Premier League champions Chelsea have been linked to many players during the current transfer window and many fans have discussed who they should go for and who they need the most.
Personally, I think that Bayern Munich and Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger should be made Carlo Ancelotti’s number one target this summer and the club should do their best to bring the versatile midfielder to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2010/11 season.
The 25-year-old would be a perfect fit for the Blues due to his playing style and would help alone replace the void left by departures such as Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti and Deco, who is expected to be out of the door soon.
Schweinsteiger has mainly caught the eye of fans following his impressive displays in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where he helped a young and exuberant Germany side into third place, with his best moment probably being the superb run and low cross which setup Arne Friedrich’s tap-in for Germany’s third goal against Diego Maradona’s Argentina side.
The 25-year-old also showed his quality for his club last season as Bayern won a league and cup domestic double as well as making their way into the Champions League final where they lost to Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side.
Schweinsteiger was mooted as a replacement for Ballack even before the World Cup and perhaps it would be a lot harder to prise him away from Bayern now, as well as being a lot more expensive.
He has been at his current club for his entire professional career which began in the 2002/03 season and is willing to remain loyal to the Bundesliga outfit believing he can still achieve a lot there:
“There are always a few offers, but I have a contract with Bayern until 2012 and I respect the contract and the club.
“I know that there is something great at Bayern. We didn’t reach the UEFA Champions League final without good reason – and to win it is my ambition.”
However, he also revealed that a potential move abroad excites him:
“To end this talk I will just say that I am not married to Bayern.
“The Bundesliga is great, and has become more important, but if I were to move on then, of course, the idea of going abroad is what excites me.”
Schweinseiger has recently been successful in a deep-lying midfield role, similar to the role played by Ballack during his last few Chelsea games, but the Bayern man is also capable of playing a more offensive midfield position or even in a wider role. Due to his versatility he would arguably be well suited to the Blues’ 433 formation and Ancelotti’s original diamond formation.
Many Chelsea fans argue that Michael Essien is somewhat wasted when he is played in a deeper role and having someone like Schweinsteiger in the team could allow the Ghanaian to go forward more and attack. Also, Frank Lampard would benefit from having two workhorses of midfielders alongside him and allow him to continue his late runs into the box which has made him so successful and prolific.
Schweinsteiger has never really been prolific himself, but can chip in with the odd goal (32 goals in 304 Bayern Munich games). More impressive are the amount of assists he makes (59 in his Bayern career) and the way he can control a game by bossing the midfield.
Should Ancelotti make signing Bastian Scweinsteiger a priority for the Stamford Bridge outfit, or do Chelsea fans think there are better prospects out there?
*
Follow me on Twitter: ajwilliams1987
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.
Get the latest Chelsea news on Twitter
*
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has stated that he will stand by striker Luis Suarez, after the attacker was accused of racism in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United last weekend.
United defender Patrice Evra claimed that the Uruguay international racially abused him, with the supposed incident under investigation by the FA.
Depsite this, the Scottish coach has supported his South American forward, and feels that the player is hugely important to the Anfield club.
“The only thing I will say – and then it is put to bed – is that the football club and everyone at the football club is totally and utterly fully behind Luis Suarez,” Dalglish told the club’s official website.
“There was an allegation after the game about him diving all over the place and there was an allegation from Patrice Evra. Obviously the two things are emotive but we support the wee man on both things.
“At the start of the week the club made their position known and apart from what I have said we won’t be adding to it. We are fully looking forward to a complete, transparent report from the FA and we will co-operate 100 per cent,” he concluded.
Suarez is set to compete for the Merseyside outfit against Norwich on Saturday, as Liverpool look for three points to get them into top four contention.
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.
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.
For a plethora of reasons, Premier League clubs have frequently tried to cherry-pick the world’s best young talent. With young players often available at the fraction of the cost of more established names, the benefits of such a policy can be plentiful. However, such transactions are fraught with danger. There is always the risk that such a player may not develop as anticipated or adapt to the rigours of the Premier League. For every Cesc Fabregas, there’s a Jérémie Aliadière…
Jérémie Aliadière
Age: 27
Current club: Unattached
French striker Jérémie Aliadière is living proof that Arsene doesn’t always know. Aliadière failed to follow the path of previous Arsenal striking sensations Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, and left North London in the summer of 2007 after scoring just once in 27 league appearances for the Gunners in six years as a senior player at the club. Aliadière moved north to Middlesbrough prior to the 2007/08 season, where he managed to bag a more respectable 11 goals in 78 appearances before departing the Teesside club at the end of last season.
