It has been a week of claims and counter claims that has seen Liverpool owners past and present on the defensive. In the eyes of most supporters neither Moores nor Hicks have come up smelling of roses and there is a real view that there is a summer of discontent in store at Anfield this summer.
This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of Liverpool blogs which has included…Liverpool set for transfer soap opera; Five Liverpool starlets set to make a breakthrough and Pepe Reina is the consummate pro who understands the English mentality.
Plus we have taken a look at the best Liverpool stories on the Web this week.
Pepe Reina – The consummate pro who understands our mentality
Liverpool fans set for another transfer soap opera?
Was David Moores’ decision to break silence REALLY a good move?
PL trio on alert as Mourinho’s arrival spells trouble for Diarra
Top FIVE Liverpool starlets set for breakthrough season?
Benitez vs Mourinho – wouldn’t Rafa be the wiser choice?
If the PL BIG Four were musical artists…
The FIVE strikers that could replace Torres this summer
Top TEN Scapegoats in the Premier League
Does Platini’s CL plan for the FA Cup warrant consideration?
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Best of Web
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Why a DIC Takeover would have spelt even greater disaster for Liverpool – Live4Liverpool
Rafa Benitez vs. Alex Ferguson – Transfer spending comparison (2004-2009) – Liverpool Kop
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LIVERPOOL FC: Five years, five times – Well Red
Oceans eleven versus Capellos? – This is Anfield
Academy Starlets on the brink of ruling Europe – Live4Liverpool
Little Red Shoots of Recovery – Kopblog
Liverpool’s summer of discontent – Times
How Rafa can build a £70M transfer war chest – Live4Liverpool
Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that veteran defender Rio Ferdinand still has a place in the Manchester United first-team, and that his experience will be vital in the club’s quest for honours this season.
The England international has had a frustrating start to the season,as niggling injuries have forced him to watch his side power to the top of the league from the sidelines.
Despite the performances of the team and other defenders in his absence, Ferguson still values Ferdinand as an important part of the United side.
“Rio’s [injury] record is fact. We wish it was better but we use him to our advantage when we have him available because you cannot dismiss the experience he brings,” he stated in a press conference.
“He missed a couple [of matches] after Bolton and one after West Brom but I don’t mind that because with the squad we have got we utilise him the way we want to.”
With the rise to prominence of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, and the ever-steady Jonny Evans also available, Ferdinand’s future has been put in doubt. However the Scottish coach believes that Ferdinand is still integral to the Red Devils squad.
“He walked through the game at Bolton. We are absolutely delighted with Smalling, Evans and Jones. The three of them have been absolutely magnificent. They are the long-term future.
“But there are occasions when you bring in the experience Rio offers because it does make a difference. The young players know that.
“They also know there will be a time when they are left out for the right reasons and knowing they will get better the next time they come in,” he concluded.
United take on Stoke at the Britannia in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, and will look to continue their flawless record in the Premier League.
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As a child, I can still distinctly remember being told by my dad about a young Northern Ireland midfielder named Paul McVeigh. Apparently, the young prodigy was mustard, and reminiscent of his countryman the late great George Best (sans the whisky). He could beat people for fun, me’old Dad told said, and was going to be a star! Unfortunately, this didn’t quite turn out to be the case…
Ever since, like many Tottenham fans, I am cynical whenever I hear about a youngster Tottenham are about to sign, or is emerging from the youth team, as it’s fair to say, over the years, there have been one too many Paul McVeighs…
So here they are in all their glory, the Tottenham wonder kids that never were, or as I like to call them, latter day John Bostocks…
Steffen Iversen
Iversen served the club well between 1996 and 2003, winning the League Cup with Tottenham in 1999, and was by no means a poor player. However, when Iversen signed for Spurs, it was viewed as a real coup. Iversen had scored 18 goals in 50 appearances for Rosenborg BK, and his contribution to their success led Spurs to spend £2.7m on the striker, with clubs all over Europe looking at the player. Despite a promising first season, where he scored six goals including a hat-trick against Sunderland at Roker Park, Iversen never became the goal scorer fans hoped. Injuries halted his progress, and Iversen failed to live up to the hype.
