Danny Wilson , at just 19-years-old has already displayed a great deal of ability and has the potential to go on and be a top defender if he’s managed right. It’s finding the youngster regular game-time that may prove difficult for Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool . In total Danny has racked up eight appearances for the Reds, yet he’s found his opportunities extremely limited lately.
So far this season he has made just the one appearance, back in August. He’s just not getting the opportunity to prove himself. Jamie Carragher may be growing in years and Agger may be perpetually injured, yet the 19-year-old doesn’t seem to be any closer to first team football. Most Liverpool fans recognise the need for an experienced defender to join the club this January and don’t see Danny as the answer to their centre-back problem.
His lack of game time this season even saw him dropped from the senior Scotland squad for this month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers. Danny himself is just itching to play:
“There’s nothing worse than not being able to go out on the pitch on a Saturday and play, but I need to just keep my head down and hopefully I’ll either get some game time at Liverpool or get the chance to go somewhere else and try and prove myself.”
Given that chances at Liverpool are extremely limited the only way Wilson can prove himself is with a move to another team. Yet in his few appearances for the club he has shown Liverpool that he has genuine ability and for this reason Liverpool wont want to let him go on a permanent basis.
The best move for both player and club is this surely for Danny to go out on loan. It’s my personal hope that he joins a top Championship side (in the same way that Jonjo Shelvey was recently loaned out to Blackpool). If Wilson went to a club like Middlesbrough or Southampton who are performing well it would represent a chance for him to build confidence. I don’t think it’d help to have him at a club that is struggling to pick up results.
Young players don’t always have the mental strength of experienced older heads. So why not send Danny out on loan where he can develop a winning mentality? Either way I hope that he gets the move he needs to further a promising career.
Article courtesy of Harry Cloke from This is Futbol
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Win tickets to Legends Lounge to see the titanic clash at Anfield
Harry Redknapp is a seldom a man who likes to mince his words. Whether it’s expressing admiration for someone else’s player, or providing a flippant appraisal of Darren Bent’s finishing ability, he rarely leaves anything to the imagination.
The Europa League, the scourge of domestically-inclined managers across the continent, is another subject which has felt the full force and scorn of Redknapp’s tongue. The 64-year-old has certainly not been shy in admitting his disdain for the Champions League’s ugly little sister.
“It is a nuisance,” he cried before Spurs’ recent trip to Salonika.
His condescension is not unreasonable, especially when considering the whirlwind nature of the club’s maiden Champions League voyage last term. The aim, as Redknapp has stated, is for Spurs to feast upon the delights on offer at Europe’s top table once more.
White Hart Lane’s prized assets, including messrs Bale, Modrić and van der Vaart, excelled throughout Spurs’ trips across the continent’s footballing cathedrals last season while Europe’s traditional powerhouses sat up and fluttered their eyelashes. Redknapp is all too aware of this – midfield orchestrator Modrić pleaded with the club to consider Chelsea’s offers throughout the summer – and ensuring another top-four finish is high on his list of priorities.
Despite the prioritisation of domestic pursuits, the Europa League has certainly proved to be more than just a mere nuisance this season.
Mindful of fatigue, Redknapp has, for the most part, eschewed the use of first-choice players and instead opted to go with youth. And this approach appears to be paying off, with Spurs recently installed as the bookmakers’ favourites to win the trophy. Despite last night’s defeat to Rubin Kazan, Tottenham’s European fate is still in their own hands, with their next home game against PAOK Salonika likely to be the decisive tie.
Spurs made the 2,000 mile journey to the “Third Capital” of Russia on the back of a five-match tournament unbeaten run, a sequence which was made all the more impressive by Redknapp’s selective use of his squad.
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The side selected for Spurs’ opening Europa League Group A clash at PAOK Salonika included six players aged 21 or under, with the average age of the starting eleven weighing in at 23 years of age. Redknapp has used the competition to hand club debuts to four Academy graduates (Jake Nicholson, Ryan Fredericks, Thomas Carroll and Harry Kane), and as a platform to allow the likes of Jake Livermore and Andros Townsend to develop and flourish.
Redknapp has been particularly effusive in his praise of Europa League ever-present Jake Livermore. The 21-year-old midfielder has blossomed this season, and Redknapp has admitted that the club paid a premium for Scott Parker in order to keep Townsend at White Hart Lane.
“West Ham wanted to take him and, in the end, he didn’t want to go anyway. It didn’t happen and I’m pleased to have him here because he’s important for us,” he said.
“We paid more money for Scott in the end rather than throw Jake in as part of the deal.”
Like cross-city rivals Chelsea, Spurs have struggled to extract the best from their Academy over the last decade – club captain Ledley King is the only first-team regular to have been developed at the club – with successive managers preferring to buy rather than nurture.
