Tottenham Hotspur frontman Peter Crouch was pleased to make his mark as an England substitute in the 2-1 loss to France, netting just a minute after entering the fray.
Crouch volleyed home a far-post corner from Ashley Young to give England something to show for a below-par display, with the Spurs striker having now scored 22 goals in 42 international appearances.
He said after the game:"The manager was looking at other things and obviously knows what I can do. I've been around the set-up for a while now.
"Pleasing to make the impact, obviously just disappointed with the result.
"I thought France in the first half played some great stuff to be honest and we had a little bit of a comeback at the end.
"Maybe if the game had gone on a little bit more, we'd have had a different result.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"It was quite quick to get the goal and obviously I'm very pleased.
"When you're on the bench, you hope for a chance and hope you can make an impact when that comes and, thankfully, I did that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Fulham may have put in a far stronger performance in against Arsenal last time out than has been the case over the last few weeks, however that Mark Hughes’ men are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference suggests just how important a home win will be this Saturday.
If Hughes wanted an indication of how a decent run of form can drive you up the league, he only need look across Craven Cottage to his opposite number, Steve Bruce, who has masterminded a dramatic improvement in Sunderland’s consistency over the last couple of months, leaving the Black Cats on the cusp of the European qualification slots.
Whilst Sunderland have financial backing that belies their Premier League achievements over the last few years, Fulham will start to look back on a year that very nearly brought them Europa League glory yet ends with them staring nervously at the Premier League trap door.
Prediction: 1-1
[poll ]
Use your FREE £20 Bet – Get odds of 5/1 on a 1-1 draw
At the top of Kenny Dalglish’s shopping list in the January transfer window is likely to be a new striker to provide support for Fernando Torres and competition for David N’Gog. The AS newspaper is claiming that Alvaro Negredo may well be that man, as Liverpool are reportedly lining up a 20 million Euro bid for the Spanish forward.
The 25-year-old currently plays for Sevilla in La Liga and has the nickname ‘The Beast of Vallecas’. This season he has scored six goals and also has five assists to his name, hitting the back of the net every 130 minutes in La Liga, which is a ratio of a goal every one-and-a-half games.
Negredo has four caps and two international goals for Spain and is thought to be the complete striker. Like the majority of Spanish players he is technically sound, has a strong left foot, is an accomplished finisher, solid in the air and has decent speed.
Liverpool’s Director of Football Strategy Damien Comolli is thought to have kept a close eye on the striker and a bid is set to be made imminently. Whether Negredo would be a replacement for Torres is unclear, but Liverpool fans will be hoping they have an all-Spanish strikeforce come the end of January.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
[divider]
Love fantasy football? Love live footy? You’ll love live fantasy football! Take part in the Ipswich v Arsenal match and play Picklive for FREE Go on, give it a go!
The January transfer window can be a chaotic mess at times; usually the breeding ground of panic buying, overpriced average players and a minimal amount of successful and viable signings. The top players are tied to their clubs, the smaller clubs fighting off relegation are determined to keep their stars and the players being floated about by agents and clubs are either unwanted, injured or put simply rubbish.
According to business advisory firm Deloitte, Premier League clubs spent just £30 million in the 2010 January transfer window. In the midst of an age of austerity most clubs prefer to focus on a loan to buy strategy, 70% of deals in the 2010 January window were of this ilk and the 2011 window looks set to follow the same pattern. Long gone are the days of £170 million (2009) and £150 million (2008) being spent. Even free spending Manchester City are going to have cut back on the spending and wage budget if they are going to have any hope of meeting UEFA’s impeding financial regulations (not that the impeding signing of Edin Dzeko will aid them in that respect).
Nevertheless you can still expect a flurry of ridiculous and unneeded signings, mainly in the bottom half of the table. For the top half most squads are set in stone with the only activity likely to be outgoings. There are five teams that will certainly be active in bringing players in, whether it’s to save their ailing title bid, pull themselves out of a relegation battle or to maintain a steady and unexpected ascent of the Premier League table.
Chelsea look to possess the squad with the most immediate need for investment, in the space of three months they have regressed from world beaters to a team that may struggle to finish in the top four. They have the smallest squad in the Premier League, with only sixteen players registered out of a possible twenty-five at the beginning of the season (obviously excluding players under the age of twenty-one). It is a statistic that has been catapulted to prominence in the absence of key players and a large proportion of their defensive unit spending spells on the treatment table. A defender is a must and the club have apparently had a £17 million bid rejected by Benfica for their Brazilian centre-half David Luiz. Potentially one of the best defenders in the game, Luiz would inject both youth and pace into the centre of Chelsea’s defence and the ability to fill in at left back further enhances his suitability for the champions. Benfica are said to want an outlandish £37 million and with City also interested it would make sense for Chelsea to try and rush through a deal. Before either City swoop in or they lose even more ground on Manchester United.
