Fulham manager Martin Jol has admitted that his side have taken a risk by signing Pavel Pogrebnyak as Bobby Zamora’s replacement, as the Russian forward is out of form.
Pogrebnyak joined The Cottagers from Stuttgart on a six-month loan deal on transfer deadline day, as Zamora was sold to London rivals QPR.
The Dutch coach is aware that his new forward represents a gamble, but is hoping that Pogrebnyak can recapture the form that saw him shoot to fame in his earlier career.
“He’s not had a great couple of years, but if he had we wouldn’t have got him,” Jol told Mirror Football.
I spoke to (Russia boss) Dick Advocaat and (predecessor) Guus Hiddink about him and they told me he’s got 45 caps and he’s had some great spells.
“It’s a very good opportunity for him and us, but he has to prove it now,” the trainer challenged.
Pogrebnyak is currently waiting for a work permit for England, and hopes to make his Premier League debut for the Craven Cottage side against Stoke on Saturday.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
“And I don’t think he can have any compliant because he has actually taken him,” he concluded.
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.
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.
International tournaments are a cheap and easy way to scout new players. They might not always turn out as you thought they would (Poborsky to United after Euro ’96 springs to mind) but it is, nonetheless, an opportunity for players to make an entrance on to the world stage, or just remind us that they still have something to offer. With the transfer window just a week away there’s no better place to be in the quest for the solution to your club’s ailments. So, here are a few players attracting suitors amongst the Premier League’s elite.
Alan Dazagoev – Russia and CSKA Moscow
Dzagoev, now 22, has been a regular for the Russian national side since his debut as an 18 year old yet his performances last season for CSKA have seen him emerge as the long-term successor to Arshavin’s role as the central force of the Russian national side.
His performance in the opening game against the Czech Republic was particularly impressive as he helped himself to a brace. Dzagoev likes to play behind the striker but has also been deployed on the wing by Russia. Despite Russia being knocked out in the group stages Dzagoev left the tournament averaging a goal per game.
His eye for a pass is as good as his eye for a goal and he would be a valuable asset for a number of Premier League clubs. Tottenham could use him as an alternative to van der Vaart playing in the hole as he offers slightly more pace and agility. Alternatively he could be a useful purchase for Arsenal looking to replace Arshavin or even as an extra creative force up front for Liverpool as they look to reduce the burden currently placed on Luis Suarez.
Mathieu Debuchy – France and Lille
Deputising for the injured Bacary Sagna, Debuchy has wasted no time in raising his profile with a number of impressive performances. Defensively solid, Debuchy’s real talents lie in his attacking flair. In particular his performance against England was hugely impressive and he succeeded in giving Ashley Cole the kind of nervy game that few wingers can do, let alone opposing full backs
Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of Abramovich’s time at Chelsea is that they have never really settled on a consistent right back. Newcastle may be the first club to have announced their interest yet with only Ivanovic as a reliable option in that position Chelsea could do a lot worse than the 26 year old, especially considering that he has a reported release clause of under £7m.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden and AC Milan
What can you say about Zlatan that hasn’t already been said? Enigmatic – yes, petulant – sometimes, entertaining – always. The big man might be the wrong side of thirty but at the Euros he has proved he still has what it takes to push any defence to the limit. Even at a tournament when he wasn’t firing on all cylinders he still played well and scored two goals, one of which was a definite contender for goal of the tournament.
The myth that Ibrahimovic is ineffective against English sides is as boring and overused as it is false. In his most recent meeting with an English side in the Champions League he inspired AC Milan to a 4-0 drubbing of Arsenal at the San Siro and two years before that he scored to brilliant goals in London. Against England too he played an instrumental role in what was a close fought game between Sweden and us.
Ibrahimovic is perfectly built for the Premier League, and as demonstrated when he embarrassed John Terry in the recent Group D game, he still has a few years left at his current level. With Berbatov looking less and less effective at Man Utd the giant Swede could be the perfect signing to bring some flair and variety in to United’s attack.
Mats Hummels – Germany and Dortmund
In the build up to the European Championships I spent time watching Germany’s warm up games. Despite looking impressive you’d have had to say that if they had one weakness it was Per Mertesacker. The giant Arsenal centre back may be a decent player but he is vulnerable to pace and is poor in possession. The same cannot be said for Hummels who has been a revelation for the would-be kings of Europe.
Hummels has displayed his class in almost every area on the pitch. Strong in the air, an excellent tackler and assured in possession he has brought a stability to the German central defence that always seemed slightly wobbly with Mertesacker at the back.
With Arsenal’s defence still weak and Man Utd considering the prospect of an ever aging partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic, Hummels could be in high demand amongst the premier league’s top clubs.
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.
Daniele De Rossi – Italy and Roma
De Rossi may have just spent the last year contemplating a new contract in the Italian capital, which he signed, but he hasn’t given up hope of one day playing in England. De Rossi has had a magnificent tournament so far excelling in both central midfield and as a makeshift centre half where, despite his size, he comfortably held his own against Spain in the opening group game.