Jonathan Blondel
Blondel signed for Tottenham in August 2002, with Glenn Hoddle and David Pleat confirming they had convinced the young Belgian to sign for Spurs over Manchester United. Blondel’s signature was thus celebrated in North London as a major coup at the time. In hindsight, Blondel had only played 18 times for his club Royal Excelsior Mouscron, and despite his reputation and fee (Spurs had spent £800k on the youngster), he had only been playing in the Belgium league. Blondel was hyped as a skilful attacking midfielder that would soon be challenging the likes of Freund, Poyet and Anderton for places. In actual fact, Blondel would make just two substitute appearances, before being shipped off to Club Bruges. Spending £800k on a player, playing him twice, then allowing him to leave on a free two seasons later, may not make sense to most, but is classic Tottenham.
Helder Postiga
After José Mourinho took over the reigns as Porto manager, Postiga soon exploded onto the scene in Portugal. He scored 13 goals in their 2002–03 campaign, and before his twenty-first birthday had become a star in Portugal, earning a permanent slot in the Portuguese under-21 side. This prompted Glenn Hoddle to part with £6.25m to bring Helder to White Hart Lane, with much expected from the Portuguese. Hoddle told the official Spurs website:
“He is a player who will add definite striking quality to our squad and is a young player of proven ability… I’m sure our supporters will enjoy watching him over the coming seasons.”
Actually, Postiga would make only 12 full appearances and score just 2 goals with Spurs.
Well done Glenn.
Continued on Page TWO
Simon Davies and Matthew Etherington
Davies and Etherington are perhaps unfairly placed on this list, as it was not their fault that Championship Manager 1999/2000 had rendered the pair famous. On ‘Champ’, the Peterborough duo were awesome, (although Davies was always the better player for me), but hopefully, that’s not why George Graham departed with £700k to bring them to the club in December 1999.
The dreaded words ‘Manchester United’ and ‘trial’ can also be attributed here, as the pair were both given the once over (not like that, grow up) by Alex Ferguson. However, the boys ended up at White Hart Lane, and it was only a matter of time before they brought the title with them…
Unfortunately, Etherington turned out to have an inability to cross the ball, whilst Simon Davies could be blown away with a gust of wind. In the end the only thing that developed whilst the pair were at the Lane, was Etherington’s penchant for a flutter.
In fairness, both presently have careers with Premier League clubs, and Etherington is now cured of his afflictions after attending Tony Adams’ Sporting Chance Clinic. However, they remain yet two more examples of Tottenham wonder kids that never were…
Wayne Routledge
At the time most Spurs fans were probably thinking “Wow, if Simon Jordan is this hacked off about losing Routledge, he must simply be a super football player!” Now plying his trade with Premier League chasing Newcastle United, it is clear that Routledge didn’t quite live up to the hype.
The lad joined the Spurs from Crystal Palace for an ‘undisclosed fee’ in August 2005. However, the fee was supposedly just over £1m, and seeing as though Routledge helped Spurs win the Peace Cup pre-season, where the prize money was around £1m, technically he paid for himself.
Routledge was just 20 when he came to Spurs, and after creating 8 assists for Palace the season before, it was believed he would be just what Tottenham needed on the wing. After impressing in pre-season however, Routledge suffered a bad injury on the opening day of the season. A certain 17 year old Aaron Lennon came in to replace him, and Routledge never won his place back…
After a succession of loans at the likes of Portsmouth and Fulham, Routledge eventually left Spurs for Aston Villa in January 2008. After all the effort Tottenham had gone to, the wonder kid inside never materialized… perhaps Simon Jordan was right after all.
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Bobby Zamora
Zamora joined Glenn Hoddle’s Tottenham revolution in 2003 for a fee of £1.5m. Zamora had an excellent record in the lower leagues, his 70 goals in 119 league games helping Brighton and Hove Albion win back to back promotions to the Championship, or First Division as it was then.
Predictably, the Tottenham faithful didn’t take to the clumsy looking Zamora, and the fact that he had been highly rated before joining only added to the disappointment when he left the club, deemed failure.
Last season saw Zamora’s stock rise and an England call-up to boot, so Zamora is clearly not a bad player. However, at Tottenham, like so many before him, he failed to produce the goods.
