Roberto Mancini’s men bounced back from their disappointing home defeat against Everton earlier in the week in the perfect way with three points away at Newcastle. If Manchester City were slow out of the blocks at Eastlands against the Toffees the exact opposite was the case at St James’ Park today as they stormed into a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes.
Manchester City were clinical in the opening exchanges as first Gareth Barry and then Carlos Tevez found the back of the net. The latter was in particularly good form, netting again late on and making the three points completely safe after Newcastle had threatened a comeback through Andy Carroll’s header. The win takes Manchester City up to second in the Premier League table behind United, and keeping them firmly in the title race.
So what five things did we learn about Man City today?
I know every man and his dog has had something to say on the whole Olympic legacy and which football club is deserving of the keys to the Stratford stadium; so I figured I would continue to throw a few more column inches to the debate. What concerns me is not which club ends up moving into the new arena; but more the shameless way in which the respective club owners have gone about their business without any consultation with the very people that make their football club’s tick – the fans.
I know it is nothing new; hey club owners have been dictating to the fans for years, but surely when it comes to moving stadiums a little communication with the supporters who will be filling it should have been forthcoming, shouldn’t it? I mean how many Tottenham and West Ham fans really know the ins and outs of their club’s respective bids? It seems to me that it is Fleet Street that has dragged out the intentions of the two football clubs, rather than a direct and straight forward dialogue from the respective owners in the past few weeks. Daniel Levy did write an open letter to the club supporters after the application deadline had passed on Friday; however I couldn’t help but feel that it was too little, too late.
I was debating the whole Tottenham move to Stratford with supporters before yesterday’s game at St James’s and many agreed that they have been left in the dark. Unfortunately a lack of communication had meant supporters had to decipher what they could from the little bits of information within the media of the club’s intentions, without being presented with the full facts. Surely a little courtesy to the people who religiously pay out anything between £600-1200 on a season ticket every year, on top of endless pounds spent on away trips and merchandise, deserved to know the club’s intentions with their bid for the Olympic stadium, given they were so open with supporters with regards to the Northumberland Development Scheme. It is the supporters after all that are going to see their natural landscape being dragged from under their feet should a move to Stratford be successful.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As a Tottenham fan myself I would be desperately sad to see the club move away from N17. I am not naive to the fact that the club needs to move to a bigger stadium in order to compete financially with the big boys in Europe, and if a move to Stratford is the only genuine option we have to achieve this then so be it, but I stress again it would have been nice for supporters to be consulted about our club’s intentions, before filling our heads with grand plans for this NEW Northumberland Park development. We deserved that much, didn’t we?
Roman Pavlyuchenko has issued an ultimatum to Harry Redknapp, saying that if he does not start more games he will ask to leave the club. He said, “I am tired of being treated like this. Now, until the summer transfer window, if nothing changes, I am going to demand to be sold.” Adding, “It is not the money I am after. I want to play football.”
You can see why the Russian is frustrated, he has scored more goals than Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe put together this season, and not played as long as either of them. Last year he found himself in a similar position, being 4th choice striker behind Robbie Keane, as well as the current pairing. But while many people are easily swayed by Pavlyuchenko’s seemingly romantic desire to simply ‘play football’; I am a bit more sceptical.
He is no stranger from rhetoric, having played a successful part in political campaigns in Russia. He has acted as a deputy for Vladimir Putin’s “United Russia” party. In his home town of Stavropol, Pavlyuchenko secured more than enough votes to be elected onto the regional council.
The line; ‘It is not the money I am after’ is so obvious. We can’t fall for it that easily, especially when he will never have to worry about money. He gets paid more in a week than an average man would get paid in a year.
The truth is that he has always been a big fish in a small pond, and he can’t handle being a smaller fish. With his youthful looks and blonde hair it is easy to see why he has previously been the ‘it’ boy. He was ‘golden’ in his six years at Spartak Moscow, and when he joined Tottenham his affectionate mother, Lyubov Pavlyuchenko, said, “He didn’t want to go to England or leave Russia.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not just being a cynic. I am a huge believer in wanting to play football first, and receive the ridiculous rewards, second. But this desire should surely be mirrored by an attitude on the pitch?
Pav’s problem is that he has not proved himself as reliable. Yes, he scores goals, but not enough to convince Redknapp he is better than those above him. He takes them well when they arise, but does not do enough when these chances don’t crop up.