David Bellion
Age: 27
Current club: Bordeaux
Signed during the same summer as infamous Manchester United flops Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson, former Sunderland man David Bellion failed to justify the lengths the Red Devils went to to secure the Frenchman’s signature. Bellion managed just four league goals for the Old Trafford outfit, and was sent out on loan to both West Ham United and Nice, where he enjoyed varying degrees of success. After impressing whilst at Nice, Bellion was snapped up by Bordeaux, where he won the French league title in 2009.
Giovani dos Santos
Age: 21
Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
Hailing from the esteemed Barcelona youth academy, Giovani dos Santos appeared to be a major coup for Spurs when he arrived at White Hart Lane from Catalonia in the summer of 2008. Two seasons on, and the Mexican has appeared just 15 times for Spurs, with the midfielder enduring underwhelming loan spells at both Ipswich Town and Galatasaray. Still only 21, dos Santos still has time on his side, and could yet make an impact at White Hart Lane.
Nii Lamptey
Age: 35
Current club: Retired
Having led Ghana to the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship title, big things were expected of midfielder Nii Lamptey. Lamptey managed to display similarly dazzling form at club level with Belgian side Anderlecht, where he was hailed as the new Pele. After a brief spell at Dutch side PSV, Lamptey was brought to Aston Villa as a 20-year-old, where many expected him to light up the Premier League. After a failed season at Villa Park, Lamptey followed club manager Ron Atkinson to Coventry City, where he endured another miserable term. Lamptey left England in the summer of 1996 after making just 16 appearances in two seasons.
Anthony Le Tallec
Age: 25
Current club: Auxerre
Similarly to the aforementioned Nii Lamptey, Le Tallec was tipped for greatness on the basis of form displayed at a FIFA U-17 World Championship. During the 2001 instalment of the event, Le Tallec and then Le Havre team-mate Florent Sinama Pongolle won the Silver Ball and Golden Ball respectively, leading to a transfer to Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool. Initially loaned back to Le Havre for two years, Le Tallec failed to make an impact at Anfield, racking up a mere 17 league appearances during the course of five seasons upon Merseyside. During his time as a ‘Liverpool player’, Le Tallec was loaned out on no less than four occasions, before permanently joining French outfit Le Mans in the summer of 2008.
Jermaine Pennant
Age: 27
Current club: Jermaine Pennant
Everyone’s favourite formerly-electronically-tagged winger became Britain’s most expensive trainee when Arsenal shelled out £2m for the then 16-year-old in 1999. The former Notts County man made a bright start to his Arsenal career, scoring a hat-trick on his full league debut against Southampton, but succumbed to a string of disciplinary problems. Failing to impress Arsene Wenger, Pennant was loaned to Birmingham City, where he was arrested and convicted for drink-driving. This did not perturb the Midlands side, who signed Pennant permanently in 2005. Following the St. Andrews’ side’s relegation, Pennant moved to Liverpool, where he made 55 league appearances in three seasons before switching to Spanish side Real Zaragoza.
Philippe Senderos
Age: 25
Current club: Fulham
A friend of mine once joked that whilst Philippe Senderos knows six languages, not one of them is defending. Whilst this may be a tad harsh on the Swiss defender, one would be hard pressed to state that he has been a resounding success in England. As a youth player, Senderos was courted by the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. His move to Arsenal was initially hailed as a masterstroke, with former Arsenal defender Martin Keown stating (of Senderos), “For me, he has what it takes to go all the way.” Despite featuring as a prominent part of the Arsenal rearguard that recorded ten consecutive Champions League clean sheets in 2005/06, Senderos’ form deteriorated soon after, with his mental resolve seeming increasingly fragile. Senderos endured something resembling a minor breakdown after Arsenal’s Champions League exit to Liverpool in 2008, and his Arsenal career declined soon afterwards. Senderos made 17 appearances over the course of the last two seasons during loan spells with both AC Milan and Everton, before departing for Craven Cottage earlier this month.
