Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he has a selection dilemma on his hands when it comes to injured midfielders Anderson and Owen Hargreaves.
Ferguson, along with the other 19 Premier League managers, must name a 25-man squad eligible to compete in the first half of the season on August 31.
Nobody outside side of that squad will be able to play league games before the transfer window reopens in January and Ferguson must decide whether to keep places back for Anderson and Hargreaves.
Anderson is currently recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury, while Hargreaves continues to be troubled by the tendinitis issues which have dogged him for the past two seasons.
"It does give me a problem, but I have just got to wait as long as I can," explained Ferguson.
"I have to make a decision at some point of course and it depends on when I think those players can come back.
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"Most of it (the squad) is formulated in my mind, but one or two I have to make decisions on."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
So James Milner finally makes his move to Manchester City and brings with it the end to one of the longest transfer sagas of this summer. In homage, we recall some of the biggest sagas in recent memory.
James Milner to Man City (2010) There was nowhere else to start other than the England midfielder, as his £24m move to Eastlands was finally completed. The move probably also played a factor in the departure of Villa boss Martin O’Neill, as he tried to keep a hold onto Milner; when O’Neill resigned, Milner was free to complete his move. O’Neill’s desire for him to stay, disagreement over the fee and Stephen Ireland’s role as a makeweight all helped to draw the deal out over the entire summer. Still, it all gave Milner the chance to say goodbye to his fans with a goal and standing ovation at Villa Park on the first day of this season.
Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona (2009, 10, 11?) Another season at Arsenal without a trophy and another tournament with his Spanish teammates ending in success all looked to be contributing to a move to his hometown club. His role on the bench behind Xavi, Inestia, Busquets and Pedro may have been an indication of what life in the Nou Camp could have been like, or it may just be that he is still in love with Arsenal. Whatever the reason, Fabregas has spent a second summer turning Guardiola’s advances down (along with every other Catalan). What money on Barcelona trying their luck next summer?
Dimitar Berbatov to Man Utd (2008) The last few minutes of 2008’s summer transfer window saw the Bulgarian finally complete his move. Spurs were ready to report United to the FA for illegally chasing their player and compiled a dossier of a year’s worth of evidence to present to the Premier League. The move was further complicated by interest from the then newly-rich Man City, who agreed a fee with Spurs at the last minute on deadline day, only for Berbatov himself to refuse to speak to City due to their lack of Champions League football.
Gareth Barry to Liverpool (2008) Rafa Benitez’s master plan was to forge a side made up of Gerrard, Barry, Robbie Keane and Torres: Benitez stated that Robbie Keane’s unsuccessful spell at the club was down to the fact that Barry wasn’t there also. Villa were holding out for around £18m but Liverpool wanted something closer to £12m, and thus a stalemate ran the entire length of the summer, with Gareth Barry publicly stating he wanted to go. O’Neill and Benitez’s relationship with each other was sour at the best of times, and the following summer the country was ready for the story to end. Barry had other ideas however, and plumped for Man City within a week of the end of the 08/09 season.
Patrick Vieira to Real Madrid/Juventus (2002, 03, 04, 05) There was a time when as sure as fans were that the season would end, they were as certain that Vieira would mute a move to a European giant. For three years it looked as though Real Madrid would be his destination, but problems over the agreed fee, as well as Vieira’s wage demands, meant that Vieira’s Arsenal career continued to run. The Frenchman was after Champions League success and didn’t believe he could achieve it with Arsenal. In 2005, he eventually plumped for a move to Turin, which brought him illegal league titles, but still no coveted Champions League trophy.