With the impending implementations of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan, the onus on grooming one’s own products will be greater and more important than ever. Spurs have already taken steps to rectify the quality of their production line, such as actively limiting the presence and prevalence of birth bias and disbanding their reserve team set-up.
However, there is no substitute for first-team exposure, and Livermore’s displays in the Premier League (he has featured for the club domestically too) seem to vindicate his manager’s selection policy in Europe, with Spurs permitted the opportunity to exhibit the finest collection of youth talent they’ve had in a generation.
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Nuisance? What nuisance?
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Stoke ended a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats after they saw off a feeble fight from Blackburn at the Britannia Stadium to move into the top of half of the table.
The Potters went into the game desperate not to make it five top flight defeats in a row for the first time since the 1984/85 season and after a nervy opening finally took the lead through the unlikely source of Rory Delap. Tony Pulis’ side had to wait until the second half before securing victory with Glenn Whelan steering in his first goal for 18 months just before the hour before Peter Crouch wrapped up the win with 18 minutes left. It was their first three point haul since beating Fulham in mid-October and kept Blackburn deeply rooted in the relegation zone with boss Steve Kean once again presiding over a lifeless display from his side with Ruben Rochina grabbing a late consolation. Rovers had showed great resilience to claim a point at fellow relegation rivals Wigan last week but that fights spirit was missing at the Potteries as the home side strolled to an easy victory. The pressure is now firmly on Kean who, despite signing a new deal this week, was once again subject of protests from his own fans with the club looking like firm candidates for relegation. Stoke on the other hand moved back into the top half after inflicting an eight defeat of the season on a beleaguered Rovers side.
It was the away side who started the game in the ascendancy though with Kean’s players looking full of running and energy in the early exchanges although a distinct lack of quality in the final third with Rochina’s long range effort on the stroke of half time their only real effort. By the time that came Stoke had already taken the lead with Delap meeting Jermaine Pennant’s superb free kick to power a header past Paul Robinson just before the half hour. After a rather dour first forty five minutes the second half proved to be much better viewing with Blackburn once again starting with vigour only for them to fade as the game went on. They did have a superb chance to equalise just after the restart with Rochina’s dribble and subsequent cross finding Mauro Formica only for the striker to mis-cue his shot from six-yards. The away side’s confidence soon fizzled out allowing Stoke to take control of the game and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead on 58 minutes through Whelan. Some neat build up from Matthew Etherington and Jon Walters saw the ball find the Republic of Ireland midfielder 18-yards from goal and he made no mistake slamming the ball past Robinson via a deflection off Scott Dann.
Two became three soon after with Crouch smashing home a precise finish from 12-yards after Marc Wilson’s long ball had caught the Rovers defence cold allowing the England striker the freedom to pick his spot and wrap the points up for the Potters. The travelling Blackburn support continued to vent their frustrations over Kean’s tenure but did have something to celebrate after Rochina drilled home a consolation with four minutes to go. However a the pressure remains on him to turn things around at Ewood Park with a run of six wins in 33 good enough to get any other manager the sack rather than a new contract. Rovers fans will be demanding improvement in the coming weeks with the club four points adrift of safety and facing games against Swansea, Sunderland, West Brom and Bolton over the festive period.
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Another calendar year is nearing an end and the back of last season and the beginning of this have given football fans some terrific action and moments to get them excited. Records have been broken and some unbelievable foreign talent have flocked to our shores and taken the Premier League to the next level.
However, as good as the majority of the action has been, there has been lots of negatives attached to the best league in the world. Managers have not been given a chance and some managers have been given too long, big name players have decided that they are bigger than the club and mega bucks signings have failed to make an impact.
Here are the top ten let downs from 2011 and hopefully they are learnt from as the exciting prospect of 2012 is looming.
Click on John Terry and Anton Ferdinand to unveil the list
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Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United must be one of the longest running transfer sagas in recent memory, if not the most annoying. It is clear the Dutchman apparent love to come to English football continues to hit a stumbling block; basically nobody fancies agreeing to his wage demands, therefore ensuring he will remain at the San Siro until the summer at least.
I suppose a transfer window would be lost without some sort of saga and we were privy to plenty last summer with the Modric to Chelsea dispute, Cesc Fabregas finally fulfilling his move to Barcelona, while Samir Nasri left both Manchester clubs dangling before the Frenchman decided that he would go for the bigger pay-cheque at the Etihad Stadium. Fleet Street craves these sagas and it helps fill a lot of column inches on a daily basis.
Unfortunately the January window has been quiet so far with the only genuine saga being whether and when Gary Cahill was going to sign for Chelsea. I’m sure we are witnessing the calm before the eventual storm and we are likely to see plenty of activity in the coming week.
