All posts by h79snht.top

The pressure will most certainly be on John W Henry and FSG come the arrival of the January transfer window, following their well publicized failure to back Brendan Rodgers last deadline day.

The fiasco surrounding Andy Carroll, has led to Henry and his team being questioned by Liverpool fans for the first time in their almost two year reign.

But with Rodgers seemingly stumbling across a vast array of young talent, will Henry feel the need to dip into his pockets come January?

Following the deadline day debacle, Henry wrote an open letter to Liverpool fans explaining in detail how he and his team would no longer pay over the odds for players, and continue with their ‘moneyball’ strategy of signing young players with a sell on value. Hence why Clint Dempsey at 29 was considered £2 million too expensive.

One thing that is painstakingly obvious for everyone to see, is Liverpool are short of strikers. Its been talked and written about endlessly, often in unflattering terms.

But to take a positive out of the deadline day blunder, will be the emergence of youngsters Raheem Sterling and Suso. Neither are out and out strikers, but both can play either side of a front three, and have come from nowhere to provide Liverpool with some real attacking edge.

Neither look a flash in the pan either. Sterling has the ability to take on players in a way not seen at Anfield since possibly the days of Michael Owen. Small, agile, quick and with superb close control, the 17-year-old is already well on his way to becoming an Anfield favourite. His work rate and ability to chase down lost causes has impressed Rodgers and convinced him to give an extended run in the side.

Suso has been another promising addition to the starting eleven. The Spaniard has started the last two Premier League games since being bought on as a half time substitute against Manchester United, and impressing on his Europa League debut against Young Boys. His creativity and ability to pick a pass has already added an extra dimension to Liverpool’s game.

Add to the fact Jonjo Shelvey is due to return to the midfield from suspension on something of a purple patch, having netted three Europa League goals already this term, Rodgers side may not be as desperate for a big money striker as people think. Rodgers also have youngsters Samed Yesil, Adam Morgan and Dani Pacheco available, and has used all three in the cup competitions this season.

Speculation has been rife this week that Rodgers may in fact recall Andy Carroll from his loan spell at West Ham in January rather than dip into the transfer market.  It makes you wonder if perhaps Rodgers has even been surprised by his own ability to make the best of what he has, so much so that he may be willing to give Carroll another shot.

The decision to loan out Carroll sparked debate, in the sense as to why Rodgers was so unwilling to give him a chance to see if he could fit into the new system. It showed a certain stubbornness, and has left questions such as does Rodgers have the ability to conjure up a Plan B?

There has been few striking names linked with Liverpool of late. The latest player linked for a January move is  Belgian winger Dries Mertens. According to talkSport Liverpool have expressed great interest in the 25-year-old, who netted 20 times in just 23 outing last season and has already scored 4 in 5 games this campaign. According to the report, Mertens could be available for around £9.7m come January.

The fact a winger is being linked, and it with it clear John W Henry still has a strong desire to balance the books at Anfield, does that allude to a return for Carroll?

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Results will dictate what happens come January. An improvement is certainly needed with Liverpool currently languishing in 14th place despite some good performances.

But should the likes of Shelvey, Suso and Sterling continue to perform at the level they are, perhaps Henry will not produce the big money striker some have been expecting.

Do you think Henry will be willing to splash the cash in January? Follow me on Twitter @LukeGreenwood89 and let me know your thoughts. 

Recent events in the NFL would probably have me rethinking the direction behind all this. The biggest sports league in America was officiated by a group of referees who are normally extremely far removed from the pro game—and it told. But that aside for now, it shouldn’t be something that will ever crop up in England (because some of the things that happen in American sports would seem unbelievable to most who are unfamiliar). But regardless of how good or bad referees in the Premier League and even Europe are, isn’t it time they started to respect the game a little more?

I’m still a little stunned that the football governing bodies from Uefa down to the domestic leagues advocate this respect campaign between players and referees. I even remember a handful of times where referees would point to that “respect” badge on their sleeve indicating that they’re in charge and should be, well, respected. That’s all fine, and it’s right, but doesn’t it work both ways?