Zamora left the club just 6 months after joining in January 2004, with Jermain Defoe coming the other way in an player-exchange plus cash deal with West Ham. Zamora managed just 16 league appearances, and managed just one goal… sighs.
Well, there you have it, a team of wonder kids who never quite did it for the super Spurs. With the likes of John Bostock doing their best to go the same way, there might well be more inclusions to add in a few years time. However, for now let’s push the doom and gloom out of our minds and believe that somewhere out there, the next Helder Postiga is ready and waiting to heed the Tottenham call…
You can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mark0turner
The English contingent at Liverpool have had a hard time of it of late. Think about Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson or Stewart Downing and the amount of criticism they’ve received over the past year and you realise that the club needs to start repairing its reputation for possessing quality home grown players like Steven Gerrard or Michael Owen that do the nation proud.
The road to redemption begins with the youngsters. The Reds have a number of talented youth prospects waiting in line, indeed the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing forced their way into the first team squad last year, while Raheem Sterling also made his debut. The most promising player of them all could be 18-year-old Jack Robinson though, who broke Max Thompson’s 26 year record as Liverpool’s youngest ever player when he came on as a substitute against Hull in 2010 aged just 16 years and 250 days.
It is testament to Robinson’s ability that he hadn’t even featured in the reserve side before Rafa Benitez thrust him into first team contention on that final day of the 2009/10 season and he’s continued his progression ever since. He made a smattering of appearances in the cup competitions in 2010/11, before making his second Premier League appearance against Arsenal off the bench after Fabio Aurelio inevitably picked up an injury. The two sides drew 1-1, but Robinson impressed all onlookers, coping with the pace of Theo Walcott down the right flank quite superbly for a man of such a tender age and he made his first start in the top flight against Birmingham shortly after.
Despite impressing Kenny Dalglish towards the back end of that season, he was restricted to just two senior appearances last year, both in the League Cup. The arrival of Jose Enrique meant Robinson was pushed down the pecking order, but he signed a new long term contract with the club in October nonetheless. The signs are more promising for 2012/12 though, as Fabio Aurelio, the second choice left back has left the club, meaning Robinson is now second choice in that position, fighting with the Spaniard Enrique for first team action. Considering he is just 18 (19 in September), that’s a significant responsibility taking his inexperience into account, but Brendan Rodgers appears to have faith in the young man’s ability, naming him on the bench for his first match in charge, the Europa League qualifier with FC Gomel.
It should be no surprise to anyone at Anfield that Robinson’s rise to the top has been so rapid. He’s been a regular through the England age groups, starring for the U19 side, making 12 appearances, while anyone who watches Liverpool reserves or the Youth Cup for the last couple of years can see that Robinson possesses the talent to go all the way. Like all modern full backs, he’s comfortable on the ball and has the ability to get forward to provide an attacking option, but unlike his right back colleague at Liverpool, Mr Glen Johnson, he’s solid defensively as well. He’s no slouch either, as Theo Walcott will testify. Watching him play can remind you of another English left back, who made the breakthrough early in his career and has gone on to become one of the best in the world in that position. Hopefully Robinson’s personality is a bit more likeable than Ashley Cole’s though.
With Cole still performing at the highest level and Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand waiting in the wings, the Three Lions aren’t short of quality down the left hand side. However, Robinson seems certain to add his name to that list before too long if he continues his current development. It might be better for his career if he was to play regularly elsewhere this season, rather than providing backup to Jose Enrique, indeed Derby manager Nigel Clough has already expressed an interest in taking the player on a temporary deal. For the time being, Robinson remains at Anfield and you know that he won’t let anyone down if he’s called into action. Who knows, he might even claim the first team spot for himself.
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Rafael Van Der Vaart is hungry. He wants the ball all the time. This is undoubtedly an excellent quality in a player. Because of Van der Vaart’s appetite and his status within the Tottenham Hotspur side, he has quickly and firmly established himself as the first choice set-piece taker but after a series of dreadful decisions against Manchester United on Monday night, this duty should definitely be put under review.
