Now in their 7th Premier League season, Stoke City have established themselves as a fixture of English top flight football. They now sit only seven points behind media darlings Southampton with ten games to go. But the negative attitude towards The Potters’ accomplishments go on, why?
It is of little doubt when Stoke were promoted, under former boss Tony Pulis, they played a style which suited their personnel. Physical and uncompromising, effective but at times, unpleasant to watch.
The mini climate at the Britannia Stadium has always been used as a measuring stick for any player. ‘Good, but could they do it on a wet and windy night in Stoke?’
The phrase is still tirelessly churned out to this day, even though the modern day Stoke City is an entirely different animal to the one that Pulis bought up and established in the top division.
Where once the powerful Mamady Sidibe, would flick on the trademark Rory Delap missiles. It is now Mame Biram Diouf, finishing off a through ball from the mercurial Bojan.
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Mark Hughes has transformed his side into one whom can play good, aesthetically pleasing football, but still mix it with the best as and when they need to.
With a run in, that on paper looks like one that could reap a lot of points, Stoke City have a very realistic chance of breaking their own points record. Hughes is in a period of serious progression for the Potters, but the old stereotypes still persist.
Even in the summer, something as simple as transfer fees were wildly over exaggerated. Figures were banded around that were nowhere near the actual facts. Stats to show how compared to the brilliant Southampton, they have thrown money around. Nothing of the sort.
Although, they haven’t reached the dazzling highs that Southampton did earlier in the season, they now seem poised to not only match the Saints, but to overtake them. However, few column inches have been filled with the rise of Stoke City, few column inches are filled with calls for Stoke players to be drafted into the England side.
Praising Stoke is still seen as an admission you like the ‘dark side’ of the game, but it is coming to a time when those old clichés involving them, hold fewer and fewer truths. Yes, they can still ‘mix it’, but what side doesn’t? It is almost impossible to expect any side, bar the real world class outfits to not play football to suit their players.
Mark Hughes has not only rebuilt his own reputation, following his disastrous spell at QPR, but is in the process of transforming the reputation of the Midlands club.
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Come May, for all the plaudits and adulation of Ronald Koeman’s Southamton side, it may be Stoke City who finish top of the rest in this season’s top flight.
I’m sure the fans of The Potters, may be happy to go quietly under the radar.
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The annual UEFA Champions Festival will take place in London on 23–26 May 2013, it was formally announced today.
The free four-day football celebration, featuring a series of family-friendly activities, will be the first major event to come to the home of the 2012 London Olympics since last summer, taking place on The International Quarter close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
UEFA is inviting fans and families to visit the festival and take part in a series of free activities including the opportunity to have photos taken with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies.
Festival attendees will also have the chance to visit the UEFA Champions League museum to experience all the memories of past tournaments with children able to take part in a variety of skills clinics and coaching courses put on by professional coaches throughout the week.
Festival ambassadors, including former England players Faye White and Steve McManaman, will be on hand to meet and greet the fans who will also be invited to participate in an exciting schedule of entertainment hosted by UEFA Champions League partners.
The festival will open on Thursday 23 May running through to Sunday 26 May following the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25. The festival will include one of the most popular events of the week, the Ultimate Champions Match which will feature a number of UEFA Champions League greats of years gone by.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “We are delighted that the UEFA Champions Festival is returning to London and especially that it will take place on the International Quarter close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the scene of our biggest sporting moment. It will provide a fantastic week-long family event and will revive the spirit of community and celebration that made last year’s Olympic Games so special.”
UEFA Champions League final ambassador Steve McManaman said: “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Stratford area came alive in the summer for London 2012 and UEFA is very proud to bring the annual UEFA Champions Festival to such a fantastic facility and offer an event that gives both parents and children the opportunity to celebrate football in a truly spectacular venue with free admission for all. We expect everyone will be blown away by the amazing multi-event entertainment programme on offer.
Mark Dickinson, managing director of development at Lend Lease, said: “The International Quarter will become a vibrant new commercial hub for London. We are looking to attract early investment in the form of exhibitions and events this year and are delighted to work with organisations such as UEFA to ensure benefits from these events spread beyond their boundaries to communities in the surrounding areas.”
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Further details regarding the exciting events on offer to fans during the week of the festival will be released in the coming weeks.
