Barcelona continued their build-up to the new season with victory over Brazilian side Internacional at the Audi Cup.The match was part of a four-team tournament also featuring Milan and hosts Bayern Munich.
Barcelona were largely under strength, but did include the likes of Victor Valdes, Seydou Keita, Maxwell and Andres Iniesta.
They took the lead after 15 minutes when Thiago Alcantara finished off a swift passing move.
Internacional, the 2010 Copa Libertadores winners, levelled 10 minutes after the break.
Nei finished well after Leandro Damiao’s effort was deflected into his path.
Barcelona were ahead again seven minutes later though, Jonathan Dos Santos took advantage of some poor defending.
Damiao, who has been linked with both Barcelona and Spurs, did find the net five minutes before full-time, heading in after poor goalkeeping from Jose Manuel Pinto.
The match went to penalties, Barcelona prevailing 4-2 after Damiao ballooned his effort.
Pep Guardiola’s side will now play the winner of Bayern Munich’s match with Milan.
It is often quite difficult to define a manager in terms of the tactics, players and shape that they like to go with, as things often change to combat your next opponents, but one noticeable trait of Roberto Mancini’s during his time at Man City thus far has been his defensive attitude which not only stifles some of the clubs creative talents, but fails to get the best out of some of their most expensive acquisitions, namely in this case, £26m summer signing James Milner.
Milner, the swashbuckling try hard, a player that is both dynamic and versatile, has disappointed somewhat since his long drawn out move from former employers Aston Villa to Man City this summer that went some way to signalling the departure of Martin O’Neill from Villa Park.
Last season was a breakout season for the England international, establishing himself as Capello’s ‘go to’ man whenever a position needed filling in the national side, it was his deployment in central midfield that sparked such fine form that prompted moneybags City to move for him.
He scored 7 league goals and delivered an impressive 12 assists from his position just ahead of Stiliyan Petrov in the middle of the park last term, which it makes it all the more strange that despite such perseverance in pursuing his signature based on this form, Mancini has reverted to playing back Milner on the wing.
Of course, £26m (£18m in fact, with £8m value Stephen Ireland being exchanged in the opposite direction) was always way too much for a player that seems to lack the pace to truly trouble the best, but such is the way with the market being inflated for English talent, that a premium is put on such players simply due to the nature of their passports, coupled with the fact that every man and his dog knows that City have money to boot. Yet Milner, by his standards anyway, has been inconsistent this term and for this I don’t blame the player, but his current manager’s tactics.
Man City still very much have the look about them of a team of fine individuals as opposed to a fully functioning outfit, so much so that it prompted England international (still feels slightly odd calling him that) Kevin Davies to say as much via his Twitter feed after Saturday’s lacklustre defeat to City away from home. But it’s in Mancini’s inherent cautiousness that Man City have found their biggest achilles heel to date.
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Quite why, with the likes of David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and to a lesser extent Adam Johnson and James Milner within their ranks and at his disposal, Mancini feels the need to persist with three recognised holding midfielders in their starting eleven is beyond me.
Gareth Barry’s slump has turned into the norm and he can no longer be expected to look anything other than pedestrian. Nigel De Jong, while a dirty bugger, is certainly one of the best enforcers around, so his position shouldn‘t be under any threat. Whereas Yaya Toure, despite a lovely pass to set up the only goal for Carlos Tevez at the weekend, looks lost at times in an unfamiliarly attacking role.
Toure is used to playing a full 15 yards further back, a role he’s played throughout most of his career, and while technically he is sound, he looks too cumbersome to provide the spark Mancini is looking for on a consistent enough basis and so the link between midfield and attack is often a stunted one, and the over-reliance on Carlos Tevez has become plain for all to see.
A simple remedy to this would be to abandon some of the shackles that seem to be holding this Man City side back and deploy Milner back into the heart of midfield to add a further attacking dimension to their play through the middle. To an extent, Milner may be tired from his excursions playing for his country in this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, as the fatigue that dogs so many after an international tournament seems to have reared it’s ugly head again this time around with many of the league’s elite that played that travelled to Africa this summer failing to sparkle, but I think in the main, it has to do with his role in the side.
