Borussia Moenchengladbach will remain in the Bundesliga after a come-from-behind 1-1 draw at Bochum in the relegation playoff on Wednesday.Lucien Favre’s side earned a 1-0 win at home on May 19 in the first leg, which proved to be the difference after forward Marco Reus struck a 73rd-minute goal to force a draw in Bochum, and a 2-1 win on aggregate for the Bundesliga side.
It came after Moenchengladbach defender Havard Nordtveit put the ball into his own net midway through the first half to level the tie.
Reus’ goal was worthy of a tie-clincher as he was put through after a fine build-up, smartly placing his left-foot finish into the bottom corner of goalkeeper Andreas Luthe’s net.
Both teams struck the crossbar in a first half that saw Bochum have more of the play, but their inability to take their chances will see them remain in the 2.Bundesliga for consecutive seasons, having been relegated from the top flight in 2009-10.
The new Liverpool owners haven’t been in charge for long but already they are aware of who runs English football – agents and players. John W. Henry and Tom Werner have likened the English game to the ‘wild west’ in terms of the power of players and their agents.
The new owners will have to adapt quickly to player power, but it is worrying for the state the English game finds itself in, that outside of a transfer window John W. Henry and Tom Werner already have a taste for what is wrong with our national game.
Speaking to the Guardian, Henry spoke of the culture shock that he has endured since his arrival.
”It’s a culture shock, there’s no doubt about it. It’s like the wild west,” said Henry, who implied there was more certainty in US sport. “It’s a completely different system here from what we’re used to. If a player has a contract in the US, they fulfil the contract. Over here, it seems players have much more say so.”
NESV’s arrival into English football couldn’t have come at more damaging time for English football. Shortly after their takeover, Wayne Rooney and Manchester United were embroiled in a very public dispute over Rooney’s contract – highlighting the power that player’s now have over their clubs.
In the United States, with the Boston Red Socks, Henry has claimed that players honour their contacts and that clubs have the power over their players. In European football the game is less stable because of the amount of players that are wrangling for new deals or looking elsewhere for clubs.
This will be a huge test for the Americans, especially John W. Henry, who is used to holding the power over players and the contacts they are offered. It would have been a very interesting situation if the Rooney saga has happened on their watch. What would their reaction have been to it, and would Rooney have been offered the deal he got? The next big contract renewal that comes up at Liverpool will be a very interesting situation. Will John W. Henry and Tom Werner be able to accept that players have the power, or will they try to exert control and risk loosing a player because of this. Of course this is completely hypothetical, but understanding the system and how the game now works in England is something they will have to learn.
This is why the appointment of the new chief executive will be crucial for John W. Henry and Tom Werner. Werner and Henry met head hunters on Friday to begin the process of drawing up a short list. The pair said they were looking to overhaul the structure of the football side of the club, beginning with the appointment of the former Tottenham Hotspur director of football Damien Comolli.
Tom Werner has dismissed rumours that potential candidates have already been approached, highlighting that the search would be extensive, and not restricted to English football. Bringing in an American, without the experience of working within European football would be a mistake. The owners have to accept that player power, because of the Bosman ruling is something we all have to accept. Other countries and other sports differ, but they are working within the guides of English football. They need to appoint somebody who has a proven track record of working within the European system.
In their first weeks as owners, NESV have been treated to a shock – and with English football there will be another one around the corner. However, though we may despise what we have become, it will not be changed overnight. If they are genuinely shocked by what they have seen so far, the owners should prepare themselves for something they have never experienced in the upcoming January transfer window.
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Harry Redknapp has stated that he is focussed on the remainder of the season with Tottenham, despite being a leading contender to replace Fabio Capello as England manager.
The Italian coach stepped down from his role as national boss due to a disagreement with the FA over John Terry losing the country’s captaincy, and the Spurs tactician is the bookmakers favourite to lead The Three Lions to Euro 2012.
Despite this, Redknapp has prioritised his role at White Hart Lane over any media speculation regarding his future.