There will certainly be a degree of transfer activity for Liverpool this window. Former Spurs and Arsenal affiliate and the ‘Director of Football Strategy’ at Liverpool, Damien Comolli, is now overseeing Liverpool’s transfer activity. Comolli has been utilising his knowledge of European football over the last couple of months to fit in to NESV’s philosophy of creating superstars rather than buying them.
Multiple names have been linked with a wide man the most obvious target. Rennes’ Sylvain Marveaux was recently spotted at Anfield. The Frenchman posseses a striking similarity to one time Liverpool target Florent Malouda’s style of play and could give Liverpool a natural width that neither Kuyt or Maxi Rodriguez can supply. Whispers have intensified regarding a possible loan move for Manchester City’s Emanuel Adebayor to provide cover, assistance and more importantly competition for a misfiring and seemingly uninterested Fernando Torres.
A transfer window doesn’t go buy without a flurry of signings for West Ham and this window will follow the same routine as Avram Grant tries to get West Ham out of trouble. Numerous names have been linked as usual and a move for Steve Sidwell has had to be canned due to Roma’s inability to raise the necessary funds for Valon Behrami. The rest of West Ham’s supposed transfer interest is what you would expect from a club that thought a waist busting Benni McCarthy was the answer last season. Liam Lawrence of Stoke is allegedly the subject of a £4 million bid, just days after he secured a free transfer to Portsmouth and the owners also see perennial crock Wayne Bridge as worth of £90,000 a week.
The transfer window gives Aston Villa’s Gerard Houllier the chance to bring in some of his own players to the club. Spurs’ young right back Kyle Walker has already been brought in on loan to provide cover for the injured Luke Young. The club have continued the theme of claret and blue madness by rivalling West Ham for the ridiculously overpaid Wayne Bridge, despite having a superior left back already on their books in Stephen Warnock. Houiller will try to offload the likes of Carew and Ireland to fund any moves and the main target has to be a goal scorer. With Agbonlahor playing wide, Carew frozen out and Heskey being Emile Hesky goals could soon be in short supply. A reuniting of Michael Owen and Houiller could be on the cards and would suit both parties. Omar Cummings, a Jamaican from MLS side Colorado Rapids has been on trial and could be given a loan deal if he impresses.
Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side have deserved all the superlatives they have received thus far and it seems Bruce isn’t willing to rest on his laurels as he pushes for a European spot. It has been revealed that the club have approached both Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon from Internazionale and Paris Saint Germain respectively. Both moves show how far the club has come under Bruce’s tenure and should cement the clubs top half finish. Cover in the defence is also an issue for the Black Cats and the answer could well be a move for Richard Dunne who is amongst a clutch of Villa players seemingly frozen out by Houiller.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It’s always an excited time for fans as newspapers and online sites rage with speculation, usually inane and inaccurate rubbish, but every now and then that piece of ridiculous speculation becomes fact. Hopefully by January 31st we will have an array of new stars demonstrating their talents in our league. Not to forget the return of a more than familiar face under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp.
Written By Lee Wilson at ‘This is Futbol’
[divider]
Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Man United v Liverpool and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!
Norway striker John Carew has moved a step close to leaving Aston Villa after reportedly passing a medical at Stoke City on Thursday.
Carew, 31, has struggled to force his way into the plans of Villa boss Gerard Houllier in the first half of the season, starting just six games and failing to score.
The arrival at Villa Park of record-signing Darren Bent means Carew would have been likely to fall further down the pecking order.
Stoke now appear to have beaten off competition from Premier League rivals Fulham in the race to sign the former Valencia and Lyon man, who is understood to have passed a fitness test late Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Stoke assistant manager Dave Kemp confirmed that the two English Premier League clubs were in talks.
“(Carew) is a very good player and one we would be interested in,” Kemp said.
“To say we were targeting John Carew (is not necessarily true) but (Darren) Bent goes there so it might become an option and that is what happened.”
“He is a quality player and we would be interested in a player of that ilk.”
“He is a very experienced, top-level Premier League striker and he would bring much to the team so we would like to sign him – but so would a number of other clubs possibly.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“There have been discussions but nothing has been finalised.”