Florent Sinama Pongolle
Age: 25
Current club: Sporting Lisbon
Like cousin Anthony Le Tallec (see above), Florent Sinama Pongolle joined Liverpool on the basis of tremendous performances at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship. During his time at Anfield, Sinama Pongolle endeared himself to the Anfield faithful more so than Le Tallec, famously scoring the equaliser in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Olympiakos during the club’s triumphant Champions League campaign of 2004/05. Following a brief loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, Sinama Pongolle was sold to Spanish side Recreativo in the summer of 2006, where he finished as the club’s top scorer for two seasons running. This form attracted the interest of Atletico Madrid, and the Frenchman made the move to the capital club in the summer of 2008. Despite a bright start at the club, Sinama Pongolle fell out of favour and was transferred to Sporting Lisbon earlier this year.
Adel Taarabt
Age: 21
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.
Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
Yet another French-African midfielder billed as the ‘new Zinedine Zidane’, 21-year-old Adel Taarabt arrived at White Hart Lane on loan in early 2007. Despite exhibiting early promise under Martin Jol, Taarabt has failed to endear himself to both Juande Ramos and Harry Redknapp, managing just 16 appearances at White Hart Lane over the course of three and a half seasons. Taarabt has however, impressed on loan at Championship side Queens Park Rangers, where he established himself as one of the best players outside of the Premier League. With QPR unable to afford to secure Taarabt’s signature, his future remains unclear. Having stated that “The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over”, and expressing a preference for fierce rivals Arsenal, it seems as though Taarabt’s White Hart Lane career is over.
Theo Walcott
Age: 21
Current club: Arsenal
A controversial selection given his undisputable quality, but it is safe to say that Theo Walcott has yet to justify his £12m price tag. After just 21 league appearances for Southampton, Walcott swiftly became the nation’s most coveted young talent. Arsene Wenger managed to fend off the interest of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United to land Walcott in January 2006. Whilst Walcott has managed to rack up over 100 appearances for the London club and shown flashes of his brilliance for England, he has yet to develop consistency and has failed to progress at the rate expected. Like Giovani dos Santos (above), time is on his side, and Arsenal and England fans alike will be hoping that Walcott can build upon his early promise.
Any glaring omissions? Let me know below…
Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul
Click on image below to see the BRAZILIAN babes at the World Cup
Considering what Mirko Slomka has achieved in the space of nearly two years in Lower Saxony, their 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich cannot be considered too major a shock, such is the progress that has been made by the 44-year-old coach at Hannover 96. When he took over, they were heading for the drop. Last season though he led them to their best ever finish (4th) and European football.
It was two of his signings that played a pivotal role in Sunday’s win. German keeper Ron Robert Zieler and Norwegian forward Mohamed Abdellaoue both arrived at the beginning of last season. They have both been terrific since their arrival to the Bundesliga. Abdellaoue scored 10 in the Bundesliga last season and already has eight this time round. Zieler’s progress is demonstrated by his call up to the German national squad in August.
On Sunday, Abdellaoue stroked home Hannover’s first from the spot whilst Zieler made some crucial saves for at the other end. When you take into account that both of these players were acquired for an accumulative total of €1 million, it gives you an idea of Slomka’s talent in being able to spot a good player.
Renowned for their counter attacking style under Slomka, Hannover nearly secured a Champions League berth last season but narrowly missed out to Sunday’s visitors. This year, for the first time, Germany has four Champions League places on offer and they must be confident of taking one of them.
Hannover have reason to believe as they currently sit fourth in the table. After all, 96 staged a remarkable late revival against Borussia Dortmund earlier this season. 1-0 down with six minutes remaining, Hannover won managing to grab two late on through Ya Konan and Karrim Haggui to secure an unlikely victory.
As well as boosting their own standing in the table, Hannover’s victory this weekend allowed Borussia Dortmund to further revive their title challenge as they thrashed inconsistent Cologne 5-0 at Signal Iduna Park leaving them three points behind Bayern. Although Dortmund were worthy winners of the title last season, Jurgen Klopp’s side made it look like a procession at times. It would be healthy for the Bundesliga title race this year to be more competitive.
As it stands, the top of the table is very congested as a single point behind Borussia, there’s Hannover and Schalke, who had a good away win at Leverkusen. If you go back a further point, you have Stuttgart and Werder Bremen who were denied by Nurnberg and Augsburg on the road. Finally, there’s Borussia Monchengladbach also level on 17 points who lost out away to Hoffenheim.