For the majority of the season, Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola have escaped criticism.The team have obliterated their opposition in the Premier League title race as they have a 16-point lead at the top.The North-West outfit can secure the title this Saturday if they overcome local rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.City fans have rarely had to experience disappointment this season due to the team’s scintillating and dominant displays on the pitch.[ad_pod ]However, on Wednesday night they were stunned as they watched the players get overrun by Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.Goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane ensured that Liverpool took a 3-0 advantage into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.Some fans have been discussing the importance of this weekend’s United game on social mediaÂfollowing the midweek disappointment.BBC host and former England international Gary Lineker could not resist poking fun at Guardiola.
In an era of financial fair play (FFP) and elite financial dominance for a select group of ‘superclubs’ , it would be fair to assume that, just like for the last decade, the same bracket of teams will dominate the English Premier League for years to come. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham (and Everton to a lesser extent) exercise financial muscle that allows them to maintain their strength year-on-year.
Whilst all of these teams are slowly starting to generate profits in this new era of FFP, of all teams in that superlative category, Manchester City would appear to be approaching the most testing of futures.
The Swiss Ramble’s in-depth blog on City’s finances largely concludes that City are firmly ‘on track’ in their ‘masterplan’ to begin breaking even soon, with respectable profits forecast for seasons to come. Chief executive Ferran Soriano suspects that they’ve reached a ‘new level of financial sustainability’.
That sounds especially positive and good from that perspective, but when you consider two further factors surrounding the club with these finances, the immediate future isn’t so straightforward.
Firstly, this Manchester City team is old. Really old. You talk of how teams go through cycles (Ferguson supposedly ‘built’ five teams in his 26-year tenure at Old Trafford), eventually winding down as they expire from their peak. This team will need freshening up at its core to stay competitive, and of England’s superpowers, City are nearest to that recycling point.
Pablo Zabaleta is 30, Gael Clichy is 29, Vincent Kompany 28, Yaya Toure 31, Fernandinho 29, David Silva 29, James Milner 29, Jesus Navas 29. Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala and Sergio Aguero are the only starting players at a respectable age.
Either way, at an average of around 29.1 (the oldest in the Premier League), this team will need a significant overhaul to get it revamped and competitive.
The problem is, building a team from scratch will cost hundreds of millions, which will test City’s financial strength to the max. I criticised the decadent outlay of Wilfried Bony (and received a fair amount of stick for it), because I felt £30m was far too much for a potentially peripheral figure to Sergio Aguero. The general rebuttal that my detractors pointed to was to outline that the current market demands figures of that magnitude for proven, guaranteed quality.
Fair. But if Bony costs £30m, what will another Yaya Toure, David Silva or Vincent Kompany amount to? And they’re not the only players that need replacing long-term. To overhaul this squad will require Man City to sell some valuable assets and deal in the transfer markets astutely. But an ageing squad will hardly bring in huge capital to supplement a spending spree.
If you look at Chelsea’s transfer dealings, they’ve managed to invest while selling really competently to stay financially healthy (De Bruyne, Andre Schurrle, Romlelu Lukaku, David Luiz and Juan Mata has brought in around £140m in the past two years). City will surely have to do the same.
Contextualising this with a long-term perspective hits the nail on the head, and it’s something that Gary Neville strongly alluded to after City’s 0-2 defeat to Arsenal.
That is, even if Man City do manage to recycle this team without breaching FFP regulations and maintaining competitive, will they kick onto European superiority like they really should be doing?
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Despite all of their recent success, this team has plateaued. They’re an excellent domestic team, but they’re still very much on the periphery of Europe’s very elite. They haven’t kicked on since their first domestic success in 2012. And for a team that’s had nearing on a billion pounds invested in them, is that a good enough return?
Overall, it’s the combination of those three factors that paints a slightly darker future for this ageing team. Essentially, if City do manage to recycle their team against that backdrop of financial regulations, will they be able to construct a team that can compete with Europe’s biggest teams?
It’s by no means impossible, but with all things considered, it’s easy to look at Manchester City as perhaps the biggest English team with the most precarious immediate future.
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is on the verge of joining Turkish giants Galatasaray in a €10m deal, according to reports from Sky Sports.
The Dutchman has been linked with Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City recently as a result of a contract dispute with his current employers.