“I don’t know anything about the England job. I’ve not even thought about it,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’ve got a job to do; I’ve got a big game on Saturday with Tottenham. Tottenham is my focus.
“They’ve been fantastic to me, the Tottenham people. The fans last week at the Wigan game, it was incredible the reception they gave me.
“It wouldn’t be right to them to focus on anything else but Tottenham. My only interest is Tottenham Hotspur.
“They (the Football Association ) will make whatever decision they want to make and hopefully it will be the right decision for the country,” he stated adamantly.
Finally, The Daily Mail indicate that Tottenham will demand a £10 million fee should Redknapp leave White Hart Lane.
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Spurs take on Newcastle at White Hart Lane on Saturday, as they look to hold on to their third placed standing in the Premier League table.
The mud is well and truly being flung between FIFA officials following the announcement to suspend two officials last night. Jack Warner has claimed he is set to unleash his own Tsunami exposing corruption within that will undoubtedly open a huge can of worms in the coming days.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that includes United targeting Modric; Ba pricing himself out of a move to Everton, while Ramsey calls on Arsene Wenger to splash the cash.
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Blatter to face media as Warner unleashes his ‘tsunami’ – Guardian
Valcke: email suggesting corruption is genuine – Daily Telegraph
Now is time for Wenger to splash cash, says Ramsey – Independent
United target Modric as Ferguson plans to overhaul his squad – Daily Mail
Ba pricing himself out of move to Everton – Mirror
Barton: Newcastle want to replace me – Guardian
QPR owners condemn ‘insulting’ offer – Guardian
Kop that! Mascherano dedicates Barca’s Euro triumph to Liverpool fans – Daily Mail
Flo wants Blues Guus chase – Sun
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Lille star set for Newcastle switch, says boss – Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce admits he has been shocked by the rise of midfielder Jordan Henderson as the calls for his selection into the England squad for next month's friendly against France grow.
Henderson, who has figured prominently for the Black Cats and Stuart Pearce's England Under-21 team this term, is thought to be in Fabio Capello's thoughts, but Bruce is not surprised with the interest after a number of stirring displays.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a successful loan spell at Championship side Coventry City at the end of last season and, when asked if he predicted a dramatic impact, Bruce said:"You would have to say honestly, no.
"But I have to tell you, when I walked through the door, more than any other player, he grabbed me – and he grabbed me within two training sessions. I asked, 'Who's that?'
"To be fair, I had more conversations when I first got the job about Jordan than any other player. He must have done exceedingly well at Coventry, which we know he did.
"We had half the Championship wanting to take him on loan again, so I had heard a little bit about him. I had seen him and been recommended him once by my chief scout saying Sunderland had a hell of a player when he was at Coventry.
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"But he grabbed me straight away in the first couple of training sessions and hasn't looked back. He has done fantastically well."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
If you’re anything like me, the whole debate over the England captaincy this week is one that has left you feeling sick and tired. The fuss made over a role, that in essence, makes very little difference to the on-field performance of the team has been very frustrating. The media frenzy created over, what is overall, a small piece of fabric is quite baffling.
The role of club captain and national captain differ wildly, with a skipper at his domestic side involved heavily in the day-to-day goings on around the set-up. However, such is the infrequency of international matches, that the captain of the country has a very peripheral role.
All of the ramifications of John Terry’s two time axing from the role was one that confused many observers from outside of our isles. Not because of his actions, on both counts, which were not befitting of a man with such responsibility, but instead due to the hype surrounding who should take over reigns. Fabio Capello, representing this feeling, was one of those who could not entirely relate to the sheer perceived magnitude of the decision. The selection of captain in many other national set-ups’ goes to the most experienced player, invariably he with the most caps. The belief is that a player who has vast experience on the international stage, is enough to lead the team in the best possible manner.
At international level, there should not be such a hullabaloo over who is deemed to be the on-field leader, with players included in the international squad, on the most part, being experienced performers at the very top of their game. Of course some players are naturally inspirational, but their having, or not having of the armband should not affect their abilities. Quite often in the England squad, there are four or five club captains and a missing band around their arm will not reduce the qualities, which have allowed them that role with their individual sides.