The following list focuses on the transfer sagas that have gripped football in recent years and caused something of a stir.
Click on Jon Obi-Mikel to unveil the top 10
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Wigan have confirmed that they have signed Jean Beausejour from Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee.
The Chile international winger has put pen-to-paper on a two and a half year deal at the DW Stadium, with the move being rubber-stamped after the South American passed a medical on Wednesday.
Roberto Martinez is delighted to have added the attacking midfielder to his squad, and feels Beausejour could play an important part in keeping The Latics in the English top flight.
“Jean is a player we have been tracking for a long time since he made a huge impression on us with his role for Chile in the World Cup,” Martinez told the club’s official website.
“Now Jean has 18 months of experience in the British game and his dynamism, technical ability and tactical concepts will bring a different dimension into our squad.
“He is ready to bring his own experience and his energy into the fantastic challenge that as a football club we’re facing in the next 16 games of the season,” the Spanish coach stated.
Beausejour also spoke of his happiness at moving to Wigan, and is keen to get started with his new team.
“Roberto told me about the plans he has for the club and I am really excited to join and meet my team-mates.
“We have a really tough end of the season, but I am really looking forward to the challenge ahead.
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“I want to thank all the supporters at Birmingham and now I have to concentrate on getting in the team and doing my best for Wigan Athletic,” he commented.
Arsene Wenger has stated that he will send his Arsenal team out to score against AC Milan on Wednesday night in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League showdown.
The Gunners will be aware of the quality in the Italian side’s ranks, but their coach is looking for all-important away goals at the San Siro.
“The European system is organised to reward audacious action away from home,” Wenger told the club’s official website.
“When you go away in the Champions League, you have to score.
“The best way to score is play in an offensive way and we will try to do that.”
Meanwhile, Gunners playmaker Mikel Arteta is hoping his influence can help to balance the Arsenal team.
“I watch the game from behind [the attackers] and I know that when we become too open we leave many spaces and concede goals,” he told Arsenal Player.
“I just try to balance the team a little bit.
“Sometimes I would like to go forward more, but I’ve still had chances and the goal [against Blackburn] was my sixth this year, which isn’t bad.
“I don’t want to be the main man; we all know who the main man is and that’s Robin [van Persie]. He is the leader, he is the one who makes a real difference.
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“Everyone is part of a machine and we are all just trying to make the machine work as well as we can,” he concluded.
Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote has stated that he and his in-demand team-mates will stay with the club if they qualify for Europe next season.
The Tyneside club are currently in fourth place after an excellent campaign, with a real chance of finishing in the Champions League qualification places.
The Ivory Coast midfielder has impressed in his time at the Sports Direct Arena, with Manchester United and Chelsea believed to be potential suitors.
However, Tiote has revealed that he will be convinced to stay if Alan Pardew’s men qualify for Europe and feels that the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Fabricio Coloccini will do the same.
“For a long time the fans have not had European football but now, next season, we will be in European competition,” the African midfielder told The Sun.
“It is great for the club, the fans and for everyone. It will definitely convince players to stay.
“It is important. If the team is playing in Europe, it is better for us to keep our best players.
“It will be difficult to keep our very best players if we are not playing in Europe, so to achieve this is good,” he clarified.
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There is a rhythmic, enchanting, impulsive song which reverberates around the dark pine forests of Köpenick, a borough nestled deep into the East of Berlin. It arises spontaneously and once started, will continue relentlessly. ‘FC Union, unsere liebe, unsere mannschaft, unsere stolz, unsere verein’ goes the chant, hardly Lennon and McCartney stuff but words which define a club at the very forefront of German fan culture – ‘our love, our team, our pride, our club’.
Tucked away in the former GDR during the Cold War years, 1.FC Union Berlin have forged a reputation for being a ‘Kult’ club, with fans often voicing dissent towards the Soviet satellite regime on the terraces of their Alten Forsterei ground. In more recent times, however, the club has attained a reputation for more innovative fan practices, cited as the epitome of the fan-ownership model.
When promotion to the Bundesliga II was compromised by ground regulations, the fans rallied round, volunteering their services in order to renovate the crumbling terraces as the stadium was transformed into the modern, sleek arena it is today. This summer, fans will do the same to renovate another stand, as the club aim to bring the last remaining remnant of the Soviet era into the modern realm and up to standards that meet the side’s Bundesliga ambitions. Only the roof installation was carried out by contractors; the fans being the literal foundations of the club.