The deal is likely to be completed on Friday, but it is unlikely to feature in Stoke’s trip to Fulham on Saturday.
Victor Montano was on target for Rennes in a 2-0 win over Nice on Sunday, but they remain five points behind Ligue 1 leaders Lille.
Centre-forward Montano, capped once by Columbia, opened the scoring in the 52nd minute at the Stade de la Route de Lorient.
Just six minutes later and Montano’s strike partner, Togo international Razak Boukari, doubled the advantage from the penalty spot.
Defeat leaves Nice in 16th place, perilously close to the relegation zone and just two points better off than third-bottom Monaco.
Rennes remain second, but are five points behind Lille after the league leaders also won 2-0 at home to Toulouse.
Ivory Coast international Gervinho put the hosts 1-0 ahead six minutes before half-time at the Stade Lille Metropole.
It took until the final exchanges for Lille to guarantee the win, but substitute Tulio De Melo made sure with a second goal in the 90th minute.
Elsewhere, Valenciennes jumped three places to 12th with a 3-0 win over Brest.
The surprise front runners early in the campaign, Brest have now won just once in their last eight league matches and slip to 10th on the table following their latest reverse.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Goals from defenders David Ducourtioux and Milan Bisevac put the hosts two goals ahead inside 22 minutes at the Stade Nungesser.
Front-man Gregory Pujol wrapped up the scoring on 69 minutes.
Since becoming Norwich manager in 2009, Paul Lambert has achieved great success with the Canaries. Having got the Canaries promoted last season as League One champions, Lambert is looking to achieve a similar feat in the Championship this year and get Norwich back in the Premier League.
As part of their partnership with the League Managers Association, Yahoo! got to speak to the Norwich manager about his time as a player and a manager and his future aspirations. Here is Paul Lambert on Norwich, possible Premier League promotion and playing abroad in an enlightening interview…
Did you envisage Norwich doing so well on their first season back in the npower Championship?
I think we had the foundation to have a decent season with the crowds and the fan base we’ve got. We had that backbone. Whether we are going to do as well as we are at the minute, we’ll have to wait and see. You can never predict what’s going to happen. I’m delighted by what has happened at the football club since we’ve been here. The rise has been pretty quick.
What’s behind the success of the campaign? Did you believe that the team’s style of football was better suited to that division?
I think League One is a very hard league to get out of in the first place. It was a very tough thing to do. The football we’re playing at the minute is very, very good. I think the npower Championship is a terrific league, and I think the difference between the Championship and League One is vast. I think one of the main things we’ve got here, as well as our ability, is a great team spirit to try and win football matches. To be fair, the fans have only helped us.
Is there a part of you concerned that, should you gain promotion again, that it might be too much, too soon?
No. I’d rather worry about that if we got up, rather than not have that worry. We’ve come a long way, but I’d rather have that worry than not, that’s for sure.
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
How confident are you that you will be able to keep your team together – several players have attracted attention. Do you hope to sign Henri Lansbury permanently at the end of the season?
Well, in the team there are a lot of lads under contract. Some of them have come in and others have extended their contracts, so that’s great for the club. As for Henri, I think Arsenal are the main players in that one. He’s a Barclays Premier League player. He’s at a terrific football club, and he’s learning all the time. I think we’re a long way from being able to ask Arsenal if we can take him permanently. He might have a big future at Arsenal.
Just before you came took the job at Norwich you gave them a real battering as Colchester manager (a 7-1 win at Carrow Road), and then the reverse happening when you returned to your former club (a 5-0 victory). How satisfying was that for you?
I think going to Norwich with Colchester, everyone presumed and expected Norwich to win. It was the first day of the season, and Norwich had just been relegated from the Championship to League One, where Colchester were established and knew what the league was like. I think people misread that game, and thought we were just going to turn up and get beaten. Obviously what happened then happened.
Sometimes the game can be a bit surreal. The result probably changed the fortunes of Norwich for the last couple of years. I never expected that to happen. We gave it everything we had to try and win a game of football. We knew what it was going to be like, that the fans would be right against us and – the way Norwich were going – that it would be a really tough game. But, fortunately, it turned out the way it did.
Then, with myself, Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa coming here from Colchester and going back there, we knew it was going to be a bit hostile. But to do that, to win 5-0 there, was a phenomenal achievement for the lads.
How highly does that rank among results you have achieved as a manager?