Some of his goals have been top class, but he all too often looks lazy. Redknapp said that his best from came last year after being told to “just f******g run around”. He is definitely talented but has not produced the goods when he been in the starting XI. His best performances have come from the bench.
When the going gets tough, you have to stay and fight for it, not just give up. If anyone has seen Pavlyuchenko play, it is tough to argue that he is not lazy. If he carries out his decision to quit White Hart Lane, it will mirror his attitude on the pitch, a bit like a spoiled child.
In his interview, Pavlyuchenko said, “it is absolutely inconceivable why Redknapp keeps me on the bench.” It might be frustrating Roman, but it is by no means ‘absolutely inconceivable’.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
And when he said, “sometimes I have a feeling that Redknapp jeers at me,” he is begging for a response such as, ‘grow up Pav, this is business, nothing personal’. Sport is just that. It seems to me that Roman has been wrapped up in cotton wool his whole life.
So, Harry may not have treated him particularly well, but why should he? He is not baby-sitting, he is a football manager. Pavlyuchenko, as much as I appreciate his sentiments about placing football over money, has often felt sorry for himself while at White Hart Lane, and I think yet again, he has over-reacted.
With ever year that passes at Old Trafford, there is a nagging sense that something has to give. As Sir Alex Ferguson’s class of 1992 one by one clear their lockers for the last time, the end of one era draws inexorably closer and the challenge of building for a new one becomes more and more a pressing concern.
The retirement of Gary Neville, formally confirmed to the football community last week, was another landmark on the ever shortening runway that is Manchester United’s link with its glorious past.
The longevity and professionalism of the remaining stalwarts of that United youth team, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, tricks the mind into suggesting that the era of red success can be forever safeguarded by these two ageless icons.
In truth, this is another transitional season for Ferguson, almost certainly his final effort at leaving his squad in strong shape before he departs Manchester and is carried out on his shield. Previous plans have been modified, particularly by Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez’s exits from the Old Trafford dressing room eighteen months ago, the horrendous knee injuries befalling Owen Hargreaves and the difficulty in establishing a successor to Edwin van der Sar.
Despite all of this, a weakened United squad took the league title race to the final day of last season and look set to win the Premiership crown again for the third year in four this time around. There will be no illusions however that the 2011 squad so much as laces the boots of some of its predecessors.
Ferguson has been a tad fortunate this season that United’s early season profligacy was not punished on the domestic scene, however the definition of future successes may well lie in the club’s efforts in Europe, an area that a strong squad is a pre-requisite in.
This is where United may well find themselves falling short. I am not sure, with the squad the Red Devils currently have, that the team is capable of playing at a higher level than the one they have currently scaled. Fans will argue that as of yet Ferguson’s men have not needed to show any more than the quality that led to them going nearly a year without defeat in the league, however there will be challenges in the months ahead on a European front, that will require more than has been in evidence thus far.
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
Change in top flight football happens quickly, however the uniqueness of the situation that United find themselves, is that this transitional squad has more than enough to claim the leading domestic prizes. As Chelsea have discovered this season, however, resting on tenuously awarded laurels can and will cause problems – not all Premier League title races are created equal.
Ferguson’s biggest decisions surround the handling of several players to have made a key contribution to previous title triumphs. The retirement of Gary Neville was a case of a player jumping as he was pushed, but the phasing out of Giggs, Scholes and Rio Ferdinand is one of Ferguson’s biggest challenges. The effect the Wayne Rooney saga has had on the Scotsman’s transfer dealings will be fascinating.
Ferdinand has not been the reliable presence he once was, injuries ruling the captain out of several games across the course of the season, his most telling contributions appearing to come from his Twitter account. With the former Leeds and West Ham man increasingly concentrating on outside enterprises, Ferguson has taken the chance to blood Chris Smalling at the heart of defence, and in general the recruit from Fulham has done well. There are no ready made replacements for either Giggs or Scholes, and whilst both players find their weekly contributions over-hyped in the media, it is the gargantuan experience and guidance that the pair bring to the dressing room which will be missed most.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The medium and long-term outlook for the current squad is difficult to gauge. Several players find themselves out of contract in the summer, a number of which looked destined to start the new season elsewhere. Michael Owen’s hopes of regaining the sharpness that once won him the Ballon D’or have proven futile. Owen Hargreaves cannot possibly be offered a new deal in the summer after not playing a full game in two and a half years and another experienced head, Wes Brown, is facing up to life away from Old Trafford after another year of stunted progress.