There’s been plenty of talk about players crowding around a referee to influence a decision. It’s a problem that needs to be worked on a little harder to remove from games. But I have a real problem with the way referees shoo players away, practically telling them to eff off should they walk with purpose towards him. Embarrassingly, for the referee in question, Clarence Seedorf was yellow carded not too long ago for asking the referee what a hold up in the game was for. It’s arrogance from the officials, and how disrespectful and cowardly do you have to be to yellow card one of the most highly respected ambassadors of the game for asking a question?

Captains should be able to talk to the referee whenever there’s a stoppage in the game. It works in other sports like the NHL, whereby a player who is not one of the captains is given a two-minute minor penalty. Enforce something similar in football and we’ll be better for it.

But referees—however not all of them—live in this bubble where they can’t and won’t allow anyone to prove them wrong. And here’s the real kicker: a lot of the time they know they’ve made a mistake. They’re so well protected through not having to give post-game interviews and having the governing bodies impose bans and fines for anyone who seriously threatens their integrity that they do in fact get away with murder.

You want strong referees in the game, especially for high-profile matches. I’m still not entirely sold on some of the referees in the Premier League and their ability to officiate at this level. But their arrogance is at times infuriating. A lot of the time they don’t seem to know the rules, or at least they don’t do much to keep any form of consistency. When is a dive in the box a bookable offence and when is it not? Are any senior referees putting their hands up to make a genuine case to smooth out these issues?

The incident at Old Trafford a number of seasons ago between Manchester United and Tottenham was a good example of the carefree attitude of referees. Mark Clattenburg’s casual fling of his arm to indicate a controversial goal was embarrassing. Is that the best we have? And don’t any of the two captains dare approach him to question the decision, they’ll promptly be booked for such an act.

Massimo Busacca’s decision to send off Robin van Persie for his shot on goal at the Nou Camp a second after the whistle blew for offside was beyond any realm of logic and smacked wholly of arrogance. It didn’t make any sense and it’s something that isn’t enforced by other referees around Europe. Busacca, coincidently, was one of Europe’s senior officials. If memory serves, Arsene Wenger was given a fine for questioning the referee following his ridiculous decision.

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In a recent postseason match in the MLB between the St Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, an incident occurred that brought up one of those rules that you hardly ever see in a game. It prompted many experts in the game and news outlets to point out the ruling and summarise what it meant and how it applied to that particular event. Needless to say it was extremely controversial. One of the pleasant things to see was the umpires explain their decision following the game in a press conference. Whether the call was right or not, at least we got to hear from them rather than have some retired official paraded around on TV giving his take.

I’m not buying this respect campaign from officials because it seems they’re immune to any form of confrontation or questioning. They don’t care what kind of effect their decision will have in the bigger picture and further down the line, and a lot of the time it seems they go into a game with a preconceived agenda.

Newly promoted Southampton have confirmed they are investigating an incident involving goalkeeper Artur Boruc during their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

It is alleged that the goalkeeper threw a water bottle in to the St. Mary’s crowd and began swearing at supporters following Spurs’ second goal.

And it is believed that Saints had initially looked at the video footage and insisted the Polish stopper had done nothing wrong, but the club have since announced they will be looking further into the incident.

A club statement said: “Southampton Football Club can confirm that it is investigating allegations of an incident involving Artur Boruc that occured towards the end of the first half during Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur.

“The club takes such allegations extremely seriously and will deal with the matter in the appropriate manner.”

Boruc, who signed from Serie A side Fiorentina on a free in September  made his Saints debut in their 4-1 defeat away to West Ham earlier this month.

Since their promotion back to the Premier League, Southampton have managed to win only one of their first nine matches and have conceded a league high of 26 goals.

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Their poor defensive record has not been helped by the fact Boruc is the third goalkeeper manager Nigel Adkins has used so far this season, but he is expected to start against Leeds United in Saints’ Capital One Cup fourth round tie at Elland Road tonight.

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In 2005 Luke Rodgers left Shrewsbury Town to join Crewe Alexandra following a wonderful 6 year period playing for Shrewsbury Town.

He helped us achieve promotion from the conference before he left and was considered a real talismanic figure at the club. Since he departed Rodgers had played for a string of other clubs, most notably partnering Thierry Henry at New York Red Bulls last season where he achieved some great success.

