as captain in some Manchester United matches, including in the Champions League says he is proud to take on the role.
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“It is a great honour. I’m really proud and excited. It will be a big night for me and my family. It’s a big challenge for myself,” he added.
Tonight’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino kicks off at 8.00 pm at Wembley Stadium.