Bolton chairman and FA board member Phil Gartside has apologised to Tottenham after being quoted as backing Harry Redknapp for the vacant England job.
The Three Lions have been without a manager after Fabio Capello walked away from the post earlier in the year, with the White Hart Lane supremo the favourite and frontrunner to lead the nation to Euro 2012.
Gartside praised Redknapp’s track record at Tottenham and called him an outstanding candidate for the role in an interview with the BBC last week.
Meanwhile, Spurs’ form has dipped whilst the speculation has been ongoing over their manager; Gartside admits he has apologised to Daniel Levy over the comments.
“I’ve been quoted out of context and had an apology from the BBC and have apologised to Daniel. I was giving my personal view of how I rate Harry,” he confirmed to Mirror Football.
As yet there has been no further news on the potential next England boss, but a decision and action is expected in coming weeks.
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Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted that he did not expect his side to be allowed another crack at the Premier League title by rivals Manchester United, but is determined to do all they can to overtake their rivals.
At one point the Etihad Stadium outfit trailed the Red Devils by eight points, but recent inconsistency by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men means that the gap has been cut to three points, with the sides playing each other next Monday.
The Ivory Coast international is glad to be back in contention, and wants to get three points when the teams meet.
“We now have a second chance and I hope we take it because it is very important for us,” Toure told The Telegraph.
“That is why I come to City, to make history with the club and for us to win this competition would be fantastic.
“I’m quite surprised because for United to drop points at home like that is quite surprising. Years ago, United was so strong.
“They are still strong, you have to say that because they are first in the table, but sometime you can do a mistake and United made a mistake on Sunday.
“We have taken advantage. We are keeping going and we are working hard to create our chance to win this trophy,” he confessed.
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Did Manchester United lose the Premier League title or did City win it? The grimace on Sir Alex Ferguson’s face as he frantically ushered his players down the tunnel at the Stadium of Light evidently pointed to the latter. After all the Red Devil’s were mere seconds away from adding a 20th top-flight championship to their trophy cabinet until Sergio Aguero struck in what is now being billed as ‘Aguero Time’. Ferguson’s knew close United were to triumphing once again over their noisy neighbours and retaining their dominance over the English game. He watched his players toil to chip away at the advantage Roberto Mancini’s had built up only for their efforts to prove futile at the season’s climax. Second best isn’t an established term in his vocabulary. Undoubtedly he will use the summer to hold an inquest into United’s failure to prevail over City and ensure they come out on top next season and curb the escalating power shift.
This week on FFC is City’s title triumph down to the fact United are currently in a state of flux and which three stars Bundesliga stars does Ferguson have his eye on?
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Best of FFC
After Old Trafford, will any other club take a transfer risk?
City Domination or United Transition?
United Fans Discontent Warranted at Old Trafford
The TEN players that the Premier League just ‘wasn’t built for’
Will regulations see the Premier League fall into the Bundesliga shadow?
Man United keen on £50m Bundesliga trio
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Best of WEB
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You Can’t Buy History, But You Can Buy For The Future – Red Flag Flying High
“That game was the most pressure I’ve ever felt in my life” – The Busby Way
The hire race – United Rant
A Message To Roy Hodgson: “Start Danny Welbeck!” – Red Flag Flying High
“We Will Win The Title Back Easily!” – The Busby Way
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Shinji Kagawa Singing Would Be An Inspired Move – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“We have given the title to City, but if we play well from the beginning to end, we will win the title back easily. We received a lot of criticism this season, but we have got nine points better than last season.
“City played their best football and we didn’t always play our best football, but we still finished on the same points. So it makes you think that if we play our best football consistently throughout the season, then we are going to win the league by many points. Patrice Evra believes consistency is the key next season if Manchester United are to wrestle the Premier League title from the grasp of rivals City
Eduardo Hernandez is concerned that Arsenal will price Carlos Vela out of a permanent move to Real Sociedad, according to The Daily Mail.
The Mexican assisted Sociedad in staving off relegation by contributing 12 goals in 35 appearances last term.
The Spanish club are now thought to be interested in bringing Vela to the Estadio Anoeta on a permanent basis. However, with the Gunners reportedly demanding £6 million for the 23-year old, fears are rife that the proposed move will collapse.
Eduardo Hernandez, Vela’s agent has voiced concerns over Arsenal’s valuation of the youngster:
“He is very happy at Sociedad, he wants to stay there, but Arsenal are a complicated club to deal with.”
Vela has been with Arsenal since 2005, who snapped him up when he impressed as a 16 year old in the U-17 World Cup, gaining notoriety by finishing with the tournaments Golden Boot. However, after 7 years, loans with Salamanca, Osasuna, West Brom and the aforementioned Sociedad and just 3 league goals for the North London club, the striker appears to be surplus to requirements at the Emirates and is keen to stay in San Sebastien, where his goals have proven vital.