Xabi Alonso to Juventus/Real Madrid (2008, 09) The flip side of the Gareth Barry deal. Whether Rafa wanted both players in the same team, or one for the other is only really know to Benitez himself, but Alonso felt compromised with the lack of conviction over his position at the club. Juventus looked the most likely destination, and his move there, with Barry to Anfield, looked like a done deal, but neither happened and Alonso stayed to continue to play great football for Liverpool. Without the backing of his boss, Alonso still wanted to move on and joined the most expensively assembled team ever at Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid (2008, 09) And speaking of Real Madrid, none were more expensive than the £80m spent on Ronaldo. Ever since ‘the wink’ in the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo’s time looked up at Man Utd, but Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t about to let that keep him from getting the best out of Ronaldo for a further three seasons. Ronaldo never hid his desire to head to Real, and equally the club were vocal in their pursuit of him. It looked as though he would go in 2008, but the saga rumbled on for another year. In the end, United could not refuse such a big offer for their player and Ronaldo got his wish. His comments during the protracted deal about being ‘a modern-day slave’ did himself no favours.
Frank Ribery to Real/Barca/Man Utd/Chelsea (2008, 09) Not being in La Liga or the Premier League means that Ribery is a constant column filler in the sports gossip sections. Moves to England were muted in 2008, with Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge realistic destinations, but the Spanish duo were always a thorn in any potential deals. The following summer, the same candidates again were being linked and Ribery looked destined to leave Germany. As Real bought the best player from each of the PL, Serie A and Ligue 1, they looked as though they’d take the Bundesliga’s most high profile also. Ribery told the press:
“I have made up my mind – I want to leave. It’s Real or nothing.”
So nothing then. Ribery signed a new contract with Bayern last May.
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David Villa to Barca/Real/Liverpool/Chelsea (2008, 09, 10) And maybe a whole host of other clubs? Villa’s unquestionable talent, along with his club’s horrific debt meant that each summer Villa, along with David Silva, looked as though they’d have to be sold to balance the books. Somehow Valencia managed to stave off having to sell their prized assets for a couple of years. How many concrete offers Valencia received is unsure, but Villa’s preference was always to stay in Spain. Just as it looked as though he was willing to give England a chance, Barcelona made their move and completed a deal for just over £30m. Villa, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in the same team – Europe watch out.
Loic Remy to half of Europe (2010) Not the biggest name in the list, but I almost want to buy this previously anonymous French striker for myself just so I don’t have to hear another story about him. Stoke, West Ham, Liverpool, Everton, Spurs, Arsenal and other clubs across the continent have been linked to the Nice striker. Every day brings another club into connection with Remy, although none look as though they are actually that interested. Come the passing of the transfer window, he may well still be at Nice.
Who else has taken their time over a transfer – completed or not? Dani Alves to Chelsea perhaps? Steven Gerrard’s supposed moves to Real Madrid or Chelsea? Let us know some others.
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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has returned to his former club, Fulham, to snap up the 29-year-old full-back Paul Konchesky on a four-year contract.
As part of the deal, Reds youngsters Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic have moved to Craven Cottage.
The transfer comes as little surprise as Konchesky was at Anfield on Sunday to watch his new club edge past West Brom 1-0.
Konchesky made his name at Charlton Athletic, featuring in over 150 first-team matches for the Addicks before joining Tottenham on loan seven years ago.
After featuring in 15 games for Spurs, the defender returned to The Valley before moving to West Ham United on a permanent basis five years ago. He went on to make 70 appearances for the club before being transferred to Fulham in the summer of 2007.
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Konchesky made 122 starts for the Cottagers, helping Hodgson's then side reach the Europa League final last season.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
I don’t condone breaking legs. In fact, I don’t know many people who do condone the breaking of legs, aside from maybe debt collectors in Hollywood films or perhaps your average Bond villain. Even though it was 007’s fingers that Mr. Big broke, it still doesn’t change anything. I, and most other people on the planet, don’t condone it. I’m a Manchester City fan, most of my articles are about Manchester City and I’ve just started this one about broken legs… I think you can see where this one’s going.
Now, I didn’t see the Nigel de Jong tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa live. I should have seen it live because I had arrived at the game in good time, but thanks to a mix-up involving the people I go with and our tickets, I didn’t get in until ten minutes into the game. And, as I took my seat, the people around me informed me of what I had missed (which, in the context of this game was absolutely nothing apart from the injury to Ben Arfa).