Rodgers made himself a real fan favourite at the club but was forced to leave due to visa issues at the end of last season. He then found his way back to England via Lillestrom to cash strapped Portsmouth, after scoring 2 goals in 9 games for the south coast club it appears he has fell out of favour and is on his way out.

Rumours have been floating around both the Shrewsbury and Portsmouth messageboards that Rodgers is set to make a grand return to Shropshire and hopefully kick start our struggling campaign. If Rodgers does in fact sign the question ultimately is can he get us the goals we need to stay in this division.

For me he would be a fantastic signing. A proven goalscorer at this level and one with the experience that he has is what we have been crying out for all season. He is also renowned for his no holds barred attitude on the pitch and as I have pointed out in my recent posts, Shrewsbury lack any player who is vocal whatsoever. Hopefully Rodgers can give the players the proverbial kick up the back side they so desperately need.

Michael Hektor was sent back to Reading this week after his poor loan spell with us despite us only having 3 centre-backs in the squad, this begs the question: has Turner cleared him out to make sure we have room in our squad for another loanee? I hope so. We travel to Leyton Orient this Saturday and the O’s currently sit one position above us in the league by two points. We will be in desperate need of our first win in 5 games on Saturday and Rodgers may well be what we need to inspire that.

Rodgers posted a tweet today thanking Portsmouth and their fans for his time and the club so he is clearly heading for the exits, now it’s just a matter of waiting around and seeing if it us he comes to. If so it will be fantastic to see Rodgers back in the Blue and Amber shirt and hopefully in time for Leyton Orient away this Saturday.

You can follow me on Twitter @LiamHoofe

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Manchester City’s Scott Sinclair is obviously a big fan of Coronation Street, as he’s currently dating ex-corrie star Helen Flanagan. The young actress faced a backlash from the Twitterati after posting on her Twitter page: “Started to get bored now, been in Wales too long, Lol. Must take action.”

The former Coronation Street star got into hot water with a few Swansea residents, especially after Scott was linked with a move to Manchester City in the press. Flanagan lived in Manchester for a long time when she starred in Corrie, and it seemed she might want to return. Luckily for her, Sinclair made the big move to the Premier League champions just weeks later.

However, with the current week-long international break, Mr. Sinclair finds himself alone in the love nest, as his other half is currently on the other side of the globe taking part in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! She hasn’t adapted well to the Australian jungle, first struggling to cross a rope bridge and then just a day later having to face the first public-voted Bushtucker Trial, where she had to be locked in an underground tunnel with all manner of creepy-crawlies. She lasted about 3 seconds and lost the task for her team.

Maybe that’s why she belongs on the glamorous streets of Manchester with her Premier League boyfriend Scott Sinclair. At least these pictures provide solid evidence that she belongs in civilisation, not out in the jungle!

Click on Sinclair’s missus below to see the full gallery

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Southampton were denied a third straight Premier League victory after a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga gifted Norwich a point at St Mary’s.

Nigel Adkins’ men have hit a rich vein of form in November, with the victory over Newcastle on Sunday making it three without defeat and giving them real hope of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship.

The Canaries have also improved after a slow start under Chris Hughton but needed a stroke of luck to prolong to prolong their unbeaten run, that now stands at seven games, and continue their upward trajectory.

Unsurprisingly the game was overshadowed somewhat by the return of referee Mark Clattenburg, as he picked up the whistle for the first time since Chelsea falsely accused him of racially abusing Jon Obi Mikel in the defeat against Manchester United last month.

As they have done in recent weeks the Saints started brightly and almost took a deserved lead through captain Adam Lallana’s volley that sailed over after he was picked out in the penalty area by Rickie Lambert.

But that proved to be a warning shot to the visitors who found themselves behind after 32 minutes, albeit in controversial circumstances as the ball appeared to strike Lambert on the arm before he dispatched it past Mark Bunn for his sixth of the season.

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Norwich rallied and forced an equaliser on the stroke of half time through Robert Snodgrass, who saw his low free kick squirm under the body of Gazzaniga to give Adkins another goalkeeping headache.

