Ronald Koeman has confirmed his interest in the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa.
The Dutch coach is interested in succeeding Martin O'Neill in the Villa Park hot-seat following the Northern Irishman's decision to step down on the eve of the new Premier League season.
Koeman has been out of work since being sacked by Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in December 2009.
The former Netherlands international has spent time in charge of Vitesse, Ajax, PSV, Benfica and Valencia since turning to coaching in 1999.
"I'm interested in the position of manager from Villa. I know that I'm on their list," he told Dutch media.
"I don't know how many more candidates are on that list. But I haven't had contact yet with Villa."
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O'Neill walked away from Villa Park last week having seemingly become frustrated by a perceived lack of funds to try and strengthen his squad.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Ajax boss Martin Jol and United States coach Bob Bradley have all been linked with the job in recent days.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Calling on football fans from around the UK. We don’t often have a chance to celebrate being British in the world of football, what with the home nations struggling to make it to the big championships and crashing and burning if they do get there. It’s a continue battle, having to put up with the taunts of Germany, France and now Spain, who have all won big tournaments in recent years. When was the last time a home nation won a major tournament? Everyone will tell you, even Scottish fans begrudgingly, that it was when England won the World Cup at Wembley in 1966. You do the maths; soon it will be fifty years since silverware was lifted. However, here’s an opportunity for you to show your Best of British and win a tidy cash prize.
Betfair are running a competition, which requires your British accent to come to the fore. You don’t even have to use your own accent if you don’t want to, if you’re something of a specialist when it comes to accents then you can show off and use a completely different one. It doesn’t matter whether you use a Geordie, Scouse, Cockney or Brummie accent, as long as you sound 100 per cent British then the job’s a good ‘un. So get practising that accent to make sure that you can pull it off without any trouble at all. That’s half the job done; but what do you need this accent for I hear you ask? Now all you’ve got to do is create a great video!
Betfair are looking for you to create a video that explains what they’re all about. If you’re not familiar with the betting website, then you might want to do a bit of research while you’re perfecting that accent. The three million strong betting community want you to explain their betting system, how other than football there are sports aplenty for you to bet on and that you can even bet in-play. Cram all that info into a 60-90 second video and Bob’s your uncle. You’ll be marked on how compelling your story is, the production quality of your video, how well you capture the spirit of Betfair and how accurate your video is, so don’t go telling porkies!
Watch the clip below to get an idea on just what you have to do and then get making your video so that you’ll be in with a chance of winning a chunk of the $15,000 prize pool. If that wasn’t incentive enough, I don’t know what is…
Click here to enter the competition
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham.Scudamore has accused managers of not showing enough respect to officials and Ferguson is currently serving a five-match FA touchline for criticising referee Martin Atkinson following his side’s defeat at Chelsea.
“Richard Scudamore has not got a lot to do, has he? He?s trying to elevate the Premier League and fine, good – that’s his job. I don’t think managers disrespect referees,” Ferguson said on Friday.
“I got done for what I considered a fair comment but he didn’t, he gave me a five-match ban. That’s fine, but that doesn’t say we don’t respect referees.”
“It’s a difficult job, we all know that, you wouldn’t referee a game would you? But I think Richard is jumping off a high diving board here without thinking about it.”
With just eight games remaining the Premier League title race is still wide open.
United lead the way but Arsenal, Chelsea and even Tottenham are still in with a chance of lifting the trophy in May, according to Ferguson.
“With eight games to go you can’t exclude anyone. Arsenal, ourselves, Chelsea and Tottenham – you can’t exclude anyone,” he said.
“Whoever becomes the most consistent will win this league, I can guarantee that. We want to be consistent, we hope we will be and if we are, we have a good chance.”
“We are involved in three competitions which is great. The difference between now and 1999 [when United won the treble] is that nobody was injured then, apart from Henning Berg in the Champions League final.”
“At this moment in time this next few weeks are crucial to get players back from injury.”