De Rossi has the rare gift of being a defensive midfielder whose distribution is as astute as his defending. With the tackling of Mascherano and passing akin to that of Pirlo’s, although perhaps not quite as good as either individually, De Rossi is the midfielder Gareth Barry wishes he was. And, with De Rossi’s desperately unsubtle hints about England directed in Man City’s direction on’t be surprised to hear more of Daniele in the near future.
Republic of Ireland crashed out of Euro 2012 after defending champions Spain thumped four past them in Gdansk and boosted their chances of progressing to last eight.
After to losing to Croatia last week Giovani Trapattoni’s men need a win at the PGE Arena to remain in the tournament but had the wind knocked out of their sails before they’d had a chance to settle as Fernando Torres justified his inclusion in the starting eleven with an early goal of world class conviction. Their fate was sealed in the second half after David Silva struck five minutes after the restart before Torres scored his second and substitute Cesc Fabregas rubbed salt into Ireland’s wounds in the 70th minute to send them packing and leave Spain needing to avoid defeat in their final Group C fixture against Croatia to confirm a quarter final place.
The emphasis on the Irish side before kick-off was to retain their discipline and and remain focused during Spain’s long bouts of possession and an early warning shot across the bow from Simon Cox, selected ahead of Kevin Doyle, forced Iker Casillas into a low save suggested they wouldn’t be restricted in their attacking intentions. But once again Ireland were the architects of their own downfall as Torres opened the scoring inside four minutes following some slapstick defending. A sliding challenge from Richard Dunne saw the ball spin free in the penalty area that the Chelsea forward nipped onto, drifted past Stephen Ward and blasted into the top corner past Shay Given from 10-yards for his first competitive goal since September 2010.
From that point on Spain were in control playing much of their football in the Irish half leaving Robbie Keane isolated in attack on the odd occasion when Trapattoni’s men managed to wrestle the ball away from the World Cup winners. In fact La Roja should have gone into the break in a position of greater dominance but couldn’t find a way past Given as the Aston Villa keeper kept out efforts from Silva and Andre Iniesta whilst Torres prodded wide and Gerard Pique failed to capitalise on some careless Ireland defending as they struggled to clear a corner.
The second half followed a similar patter and within five minutes Spain had doubled their advantage. Given weakly punched a Torres shot straight to the feet of Silva and the Manchester City winger did superbly to tiptoe past two Irish bodies and nonchalantly pass the ball into the bottom. Given then made up for his error with a brilliant full stretch save to deny Xavi but could do nothing 20 minutes from time when Silva dinked the ball through for Torres to run on to and finish with a confidence that has been absent from his arsenal for the last 18-months.
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.
Fabregas then came on for Torres and with eight minutes left the Barcelona midfielder made it 4-0 receiving the ball in space from a corner before beating two Ireland defenders and arrowing the ball across Given and into the far corner as Vincente Del Bosque’s side go top of Group C on goal difference ahead of Croatia ahead of their meeting on Monday that will decide who makes it through to the knock-out stage.
Portugal midfielder Custodio has stated that his side will ‘fight to the death’ against Spain in their Euro 2012 semi-final on Wednesday.
The Iberian nations clash after Paulo Bento’s men beat Czech Republic 1-0 in the last round and the world champions eliminated France 2-0.
Custodio, who is expected to start from the bench, has stated the importance of the game and is dreaming of glory.
“You asked me whether this would be the year of Portugal? I do hope so,” The Guardian quote Custodio as saying.
“I don’t have the ability to guess whether it’s going to be or not, but we’re going to fight to the death for this to be the year of Portugal.
“Spain are a great team that won the last two major competitions. They always play to win, but so do we.
“Our weapons are not a secret, our weapons are the same ones we’ve used in all of our games. Our way of playing is going to be the same. Our way of playing when we have the ball is going to be exactly the same.
“We’re going to try to play our aggressive game, what we have in the attack. We’re going to fight a lot, we’re going to fight a lot when we don’t have the ball. We’re going to try to get it back as quick as possible,” he concluded.
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.
Aston Villa have confirmed that they have finalised a deal to bring Ron Vlaar to the club.
The Netherlands international joins the Midlands club from Feyenoord on a three-year contract, in a deal believed to be worth around £3 million.
The centre-half is looking forward to playing in the Premier League and is delighted to have signed for Paul Lambert’s men.
“I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of players such as Paul McGrath, Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen, of course – all of them great players for this club,” the defender told the club’s official website.
“But I also do things for myself because I want to get the very best out of myself. I can’t do it alone, I also need the other players in the team as well as the fans, who are so important. By us all working hard for one another, we can achieve our goals.
“We must work together to make things better and to get good results. We have to do it on the pitch and, with the support of the fans, we can get it going together.
“Over time I hope my relationship with the fans at Villa becomes the same as it was at Feyenoord. I was at Feyenoord for seven years and the fans were good for me. It would be great to experience the same here and I will strive to achieve this,” he confessed.
Lambert feels that the addition will strengthen the side, and is glad to have signed a player of Vlaar’s experience.
“Ron is a really good defender and he has a wealth of experience for both Holland and a big football club in Feyenoord, so I’m delighted we have got him here to Villa,” said Lambert.