The 20-year-old Argentine did redeem himself after the break, keeping out Grant Holt’s header at point blank range. At the other end Mark Bunn, deputising for the injured John Ruddy, dived low to claw away Jason Puncheon’s fizzing strike before Lambert and Lallana wasted a succession of late chances.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to launch a January loan bid for Barcelona striker David Villa according to the Daily Mail.

Arsenal are desperate for a striker after Robin van Persie’s replacement Olivier Giroud has failed to live up to his expectations.

Villa is set to leave the Nou Camp after failing to nail down a first team spot since returning from a long term injury that effected his Euro 2012 selection.

Swansea boss Michael Laudrup has been rumoured to have made an audacious loan bid for the Spanish striker but Arsenal would certainly be the favourites to sign him if they entered the race.

While Wenger may be desperate to sign a goalscorer, he will not splash the cash in January and only a loan deal would attract the Frenchman.

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However if the short term move was successful, Villa could become a permanent fixture in the Emirates armoury.

I really don’t want to suggest that Newcastle’s decision to hand Alan Pardew an eight-year contract was a bad move; I think clubs should look to similar contracts more often as a means to secure their most valuable personnel. Those who then look to Mike Ashley as having made a mistake also seem to be out of touch with the game. It assumes that no manager can go through a bad spell. It assumes that all the pieces fall into place without any problems. It assumes that a hugely impressive performance the season prior will always or should always be followed by something equally impressive.

I don’t believe Pardew to be a bad manager and I don’t believe he’s doing a bad job at the moment. Yes it’s a disappointment that Newcastle look miles away from landing another Europa League spot and building on what they did last season, but where’s the nod to the circumstances the manager is working in?

He, like Mike Ashley, always knew Demba Ba was going to leave at some stage. With his scoring form and the irresistible buyout clause inserted into his contract, there was no way Newcastle would be able to keep him away from clubs higher up the league table.

But the loss of Ba hasn’t been the biggest blow to the club. Going through much of the campaign thus far without Yohan Cabaye is a crippling effect that would be felt by any club. Goal scorers are as important as anything, as is a good and confident goalkeeper. But holding it all together is the midfielder, the player with the quality of Cabaye. Maybe for a short while we saw Tottenham feel the effects of losing Luka Modric. Arsenal looked all over the place following Cesc Fabregas’ departure. How many times will people look to the need for Manchester United to properly address their midfield and find a replacement for Paul Scholes?

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Adding to that, Hatem Ben Arfa, another one of Pardew’s most important players, has been in and out with injury. The squad have been ravaged, purchases such as Vurnon Anita haven’t done enough to make noticeable or equal contributions such as that of Cabaye and Cheick Tiote last season. And now with a forward line that looks very light, Mike Ashley really needs to start backing up that contract extension which has had everyone talking.

Alan Pardew recently said that Newcastle were not too good to go down. It was a response, of course, to many who suggest that the team were good enough to fight off the threat of relegation. But it was, more than anything, a message to the owner. This team need reinforcements in a big way, and like the hopeful arrival of the cavalry, Mike Ashley needs to charge through the door with a new attitude.

Making do is not good enough when expectations were raised so high after last season. Sitting by and accepting that the club can’t compete with those who are better off financially isn’t good enough. Isn’t that why Graham Carr was given an equally lengthy contract extension to that of Pardew? Selling clubs will catch onto the success Newcastle had in the market in previous windows, but it doesn’t hide the fact that there continue to be excellent bargains hidden away in corners and underneath rocks for clubs like Newcastle to exploit.

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If Loic Remy has been identified by the club as a player good enough to come in and replace Demba Ba then Ashley has to roll the dice. What sort of message does it send? For starters, it says that the club are willing to go all out to put the season right. Loic Remy has been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham in the past, the latter for a noticeably long time. If Newcastle can complete that transfer then it says the club are competing with the clubs who hold a higher status in the Premier League. It says that Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa wasn’t a one-off, a fluke. It says that this is our aim, these are our targets and we’re looking to follow through on them.