I know it’s a cliche, but at the end of the day it was three points. We just went there and played really well. The lads played brilliantly, especially when the game was nearly called off due to the rain, so to put that one to bed was very satisfying for everyone at the football club.
Do you think your highly-decorated career as a player gives you more gravitas among your squad?
You are probably better off asking them that. My career is only for my memory. It’s not for me to say I’ve done X, Y and Z. I know what I’ve done, I know what I’ve won. I know the players I’ve played with, I know the clubs I’ve played with. I think if you start to spout off what you’ve done then people turn off, and it’s boring for myself saying it. That’s the way I look at it. My (playing) career is finished. It was terrific when I had it. I was fortunate to enough to play with some world class footballers and terrific sides. It was a career only for my memory, and not for anybody else.
As a player, when your contract was running down at Motherwell, were you surprised when you heard the German champions were interested in signing you? Had you had much interest from other clubs?
No nothing. I didn’t have anything. Thats why I had to go abroad. I had always fancied going abroad, and so I went over to PSV Eindhoven and trained with Dick Advocaat for a week or so and played two practice games. I played wide in a four-man midfield, and I wasn’t really a wide midfielder. I never had any real great pace. The next trial was at Borussia Dortmund, and I had four practice games there. They liked what they saw when I played in the centre of midfield on trial with them, and it all went from there. It’s an absolutely fantastic football club, the fan base is special.
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the interview…
You played in the 1997 Champions League final against Juventus, up against Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps, two greats of the era. What was it like playing against them, and coming out on top?
To be honest, I was never bothered that they were playing. I knew I had to look after my game, first and foremost. But I also knew that, in my own team, I was playing with people that had won World Cups and Serie A and Bundesliga titles. So, for me, the team I was playing in was as good as anybody else’s, no doubt about it. I had Andreas Moeller playing, Matthias Sammer was there, Steffen Freund, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Paulo Sousa… I had phenomenal footballers beside me. I knew that Juventus at that time were very powerful, and I knew the players that they had, but I also had the belief in my ability that I could handle being in that company.
What do you think makes the competition so special, and what does it take to win it aside from having the best team on paper?
I think you need some luck. When you play at home you try not to concede that away goal, because you know that if you can nick one away then they have to get two back. It’s the best club competition in the world, there is no doubt about it. Everybody wants to win it, and people spend millions and millions of pounds trying to do that. The prestige of it, the media attention of it, the global appeal of it is vast. You come up against some brilliant teams and brilliant footballers.
What kind of reception did you get when you joined Celtic soon afterwards as the first Scot to win the competition (under the current format)?
Not many British people – let alone Scottish people – have won it, which I am probably proud of more than anything. I think people saw it as a great achievement. I’m lucky to be in the same company as the likes of John Robertson, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, and all the Lisbon Lions. Scotland’s a small country, so for me to be in that group makes me very proud.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=left]
Several other Scottish players have gone abroad in recent years. How important is it for players to broaden their horizons, and why don’t more British players do it?
It’s OK going abroad, but I think you have to go to the right club. I think that’s vital. I was fortunate enough to walk into a place where I knew the size of the club and the fan base because I had played against them. German football was really on a high at that time. I knew the players I was going to play with, and they weren’t your run of the mill, they were world class. They were a group of winners. Anyone can go abroad and make money then decide they don’t fancy it and come back, and that’s fine, but I wanted to win things and learn a different culture and a different way of playing football.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
I think British players sometimes find it hard to adjust to a certain way of living. It’s you who has to adapt to them, not the other way around. You have to learn the language, you have to eat different food… there are loads of things you have to adapt to. If you can do that, and you can find the right club, then I would recommend going abroad to anybody.
What do you consider your main strength as a manager? What do you think you have had to improve on?
I think there are loads of things. You are always learning and looking for things to benefit the team. I have a really good backroom staff with me, which really helps. They are a major part of what has happened here. Ian and Gary have been with me since Wycombe, which is the best part of six years now. They know how we work, and that is vital to me. I think you just have to pick the best players and get the best out of them.
Do you see yourself as more of a motivator more of an authoritarian?
Again, I think you would have to ask others. I think there should only ever be one voice in the place, but you can’t go over the line. You put your arm around people and try and make them feel better about themselves. That’s what I try and do.
Ultimately, what are your ambitions as a manager? Would you ever consider taking the Scotland job?
