AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri said Alexandre Pato should not fear for his spot despite the addition of Antonio Cassano to the squad.
Allegri assured Pato that he would not be shuffled out of the side in preference to Cassano, with both players offering different qualities as final-third danger men.
“Pato should remain calm because he is an extraordinary player with great qualities. Cassano has completely different qualities. Pato is a real striker while Cassano passes the ball,” Allegri said.
“The fact Pato’s best quality is scoring goals is shown by the numbers because he played 100 matches and scored 50 goals. We cannot question Pato’s quality only because he played a bad game in Lecce (in Milan’s 1-1 draw last Sunday), no problem at all.”
Allegri praised Sunday’s Serie A opponent Cesena, who tested Milan’s city rivals Inter before going down 3-2 at the San Siro on Wednesday.
“I believe Cesena had a good game against Inter Milan on Wednesday. It’s a team with a good defence (and) they play well up front too,” the manager said.
“They’re good in recovering the ball, so we should be very careful. We can’t underestimate them and we need to play with great intensity like we did on Wednesday against Bari.”
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“It is important we get back to winning ways in the championship, that’s why we have to play the game the best we can.”
On the pitch at Euro 2012 so far, England have performed slightly above expectations after having them dampened so often by those in power, but the aftershocks of the situation that led to the side going into the tournament a month or so before without a manager in place are still being felt, and we shouldn’t forget to scrutinise the FA for their undoubted media mistakes along the way.
Fabio Capello resigned from the England job in early February this year, after he decided that getting a kicking from a bitter and somewhat xenophobic national press for not talking to them all that much while earning £6m-a-year just simply wasn’t worth all of the hassle. However, the straw that broke the camels backs was the FA’s mis-handling of the John Terry saga and it continues to botch one attempt to draw a line under the issue after another.
John Terry is innocent until proven guilty with concerns to the court trial he has coming up for an racially-aggravated public order offence, involving Anton Ferdinand. The thing that moronic fans often forget, when they boo Anton Ferdinand for being reportedly racially abused, is that it was a fan at the game that reported the incident rather than the player himself, hence why it has been dealt with by the courts rather than the FA as the Patrice Evra-Luis Suarez case was.
The fact that this was taken out of the FA’s hands has had a huge role to play in the mess they’ve repeatedly made. Only when it was revealed that the court case date was set for after Euro 2012 on July 9th did they make a decision themselves. They stripped John Terry of the captaincy when it became clear that the courts weren’t going to do them a favour and make the decision for them. This dithering approach isn’t a media strategy as such, it’s just downright idiotic. What followed was that Capello, quite rightly, saw this as a challenge to his authority and he fell on his sword. No manager at any level would stand for having the board tell them to get rid of his choice of captain.
Where the FA really fell down, though, was that they stripped Terry of the captaincy but stopped short of banning him from the squad. So instead you had this ludicrous half-measure that meant he could still go to Euro 2012 with a racism court case hanging over his head but just not as captain. The very reasons that meant the FA stripped him of it in the first place still existed – problems in the dressing room, a divided national team set-up – but the FA were only really interested in protecting their image, particularly with racism such a hot topic in Ukraine and Poland this summer.
It essentially left whoever took over the job with a terrible conundrum to face right away. Whatever course of action Roy Hodgson took, he was on a hiding to nothing. The FA had just passed on responsibility for the situation once again to someone else. The lack of leadership on display beggars belief.
So what happened next? Hodgson named his England squad and Rio Ferdinand was left out and John Terry was left in. The former West Brom boss simply said ‘footballing reasons’ were behind Ferdinand’s omission, but didn’t care to specify what exactly they were. Of course, there were very real concerns about Ferdinand’s fitness and ability to play two games in quick succession, but instead, both Hodgson and the FA remained quiet.
Ferdinand’s representative Jamie Moralee relseased a statement which read: “Lampard, Terry, Barry, Gerrard; all ageing but they go to the tournament. Why is Rio different? To treat a player that has captained and served his country 81 times (in this manner) is nothing short of disgraceful. Total lack of respect from Hodgson and the FA as far as I am concerned.”