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Now confined to the history books at Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba has departed from the club that he emblazoned his unforgettable mark on. The spearhead of the old guard along with Frank Lampard and John Terry; to see Drogba take flight and let emotion triumph when he slotted home that penalty last month, was one of the enduring moments in recent football history. It was a moment that was 9 years in the making for the Ivorian. However, when Drogba carefully placed that ball down on a penalty spot, the weight of the world on his shoulders, in a stadium that was willing him to miss, he coolly converted and not only inscribed his name into Chelsea folklore but changed the course of the clubs future and metaphorically passed the torch to the new era that could possibly dominate as successfully as their predecessors.
With European success comes obligatory expectation, especially for a club as financially sound as Chelsea. With a permanent manager in place, the usually unavoidable speculation of managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge is now a distant memory and focus can now be solely toward investing in new talent on the pitch, talent that will announce itself available in abundance, desiring to play for the European Champions. Eden Hazard dismissing both Manchester clubs in favour of a move to Chelsea indicates this perfectly.
The ramifications that would have occurred if Didier Drogba had missed that penalty and Chelsea subsequently lost the final would have been enormous;
Firstly, it may have cited a reason for Drogba to stay at the club, meaning another season with the veterans may have been on the cards. Although this may have been fruitful to a certain extent, the fact that Chelsea can now look toward the future without Drogba and enjoy the past with him gives Di Matteo the ability to rebuild and start fresh. Fernando Torres may have also been left frustrated should Drogba have missed the penalty and ultimately stayed with the club for another year or two. The Ivorian’s form was insatiable toward the end of last season, leaving Torres is relative limbo. Now, with a Drogba shaped hole in the frontline at Stamford Bridge, El Nino may be able to announce himself as Chelsea’s first choice striker and the form that he has exposed in glimpses at the European Championships recently, could become a regular occurrence in the Premier League once again.
Secondly, it would have probably spelled the end for Roberto Di Matteo and Chelsea would currently be in a position that they are so frustratingly used to; managerial speculation. You only have to look a short distance away from Stamford Bridge to see the ambiguity and speculation that is surrounding Tottenham and their current pursuit of a new leader to see that the rather tranquil Chelsea camp is a derivative of the swiftness in which Di Matteo was appointed and the success that he has achieved thus far.
With rumours abound of star players making their way to Chelsea, ready to assist the new era in making itself heard around the continent, Blues fans can look to the future with optimism. The day when the last of the old guard will hang up their boots is relatively imminent, so to start the transition period now, after such a pleasing conclusion to the season, can only be an encouraging move. With Roman Abramovich once again ready to spend big in order to apply relative symmetry this campaign to the success of last season, these are exciting times at Chelsea and Didier Drogba may have unknowingly contributed to the future of his beloved club with that single, solitary swift kick of his right foot that finally rewarded Chelsea with the trophy that they so desperately desired.
Never has a penalty mattered so much for Chelsea football club and it has arguably changed the Blues future for the better.
So what matters most to you in football?
It’s a simple question isn’t it, but there are so many ways of interpreting it, and any number of ways of answering it. Samsung have asked football fans ‘what matters most’ to them. My view is that Drogba’s penalty will significantly change Chelsea’s fortunes and I suggest you do the same by clicking here to be in with a chance to win a whole host of Samsung goodies – join the debate…
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Internacional’s president Giovanni Luigi has confirmed that his side have a verbal agreement with Chelsea over the sale of Oscar.
The talented playmaker has been linked with a move to Europe in recent times, with Tottenham and the Blues chasing the attacking midfielder.
However, the Stamford Bridge club are thought to have agreed a fee with the Brasileiro club and a medical is also said to have been successfully overcome.
Oscar is in Brazil’s squad for the Olympics Games this summer, and has stated recently that his club future would only be resolved after the culmination of the London Games.
However, Luigi has confirmed that the deal is all but done, with only the legalities to be signed off on for the starlet to move to west London.
“There is a verbal agreement between the two parties. But we have to put that on paper and the lawyer of both clubs have to discuss the matter,” Luigi told Radio Guiaba, translated to English by Sky Sports.
Oscar will join the likes of Marko Marin, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne as the new faces at the Champions League winning club this summer.
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Chelsea have had a bid of £27 million for Shakhtar Donetsk forward Willian rejected, and told to stump up £32 million if they want him, according to The Daily Mail.
The Blues are looking to bolster their attacking options this summer, and have already signed Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Kevin De Bruyne, with Oscar and Hulk also in their cross-hairs.
However, the Stamford Bridge side have long-coveted the Brazil international, who is seemingly ready to move to open of Europe’s top leagues after excellent performances in Ukraine and in the Champions League.
Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu has admitted that Chelsea are interested, but they will need to up their offer for the South American star to move to west London.
“I had a conversation with Willian and the club president about Chelsea’s interest. I told Willian he can leave, but only if the right offer is made. He’s a great player.
“Willian was the biggest investment Shakhtar have made in a young player, and we have to respect that. Clubs should not assume that if a player is coming from the east that the price is lower.
“They paid a lot of money for Hazard but are not willing to pay that for Willian, even though he’s better in my opinion,” he concluded.