Galatasaray have stepped in to take advantage of this, tabling an offer which is has been accepted by the San Siro outfit, according to president Massimo Moratti:
“Galatasaray’s offer satisfies us. Now it depends on the player.”
As well as agreeing a fee, the Istanbul based side are also willing to match Sneijder’s wage demands, which could see him put pen to paper.
Payment is the issue surrounding the 28-year-old’s stay in Italy, with Inter keen to reduce his basic salary.
Sneijder has rejected their demands, which has seen him axed from first-team duty.
Although they have accepted the bid for his services, Moratti has refused to close the door on him staying at the club, but has remained strong on the wage issues:
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“We would be happy if he decided to stay on our terms. I haven’t spoken to him, but if he did decide to stay on our terms he would be a great help.”
Leeds fans are furious after manager Paul Heckingbottom suggested a new deal for Pablo Hernandez will be complicated.
Leeds fans were absolutely delighted earlier this week when it was revealed Hernandez had entered talks over a contract extension, and that the club were hopeful of agreeing a deal.
Fans will be slightly less enthused with Thursday’s news though, as Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Leeds there is still work to do to convince the player to stay at Elland Road.
“I’ve had a good chat with Pablo, about the football, himself, how I see him and the value that I think he adds to the squad. Sort of capture his heart, if you like,” Heckingbottom said.
“Pablo’s had a great career and there’s more important things to Pablo than the finances. He always speaks highly of the club, the fans, Elland Road, and he wants to know the plans and what we want to do for next season.”
While fans will obviously be happy to hear how Hernandez feels about the club, Heckingbottom’s comments seem to suggest they are struggling to convince the winger it is worth spending the final years of his career at Elland Road.
“Pablo’s at the stage of his career where there’s a lot more to it than just a contract offer on the table,” Heckingbottom continued. “He wants to be excited about the last few years of his career. Hopefully we can get him excited and keep him.”
Hernandez has been in fine form this season for Leeds despite the club’s torrid run, which has seen them pick up less points than Sunderland since Boxing Day.
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Many fans have suggested in the past that Hernandez should be in line for a coaching role, and the boss’s comments suggest the Spaniard is eyeing up more than just a playing contract.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Arsene Wenger’s never been particularly fond of the January transfer window. He’s spent, on average, just £3.6million per window since it’s incarnation eleven years ago – with Jose Antonio Reyes and Andrei Arshavin constituting his only noteworthy winter signings as Arsenal boss – and has even discussed the notion of eradicating it completely on rare occasions.
So Wenger’s hints of new faces arriving in the New Year must be music to the ears of Arsenal fans. In the decade since they last won the Premier League title, countless campaigns have gone to waste when many felt the right mid-season addition could propel the Gunners closer towards the English crown.
Take last term for example – the Gunners held pole position in January and that momentum opened them up to a new area of the transfer market, but the only addition came in the uninspiring form of Kim Kallstrom, who made just three substitute appearances in north London before returning back to Spartak Moscow, almost unnoticed.
This January, Wenger’s first and likely only port of call will be to add to his defence, which is clearly a few bodies short right now. In the almost eternal absence of Laurent Koscielney, Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Debuchy, two full-backs who measure in at just 5 foot 10, have both been called upon to fill in at the heart of defence for extended periods. Incredibly, the former – by all means, a left-back famed more for his attacking qualities – has made four times the amount of Premier League appearances at centre-back this season, 8, than at No.3.
Many will argue that compared to the Arsenal gaffer’s usual stubbornness on such issues, this is a cause for some mild celebration, especially amid the festive period. There’s only one, rather simple, problem however; failing to identify the need for another defender during the summer has already cost Arsenal their shot at the Premier League title for at least another season.
Why Wenger allowed Arsenal to enter the season with one defender last year is, quite frankly, beyond me. It’s a simple numbers game; Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson going out, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy, two signings that hardly improve upon what the north Londoners had before, coming in.
The Gunners’ defensive depth was tested on enough occasions last season to suggest another centre-half wouldn’t go amiss, and although Arsenal have been plagued with injury crises this year, in part a consequence of the summer’s World Cup, that’s a situation Wenger should have anticipated – this is hardly the first Arsenal campaign riddled with injuries.