Ferdinand then himself took to Twitter to tweet the short but rather unsubtle “what reasons????!!!!” in reference to Hodgson leaving him out of the squad. I think that it’s fair to say that there are classier ways of edging towards international retirement than this. The situation got even worse when Gary Cahill was ruled out of the tournament through injury and Liverpool’s back-up Martin Kelly was called up in his place, instead of Ferdinand.
On the 9th June, Hodgson finally revealed his footballing reasons and they actually made a lot of sense: “Rio Ferdinand for me is not a player that you call up as a substitute, or to cover for the players that you have. “We turned to Martin Kelly because I knew he was going to be someone who would be very useful to us. “He’s very happy to be here knowing that his chances of playing a big part in the tournament are quite small. “You don’t turn to people like Rio Ferdinand for that.”
Hodgson named his England squad on the 16th May, which is 24 days until he properly explained Ferdinand’s absence from the squad. It made sense when he eventually did, so why such the delay? What exactly is the FA’s director of communications team being paid to do unless it’s stopping stories like this from hogging the limelight? Sticking your head in the sand is not a strategy, and neither is putting your fingers in your ears and hoping for the best and that it will all just go away.
Hodgson later remarked that he was ‘surprised’ that everyone was still talking about the Ferdinand omission, which shows you the level he’s at when it comes to being able to play the media game, but the FA should know better. They’ve botched this situation from the off and the circumstances that led to Hodgson getting the job in the first place were solely down to their mis-handling of the affair.
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They’ve undermined two different managers in quick succession and essentially failed to make a decisive and clear decision of their own at every turn. Success on the pitch may have saved them, but as they have consistently shown in the past, it won’t be long until they make another horrendus gaffe.
Wesley Sneijder is refusing to rule out the possibility of joining Manchester United this summer. The Dutch playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, with Fergie himself conceding that he will be happy to sign him providing he conformed to the wage structure that is currently in place. Reports at the weekend suggested that United have issued him a take it or leave it ultimatum, as the club are refusing to meet his current demands.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Harry Redknapp dismayed by crazy wages; Alonso believes Liverpool will make the top four, while Joey Barton unleashes another twitter rant about Newcastle.
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Manchester United move still a possibility, admits Sneijder – Guardian
Redknapp dismayed by ‘crazy’ wages of players – Guardian
KO fear for Wilshere – Sun
Barton in Newcastle Twitter rant – Daily Telegraph
QPR boss Warnock to inherit transfer war chest with takeover imminent – Daily Mail
FA plan South America tour in 2013 to give players flavour of football in Brazil – Daily Mail
Wayne’s in the money at Swans – Sun
Xabi Alonso: Liverpool will be top four this season – Mirror
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Baines: We cannot use Arsenal pursuit of Jagielka as excuse – Mirror
Chelsea to launch third bid for Modric this week – Mirror
From the United States’ political tussles with Iran and Iraq to the personal ‘beef’ fought out between gangsters and rappers from the east and west sides of Los Angeles, there has always been a fierce rivalry between the east and the west in virtually any part of the world. And the same applies to the footballing landscape in London, England where West Ham United and Chelsea ply their sporting trade; with the former representing the east side of the capital and the latter on behalf of the west.
They are the two biggest clubs from their respective areas, but if you take a look at the current Barclays Premier League table then you will see that there is a substantial difference in stature between the two. Both their respective league positions will testify the difference between the two clubs on and off the pitch. Despite Chelsea’s recent problems, they are in small pickings compared to that of the Hammers as the gulf between them in terms of size, revenue and success on the pitch could not be much vaster in the top division at the time of writing.
But amazing as it may sound to some people, until 1994 there was not much to separate the two sides in terms of their past triumphs and their potential for future success. They had both achieved a very mild degree of affluence up to that point, but in the sixteen years since then, the Blues of the west have eclipsed anything that the Hammers of the east have achieved in their entire history. So let’s take a trip back to 1994.