At this moment in time I think club football is what I want to do. I want to try and do as best we can with Norwich. Where that is going to take us remains to be seen. I just want to try and do everything as well as I can here until something tells me otherwise, whether that be good, bad or indifferent. I want to strive for the best that I can be.
[divider]
Paul Lambert was speaking to Yahoo! through its partnership with the League Managers Association. Visit The Dugout at www.yahoo.co.uk/dugout
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has backed out-of-sorts forward Jermain Defoe to go on a goal-scoring run – starting with Sunday’s trip to Wolves.
The England striker hit 18 Premier League goals last season but has yet to find the net in the league this term.
“He has gone through one of those spells where he has not managed to score. Normally at this time of the year he has 15 or 16 goals so we are hoping that he will go on a run and if he does that it will make a massive difference to our points tally,” Redknapp said.
“It’s about confidence and once he starts hitting the back of the net I’m sure they’ll come along in their numbers but at the moment it’s just a case of getting off the mark.”
Tottenham have a massive Champions League tie against AC Milan to look forward to in midweek but Redknapp insists all eyes are on the Wolves game.
With Chelsea just one point ahead of Spurs in fourth place, it is important to remain focused on the Premier League.
“We have to look to get a result over Wolves. I think Wolves are a very good side. I have said that all season. They are a well-run club from the chairman to the chief executive and their manager Mick McCarthy is top class,” he said.
“McCarthy gets absolutely everything out of his players week in week out and we had a tough couple of games against them last year. They did the double over us then and we were quite fortunate to beat them at home this year.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“We were 1-0 down in the game and ended up winning 3-1. They are a good side and we have to make sure that we try to finish in the top four. That’s our priority. That’s important for us, to look to win on Sunday.”
Tottenham are missing defenders Vedran Corluka (ankle), Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Younes Kaboul (knee), while in midfield, Tom Huddlestone (ankle), Rafael Van der Vaart (knee) and Gareth Bale (back) are all struggling.
Steven Fletcher grabbed the hosts a late equaliser as Wolves and Tottenham shared an action-packed six-goal thriller at Molineux on Sunday.The substitute headed home in the 87th minute just when it seemed two highly controversial refereeing decisions would deprive the strugglers of a share of the spoils after Roman Pavlyuchenko and a Jermain Defoe double had canceled out Kevin Doyle’s brace for Wanderers.Prior to kick-off, both sets of supporters honoured former Wolves and Spurs defender Dean Richards with one minute’s applause, as representatives of each of Richards’ former clubs joined his family and the players out on the pitch to celebrate the 36-year-old, who died last week.And the 90 minutes that followed would have delighted the talented England Under-21 international as both sides set out with the sole intention of claiming a vital win. Wolves’ wing play set out to expose Heurelho Gomes’ vulnerability at claiming crosses, and sure enough, on 20 minutes, Spurs fell behind to just such a move as Doyle found a yard of space between the Tottenham goalkeeper and his defence to flick home Nenad Milijas’ pinpoint cross from the right.Tottenham showed their class by weathering the storm to hit back with two pieces of clinical finishing from Defoe.First, the England striker curled a sumptuous shot beyond a full-stretched Wayne Hennessey to level matters and bettered it soon after with a top corner finish from 25 yards out.That lead evaporated within five minutes as Doyle sent Gomes the wrong way with a penalty after Alan Hutton had tugged the arm of Milijas in the area.With many debating whether Hutton’s yellow card warranted more severe punishment, Spurs made Wolves pay by regaining the lead just three minutes after the restart as some hesitant defending allowed Pavlyuchenko time to slam home another impressive long-range finish. Milijas and Defoe both hit the woodwork in an absorbing finale that saw Richard Stearman’s header controversially ruled out for an apparent foul on Gomes before Fletcher climbed highest to claim the draw that both teams had earned.
Tottenham defender William Gallas is likely to see out his playing days in England after agreeing to a new two-year-deal with the club.Gallas, 33, initially joined Tottenham on a one-year deal at the end of last season from arch-rivals Arsenal but has impressed in his 28 appearances this season.
He has also formed an important defensive partnership with Michael Dawson as Spurs reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
“The club is delighted to announce that William Gallas has signed a two-year contract extension which runs until 2013,” a statement on the club’s website said.
“The experienced France defender has impressed at the heart of our defence since joining the Club in the summer following the expiration of his contract at Arsenal at the end of the 2009/10 campaign.”
“A two-time Premier League title winner with Chelsea, William has made 28 appearances in our colours to date as well as captaining the side on occasions in both the Premier League and Champions League this season.”