It’s not as if there weren’t options out there this summer. Take Toby Alderweireld for example, who made it publicly known as early as January 2014 that he would seek a move away from Atletico Madrid in the summer. Versatile and experienced at Champions League and international level, the Belgian centre-back would have been an ideal signing for the Gunners. Instead, he’s on loan at Southampton this term, who currently boast the healthiest goals against column in the Premier League.
Then there’s the clan of contract rebel centre-backs Arsenal have been linked with ahead of the January window, namely Winston Reid, Fabian Schar and Ron Vlaar. It’s all well and good waiting six months until their respective clubs have little option but to sell, yet the absence of a back-up centre-half has already cost the Gunners so dearly this term. Conceding sloppy goals, often from winning positions, is a responsibility the whole team must share together, but one can only ponder the positive influence the presence of a natural centre-half could have made this term – particularly amid defeats to Swansea City and Stoke City, in addition to disappointing draws against Liverpool and Hull.
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Of course, there will always be other seasons and playing the short game in the transfer market rarely breeds long term success, either on the pitch or financially. Having spent the last decade as the Premier League title race’s nearly men however, Arsenal fans are tired of waiting for ‘next year’. It also makes that £83million spent in the summer, constituting the most expensive transfer window in Arsenal’s history – not to mention the the £35million signing of Alexis Sanchez, rather pointless – considering none of that money was spent on addressing Arsenal’s most immediate problems. That money should have awoken Arsenal from their dormant state in the title race.
So now another defender will arrive in January, but for once, rather ironically, Wenger may as well wait until the summer. Arsenal’s title bid is already over – Chelsea are already 15 points ahead of them – and the chances are that better options will become available at the end of the season. Almost as if it was somehow intentional, Wenger’s created the perfect excuse not to buy.
Manchester City have released midfielder Michael Johnson after finally running out of patience with the player, the Telegraph reports.
The 24-year-old was one of City’s brightest stars to come through the academy in recent years, when he broke into the first team set up as an 18-year-old.
However after years of failing to fulfil his potential through a series of injuries, as well as problems off the field, he has now had his contract paid off by the club.
The public announcement of the news followed last nights emergence on Twitter, of a recent picture of Jonhson looking a shadow of his former self.
Previous City boss Mark Hughes was among many who had tipped the midfielder for stardom in the game whilst in charge of the Manchester club, saying:
“He is an outstanding young player with a great talent and a great future ahead of him and we want that future to be at City, so we are working to that end.
“The guy has everything in front of him.
“We have all been impressed with what he has shown so far, and I am sure he will be an England regular.
Unfortunately for Johnson, this potential never materialised and his last appearance for the club was as a substitute in a Carling Cup tie against Scunthorpe in October 2009.
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He also spent an unsuccessful spell on loan at Leicester City last season, which ended prematurely due to injury.
West Ham United are in danger of dropping into the Championship, and even though the club do not yet know which division they will be playing in next season, they have taken steps with regards to season tickets.
In an announcement made via the club’s official website, the Hammers confirmed that the price of season tickets will not change for the 2018-19 campaign.
However, for holders in Band 5 there will be an increase from £289 to £320 for adults.
In most cases, this news would be met with happiness from the fans, but due to the club’s current predicament, the supporters are not thrilled.
Recently, the fans have been questioning the future of manager David Moyes, with some thinking that Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic would be a good replacement.
As it stands, the East London outfit are just three points above the relegation zone with nine games left to play.
To make matters worse, the club have suffered back-to-back 4-1 defeats, and they take on Burnley at the London Stadium this weekend in the hope of getting back to winning ways.
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After the club announced the news regarding season ticket prices, the fans took to Twitter.
It’s strange how the state of English football can change in such a short period of time. Prior to the World Cup, the competition for England’s fourth striking spot seemed relatively uncompetitive.
That isn’t to slate or undermine Rickie Lambert as a player last year, far from it – he managed 13 goals and 10 assists in Mauricio Pochettino’s impressive Southampton campaign. For a player peaking so late in his career there was almost a fairytale aspect to it, a rags to riches-esque affair that would provide inspiration for those plying their trade in the depths of the football league.
But for Lambert’s merits that season, there really was a lack of competition for the fourth spot behind Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge. Jay Rodriguez picked up a nasty anterior cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out of contention entirely, Andy Carroll was crippled by injuries until February and failed to return to form in time, and Jermaine Defoe migrated his way out of contention when he joined Toronto FC.