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This Man City side, at the moment, do not look like capable of challenging for the title, which sounds ludicrous given the amount of money they’ve spent, and it’s not down to so-called in-fighting or the strength of other sides, for this is the most open title race (not quite sure if it qualifies as one after 16 games yet, but hey ho) in recent memory and the league really is there for the taking this year with every other side possessing such obvious flaws.
The fact of the matter is that Milner, while adept at playing out wide, is not a £26m winger, or even an £18m winger depending on how you approach the value of Milner/Ireland deal. He simply can’t beat his man enough on a regular basis and while his delivery can at times be fantastic, to the tune of 4 assists so far this term, he is so much more when giving the license to tear around in the middle of midfield.
The form that prompted Mancini to part with so much of City’s hard earned came from the centre and that’s where he should be restored, otherwise Tevez will continue to be cut an isolated and frustrated figure and Milner will remain a casualty of Mancini’s meddling.
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Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has admitted that he hit rock bottom in 2011-12, but has vowed to improve and lead the Stamford Bridge club’s line next term.
Poor performances and a lack of goals plagued the Spain international, but the forward is ready to hit the ground running next season.
“At Chelsea I am very happy and I never said the opposite,” he is reported as saying in The Daily Mail.
“I still have a lot to do in this club. It has been a difficult year, I didn’t play much and my mind was like a roller-coaster.
“I believe that I deserved to play more. I felt very bad and I would not like to feel that way again but I have never surrendered and I never will.
“When Chelsea signed me they did it with great expectations, and the confidence of the owner and the fans has been unconditional, but my role in the team has not followed that line.
“I look at myself and think I have not known how to be essential for the coaches I’ve had and this is another goal to accomplish which I will, at all costs,” he concluded.
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Liverpool have appointed Kevin Keen as their new first team coach, who ends a nine-year spell at West Ham. The 44-year-old takes over from Sammy Lee, and will renew his working relationship with Steve Clarke from their time together at the Hammers.
Keen has penned a three-year deal and will report to Reds pre-season, which starts on Monday. Manager Kenny Dalglish feels the addition will be of benefit to the Anfield club’s chances in 2011/12.
“I’m delighted that Kevin is joining us to work alongside Steve Clarke coaching the first team. He has previously worked with Steve at West Ham and has a good reputation and a good manner about him. He is highly respected in the game and will be a great addition to our staff,” the Scot said in The Guardian.
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The Amersham born man made over 600 first team appearances as midfielder for West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City, Macclesfield and Wycombe in his playing career.
Fulham striker Clint Dempsey believes Mark Hughes is the right man to lift the Cottagers up the Premier League table.
Draw specialists Fulham had to settle for another point from the weekend clash with Birmingham City, a result that left them only one point clear of the drop-zone.
Hughes, who replaced Liverpool-bound Roy Hodgson in the summer, has been coming under pressure of late, but USA international Dempsey said:“We believe in the manager and we can only keep working for him.
“It’s not wrong of fans to expect more. After last season, we’ve come to expect more of ourselves.
“We were taking the game to them before Birmingham scored. But we wanted to show character after last week’s game against Manchester City (a 4-1 defeat), although it’s frustrating with so many draws.
“Lots of guys have been here when it’s been backs-to-the-wall, including me, two out of the four years I’ve been here.”
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Manchester United have reopened their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils took the lead from the penalty spot, with Wayne Rooney converting a spot-kick after seven minutes, before Danny Welbeck double the hosts’ advantage before the interval.
Rooney grabbed his second after 73 minutes to end the game as a contest, whilst Nani scored late on to seal the victory.
Sir Alex Ferguson was happy with his team after the game, and knows that they are close to winning their 20th Premier League title.
“I thought that was one of our better performances for a while,” the Scot told Sky Sports after the game.
“There could be twists and turns in the title race yet but I think the name of the game now is for us to enjoy ourselves, play with the expression we did today and hopefully we’ll be alright.
“My experience tells me that there’s always something’s going to bite you on the bum so hopefully we can avoid that.
“The name of the game is not to drop any more points,” he stated.
Ashley Young was fouled by Ciaran Clark for United’s opener, and Ferguson believes the referee was right to award a penalty.