It’s the end of the 1993-94 Premiership season and West Ham have just finished 13th whilst Chelsea have finished 14th. The Hammers are without a major trophy since 1980 whilst the Blues’ barren spell goes back even further; they are without a significant honour to their name since winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971. Their respective honours stand up relatively equal to each other if you take into account the popular use of applying points to each significant piece of silverware a club has won; 10 points for winning a League Championship, 10 for a major European trophy excluding the European Cup/Champions League which is equal to 15 points, 6 for an FA Cup win, and 3 for a League Cup triumph. From this point of view West Ham are on 28 points whilst Chelsea are on 26.
Looking back at this time it seems hard to believe now, but it was not until Matthew Harding ploughed his millions into Chelsea in 1994 that they actually showed signs of improving. They reached the final of the FA Cup in 1994 and the semi-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup in ’95, but even then they were still finishing in the bottom half of the table. And in the years before these mini-triumphs, they were the epitome of mediocrity – no major trophies won since 1971 and apart from a fifth place finish in 1990 they spent much of their time in the lower reaches of the top-flight – occupying five of their ten seasons in the 1980’s stuck in the old Second Division.
In 1982, whilst in the second tier of English football, Ken Bates bought the club for £1 thus inheriting and taking responsibility for the club’s debts of £1.5 million. This was not a club that were exactly ‘going places’, but a combination of level-headedness, in not getting ahead of themselves expecting quick-fire success, and a tightening of the purse strings meant that the club’s off-the-field matters were stabilised giving them the potential to gradually grow into the force that they are today.
It took a couple of years for Harding’s revolution to take shape. You could say the ball that is still rolling started in the summer of 1995 when, under Glenn Hoddle as manager, they acquired the services of former European footballer of the year Ruud Gullit; a winner of numerous domestic and continental honours for club and country and although they managed to finish in a meagre 11th place at the end of the 1995-96 season (one position behind West Ham which, incidentally, was the last time to date that the Hammers have finished above their west London rivals) the signing of Gullit was a sign of things to come.
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Continued on Page TWO
Harding’s funds in helping import an influx of top continental players would be something that the Stamford Bridge faithful would become accustomed to. At the start of the 1996/1997 season, tempted by Harding’s millions and the presence of Mr. Gullit, now installed as player/manager with Hoddle appointed England national coach, they acquired the services of players such as Frank Lebeouf, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola and Gianluca Vialli; the latter fresh from winning the Champions League with Juventus. Players of this quality would unlikely have gone to a side that had consistently finished in the bottom half of the table throughout their history, let alone the season just gone, without someone of Gullit’s stature in the game being at the club.
And it was in this campaign that Chelsea’s first real success came to fruition where, in the season that Harding tragically died in a helicopter crash on his way home from a League Cup tie at Bolton Wanderers, they beat Middlesboro to win the FA Cup whilst finishing the league campaign in a healthy sixth place. Chelsea, to date, have never finished a season outside the top-six since and this statistic will no doubt continue for a few more years yet and since that season they have won three League Cups, a Cup Winners’ Cup, four more FA Cups and of course, three league titles. West Ham meanwhile, are still without a major trophy since their FA Cup win over Arsenal in 1980.
Whereas Chelsea made use of the foundations that were laid down in the boardroom by Bates, Harding and their associates, West Ham have yet to find any. It is too early to say whether the David Gold/David Sullivan team can weave their magic wand upon the Upton Park trophy cabinet, turning its ever-occupying dust into silverware, but it could quite possibly be the start of ‘something’.
Ken Bates bought out the Blues, ridded them of their debts and gave them stability whilst Gold and Sullivan are attempting to do the same after the debacle that occurred under Eggert Magnusson’s Icelandic consortium which still leaves West Ham in a financial mud heap to climb from. There is undoubted potential for the Hammers being the only major club side from the east end, with a fan base that stretches out to the far reaches of Essex and if Chelsea can achieve all they have achieved then there is no reason why West Ham cannot do the same. The clubs were like two peas in a pod before the money came rolling in for the Blues with backing from men with a passion for the club’s well being.