The club have been able to call on increasingly impressive performances from the once maligned Dimitar Berbatov and Nani, as the team have made their serene journey to the top of the Premier League table. As spring turns to summer, the key transfer decisions will be some of the most crucial in Ferguson’s tenure at Manchester United.
If you enjoyed this and want to read more, catch me on Twitter.
Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri has asked his players to narrow their focus as the Serie A season heads toward a thrilling finale.The Naples club slipped from second to third on the table following a 3-0 loss at AC Milan on Monday, and they now trail the league leaders by six points.With second-placed Inter Milan just a point away and Lazio, Udinese and Roma all pushing for a Champions League place, Mazzarri is wary of his squad becoming distracted.”We should only be focused on ourselves and continue to play in the championship as we have done so far,” Mazzarri said.”There is no use in looking at the others.””Mathematics confirms also that teams such as Roma and Juventus can achieve higher positions in the league depending on the results on the pitch.””Events affect the results, therefore anything can happen.”Next up for Napoli is a visit from lowly Brescia, who are mired in a relegation battle after taking just 24 points from 27 fixtures so far this term.But Mazzari has warned of the challenge facing his team on Sunday, and every matchday until the season has concluded.”I totally respect Brescia – they have great skills and players such as (Alessandro) Diamanti and (Andrea) Caracciolo,” he said.”The defenders are also very good, such as (Jonathan) Zebina, and their coaching staff is very good.””It shows the high level that Serie A has reached since there isn’t the gap between the bigger and smaller teams.””I already know it will be tough and I’d like the people to get prepared for it. The matches are going to be difficult, even home matches.””There will be moments when we won’t be able to play as we may want to do since the other teams will stop us from doing so.””We’ll have to suffer, but we should all find the best way in order to win as many matches as possible out of the 11 matches from here until the end of the season.”
Manchester City face an uphill battle to keep their hopes of a European title alive when they host Dynamo Kiev at Eastlands on Thursday.City’s trip to Ukraine for the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie did not go according to plan, the visitors going down 2-0 and returning to England on the brink of European elimination.City were still in good stead after former Chelsea man Andriy Shevchenko found the opener for the Ukrainian giants, but a poorly conceded second to Oleg Gusev and their subsequent failure to get an away goal could come back to haunt Roberto Mancini’s men.Mancini and his expensively assembled squad need silverware to justify the considerable financial outlay that brought them together.But there still other avenues for the Sky Blues, who are just seven points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race and face their cross-town rivals at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final in April.Dynamo, meanwhile, have not lost a match in any competition in over four months, and will fancy their chances of protecting their aggregate against a City side whose goal-scoring has dried up.Argentine ace Carlos Tevez has barely been sighted since his hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion early last month, while temperamental Italian starlet Mario Balotelli seems to have gone cold again and reacted poorly to be substituted off during the trip to Ukraine.Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was recalled to the first team for City’s defeat of Reading in the FA Cup, believes his team can still make it through to the last eight.”If we create one or two chances and we take them, then it’s a whole new ball game,’ Wright-Phillips told the club’s official website.”We know we have to go out there and start firing straight from kick off and create as many chances as possible. You never know what may happen.””It all depends on what tactics the gaffer gives us but we know once we get one chance we have to take it to open the game up a bit more.”Dynamo striker Artem Milevskiy, who has scored five times in the club’s Europa League campaign, has been ruled out with a fractured hand suffered against FC Vorskla Poltava at the weekend.City have no fresh injury concerns.
Kenny Dalglish’s midas touch is paying great dividends at Liverpool and the Reds look a good outside bet for a top four finish this season. It would be a remarkable achievement and more than justify the decision of NESV to part company with Roy Hodgson.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Liverpool blogs that includes what to do with Raul Meireles; £58m well spent by Liverpool, while Kenny’s the man to restore the Reds to glory.
We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.
*
The Premier League’s LET DOWN XI
Top TEN Premier League Wags…well I would!
Liverpool braced for a transfer spree?
THREE deals to solve Liverpool’s underlying problem
What to do with Raul Meireles?
THREE deals to solve Liverpool’s underlying problem
Is he really that irreplaceable at Liverpool?