It wouldn’t be abnormal for one of these sides in the chasing pack to mount an outside challenge given the Bundesliga’s unpredictable nature. Ultimately though, it will probably come down to Jupp Heynckes Bayern. If they keep their discipline throughout the rest of the season, the Bavarians will probably win the league. However, should they lose their cool like they did in the AWD Arena on Sunday (with the sending off of Jerome Boateng), the rest of the Bundesliga will benefit.
It might be slightly ambitious for Hannover to attempt a tilt at the title – the last time they won the league was in 1954. Mirko Slomka will be more than content if he can bring his side Champions League football for their first time in their history.
Goal of the Weekend:
Schalke grabbed a late away win at Leverkusen this weekend, thanks to this great solo effort by Jefferson Farfan.
[youtube fhCUB-o9k50]
Matchday 10 Results:
Augsburg 1-1 Werder Bremen
Borussia Dortmund 5-0 Cologne
Hertha Berlin 0-0 Mainz
Hoffenheim 1-0 Gladbach
Kaiserslautern 1-0 Freiburg
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.
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
Portugal head coach Carlos Queiroz has called into question the decision to allow striker Didier Drogba to play for the Ivory Coast with a small cast still protecting his broken arm.
Drogba played the last 25 minutes of the goalless stalemate between the two sides in Port Elizabeth, with Queiroz seemingly far from happy.
He told reporters:"It's not for us to decide whether Drogba should play or not, it depends on FIFA.
"During the delegates' meeting which was held, the FIFA delegates decided the referee's decision was final. That was a bit odd as far as we were concerned.
"There are rules and regulations and for example, sometimes players can't play wearing a string bracelet, but a player can fracture his arm and play with a plaster cast and put at risk the Portugal players.
"I would like to know if the rules are the same for everybody.
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.
"If you can't play with a simple string bracelet and somebody can play with a strapping as Drogba did, that's a little bit unusual.
"Maybe the rules will be changed now, we don't know."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The words common sense and Newcastle United don’t often go together. Certainly, the Toon Army have seen some interesting times at St James’s Park since the Premier League began, ranging from Kevin Keegan’s infamous rant about Sir Alex Ferguson to Mike Ashley’s beer swilling appearances in the home shirt of those who despise him so much. Things are looking up these days for the Magpies after Alan Pardew’s men mounted an assault on the Champions League last season with new signings Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse all excelling.
Transfers don’t always go that well on Tyneside, indeed there seems to be no shortage of names that makes any Newcastle fan cringe by simply remembering them. Considering the club attracts some of the most passionate and vocal fans in the league, they’ve been represented on the pitch by some appalling footballers. We revisit the past two decades of Newcastle history and put together the worst Newcastle United transfer XI since the Premier League began.
Click on Lionel Perez to unveil the XI
[divider]
[divider]
[divider]
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.
Roberto Mancini has stated that his Manchester City team will look to win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, but knows it will be a tough test.
The Etihad Stadium outfit drew 1-1 with Napoli in their first game of the tournament, and will take on a reinvigorated Bavarian side, who beat Villarreal 2-0 in Spain in their first fixture.
Despite a daunting task at hand, the Italian coach is urging his team to go for three points.
“We are not here to lose. We know it will be difficult but we want to win if possible,” he stated in a press conference.
“I am certainly satisfied with the progress we have made, even if we need to improve a lot. This is the second game for us in the Champions League. Now we are a good team.
“But if we want to arrive on the top like Bayern Munich, who have such a big history, we need to work very hard,” he continued.
Mario Balotelli, who scored at against Everton at the weekend, is suspended, which may give Carlos Tevez a chance to play.
“I have four fantastic strikers, but I can’t play four strikers in all the games. Mario played against Everton. Carlos, tomorrow, could have a chance.
“I will decide the team tomorrow. I am sure that I can choose well because I have Carlos, Edin (Dzeko) and Sergio (Aguero) to pick from,” he stated.
Despite not winning their first game at home, Mancini does not feel the pressure to gain qualification is building just yet.
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 wanted to beat Napoli but we need to understand that in the Champions League you can also draw at home.
“The most important thing is that we get 10 points to reach the second stage. Against Napoli we just wanted to win. With that pressure you can make some mistakes.
“Here it will be different because we know it will be a tough game. I am sure we will do well tomorrow,” he concluded.
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.