The Irons have not found a man like Matthew Harding who lived and breathed Chelsea from when he was a boy and who, when given the chance, made the right investments which enabled the re-development of the infrastructure at Stamford Bridge with the building of a new stand, plus the all-important aspect of attaining the right players either by transfers or from their now much lauded youth academy. This was all Harding’s doing. The work he did for Chelsea was just as integral to their current success as the role played by Roman Abramovich has been. They were already an established top-six side when Abramovich took over in 2003 and much of that was down to Harding. The first brick laid in the construction of Chelsea’s title winning side in 2005 was planted by Matthew Harding in 1994.
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Manchester City have a reasonably illustrious history but don’t forget that they were a League One side in 1999 and have often been propping up the top half of the table since they returned to the Premiership until, of course, the money rolled in giving a guile and confidence to the club. I know it’s now that matters and football didn’t end in 1994 but it’s an interesting case in point to look back and see how similar they were to each other until Chelsea were bankrolled properly unlike the shenanigans that seems to occur at West Ham each time a new owner takes over leading to the inevitable debts that engulf the club.
It’s not all doom and gloom for West Ham fans. Things can change. Chelsea were the same as West Ham are now so the latter just need to find a foundation on which to build success upon just as Matthew Harding did. Maybe the Hammers have finally found the right men in messrs Gold and Sullivan but only time will tell and that will only be confirmed when there is not a snigger to be heard when a West Ham fan says: ‘I think we will beat Chelsea.’
Written By Ricky Murray at ‘This is Futbol’
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England’s record of never beating Sweden at a major international tournament came to an end on Friday night, as they dramatically captured a 3-2 victory in Kiev. For many England fans, the praise was aimed at Theo Walcott, who came on to change the game and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a goal, followed by an assist for Danny Welbeck.
The 23 year-old hasn’t started either of England’s matches so far at Euro 2012, but has appeared from the bench twice to play on the right hand side of England’s midfield. Is it possible that Roy Hodgson sees Walcott best used as an impact sub?
The opening game against France didn’t see him make the headlines as heroically as his antics against Sweden, only appearing for the duration of injury time. As England went 2-1 down to Sweden, Hodgson immediately turned to Walcott to salvage the game. His pace and eagerness to attack an out of shape and tired Swedish back four ultimately made the difference.
Therein lies Walcott’s threat. For Arsenal and England, his attacking prowess is mainly owed to his speed rather than his technical ability. At times, Walcott has baffled many as such a disappointing underperformer. An English youngster who had so much potential but was yet to achieve nor was he appearing to develop at the highest level.
Roy Hodgson is not the only one who may serve to see Walcott as only an impact sub. His club manager Arsene Wenger has at times relied on the ex-Saints man to make the difference from the bench. Even defensively, brining on Walcott can have an impact as his pace terrifies full backs, making them reluctant to push forward for a fear of being caught out on the counter attack.
As England manager, many questions are continuously asked of Roy Hodgson and his team selections are not easy decisions. Choosing James Milner or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the starting line up givesEnglanda different dimension to what Walcott can offer. Milner will work hard, spraying passes around midfield whilst staying defensively disciplined. Oxlade-Chamberlain is powerful, direct and intelligent. Walcott offers something completely different, as he charges at defences and makes runs in behind full backs. This change in playing styles with just a substitution can bemuse opponents and turn a game on its head, as Walcott demonstrated in Kiev.
Similarly, if a fresh legged opponent is going into the game with the knowledge Theo Walcott is starting, the playing style Walcott possesses is at times simple and can prove easy to defend. Walcott becomes ineffective and his presence on the pitch is scarcely noticed. As an oncoming substitute, the difference is simple: the players he faces are more fatigued and find him difficult to handle.
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As 23 year old Walcott fights for fitness for the remainder Euro 2012,England fans will be hoping he can be fit as soon as possible, as his impact from the bench has already played a role in their tournament.
Liverpool finally sealed the deal for Stewart Downing as the Reds took their summer spending through the £50m barrier. Kenny Dalglish clearly believes buying the best of British is the ideal way to restore the club to its former glories, despite the premium cost that comes with it.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include; Toure eyes title for Manchester City; Chelsea set to bid £30m+ for Modric, while a friend of Fabregas calls on Arsene Wenger to stop acting like a clown.