£58m well spent by Liverpool?
Have Liverpool unearthed their own Wilshere?
Why Liverpool could do a lot worse than sign City reject
The man to restore Liverpool to their former glories
Are we set for the biggest summer transfer sprees in years?
*Best of Web*
Summer reconstruction still essential – This Is Anfield
Little Red Shoots of Recovery – Kopblog
The Unwritten Law of Managerial Suitability Tomkins Times
5 Keepers Who Could Be Ready To Step Into Reina’s Shoes? – Live4Liverpool
David N’Gog – Should he stay or should he go? – This Is Anfield
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Holger Stanislawski will leave St Pauli at the end of the Bundesliga season and is rumoured to be in line for the Hoffenheim job.Stanislawski, 41, became St Pauli coach in 2008, guiding the team to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga last season.
The Hamburg-based club have announced that Stanislawski will activate an opt-out clause to release him from his contract one season early.
Meanwhile, Hoffenheim have confirmed that caretaker coach Marco Pezzaiuoli – promoted from assistant following the departure of Ralf Rangnick in January – will not stay beyond the end of the current campaign.
Hoffenheim are 10th in the Bundesliga, but have only recorded one victory in their last eight matches.
“Obviously, it was not easy for Marco with the coach changes and the players who left in the winter,” club manager Ernst Tanner said.
“But following the developments in the last weeks, we decided to go into the new season with another coach.”
Stanislawski has quickly been installed as the most likely candidate to assume control at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
“Stanislawski is a favourite, but I cannot say whether he will come,” Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp told the Mannheimer Morgen newspaper.
“He is always passionate about his team and is a coach who looks after his players.”
West Ham United midfielder Gary O’Neil will miss the remainder of the English Premier League season after undergoing surgery on his ankle.The 27-year-old will be missed as the Hammers try and avoid relegation in the last five games of the season.
O’Neil, who suffered the injury after a tackle from Nigel Reo-Coker in West Ham’s 2-1 loss against Aston Villa on April 16, has made eight appearances for the club since joining from Middlesbrough in January.
“I have got some joint damage in the ankle which they had to sort but I am told it went well,” O’Neil said.
“I am disappointed not to be involved for the last five games but (I’m) looking to get back as fast as I can next season.”
West Ham are two points from safety but face a tough trip to Stamford Bridge and second-placed Chelsea on Saturday.
O’Neil said he was ready to support his teammates while maintaining focus on his comeback.
“I have got my head around the timescale involved for my comeback. I have just got to keep my foot up for a few weeks and then take it from there,” O’Neil said.
Arsene Wenger is hoping for a ‘clean’ game against Stoke in a rematch of the clash that left midfielder Aaron Ramsey with a broken leg.Ramsey spent nine months on the sidelines after a Ryan Shawcross tackle last season and has only recently returned to Arsenal’s starting line-up and his fourth appearance for the club this season will be against the man almost ended the 20-year-old’s career.
“I said many times that only Aaron can forgive Shawcross,” Wenger said.
“He has been hurt and I don’t think that a debate is needed before the game. I believe Aaron is 20 years old, he has a long career in front of him, so the earlier the plays in Stoke the better it is.”
“The only thing that is important is to focus, to play well and win the game.”
“We cannot want to have a clean game and prepare football games like that.”
Ramsey scored the only goal in Arsenal’s win against Manchester United last week and will continue to deputise for the injured Cesc Fabregas who has a thigh problem.
Long-term absentee Thomas Vermaelen is fit again after recovering from an Achilles’ tendon injury.
Alongside the Welshman is likely to be Jack Wilshere whose recent inclusion in the provisional squad to play for England in the Under-21 European Championships in the summer has angered his club manager.
“I personally believe it does not have to be Jack Wilshere’s decision. It is the FA’s decision because only they can make this decision and they have to act in a responsible way,” Wenger said.
“You cannot ask Jack if he wants to play – do you really think he will say no? I don’t think that’s realistic.”
“I will ask Fabio Capello to consider the consequences of a boy who is 19 years old who has played around 50 games at the end of the season, who has played for the first team and then a tournament on the back of it.”
Central defender Johan Djourou will undergo a fitness test to assess his ankle and Abou Diaby is struggling with a calf problem. Gael Clicky could also miss out with a hamstring complaint.