And not a lot was made of it by them, yet it happened right in front of them. None of them saw a foul, though all of them saw the stretcher and all of them saw the oxygen. The referee didn’t see a foul. Neither did the linesman nor the Newcastle players nor even Kevin Keegan, Nicky Butt, Lee Dixon or Alan Hansen, who were all pundits covering the game that day.
Having seen numerous replays of the challenge and read thousands of column inches dedicated to crucifying de Jong (and, to be fair, several – not quite as many – column inches dedicated to defending the Dutch midfielder), I’m beginning to wonder where the calls for an extended punishment have come from. De Jong has been vilified on the Dutch version of Match of the Day or Football First and has even been dropped from the national team – why? For being anti-football and a vicious thug.
But that’s all too easy to say. And wrong, obviously.
We’ll start with the anti-football accusation. I don’t believe there is such thing as anti-football to begin with. It is something that I have seen numerous times said by teams who enjoy playing quick passing football (Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea… Now, in all fairness, City) when they have lost or drawn against a side that is working on a much stricter budget and has set their tactics accordingly. Stoke utilise a long throw-in; it’s anti-football. Blackburn play a long ball from Robinson frequently; it’s anti-football.
It’s not. Anti-football is, in my opinion at least, a snobbish phrase coined by fans of clubs who have been bettered by a team they should, on paper, have beaten. Everybody plays to their strengths – if your team has a long throw-in or a goalkeeper with such a big kick, then use it. I wouldn’t expect Stoke to ignore their long throw-in abilities when it can be so effective. There are no rules being broken.
Now then, back to Nigel de Jong. He doesn’t score many goals, granted, but that’s not his strength. In fact, he’s never scored at all for City – and if you’ve ever seen his shooting that won’t surprise you. I mentioned recently that you wouldn’t want de Jong to be on the end of a loose ball eight yards out from goal and it’s true; the last time that happened he passed it back to Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal when most players would have blasted it into the net.
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However, because a player doesn’t score many doesn’t make him part of this anti-football concept. Tackling and defending is just as much a part of football as shooting and scoring. That City have had one of the most frugal defences in the country this season tells you all you need to know about how well de Jong, Kompany, Touré et al have played. With few exceptions, anything that de Jong hasn’t stopped has been stopped by the four defenders. And anything they haven’t stopped has come up against perhaps the best goalkeeper in England.
A house isn’t built on sand for the same reason a football team doesn’t focus solely on attack. The foundations have to be right for anything to be a success; City’s ability to concede very few goals (which is unlike them, I do admit, but it’s a refreshing change) will see them in good stead when the goals dry up. And de Jong is an important part of that defence, allowing the rest of the midfield to play further forward. It’s a popular misconception that a midfield containing de Jong, Barry and Yaya Touré is one of three defensive players. Barry and Touré push forwards as well.
The challenge that broke Ben Arfa’s leg was tough, but fair; no different to a large proportion of challenges that are made in every division in every league in every country in every round of fixtures. It’s very, very unfortunate that the Newcastle player was so badly injured in the challenge and I, along with all other football fans, wish him a speedy recovery, but it was nothing more than an unlucky and freakish accident.
De Jong has previous form, however, so that must make him a thug. He broke Stuart Holden’s leg whilst on international duty with the Netherlands. Quite famously, in the previous World Cup final, he karate kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest – and should have been sent off for it. The irony there, though, is that the entire Dutch team were doing their best to foul the Spanish at every given opportunity and the manager that had instructed his players to adopt these tactics – tactics they hadn’t used throughout the rest of the tournament, mind – has now taken the moral high ground in dropping one of his own players for a fair tackle. In 20 months with City, this is the first time a tough de Jong tackle has caused an injury and he hasn’t changed his style of play since he arrived.