Another problem is that in the end players are not overly fussed by the job. This is not saying that the captain’s role is completely insignificant, but with the number of candidates suitable for the role, it can be hard to argue against another player, which could lead to rifts within the team.
There are times when a captain should be named, such as major tournaments, to establish a feeling of stability to the side, in the face of a series of immediate challenges. Other than this, the sheer period of time between other international games can see major changes to the make-up of the team. It’s not uncommon to see players pull out of contention with injuries, genuine or in some cases not so genuine, altering the team almost beyond recognition from the last fixture. In these cases the most experienced man should take charge, as it is he who has the know how.
The role of club and national captain are almost incomparable, with the importance and responsibilities varying between each. As for the England team, it should be time that the captaincy took a back seat.
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Juventus midfielder Alessandro Del Piero is eyeing further trophies after signing a one-year contract extension with the club on Thursday.The 36-year-old has been at the club since 1993, winning five Serie A titles to go with his Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League crowns.
Del Piero, a 91-time Italy representative, is also a World Cup winner after the Azzurri claimed the 2006 title in Germany.
He said settling the deal with the club was an easy process, despite talks going on since last autumn.
“It wasn’t difficult to reach an agreement. There wasn’t that much to discuss. What needed to have been done was done,” Del Piero said.
“We chose today to do it and it is a nice day.”
Despite his glittering success at the club, Del Piero said he still had more to achieve with Juventus. “This team and this club should always have the maximum ambition and it is right to always think about winning,” he said.
The veteran said it was a nice surprise to sign at the club’s new stadium with his previous contract due for expiry next month.
Even at 36 years of age, Del Piero said he shared a similar passion for the game as he did when he was first starting at Juventus.
“The sensations are excellent, beautiful, just like they were in 1993,” Del Piero said.
“I’m happy to be here because as I have always said, I wanted to play for another year. The passion and love with which I train and play has helped me a lot and will continue to help me.”
Club president Andrea Agnelli reaffirmed the simplicity of the deal between Juventus and one of their club legends.
“Alessandro told me that he wants to continue to be the captain of Juventus and wishes to win another Scudetto in the new stadium,” Agnelli said.
“These words made me happy. Today’s signature is just a physical action. Del Piero can still give a lot on the pitch and send a message of the club’s values to his teammates.”
“He will also help us a lot next season, which for us will be one of redemption.”
Del Piero’s former youth coach Antonello Cuccureddu said a loan deal was moments away from being organised for Del Piero when former manager Giovanni Trapattoni was in charge.
He remembers watching him while he impressed for Serie B side Padova.
“It’s hard to imagine a career like he has had, but there was that hope back then when you saw what he could do. Innate class, he made the difference,” Cuccureddu said.
Arsenal will be without both Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen when they face Portuguese side Braga in their opening Champions League group game on Wednesday.
Diaby injured his ankle during the Gunners' 4-1 win against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday while Belgian defender Vermaelen has an Achilles problem.
Meanwhile, boss Arsene Wenger has backed north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to have a successful European campaign.
Spurs have been placed in a tough Champions League group after being given a scare by Young Boys in the play-offs, but Wenger believes Harry Redknapp's squad is strong enough to do well in Europe's premier competition.
He said:"It is hard for everybody but Tottenham have a quality squad. They have brought William Gallas and Rafael van der Vaart and, if you look at the number of players they have now, you don't even speak about David Bentley who they bought for £17million.
"They have Robbie Keane, Nico Krancjar, Luka Modric, Van der Vaart, Roman Pavlyuchenko, they have the quantity. In central defence I don't know but they must have six or seven central defenders so they have a big enough squad to deal with the physical demands.
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"I believe you adapt to this level of football very quickly, the difficulty is to switch quickly from Champions League to the championship because the Premier League is very demanding. That is difficult, but they have a big squad. They haven't done it by accident and I believe they have what it takes."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
When having my daily peruse of the papers and wondering exactly what I could disagree with this week, Mark Lawrenson made my task surprisingly easy. Not in a Piers Morgan offensive kind of way, just in the way that I simply didn’t agree with what Match of the Day’s main attraction had to say.