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Norwich City have signed Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Mark Bunn for an undisclosed fee, with the 27-year-old putting pen to paper on a two-year deal, with an option for a third.
Bunn joined Blackburn from Northampton in 2008 but only made 15 appearances for the Lancashire team, having loan spells with Leicester City and Sheffield United in 2009 and 2010 respectively. However, speaking to Norwich City’s official site, manager Chris Hughton said: “I’m delighted to have signed Mark, he is a ‘keeper that will give us valuable experience and competition at first team level.”
The English goalkeeper has not played a first-team game since Blackburn’s 2 – 1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle in the FA Cup in January after missing the end of last season with a hip injury. He will provide competition for England goalkeeper John Ruddy and England Under-21 squad member Declan Rudd at Norwich.
Also speaking to the Canaries’ official site, Bunn said: “I’m delighted to be here to start a new challenge and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and getting to know the other lads. It’s a good time for Norwich – it will be a tough season and I think we’ll do well.”
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Maybe it’s worth sending 30 lorries filled with cameras over to Uefa towers to really hammer the idea home. Or maybe the major clubs around Europe should really break away and form a new league filled with all kinds of unimaginable technological advances. That’ll teach ‘em. But really, alongside all the other headlines that the start of the season has created, the lack of goal line technology still haunts European football.
What has been really unusual is the way Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini now appear to be on opposite sides of the argument, with one campaigning for goal line technology after Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal at the World Cup, while the other remains entrenched in the view that it has no place in football.
But the past few weeks of Premier League football, as well as leagues around Europe, have highlighted the need for something to be done. Again. However, Platini insists that the best way forward is by using the five officials which are now regularly in place during Uefa competitions. There’s no mention of how ineffective the system is, or indeed how ridiculous those two officials behind the goal line look.
It’s also interesting that Platini is willing to throw out seemingly random innovations such as the 2020 European Championship being staged across the continent, yet remains so enclosed in his fortress of solitude on the topic of video technology. One day someone will tell Platini that he’s not Superman.
It’s one thing to say to clubs that it’s their fault that they’ve had a slow start to the season by not getting transfer business done early. But what about those teams who prepare themselves early and accordingly but are continually frustrated by the lack of concrete video support in games? When a clear penalty is waved away and a couple of points are dropped—a couple of points that are the difference between relegation or a league title—who answers to those clubs then? I’m sure Platini will be quick to ignore the protests by dusting the issue under the carpet as simple human error. But that’s the point, and that’s exactly why technology is so in demand—to avoid any possibility of human error.
It has also raises the issue about continuity among referees. Alongside the problem of the rules being a little hazy to say the least, officials really seem to be measuring the seriousness of situations on the fly. In a lot of cases, it would make officials take some time, take another look and then form their final decision, rather than just making their mind up instantly. There’s the ‘benefit’ of their assistants, but what good are they when the majority of the time they don’t fancy speaking up? There’s no consistency and no help to form a better understanding of the game.
Naturally, Uefa would argue that it stops play for a lengthy period of time and disrupts the flow of the game. But where’s the problem if ultimately the correct decision is the final outcome? Other sports manage perfectly well with technology and stoppages in play, so why does football—with all it’s money—need to insist on keeping its distance with the forward-thinking nature of governing bodies elsewhere.
You get the feeling that Uefa are enjoying the vitriol from the football world over such a small topic that has now been blown out of proportion. Football needs technology, but it really didn’t need to go down a route whereby clubs and supporters scream demands only to realise the person at the other end is deaf. Deaf or stubborn? Both, in this case.
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Romelu Lukaku has stated that he is tired of being compared with Didier Drogba, and wants to make his own name in the game.
The Belgium international was signed by Chelsea as a potential replacement for the ageing Ivorian, who left Stamford Bridge after eight years in the summer.
Lukaku has been farmed out to West Brom on loan this term, and scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Reading on Saturday.
The teenager has stated that he needs to play regularly and is eager to ditch comparisons with Drogba.
“Am I fed up being compared with Drogba? Yes. In the beginning it was nice to hear that, but every player wants to make his own name,” The Daily Mail quote Lukaku as saying.
“I want to make my own name. Drogba was my big idol and so was my father, who also played in Belgium.
“I looked also to my father but really I want to make my own style of play, I want to be myself. I want the people to say “this is Roman Lukaku, not the new Drogba”.
“I just want to be me and hopefully I will have a big career, but I want to do well now for this club and then we will see.
“For me, the next two years, it is very important for me to play. I’m just 19 and even though I’ll be 20 next year, people will still look at me like a baby.
“The next year I’ll be 21, I’ll still be a baby in some people’s eyes.
“Then there is the World Cup with Belgium and stuff like that. I want to play as much as I can in the next two years so at 21 I can be where I want to be.
“Last year I had good preparation at Chelsea, now I can show myself at West Brom.
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“My dream is always to play for Chelsea, so my main ambition will be Chelsea but now it’s West Brom – and West Brom is on my mind.
“The club made a big effort for me to come here and hopefully I can do the business for the team,” he concluded.