Midfielders Anderson (knee) and Ji-Sung Park (hamstring) are both doubts.
Defenders Rio Ferdinand (calf), John O’Shea (hamstring) and Rafael (hamstring), and midfielders Owen Hargreaves (shoulder) and Darren Fletcher (virus) are all missing.
The Chelsea FanCast crew discuss the ‘pre-season friendly’ – aka the Community Shield against the Mancs and look ahead to the real season opener against West Brom on Saturday.
After Four pre-season losses in a row including losing 3-1 to the Mancs in the Community Shield, on paper it doesn’t look too good for the Chelse: losing matches, leaking goals, toothless upfront, no marquee signings…
Shhhtop!!! This team isn’t ready yet!! That’s right, like the old Grolsch adverts, don’t panic – we haven’t started the season proper yet and many of our players have had a total of a week’s pre-season training. Carlo’s not worried so why should we be. In Carlo we trust!! The boys discuss the Community Shield defeat and whether we really should be worried or not.
We’ll also be have a look forward to the real season opener against West Brom and the return of a true Chelsea gent and legend, one Roberto Di Matteo. We also have a look at the latest transfer and other gossip and welcome Ramires to the Blue cause with ten things you didn’t know about Ramieres!
As always, Dr Martin answers your questions in Dear Mart and Chidge reads out the best posts from the website and facebook group in “You’re on CFFC”…
The Chelsea Football FanCast: Good riddance to the Phoney war!
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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is allegedly targeting Manchester City’s Nigel De Jong, after the Dutchman’s recent contract talks broke down. (Metro)
The midfielder’s performances in recent seasons have brought widespread admiration, and last season in particular De Jong was seen as a key player in Roberto Mancini’s side.
However, following another summer of investment by City, De Jong has struggled for a starting berth, with Mancini often preferring a more attacking line up with Gareth Barry given the holding role.
Now, following a recent breakdown in contract talks, De Jong’s days at City may be numbered. The defensive midfielder is rumoured to want at least double his current £55,000 a week deal, yet the City board are not willing to offer such a significant wage increase and will not be offering a new deal until the summer at the earliest.
City paid £18 million to land De Jong from Hamburg two seasons ago, and Real Madrid are believed to see a fee of around £20 million as value for money.
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If De Jong is to leave City, it is likely Madrid will face competition from Europe’s other big guns for a player with significant international and European pedigree.
Birmingham have been fined 40,000 pounds by the Football Association due to a pitch invasion after their Carling Cup clash with Aston Villa.More than 1000 Birmingham fans invaded the St Andrews pitch after their team’s 2-1 win over their west Midlands rivals Villa in December.
The club was also warned about its future conduct and suspended half of the fine until the end of the 2013-14 season.
In response to the punishment, a Birmingham statement read: “The fine could have been much more significant but was determined after the FA commented on the professionalism adopted by Birmingham City in its preparation of the fixture, which was well documented, and the level of co-operation the club gave following the investigation and charge,” the statement read.
“Club officials would like to thank the FA and regulatory commission for their patience and assistance with this matter.”
Birmingham went on to win the Carling Cup, securing the trophy with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley on February 27. It was the Premier League club’s first silverware in 48 years.
The first glimpse Arsenal fans will have of Cesc Fabregas this season will not be at this weekend’s Emirates Cup, being part of the victorious Spain squad has meant the Arsenal captain will still be on holiday during the tournament. Rather Fabregas’ first appearance in front of the Gunners faithful will be on the club’s member’s day on Thursday 5th August, when the squad will be participating in an open training session and fans will have Q&A sessions with the players. Around 10,000 fans are expected to attend the event so it should be a barometer of how Cesc Fabregas is likely to be welcomed after his long flirtation with Barcelona. After stating that he wanted to leave Arsenal for the Catalan club, it will be interesting to see whether any boo’s will be ringing out in the Emirates as Fabregas trains with his teammates.