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Corinthians make new Tevez offer – Sky Sports
Chelsea to up Modric bid beyond £30m – Guardian
Friend of Fabregas tells Wenger to stop ‘acting like a clown’ – Daily Mail
Just call me Yaya glory – Sun
Downing completes move to Liverpool – Guardian
Peacemaker Barton calms Newcastle louts as violence mars pre-season friendly – Daily Mail
Liverpool urge Uefa to look into City’s Etihad deal – Guardian
Tottenham miss out on their own Chicharito – Mirror
Arsenal on cusp of signing Costa Rica starlet Campbell – Daily Mail
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Chelsea want to buy Parker rather than borrow him – Mirror
Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson has signed a new five-and-a-half year contract, keeping him at St James' Park until 2016.
The centre-back has impressed on Tyneside after arriving from Portsmouth in January and he is delighted to have settled his long-term future.
"Playing in the Premier League with a club like Newcastle has been a dream for me, and I was delighted to agree a new contract to continue doing that until 2016," he said.
"I've played in the lower leagues before, so to get the opportunity to play at St. James' Park every other week – and grounds like The Emirates and Old Trafford – is fantastic for me.
"Me and my family have settled here quickly and it's great to know that we'll be staying here for a long time to come."
Magpies manager Chris Hughton added:"Mike has been outstanding for us since he came here. He was somebody who I tracked for a while before we got him, and he has perhaps exceeded even the expectations we had of him.
"He has a brilliant attitude and in my opinion has been one of the best English centre-backs in the league this season. I thoroughly believe that his best years are yet to come, so we're thrilled to have agreed the new contract."
Meanwhile, young striker Nile Ranger has also penned a five-and-a-half year deal.
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"I'm loving it at Newcastle. I really feel I can develop here and I can only learn from some of the players here," he added.
"The fans have been great with me from day one and even though I'd spent my whole life down south until I came here, this feels like home now."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
England have held their first training session ahead of Euro 2012, with Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson not able to take part.
The sprightly forward has not played since picking up an ankle injury in the Manchester derby, and Roy Hodgson is now believed to be sweating over the Manchester United attacker’s fitness, according to The Guardian.
Welbeck is expected to lead the line for the Three Lions against France and Sweden in the first two games of the tournament, as club team-mate Wayne Rooney is suspended.
However, it appears that Welbeck faces a race against time to be ready for the competition, and will need further rehabilitation to be able to play.
Johnson meanwhile is nursing a minor injury, and could be a doubt for the international friendly against Norway on Saturday; club colleague Martin Kelly has been called into the contingent as a temporary back-up.
The Three Lions’ boss was given a boost however, as Scott Parker negotiated the 90 minute session at the Etihad Stadium unscathed.
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As with any collection of athletes who bare the Three Lions on their chest, the Under-21 branch of English footballers fizzled out of the European Championships in Denmark with late heartache against the Czech Republic a few weeks back. Several individuals within the team are held in high regard and have commanded staggering transfer fees of recent – not unlike their senior counterparts – but Stuart Pearce’s charges scored just twice in three games and returned to these shores having failed to record a single win.
With this debacle still fresh in our minds, here is a list of the ten most promising talents currently making waves for the Under-17s and Under-19s who will be pushing for consideration when the next Under-21 tournament transpires in two years….
Click on Alex Henshall to see the TOP TEN…
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List compiled by Josh Sheridan
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Schalke head coach Felix Magath is confident that he can persuade Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to remain at the club beyond next summer.
The 24-year-old is out of contract at the end of next season and Neuer is reported to be a target for the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Magath told Bild:"There is no doubt I am confident about keeping Manuel Neuer, plus the rest of our key players at our club, even though it looks like future revenue could become more difficult if we are not in any European competition next season.
"We have established the requirements to end up as champions of the Bundesliga in the next couple of seasons.
"Everyone knows that a world-class shot-stopper like Gianluigi Buffon once stayed at Juventus, even though they were a second-tier club for one season.
"I have an obligation to show Manuel Neuer that he has a good future at the club.
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"Just looking at the current Bundesliga table, Manuel Neuer would not be playing in the Champions League with Bayern Munich next season."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email