For there to be calls for de Jong to be suspended for as long as Ben Arfa is injured is insanely ludicrous. The severity of the foul is the only criteria on which a punishment should be decided, whether that is at the time by the referee or afterwards by a video panel. Never should the severity of an injury be taken into consideration in deciding a punishment; freak injuries can happen in the most innocuous of challenges or fouls.
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After the match, the Newcastle manager Chris Hughton described the tackle as ‘unnecessary’. I understand his disappointment with his player’s long term injury, but a tackle can’t be unnecessary if an opposing playing is in possession of the ball and running towards your goal. There were covering players, but it’s de Jong’s job to make sure the defence aren’t troubled as often as they could be. I wouldn’t have expected a Newcastle midfielder to have not made that challenge should it have been the other way around.
De Jong does a vital job for City. He is strong and willing to put his body on the line, but he isn’t reckless. His challenge on Ben Arfa is no different to any other he’s made whilst with City and this is the first bad injury that has resulted from one them. He’s never been red carded for City, either.
This sudden character assassination is unjust. There are plenty of players who have made and who will make similar challenges to that which injured Ben Arfa, yet, because the freak accident didn’t occur, there will be no more words said. Many more players will be injured in fair tackles, seriously or not, in the future. But that doesn’t mean the player responsible for the injury is a vile monster.
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole has admitted that manager Steve Bruce has told him to change his game to avoid further disciplinary problems, following two early-season red cards.
The 22-year-old was sent off twice in the opening four games of the campaign, against both Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic.
That led to a stern chat from Bruce and instructions to ease off on the aggression.
Cattermole told The Echo:"After the second sending-off, the manager didn't say one word to me until the day before the Liverpool game.
"Then he came up and said 'I don't want you to make a tackle tomorrow. If you have to pull out of a challenge, do so. I need you to play games by being on the pitch. Just your presence on the pitch'.
"I listened to him and went out and did that. It was hard because I do like to make tackles. Sometimes you see the ball and just want to get there.
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"Since serving my ban, I've barely committed any fouls. I'm not counting, but it's certainly not many. I'm working on it, concentrating on my game.
"The game has changed, so everybody needs to change with it. If the manager thinks I can affect the game by not making tackles, by just being on the pitch and leading by example, then that's okay."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Blackburn's Zimbabwe striker Benjani Mwaruwari has retired from international duty with immediate effect.
Benjani, 32, joined Rovers on a one-year contract last month and is keen to prolong his career in the Premier League.
The former Manchester City and Portsmouth striker has yet to score in four appearances for the Ewood Park club.
Benjani skippered his country during Sunday's goalless draw with Cape Verde before revealing his 44th international cap would be his last.
"After the game I went to speak with (coach) Norman (Mapeza) and thanked him for giving me a chance to play in the game against Cape Verde and that I was sorry we couldn't do enough to win the game and get maximum points," he explained.
"I still have a few more years playing club football, but I feel that I have done my part for my country.
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"It's sad that things didn't work out the way we wanted and probably I didn't get the number of goals that the supporters wanted me to score."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Do the newspapers have a vendetta against Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll? The current in-form striker has had a whole host of speculations and stories circulated concerning his private life, as well as his excellent performances. The former seem to preoccupy the written medium, with yet another fabrication being concocted in the steaming workshops of workable truth that is the News of the World.
The narrative is set in Newcastle after the 5-1 drubbing of Sunderland with both Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan, the two protagonists, embarking upon a 14-hour drinking binge. These debauched characters were celebrating in style after their local derby win and proceeded to converse with three South Shields dwelling women. After the nightclubs had served their last, the party wasn’t over and they “…moved on to Aspers Casino in Newcastle’s Gate Complex where they stayed until 5.45am before…all going back to Nolan’s home.” The party consisted of a friend of Nolan’s named Carl, a ‘close protection officer’ (hired to provide security after Carroll’s car was set alight), the three women and the two Newcastle players.