When playing against a side of United’s quality, every set-piece should be treated with great importance, there are few opportunities against the Champions and all should be taken seriously. Corners and free kicks must be viewed as a chance to test the defence and in particular, on Monday, to test the new goalkeeper. Van Der Vaart failed to do this completely. One of his corners didn’t even make it onto the pitch and he struck a horribly wasteful shot from 40 yards when both centre backs had gone forward. Harry Redknapp was furious and rightly so.
In the big games Van Der Vaart does get particularly carried away, the occasion seems to inflate his already considerable sense of self-importance and, whilst this benefited Spurs last season, particularly in the Champions League and against Arsenal at White Hart Lane, it was evident on Monday that his enthusiasm doesn’t always benefit the team. Aside from screaming at Lennon and then throwing a strop, he was hot-headed and rushing on Monday when what was needed was a cool head. By all means put van der Vaart on the free kicks from the edge of the box, he cannot really do much worse than Gareth Bale’s return of 1, but when Spurs are trying to slow down play and take the pressure of their back four, the last thing they need is a selfishly taken, rushed set-piece.
Perhaps taking Van der Vaart off set pieces entirely is too strong a reaction to this one particularly poor display as he is undoubtedly a talented enough player to whip in a great cross, but getting him to calm down and reminding him of the priority to put the ball into a dangerous area might be a start. There are several other players capable of delivering in the Tottenham side, particularly Tom Huddlestone and Gareth Bale. It wouldn’t hurt to let them have a go and at least make Van der Vaart appreciate his responsibilities a bit more on the process.
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Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini blamed poor refereeing decisions for his side’s 2-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final loss to Roma on Thursday.
Roma took the lead after 65 minutes when Mirko Vucinic finished well after being picked out by a quality ball from Daniele De Rossi, and Rodrigo Taddei put the result beyond doubt with a 90th-minute strike.
But Chiellini believes his side should have been awarded a penalty when Alessandro Del Piero was brought down by Philippe Mexes late in the second half, and insisted the Roma defender should have been sent off for the challenge.
“I am disappointed to go out of the Coppa Italia,” Chiellini said.
“The game was headed for a 0-0 draw and without a piece of magic would not have been unlocked. “
“If then Del Piero had got a penalty and Mexes had been sent off, we would perhaps have seen a different game.”
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“That aside we experienced a difficult moment. The players coming back from injury are forced to play immediately and can’t recover calmly.”
“We have to roll up our sleeves and get back to winning ways with the help of our fans.”
Manchester United were pipped to the title on the final day of last season by bitter rivals Manchester City, relinquishing their stranglehold on the league in the process. A key part of manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s gameplan last term was the blooding in of several younger faces, yet the Da Silva twins – Fabio and Rafael – still both struggled for time on the pitch. It begs the question, when will they ever break into the starting eleven?
Liverpool clinched the signings of Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec in a joint deal back in 2001 from French club Le Harve to much fanfare, reportedly beating off competition from the likes of Juventus and Barcelona in the process after the pair sparkled in the European U-16 Championships and later the U-17 World Championship. At the time, the move was heralded as something of a transfer coup, beating some of Europe’s elite to the signatures of two of its hottest prospects.
However, while at Anfield, they failed to make the grade in the first-team despite their reported huge promise. They were shifted about on loan to various countries in an attempt to grant them the first-team opportunities that they were being deprived of at their parent club before finally being allowed to move on, with Sinama Pongolle moving to Spanish side Recreativo in 2006 and Le Tallec ending up at Le Mans in France in 2008.
I think it’s fair to say that both struggled to live up to the hype and while the Da Silva twins are clearly players of more potential and greater quality, you have to wonder if the two situations are in danger of mirroring themselves with both players being linked with loan moves away this summer.
The Manchester United defence isn’t in the best of shape. It’s sure to be bolstered by the return of club captain and all-round hard egg Nemanja Vidic, alongside either Jonny Evans or Rio Ferdinand in central defence. Then, of course, there are the likes of utility defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, while Patrice Evra firmly remains the club’s first-choice left-back.