“I think he played for the penalty. If the player decides to put his foot in and doesn’t stay on his own feet and read the situation then he’s fallen into that you know.
“He’s definitely taken him but I think it was a dramatic fall and I think that he maybe over did the fall but it was a penalty, there was no doubt about that.
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“And I don’t think he can have any compliant because he has actually taken him,” he concluded.
’s proposed transfer to Italian side Napoli has stalled, according to Sky Sports.
Napoli are only thought to be prepared to offer around £10 million for the midfielder who moved to White Hart Lane from Wigan in January 2009. However, Tottenham are insistent on recouping the full £12 million they paid for the 26-year old.
The Honduran made 30 appearances for Spurs last season and Harry Redknapp is reluctant to let the midfielder leave. However, with the emergence of Brazilian Sandro, Redknapp is willing to cash in for the right offer.
The Sun claims Napoli might even try and sign the player on loan with a view to a permanent switch but Spurs are thought to prefer a permanent deal.
The defensive midfielder has represented Honduras 71 times. He first played in England under Steve Bruce at both Birmingham and Wigan Athletic and has since made 85 appearances in 2 and a half seasons at Tottenham Hotspur.
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Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is determined to make the most of his opportunity to become the regular first choice at Arsenal.
The 25-year-old has impressed since taking over from the injured Manuel Almunia around six weeks ago and Fabianski is eager to prove his worth.
"I always say my only thing is to keep working hard and try to play as best as I can, to try to help the team," Fabianski commented.
"Of course I have been through a difficult period, but that is life, that is football. You have to just keep working hard and hopefully it will pay off.
"Even when there was a difficult time for me I was always focused on my job or I was always working hard. That is the only way I think you can achieve something.
"I just want to stay focused. That is the main thing for me, to keep working hard.
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They say if it aint broke, then don’t fix it but I’m going to try and attempt to get my hammer and screwdriver out with the Premier League’s current archaic relegation system. As we all know, over recent years the ‘top four’ has expanded to what is regarded as the ‘big six’ with the fourteen other Premier League clubs struggling to match the elite both on the field of play and financially off it also. Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has previously stated that clubs such as his own are now struggling to cope in terms of wages and revenue with the new breed of ‘super clubs’ out there. With the ‘big six’ usually near the top end of the table in any order, the rest of the clubs are fairly evenly matched on their day and the competitiveness of the promoted clubs this term serves to suggest that the jump from the Championship to the Premier League isn’t as big as first publicised; simply requiring effort, desire and careful guidance.
So if the jump from tier two to top flight isn’t that big, then why can’t there be a restructuring of the old and historic relegation system? Championship clubs have proved they can cut it in the big time. The bottom three go down at the end of the season. Simple. The worst three teams suffer for their bad form over the endurance of a campaign. But what if the 18th placed Premier League side had to play off with the 3rd placed Championship side in an end of season relegation play off?
The German Bundesliga currently operates with this system and the Dutch Eredivisie negotiates this ruling also, with the slight difference that two top flight teams in Holland have to do battle with two second tier sides instead. Not only would more excitement stem from a one off game but clubs in the Premier League would strive even more to avoid a hazardous one off game, and clubs in the Championship would strive even more to clamber into third position, for a chance to achieve promotion. Perhaps we would see greater competitiveness as a general pattern. The current Championship play-off system is a very exciting one, but you do feel it is a waste of hope and time for the sides that fail to reach the final of it.
It is my opinion that the so-called ‘late surger’ or sixth placed side often has the momentum to topple the sides immediately ahead of them, distorting the points tallies which may be significantly greater for the third, fourth and fifth sides at the end of a campaign. All of the clubs know the pitfalls of the playoffs already, but I think whilst play off glory may be joyous for whoever wins, the other teams’ exploits over a course of a season are cruelly taken away and unrewarded. Therefore, if the third place side hierarchically had to do battle with the 18th placed Premier League side, this type of play off would be far more fair and reasonable.