Whilst at Nolan’s residence, Carroll took one girl upstairs and they were joined by a second, cat-suit wearing women, for three’s company. The paper then seemingly having a minute by minute account could state what happened.If this wasn’t enough to depict the scene, the illegal substance cocaine was present after having been brought in by the girls and left as evidence downstairs, before being reclaimed by the exiting girls in the morning. The paper, as only they can when attributing the story to something, used that elusive ‘source’ which moves annoyingly from newspaper to newspaper under the cover of darkness.
This apparent event was accounted for in alarming detail, so much so that both players may wish to employ a private investigator to flush out the tail that’s following them and seems to have bugged Nolan’s house with all of the quotes that where so prevalent throughout the story. Through powers of reasoning we can rule out the friend of Nolan’s, otherwise he’ll be a friend no longer, and the security personnel who you would have suspected as being required to sign a privacy statement.
This then leaves the women who are embroiled in the story, but it can’t have been as the story accounts for Nolan’s and Carroll’s movements before meeting the women and after they had left. Therefore, some other individual must have been present during the whole saga and sold the story to this illustrious paper.
Let us enter this world of conjecture and assume all that was said as true, even so the players haven’t exactly done an injustice to themselves. At base the two lads have enjoyed an over indulgent night drinking and one enjoyed himself with the company of two women. It all advocates towards a newspaper trying to fathom a story that will sell, one of outlandish assumptions if found to be false.
Now I know that in my highlighting of this story I’m contributing to the exposure of these possible falsehoods, but I merely wish to clarify that it is a story of great logical fallacies and stems from a player that has some notoriety behind him and is playing well, leaving him in the spotlight and vulnerable to these allegations.
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Click on image below to see a gallery of Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest lady
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has spoken highly of Manchester United opposite Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of their weekend clash at Bloomfield Road.
The Seasiders are gearing up for their big clash on Saturday and Holloway admits he has a lot of time for the wily old Scot.
He also wants the club's supporters to enjoy the occasion regardless of the outcome.
"I admire a lot of clubs, but Manchester United have a certain aura and Sir Alex certainly has," said Holloway.
"He gets under people's skin as well because he actually says what he feels and you need that passion.
"It is fantastic for the fans. This season belongs to them. They've waited long enough. It means so much to everybody in the town. It is a community club and it is brilliant.
"However, I just want them to behave themselves and enjoy it because that is what football is all about for me.
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"It will be a very proud day for them and for me, and it just goes to show how immense Manchester United are that we all get so excited. They were almost the biggest club in the world before Sir Alex arrived. He's made sure they have become the biggest club.
"But whatever score it is, it will be a great day for Blackpool. The fans totally and utterly deserve this."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Newcastle failed to make it three wins out of three in the Capital after losing 2-0 in what was a pulsating affair in north London.
Alan Pardew will be disappointed that they didn’t take advantage of the extra man in the last quarter of the game, but for all the crosses and diagonal balls thrown into the box, the likes of Carroll, Ranger and Lovenkrands were unable to make that decisive breakthrough. It was a spirited performance by the Magpies, which was appreciated by the loud visiting support in the Park Lane end.
So how do Newcastle fans feel about today, and what are the five things we learnt from the Magpies this afternoon?
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It seems like Avram Grant’s time as West Ham manager may well be up. It was reported in The Guardian yesterday that Grant has two games against Barnsley in the FA Cup and Birmingham in the Carling Cup to save his job and time is most certainly ticking on his West Ham tenure. This comes after Wednesday’s 5-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle and former West Ham manager Alan Pardew at St James’ Park, an embarrassing result that brought an abrupt end to the Hammers’ improved form in the Premier League. West Ham are now rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and the chairmen aren’t happy. Here’s West Ham chairman David Gold looking at his watch, but what is he thinking?
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This week you can win a copy of FIFA 11!
FIFA 11 reinvents player authenticity – on and off the ball – for every player and at every position on the pitch with Personality+, an all-new feature that sees individual abilities reflected in game, enabling clear differentiation for every player.
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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Paul McConnell – click here to see all entries