Nevertheless, the defence is in more of a state of flux than in years gone by; these are transitional times for the United back four and, you would think, the ideal period for both the Da Silva twins to make their mark, but a series of niggling injuries and penchant for the treatment table have seriously hindered their progress in recent years.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Everton left-back Leighton Baines this summer, which would indicate that Ferguson has finally cottoned on to the significant drop in performance of Evra over the past year or so. This would indicate two things – firstly, that the club are in the market for a new left back and long-term heir to the Frenchman and secondly, that Ferguson simply doesn’t trust Fabio yet.
Rafael battled gamely with John O’Shea the year before last for the right-back role and with the Irishman having surprisingly been allowed to move to Sunderland at the beginning of last season, the spot was there for the taking, but he went on to make just 18 appearances in total last term and you have to wonder if his chance has now passed, more by circumstance as opposed to any real fault of his own.
They both clearly have fantastic potential – energetic, committed (sometimes too much) and with an excellent work-rate – the only thing really missing is the fact that they lack positional discipline, which is something that’s easily solved the more that they play, but they’ve made just 44 league appearances between them in the last two seasons.
Injuries have hugely restricted their development at a crucial time in their respective careers. Now should be the time when we are talking about how settled the side are when it comes to the full-back positions for the next decade or so, particularly when you consider their age, but it still hasn’t happened yet.
Ferguson has utilised the loan market to his benefit in the past, with Danny Welbeck at Sunderland and Tom Cleverley at Wigan both earning rave reviews playing week-in, week-out which granted them the platform to push on once they returned to Old Trafford, and the Da Silva twins are more than capable of doing the same.
However, with both Welbeck and Cleverley, you could understand why their route into the starting eleven remianed blocked for the time being, considering the established players and depth of talent that they had in front of them, but that simply doesn’t apply to Fabio and Rafael.
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The French pair of Le Tallec and Sinama Pongolle were expected to achieve great things at Anfield but ultimately, they not only fell well short, they were cast by the wayside and there remains a very real worry that Ferguson is beginning to see a future beyond the talented Brazilian twins, instead choosing to cast his eye elsewhere at more reliable and durable options. If they manage to stay at the club next season, it will remain the biggest of their careers, for even the word ‘potential’ has an expiry date on it.
The clubs pushing for a spot in the top four have to try and compete both on and off the pitch. Whilst in terms of recent achievements on the pitch teams like Liverpool and Tottenham are falling behind their rivals, both have invested time in considering a new stadium to better compete at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. But should both clubs consider the perils of investing heavily in a new ground?
Building a new, bigger stadium would on the face of it be a huge bonus with increased gate receipts and larger revenues that improved infrastructure can generate. The growth of teams often comes hand in hand with investment on and off the pitch. In recent months both Tottenham and Liverpool have been reportedly keen on building new stadiums. The disappointment over missing out on the Olympic Stadium has not deterred Spurs and Daniel Levy from believing that a new ground is essential to Tottenham’s future growth. Liverpool have been weighing up the prospects of redeveloping Anfield or building a completely new stadium. But would the financial burden of a new ground come at the cost in other areas of the clubs?
Arsenal’s move to the Emirates from Highbury in 2006 was a fantastic long-term move for the Gunners but the project cost £390million with a reported loan of £260million to finance the move. The burden of debt (thought to reach nearly £318million at Arsenal in recent years but now slashed considerably) will always have an impact of financial resources and free cash available in other areas of the club, most notable to fans would be transfer fees and wages. Loans taken out for new stadiums mean interest rates and repayments are a continued issue. The true effect of the debt on spending will only be known by the Gunners’ hierarchy but Arsenal’s conscientious spending on new players in recent years has meant that whilst their infrastructure has improved greatly, they have not developed sufficiently on the pitch.
But there are fantastic benefits of having a new ground. The Gunners are reaping the awards of increased gate revenues and being able to sustain competitiveness with an impressive stadium. There is no doubt that to expand, infrastructure is often key. The fact that Arsenal can generate nearly £94million from a 60,000-seat stadium compared to just under £37million in the 36,000 capacity White Hart Lane hit Spurs hard. But clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool must consider whether they are happy being potentially uncompetitive in the transfer market until sufficient revenues could be generated from any move?