Of course, if the Premier League were far superior to the Championship then redemption for the 18th placed side would almost be guaranteed and widespread criticism would be received for such a system. However, in a metaphorical ‘relegation play-off game’ it would be an interesting experiment as the lack of morale and heads down nature of the Premier League team verses the hopeful and upbeat nature of the Championship side would make for what could be considered an even and keenly-fought contest. Not only would we gauge a realistic outlook of how close the respective tiers are but we would see a shift in attitude in this country that play-offs can be implemented at the bottom of the table as effectively as they are placed at the top.
Whilst critics may point to the argument that we’d see lesser quality in the Premier League if the Championship side were victorious in the one off game, they only have to be reminded that 18 of the 24 current Championship sides have tasted Premier League action before, and it is the acclaim of managers everywhere that England’s second tier is one of the most competitive and hardest to negotiate.
Last year’s final day in the Premier League was exciting (and gruelling) for the teams involved at the basement of the division, but by implementing a relegation play off there would be a far more systematic element as to how clubs rise and fall. For example if Terry Connor’s Wolves clambered to 18th position from their current position, this could be considered a success and a chance to survive, hence greater excitement and drama surrounding an 18th placed finished as opposed to the swift reality of dropping out of the division at present.
Perhaps these concepts may seem like meddling and tampering with an already astute system, but adopting such a system would spark even more excitement into an already enthralling division, rightly considered the best in the world.
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What do you think of this idea? Are we too rigid in this country towards change or should I be taking a lay down? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has enjoyed an indifferent time since his transfer from Newcastle nearly two and a half years ago. Given made an immediate impact following his signing for a reported £8 million and was a mainstay the following season until suffering a dislocated shoulder in April 2010. Then, Roberto Mancini surprised many when, at the start of this season, he picked young English keeper Joe Hart for the opening league fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. Hart has progressed at a phenomenal rate becoming a regular starter for both club and country and Given has been restricted to only four appearances for City; One in the Carling Cup and three in the Europa League.
Given was linked with numerous clubs in January but chose instead to stay put. But, with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both rumoured to be interested in signing the 35 year old this Summer, is it time for the Irishman to move on?
Given has undoubtedly been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Premiership since he was first signed by Newcastle in 1997. He has gone on to make nearly 400 appearances in the Premier League alone and earned 110 caps for Ireland, seven of which came this season. But, the player himself has begun to admit that sitting on the bench is not helping his cause for club or country. At the age of 35 he should be at the peak of his powers and playing regular football.
But, Manchester City are able to offer Champions League football next year and will surely make some exciting signings this summer as they look to form a title challenge. Given himself will surely be tempted to stay at Eastlands and fight it out with Hart for the Number 1 jersey and get paid handsomely to do so.
But, displacing Hart will be no easy accomplishment. Mancini favours the Englishman over Given and he is fast becoming one of the best keepers in the league. Perhaps, therefore, he would be best moving on, but where would represent the best home?
Arsenal have been rumoured to be interested in Given for some time. Manuel Almunia is seemingly on his way out of the Emirates whilst Fabianski is either inconsistent of injured. Wojciech Szczęsny has had an impressive debut season but it still young and learning. Given could be just the man to aid Szczęsny’s development and bring some leadership to a back four that has appeared troubled since the departure of William Gallas. But, much of this will hinge on whether Wenger sticks to his rule regarding only offering one-year contracts to players over 32, particularly as Given signed a four and a half year deal at Manchester City.
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Fans of Tottenham appear to be losing patience with Heurelho Gomes and some of his errors have costs Spurts points. And, unlike Wenger,Harry Redknapp cannot resist a bargain and will sign a good player regardless of age. Spurs might not be able to offer the glamour of the Champions League next season but would provide Given with opportunity to be part of an exciting project at White Hart Lane under Redknapp.
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Admittedly both teams have performed under expectations this season and find themselves currently sitting in fourth and fifth place respectively. But, unlike at City, both would offer the opportunity of regular football in ambitious sides looking to make the next step up.
Arsenal have faltered in recent seasons but, with the right players and manager at the helm, most fans will agree another title challenge will come soon. And, whilst Spurs are yet to become Champions League regulars, their fantastic run to this year’s Quarter Finals shows the progress they have made under Redknapp and fans will hopefully get to see a resumption of their fine European performances in next year’s Europa League and beyond.