Lawrenson stated that although Spurs are a team full of promise, essentially they are exceeding the expectations people have of them and have zero chance of winning the title.
Now had you put this article to me at the start of the season, I would probably have been inclined to agree, yet the more I watch both sides from Manchester, and especially United, the more I feel that Spurs actually have just as good a squad, and in United’s case probably a better one.
If you look at the purchases made in the summer by Levy and Redknapp, not to mention the keeping of Modric and the ever growing talent of Bale, Spurs look like a side on the up, and with Redknapp at the helm – until England come calling – the only thing that will halt their ambitions is themselves and dropping silly points, such as the couple to Swansea.
That aside, Spurs have looked solid at the back and brilliant going forward this season, and certainly have the bragging rights of being the best team in London, leaving Chelsea and Arsenal trailing in their wake.
Yet how about the title race – is it as Lawrenson would suggest, a two horse race between the two clubs from Manchester? Well Spurs currently sit three points behind a United side who felt the need to bring Paul Scholes out of retirement, with a game in hand, and six behind City, again with a game in hand.
Well this is the league that people like to say is the most unpredictable in the world, and with United looking shaky in every area of the pitch despite their FA cup win, and City going into a period of tough matches and having to deal with the suspension of Kompany, the injuries to Dzeko and Balotelli not to mention the huge losses due to the African Cup of Nations, Spurs are more than entitled to fancy their chances of at the very least closing the gap and giving both sides a very good run for their money.
Redknapp has declared the title wide open and stated it is a six horse race, yet I would narrow that down to three, with the three sides below Spurs being left to fight it out for fourth. I actually think that Spurs will manage to separate the Manchester clubs, at least for a little while this season, with United far from assured, and Redknapp’s side are in a position to take full advantage of this.
The one thing that has to be cut out if they are to be genuine title contenders is the draws that should have been victories, and baring a couple of occasions, they have done this to a much better effect this year.
With the players Redknapp has at his disposal and the momentum Spurs have going into the second half of the season, not to mention the fact they are not distracted on a Thursday night like both Manchester clubs, it is a far from impossible scenario that Redknapp’s men will push the title race all the way, and throw in a few surprises whist they are at it.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has refused to rule his side out of this season’s Premier League title race despite dropping more points.Wenger’s side now trail league leaders Manchester United by six points and dropped to third after they threw away a 3-1 lead at Tottenham on Wednesday in an exciting 3-3 draw.
A win could have cut the margin to four points, but with Arsenal still to play the leaders, who also play Chelsea, Wenger remains hopeful.
“It is completely open,” Wenger said.
“This team has a remarkable attitude, even if at the moment we are not rewarded with the number of points.”
“We are remarkably consistent. We are on a 16-match unbeaten league run but we have had too many draws.”
“It is open. Chelsea are back in the race and they play Man United and Spurs. It is down to us to keep our faith and keep battling. We will not always draw when we score three goals.”
Wenger bemoaned the fact his side had to play Liverpool on Sunday and then back it up with another hugely important match just four days later.
“It is a massive disadvantage to play two games of such stature in a matter of days,” he said.
“The Liverpool game had a bearing. Physically we dropped in the second half, which explained why they equalised and why there was room to score goal numbers four and five.”
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp sang the praises of his side after their fight-back allowed them to claim a point, but concedes Manchester City are now the favourites to finish fourth in this season’s Premier League, which would give them a spot in Champions League qualifying next season.
“I’m so pleased with the character we showed, there is a spirit in this football club now that we never give in,” Redknapp said.
“We have come back from losing positions so many times and you need players with real character to do that.”
“They (Manchester City) were favourites at the start of the year, because of the squad and because we finished above them last year and they went out and spent about 150 million pounds to try and get above us.”
“Obviously they are favourites, but I can’t ask any more than to have a team that plays like they did tonight.”