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Plans for Spurs’ new £400million stadium will need to be properly financed so there is no long-term debt effect. Tottenham have applied for public funding whilst another possible option reported last month was asking supporters to pay some of their fees for long-term contracts upfront that would effectively part fund any new stadium and hopefully pay off any debt quickly, thus reducing any impact on player investment.
Liverpool are facing the same issue as Spurs and are considering whether redevelop their famous home Anfield or build a new ground in their push for growth. The Reds’ plans have hit many stumbling blocks recently in their desire to increase Anfield’s 45,000 capacity. A potential move to Stanley Park would be an ideal way for Liverpool FC to continue to expand as a brand and business but the financial burden for a club riddled with recent money problems would be a huge risk for the current owners to take.
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The prospect of a new stadium is exciting for any club but for teams like Liverpool and Tottenham, chasing the top tier of the Premier League both on and off the pitch is risky business. The burden of stadium debt may take a toll on other areas of the club and like Arsenal have shown, a new ground doesn’t generate instant success on the pitch. Fans may be looking forward to watching their team in an impressive new stadium in years to come but the true scale of such an investment may come at a cost to more than just the bank balance of clubs.
Should Liverpool and Spurs burden themselves with debt for a new stadium? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has praised his ‘physically and technically superior’ side for outlasting Wigan Athletic 2-1 on Tuesday.
Gabriel Agbonlahor headed Villa into the lead five minutes after the restart of the English Premier League encounter, and Ashley Young made it 2-0 from the penalty spot 12 minutes later.
James McCarthy drew one back for Wigan in the 80th minute but Villa held on through a frenetic final 10 minutes plus stoppage time to record back-to-back wins for the first time under Houllier.
The Villa boss, who took over the position left vacant by Martin O’Neill in September, was delighted by the character shown by his side to hold on for a valuable three points at DW Stadium.
“I think we had everything,” Houllier told Sky Sports.
“They (Wigan) really made it difficult at the start. We had a couple of chances but we didn’t control the game as much as we did in the second-half.”
“I think we were physically and technically superior to them. The players today, in terms of the discipline and the effort, were tremendous.”
He added: “It’s never easy. There’s a very fine line between winning and losing.”
“I was disappointed because I wanted to see a clean sheet for the defenders. But at the same time I was happy with the way we reacted. They were composed and confident and not scared.”
“But I was very pleased with my players because, after a huge game against Manchester City (on Saturday), I thought that some of them could be flat.”
“But they worked very hard, probably as hard as they did last Saturday. Nathan Baker and (Jean) Makoun, I thought, did extremely well.”
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was deflated by the loss but could still take a number of positives from the close-run match.
“When you play at home, you are disappointed (to lose),” Martinez said.
“But, looking at the first-half that we had, we created two very good chances and sometimes that lack of composure, or good defending, will stop you from getting that first goal.”
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“In the second half, in a very short period, we conceded a goal from a corner and then the second goal from a penalty is a real mountain to climb.”
“But the reaction from then on was brilliant to see; we got one goal back and it seems like, if the game had been longer, we would have got something.”
“I’ve got no problem with losing a football game when you show that desire and that effort. I think the players today performed in a great manner.”
“We never gave in and that’s very, very important.”
Arsenal target Olivier Giroud has today announced that he will not decide his future until the European Championships are over, as The Sun reports.
The 25 year old Frenchman has impressed in Ligue 1 this season, with 21 goals to aid Montpellier to their first ever title. Arsene Wenger is said to be interested in Giroud in an attempt to help take the goal scoring burden from club captain Robin Van Persie.
A reported £12.8 million release clause is attracting Wenger to lure Giroud from Stade de la Mosson, but Champions League runners up Bayern Munich are also said to be interested in signing the French star.
Now both Bayern and Arsenal will be forced to be patient and keep their fingers crossed as Giroud focuses on representing France in Euro 2012.
It is believed that Arsenal scout Giles Grimandi has been closely watching Giroud since March and reporting back to Arsene Wenger inLondon. Giroud himself has said that he ‘loves the French feel at Arsenal’; and this is something that Wenger will no doubt hopes will help the 25 year olds decision after Euro 2012.
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For now Arsenal fans must watch on closely, and see how their summer target fares at the European Championships, especially as his team face England on June the 11th.