It would be difficult to assert that the situation has changed drastically in the sense that when fit, Rooney, Sturridge and Welbeck will almost certainly be selected. But that fourth spot now seems more contested than ever, and here’s who Roy Hodgson should select out of the in-form Carroll, Harry Kane, Saido Berahino and Charlie Austin.
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There’s always an interesting selection process for forwarding players to international level. Many will select purely on the form of a player domestically- if they slip up in the Premier League then they deserve to be dropped for England.
But that should not be the case- domestic and international form are not entirely conducive. Take Andros Townsend, for example. He’s failed to nail down a spot at Tottenham permanently, yet has far out-performed himself at international level.
That argument translates nicely with Berahino – he has the third all-time highest goal-tally for England’s U21’s with 10 goals in 13 appearances, only behind Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers, which would suggest that he may excel on a bigger stage in the unique environment that international football demands.
However, Berahino’s problem is that his style is too similar to that of Daniel Sturridge – both are pacey – last-man-off-the-shoulder goalscorers and there’s no doubting that Sturridge is superior. Berahino shows promise, but his inconsistent form of one goal in his last ten shows there’s more work to be done.
After all, young international promise doesn’t always translate to when in the senior squad- Francis Jeffers’ gradual demise is the most damning example of that.
Nine in nine for Charlie Austin is seriously impressive, and he’s knocking loudly on the international door when few would have predicted.
Austin has followed an interesting trend similar to that of Lambert, that lower-league strikers can slowly ascend up the football league and maintain their outstanding form. Before Lambert there was Grant Holt, who netted 15 in his debut season in Paul Lambert’s Norwich team, and before him Palace’s Andy Johnson slotted 22 in his first year.
Austin has that goalscoring touch, something that you cannot coach or train upon- an impressive aptitude to be in the right place at the right time.
However, his limitations resolve from around his apparent reliance on Bobby Zamora to hold the ball up for him- he’s only scored once when he hasn’t been partnered with him.
If Austin, by that logic, is reliant on being paired alongside a physical striker to perform, he won’t really be compatible with England or Hodgson, where they often line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Rooney operating from deep.
That said, if he manages to maintain this fine run of form, it would be hard to keep him out. Lots of potential, but for now, Austin needs to prove his class really is permanent and his form is not just temporary.
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An impressive run in Tottenham’s second tier Europa League side made the Hurri-Kane’s breaking into the Tottenham first team inevitable.
On the surface he looks like an archetypal-aerial striker, capable of holding the ball up for midfield runners and making a nuisance of himself in the six yard box. But watch him more closely see how he’s actually a very complete player.
When partnered with Roberto Soldado, Kane drops deep into midfield where he possesses the audacity of a player much older than him to take the ball on and run at opposition defenders. He combines that with the distinctive characteristics of any Pochettino side- that of intense and dynamic pressing which keeps his side on the front foot.
Kane’s rise has been spectacular this season, but he falls short of being in Roy Hodgson’s squad – at this moment.
Andy Carroll deserves that title – but only at this very moment in time. That should be emphasised – Berahino and Kane are both young with plenty of potential while Austin will have to be picked if he maintains his blistering goalscoring form.
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Primarily, it is the type of player that Carroll offers to the table – he’s in no better form than Austin or Kane, but he brings a physical presence that offers Hodgson a tactical alternative.
That should in no way be understated. When you think of the reasons for Vicente del Bosque’s incredible success with Spain from 2008-2012, it is often overlooked how he could field subtle yet effective tactical variations when tika-taka failed. Jesus Navas as a touchline-hugging winger would often come on for David Silva to stretch out a congested midfield, while Fernando Llorente played a pivotal role in offering an aerial threat when David Villa or Fernando Torres failed to make an impact.
Go back to their knockout games throughout and those two frequently made key differences in big games. Hodgson has to have different options available to him to make England their best, and Carroll offers an aerial threat above that of Kane.
His goal against Sweden at Euro 2012, a fantastic header, is an apt example to show how Hodgson used height to open up a small Swedish back four to some success.
For the time being Carroll edges Kane in offering the finest quality for that particular skill. But given how impressive Kane’s rapid development has been, Carroll will know he needs to be consistent to hold down that position.
With so many options available to him and Daniel Sturridge injured, it will be interesting to see who he judges to be the best candidate to improve the current England squad.