It is probably a safe bet that some fans will boo Fabregas during the event, however they are likely to be a minority. Most Arsenal fans still love their captain, who has been the team’s talisman in the last few seasons. Most also understand that Barcelona is Fabregas’ boyhood club, and that for him to want to return there is not totally unreasonable. The anger over the summer’s biggest transfer saga is not with Cesc Fabregas, but with the club chasing him; Barcelona. Their open courting of the player where half the squad seemed to say that Fabregas should join them at the Nou Camp has left a bitter taste in the mouth of fans and the club’s hierarchy. As a result of Barcelona’s less than diplomatic overtures, Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board have refused to budge over the deal. Only a titanic bid would have been considered, and now that Barcelona’s financial problems have come to light this is no longer a viable option for the Spanish giants.
The sole issue that some Arsenal fans will have with Fabregas is the fact that he admitted he wanted to move. Indeed at the beginning of the season some boo’s may be the result of this, but Fabregas always acted with professionalism and never disrespected Arsenal, so any ill feeling is likely to peter out over the season. The shirt incident where Barcelona players Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique ambushed Fabregas by throwing the Barcelona shirt over his head, accompanied by a braying Pepe Reina, will not be something that Arsenal fans use to attack their captain. He was clearly embarrassed by the incident and was not comfortable wearing the shirt; in fact he appeared to be struggling to take it off. Again the event sparked anger not with Cesc Fabregas, but with Puyol, Pique and Pepe Reina, himself a former Barcelona player.
The transfer saga is beginning to mirror that of Cristiano Ronaldo’s protracted move to Real Madrid. Like Barcelona Real Madrid incensed Manchester United with their unhidden desire to sign the player, with the club’s chairman declaring how much he would love to bring Ronaldo to the Bernabeu at any invitation. Like Arsenal, Man Utd subsequently refused to negotiate, and the Portuguese remained at the club for another season. A small minority of United fans showed their displeasure, but this quickly evaporated as Ronaldo played a crucial part in the Red Devils title winning season. Cesc Fabregas will stay at Arsenal this season, and he will be forgiven by the fans, but many now have a feeling this will be the last season their captain plays for the club. Similarly to Cristiano Ronaldo, it is likely that Cesc Fabregas will play one last season in England, before moving to Barcelona next summer. For now though, Arsenal fans will cheering on the club’s skipper as they enter a new season.
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Reports breaking today suggest that Spurs have joined Arsenal in the race for Le Havre’s versatile, highly rated hopeful Jeremy Balmy. (The Mirror)
The 17 year-old is said to be available next summer and both Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger have expressed an interest.
However, the North London rivals are likely to face competition from Valencia for the teenager.
Balmy is currently seen as one of the brightest young player’s in French football, yet his contract situation means he looks likely to move.
The youngster is said to favour a move to England, with Arsenal currently touted as the favourites to secure his signature. Arsene Wenger has an exemplary record of youth development and has numerous contacts in French football to help facilitate the move.
Aside from Balmy, Wenger and Redknapp are both said to hold a shared interest in numerous other targets. Junior Hoilett of Blackburn, Eden Hazard of Lille and Jan Vertonghen are all apparently being targeted by the rival managers.
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This season’s Premier League may go a long way to shaping the decision of such targets, Champions League football is not guaranteed for either side, with qualification likely to be a crucial factor in attracting such targets.
Paraguayan side Libertad all but secured their place in the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over San Martin.San Martin defender Julio Cesar Moreyra was sent off for an intentional hand ball after 23 minutes and Libertad midfielder Sergio Aquino stepped up to convert the resulting penalty.The Peruvian champions squandered their best chance to equalise when striker Heber Arriola had a penalty of his own saved by Libertad goalkeeper Tobias Vargas.Libertad are unbeaten from their four matches and top Group One with 10 points, while San Martin are second with six.In Group One’s other match on Tuesday, Mexican outfit San Luis played out a 1-1 draw with Colombia’s Once Caldas.Once Caldas have drawn three of their four games to sit third in the group with three points while San Luis are bottom with two.In Group Three, three-time champions Nacional recorded a surprise 1-0 away victory over Argentinos Juniors.Nacional striker Santiago Garcia scored the only goal of the game in the 34th minute to silence the fans at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Buenos Aires.Despite the loss, Argentinos still top the group with seven points from four games, while Mexican side America are one point behind but have game in hand.Nacional are third on four points while Brazilian side Fluminense are bottom of the pool with two.