Essentially, the club is a model of everything that is seductive about fan culture in German football – fans have direct involvement with the club’s decision making process, a democratic system seldom seen in England, and the football watching experience is far excelled from the sterilised environment found at the majority of Premiership grounds. You can stand and have a beer without the threat of ejection; a luxury English fans pine for yet are unlikely to ever enjoy again. As such, the German experience is proving too hard to resist for disillusioned Englishmen in search of an authentic recreation of the English game before the moneymen arrived.
One such fan is Mark Wilson, who swapped a Sunderland season ticket for one at Union Berlin for the coming season. Having joined a growing legion of expats in Berlin two years ago, Mark spoke to us about his experiences and why the Germans do it best.
On why this was such an attractive proposition, Mark said that “FC Union Berlin are a community club. Being a Sunderland fan I identified with this. Union fans take it to a whole new level though. Being a true supporter of a club has to be about more than simply the football and the results. I have made friends for life due to football and choosing Union rather than Hertha appealed to me due to my love of the underdog. The terraces were a big pull also.”
Terracing is a divisive issue in English football – yet in Germany, the introduction of safe standing is one which has been implemented with minimal fuss and minimal hazard. Mark tells us that “terracing is critical to atmosphere. The cost is affordable and this means that you get a good cross-section of German society attending matches. Subsequently, the atmosphere is better. It reminds me of standing on the terraces at Roker Park in the 90’s when the crowd was mainly working class.” However, Mark believes the prospects of standing areas being reintroduced to British grounds is wishful thinking: “I personally think
you’ll never stand at an English ground again. I support safe standing areas but I support drinking a pint whilst watching the game and both will never happen in the UK.”
For all the laudability of German fans, they have not been without controversy recently – pyrotechnics causing great concerns for the authorities, whilst unsavoury scenes in the relegation/promotion play-off between Fortuna Dusseldorf and Hertha Berlin raising the specter of more a sinister side to German fandom. Mark, however, believes this is not representative of the wider football supporting population. “The scenes in Dusseldorf were great for the media, a good opportunity to sell papers and I think the Hertha players response during the hearing last week was embarrassing. The two issues are pyrotechnics and crowd control. On the subject of the former I’d advocate safe areas where they can be used – they look awesome. The Hertha fans who threw missiles at 4-2 down on aggregate were guilty and have unfortunately given the authorities a stick to beat fans with. It’s a stick they’ll use as well.”
As a football fan on foreign shores, Mark has found a welcome home on the German terraces. “One fan described Union as a club who are “multi-kulti” and at another game I was given a Union pin-badge by the trumpet player. The official Union site posted my blog and loved the fact that an “Auslander” (foreigner) was following Union.”
Additionally, Mark highlighted the stinging disparity in tickets and treatment of supporters. The price of tickets in England are a disgrace. I lived in London for nearly 10 years and never once went to Stamford Bridge. It was almost fifty pounds for a ticket. Although football is run as a business true fans are different from consumers. How many businesses have customers that did not even choose to become customers? In Sunderland you are born a supporter of the club.” On the standard of the German leagues, Mark implies that “the crux for me is not the quality that is on offer but how competitive a league is. The Bundesliga is arguably more competitive and this is largely to do with the ownership rules.”
Evidently, English clubs are falling into a terminal process of alienating supporters: Many are being squeezed out the game by spiraling ticket prices whilst the fatal decline in atmosphere at games is severely compromising the soul of English fandom. The case of Union Berlin and other similar models in Germany provide the ultimate demonstration of fan ownership reaping beneficial rewards. Following a football club in England can often feel like a chore, a burden or an obligation as opposed to a joy. Unless this is reversed, the core ideological essence of the English game is at threat; a move towards the German model would be forthright step towards addressing this.
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Finally, given the choice between England and Germany, which would Mark choose? “England, but only because of Sunderland. However the match day experience here in Germany – standing on the terraces with your mates quaffing a pint – can’t be beaten.”
Have your say – are you disillusioned with English fandom or are things better nowadays? Tweet me @acherrie1
You can also follow Mark Wilson’s exploits following Union Berlin @UnionBerlinMan
Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has accused Norwich’s Bradley Johnson of deliberately trying to break his leg, after the France international suffered his second long-term injury in the space of six months on Saturday.
The full-back suffered a broken leg in the clash with the Canaries, and as a result will now miss Euro 2012.
The Gunners man has stated that he feels that Johnson targeted him on purpose and that the break was similar to the first injury.
“I think he did it on purpose,” Sagna told French newspaper L’Equipe, translated to English by The Daily Mail.
“He stepped on my leg right where the plate was. I think the plate pressured (the bone). It’s a neat break, just above the plate.
“When I tried to control the ball, I felt a crack, just like the first time at Tottenham.
‘That’s how it is. It’s football. I came back once, I will come back a second time. Even stronger,” he conceded.
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