“I like the way the guy wants to do well. He’s hungry and he wants to succeed. He’s also a really good, strong defender and hopefully we will get the benefit of him in our team.
“Certainly, I have no worries about his career so far. He’s captained Feyenoord, who finished second last season in the Dutch Eredivisie to qualify for the Champions League, and he’s been in the Dutch international set-up and was part of the Euros, so he’s a proper player.
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.
“He’ll bring something to the club, no doubt about it,” the Scot concluded.
Let me begin with a depressing realisation, Ravel Morrison is arguably England’s answer to Mario Balotelli. A player seemingly destined to have his natural born talent overshadowed by his questionable attitude and off-the-field antics. Except unlike Balotelli, Morrison’s ‘indiscretions’ aren’t the light-hearted anecdotes of buying a trampoline when your mum sends you to John Lewis in search of an iron.
Morrison has quickly built a reputation as a stereotypical youth prospect driven only by financial greed rather than the lust to develop as a player. As a result the talented youngster soon found himself departing Old Trafford having failed to heed the famous words of Sir Matt Busby:
“You don’t need to chase money at a club like Manchester United, it will eventually find you. If you’re good enough, you will earn money and become rich playing for us, there’s no doubt about it.” (Mirror)
The new season therefore represents the perfect opportunity to prove a point and build on the elements that made the early stage of his career so promising. The same could be said for his new manager Lee Clark, who secured a 12-month loan deal for the youngster following his arrival at Birmingham, just four months after his shock dismissal from high-flying Huddersfield.
Clark has wasted little time in luring key figures to St Andrew’s who boast a wealth of Championship experience, which is perhaps why many fans were surprised to see Morrison join his list of imports. Squad harmony has proved a valuable trait for the recent success stories of Reading and Blackpool, so how will the current Birmingham squad react to the introduction of a potentially disruptive influence?
If Morrison was expecting an easy ride at Birmingham then he should brace himself for the barrage of expectation set to come his way. His goalscoring debut performance in the recent friendly against Royal Antwerp prompted Clark to compare the starlet to a young Paul Gascoigne, another talented player to have a career submerged in controversy.
“I was lucky enough to be around when a young Paul Gascoigne broke on to the scene at Newcastle…He just had this aura about him, that the ball was like a magnet to him.
“Ravel, without putting too much pressure on him, in terms of that is similar.
“Ravel has got that type of mentality where he always wants to be on the ball, he’s always trying to create things. He has got great composure.” (Birmingham Mail)
Perhaps fans are dreaming that Morrison could mimic the exploits of Adel Taarabt during QPR’s stunning surge to the Premier League in 2011. Both players share the same creative flair, an eye for goal and even a tendency to have a tantrum if things don’t go their way. Morrison does possess a lethal left foot, a rare attribute in modern football, which he demonstrated in the 2011 FA Youth Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool. That game is to date Morrison’s greatest individual performance, which gives an insight into his minimal impact on the first-team of both the Manchester United and West Ham.
Morrison has endured a chaotic past six months as the subject of two big moves in quick succession. The upheaval of his life in Manchester has only benefited one person, his agent, which perhaps highlights the growing victimisation of the country’s next generation of stars. It’s easy to forget that Morrison is just 19-years-old having been the focal point of much excited debate since he signed his first professional contract in 2007. The Championship will prove a daunting and physical test for Morrison who will need to find the correct mentality in order to flourish.
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.
The sound of the first whistle on Saturday will heap the pressure onto Lee Clark, not only to continue the progress made under Chris Hughton but also to satisfy the underlying expectations of a strong push for the playoffs. Ravel Morrison will either be perceived as the catalyst to make such a target realistic or the ticking time bomb Big Sam has carefully offloaded to ensure his own ambitions aren’t impeded.
Arsene Wenger has maintained that the January transfer window will not remedy Arsenal’s problems in the Premier League this season.
The Gunners boss instead believes that solutions will ultimately come from within the current squad rather than through the acquisition of another player in the winter, stating that it was important to “find solutions before January.”
Commenting on the competitive nature of the league, he noted that spending would have little or no impact because “it is difficult for everybody at the moment, all teams, even those who have invested a lot of money.”
The league table makes grim reading for Gunners fans, with a 2-0 loss to Swansea at the Emirates on Saturday opening a five-point gap with Tottenham Hotspur sitting in 4th spot.
The loss marked a season haul of 5 wins from 15 games in the Premier League, as Arsenal sit 10th and one point behind Stoke City. It’s the worst position for Arsenal at this stage of the season under Wenger’s guidance.
Reports later verified that approximately a thousand supporters protested after the game, in the name of the Black Scarf Movement. The BSM function as the mouthpiece for growing fan anger at the greater commercialisation of Arsenal – relating to high ticket prices and an expensive match-day experience – after their move to the Emirates coinciding with a seven-year trophyless spell.
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.
Some fans believe that the club’s frugal transfer policy isn’t in line with the exponential monetisation of Arsenal at the Emirates. There seems to be a huge disparity between Wenger’s transfer policy and a belief that the club have a substantially healthier balance sheet since moving to their new home with many fans believing that the financial clout is there but the desire to spend in the winter is not.