It wasn’t until after the Second World War that England officially appointed managers to take charge of the English national team. Previously, FA functionaries and committees picked the squad. The selected players simply had to turn up at the arranged venue and play.
Aside from a pre-match kick-about coaching, training and management was practically non-existent. Club managers, such as Arsenal revolutionary Herbert Chapman, did advise the FA and brought about some sort of structure, but were never given an official post. How things have changed.
In that early period, the FA achieved 138 wins, 37 draws and incurred 51 losses. Quite an impressive return for a governing body with no determining head. So we’ll use that as a standard by which to determine the worst English managers of all time
3. Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor’s managerial ascendency was quite remarkable. Taylor guided Watford to promotion from the Fourth tier in his second year at the club. A year later he achieved promotion again. By 1983, Watford was in the First Division and a year later narrowly lost in the FA Cup final against Everton.
In spite of his success, Taylor was often criticized for his direct style that was based on the premise that the further away the ball was from his own goal, the more chance Watford had of winning. It was a style that was quickly found wanting as his team entered Europe for the first time and the team suffered heavy defeats in the competition.
Despite broadening his horizons slightly at Aston Villa, Taylor’s approach never converted well to the top-flight.
It was a similar story as he turned his hand to international management. As England manager, Taylor struggled to qualify for Euro 92, narrowly doing so in the last game of the group against Poland. In the tournament, however, England failed to win a game, drawing 0-0 against France and Denmark before being dispatched 2-1 by the hosts Sweden.
Taylor managed to win only 18 of his 38 games, drawing an astonishing 13 times.
2. Steve McClaren
The Wally with the brolly.
Following successful spells coaching at Manchester United and managing Middlesbrough – taking the Teesiders to the UEFA Cup final, McClaren became the less than popular replacement for the outgoing Sven Goran Eriksson. The dull, defensive style of football he had become known for at Middlesbrough had won him no fans, but he was seen as a steady figure by several pundits to guide England through a relatively easy European qualifying group.
After a 5-0 win over Andorra in their first group game, England began to look shaky. Although McClaren managed a 1-0 win at in Macedonia, England drew the home tie in an abysmal performance at Old Trafford. England then failed to win their next two games against Croatia and Israel. After making a u-turn over the David Beckham question, the wheels finally came off in consecutive defeats against Russia and, once again, against Croatia. In the shortest run of any permanent English manager, McClaren had managed to win just 7 in 12 games.
1. Kevin Keegan
Putting McClaren’s meager win percentage in the shade, Kevin Keegan managed only 4 wins in 11 competitive games and has by far the worst win percentage of any manager in the England’s history.
Despite the popularity surrounding his appointment in 1999, Keegan’s lack of tactical nous quickly began to show. His remarkable turnaround at Newcastle won him several plaudits, despite defying all logic. However, his brief spell at Fulham should have demonstrated to the FA how incapable the Geordie messiah was when it came to tactical knowhow.
Even though Keegan managed to beat Germany in England’s second group game of Euro 2000, 3-2 defeats to Romania and Portugal sent England on their way home from the finals in disgrace.
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Keegan, typically, resigned from his England post after beginning the 2002 World Cup qualification with a 1-0 defeat to Germany. It was a poignant match that signaled not only the end of Keegan’s reign but also the end of the FA’s insistence that the national teams managers should be English; it was also, of course, the last game played at Wembley.