Newcastle needed stability and they’ve been given that by a manager who knows English football well. Mathieu Debuchy is an excellent start to the new year, a player who is rated by many as the best right-back for France and the best in Ligue 1 for the past few seasons. But more is needed. Mike Ashley needs to show the fans and his manager that there is ambition and desire to go along with that contract.

Vegard Forren has revealed that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was the one that told him to reject Liverpool in favour of a move to Southampton, the Mirror reports.

The Norwegian international joined the Saints in a £4million from SK Molde nearly a fortnight ago on the same day that Mauricio Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins as manager at St Mary’s.

But 24-year-old Forren confessed that it was Manchester United legend Solksjaer, his former boss at the Aker Stadion, who compelled him to resist the overtures of a trial at Liverpool and opt for a permanent transfer to the south Coast instead.

“I never came close to joining Liverpool because Southampton felt right for me,” he said.

“There was a lot of interest from the Premier League but after coming here and speaking with the chairman I really felt wanted.

“Ole was very supportive of the move and I spoke with him a lot before coming here. He really wanted me to take this opportunity.”

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Forren looks set to make his Premier League bow against the Red Devils when Southampton travel to Old Trafford on Wednesday night and will hope to improve a defence that has shipped 37 goals in 23 games this season.

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How times change. When Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City were promoted to the Premier League in the early summer of 2011, it was widely predicted that while Rangers would become a permanent fixture at the top table, Swansea would almost certainly suffer the indignity of a quick-fire return.

Fast forward 23 months and the script has been rewritten to such an extent that the original draft is virtually unrecognisable. Two goals from Michu, one from Angel Rangel and another from Pablo Hernandez at the Liberty Stadium two weeks ago not only took Swansea into seventh place (they are now eighth), but left Rangers facing the near impossible task of retaining their Premier League status.

With only days remaining before the Swans make the trip to Wembley to face Bradford City in the Capital One Cup final, we take a look at three players to keep an eye on as we approach the big day.

Michu –  The Spanish attacking midfielder/striker signed from Rayo Vallecano for £2m last summer has arguably turned out to be the buy of the season, as he already sits on 13 league goals and 16 goals overall. His form has inspired Swansea City to their first domestic cup final in their 100-year existence, and they currently sit comfortably at 8th in the Premier League table.

Michu is a true predatory striker who always finds the perfect finish. His strike against Chelsea embodied everything that is right about his play – as Jonathan de Guzman found the Spaniard on the edge of the box, he proceeded to curl the ball with aplomb past Petr Cech and into the net. A truly wonderful finish and a warning to other teams that this player cannot be given any space in or around the box. His finishing combined with Swansea’s penetrative passing style make for a very dangerous combination.

Ashley Williams – The Welsh international captain Ashley Williams has been at Swansea City since 2008 and has seen them promoted twice since joining from Stockport County for a fee of around £400,000. His defensive instincts have proved vital to Swansea’s surge over recent years and they would not be enjoying such a successful season, as they sit 8th in the Premier League table and have reached their first domestic cup final ever, were it not for Williams’ experience.

He’s a classic British defender, not afraid to put his body on the line and get physical if necessary. His time at Swansea has seen his game develop beyond defensive responsibilities, however, as he often surges forward and helps link-up play and pick out incisive passes. It’s not just his strength that makes him a formidable defender, however, as his reading of the game and positional play are second to none.

Wayne Routledge – It’s tough to choose just one Swansea midfielder to place on this list, as there are numerous who have had a fantastic season. The likes of Nathan Dyer, Jonathan De Guzman and Pablo Hernandez have been in inspired form, but Wayne Routledge has really stepped up this season. The Englishman joined from Newcastle for an undisclosed fee in August 2011 and has really developed his game during his time at the Welsh club. Traditionally a winger, his time at Swansea has seen him play in the centre of the park more, and as a consequence, his game has flourished.

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Against Queens Park Rangers, Routledge played through the centre with Dyer and Hernandez on the wings, and the QPR defence just couldn’t cope with their quick penetrative passing and switching of positions. Routledge has already scored 5 league goals this season and poses a real threat in front of goal. His adaptability in midfield provides Swansea with a plethora of options, and the ability to switch tactics and formations on the fly.

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