All posts by h79snht.top

With the international fixtures taking main focus this weekend it’s time for another England based top ten but unlike the previous list that focused on the worst players to wear the Three Lions, this one is a little more interesting. Whilst some players failed to deliver or left fans wondering why on earth they were picked, there’s quite a few quality players over the last few decades who did not get enough chances playing for England.

There are a number of reasons why this might be, whether it was down to injuries at the wrong time or were just out of favour with the England manager in charge. In some cases, the players may have been capped a number of times but were played out of position and not used to their strengths and the team’s advantage. Or maybe it was down to the player’s mentality that prevented them from taking their limited opportunity in the England shirt, playing week in and week out regularly for your club may be comfortable for some to perform but others fail in new surroundings.

This list in particular is one of the favourite Top Ten’s I’ve made, particularly because of personal interest as an England fan and how I wished that some of these players got more of a chance to play for their country. Who knows, things could’ve been so different if they had.

Click on Sir Les below to see the Top TEN

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List compiled by Matt Freebody

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Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has admitted that he is open to the possibility of signing a new contract at the club, and feels that morale in the Gunners camp has never been better.

The North London outfit had a shaky start to the season, mainly down to losing senior players such as Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy over the summer.

With Arsene Wenger’s men improving of late, the England winger would be happy to extend his stay with the club.

“I will listen to what Arsenal have to say. Hopefully we will sit down with the club soon and talk things over,” he told Sky Sports.

Arsenal continued their revival with a 3-1 win over Stoke on Sunday, and Walcott believes the players have put their bad start behind them.

“The team morale at Arsenal is great – the best it’s ever been.

“To be honest, we have forgotten about the first few games. There is no point in dwelling on it.

“All we can do now is look at what is coming up. And it is looking very positive at the moment. Everyone needs to be alive at what is going on during the game,” he continued.

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If Walcott was to sign a new deal he would follow in the footsteps of Thomas Vermaelen, who recently penned an extension.

By Gareth McKnight

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QPR and Chelsea meet for the first time in the Premier League since the 1995/96 season in one of the more low-key London derbies with the Hoops still searching for their first home win

Neil Warnocks side  sit eleventh after eight games but have yet to taste victory at Loftus Road drawing three and losing one of their four games on home soil. One man who will be keen to impress on Sunday will be Shaun Wright-Phillips who endured a testing four years at Stamford Bridge spending most of his time on the bench. He is now playing freely and with confidence at Rangers and will pose a huge threat with his pace and direct running giving the side an extra attacking edge. Despite his quality going forward Warnocks side just can’t seem to find the back of the net with Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell, Heidar Helguson and Jamie Mackie managing just two goals between them. Adel Taarabt hasn’t scored in his last 10 games in all competitions failing replicate his goalscoring form from last seasons Championship winning campaign and will need to start hitting the net if the strikers continue to struggle. London derbies aren’t their strong suit either winning just one of their last 14 league and cup meetings with Chelsea.

The Blues are playing some scintillating football under Andre Villas-Boas but are stuck firmly behind the two Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League. One of the success stories of his short reign so far has to be Daniel Sturridge who has taken the form shown loan at Bolton last season into the current campaign. His energetic performances as part of a front three at Stamford Bridge have brought him four goals this season making it 12 from 16 appearances in 2011 including his spell at the Trotters. Chelsea won on their last visit to Loftus Road in 1996 winning 2-1 courtesy of goals from John Spencer and Paul Furlong. There is a more continental feel to the Blues side now with Didier Drogba one of the more exotic names in their lineup. The Ivorian is set to make his 313th appearance for the club and will hoping to play his part in maintaing their run of six wins from the last seven. With Juan Mata and Sturridge likely to be supporting him it’s likely he will be toasting his accolade with a goal which will be Chelsea’s 6,000th in League football.

Key Players

Luke Young – One of the quieter deadline day signings for Neil Warnock the former England defender has already proved his dependebility to the R’s. His experience has come in handy in their recent unbeaten run and surge up the table whilst his performances on the right of defence has given Wright-Phillips a solid base to attack.

Frank Lampard – Back to his best and running the Chelsea midfield Lampard has been in hot form in the last couple of weeks. Goals have started to flow and his link up with Mata has been a delight. His fitness has also improved and has aided him in performing the late runs into the penalty that have been the staple of his career.

Prediction: 0-3

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Frank Lampard’s performance in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Everton has lifted him 3 more places in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, and the much scrutinised England midfielder is now ranked 7th overall Lampard also covered more ground than any other player on the pitch against Everton with 12.724km. The only other player to get close was Everton’s Jack Rodwell who covered 12.718km. At 20 years old Rodwell is 13 years Lampard’s junior QPR’s Luke Young covered the most ground for his team in the Blackburn game with 12.864km. His committed performance has seen him go up 5 places in the index to 87th place Young has won 78% of the 23 tackles he has attempted this season and also put in 10 crosses

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It seems that every club these days are either trying to increase the capacity at their current stadium, or move to another home – Chelsea have long been looking to either move or expand the bridge, Real Madrid are attempting to become the most ‘technologically advanced’ stadium in football – what ever that means – City sold their naming rights to Ethiad for a huge sum,and both Spurs and West Ham have been fighting it out for the right to move to the Olympic Stadium after the games in 2012.

Now you can’t expect to please all fans, and some will always be more difficult that others, but to me it seems entirely reasonable for Spurs fans to be more than a little bit miffed about the attempt to move them out of their North London home across the capital to the Olympic Stadium.

Said fans must have been happy when firstly the move fell through and secondly with the news that Spurs are planning to delist from the AIM after record revenues and operating profits rising by 42%. This is due to a number of reasons, including the revenue from the Champions League, and Daniel Levy now believes that by delisting and being privately owned, funding for a new stadium will become easier to acquire.

Cue a sigh of relief for fans wishing to stay in N17, as the £350 million Levy and Spurs want will be used to build a new stadium adjacent to White Hart Lane – in North London. It seems that Spurs have their hearts set on increasing their capacity in any way possible, and feel that the revenues that can be gained from this, and that ‘continued development’ for Spurs as a football club is vital if they wish to solidify a position in the top four of the Premier League and also compete with rivals financially.

A complex package including sponsorship deals, naming rights and a large amount of borrowed capital will be how Spurs plan to finance the NDP – a plan that has been mooted since as far back as 2008, yet looked to be curtailed by finance issues. After the decision to delist however, Levy is confident that Spurs can raise the funds, and continue with their plans to expand and move forward.

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It will come as good news for fans who opposed the Olympic Stadium move, yet whether Spurs can actually raise such a vast amount of capital is still questionable, and even if they can fund the NDP, does not necessarily mean success on the field. Levy however is optimistic about the development plans, and is determined to see the club move forward, and how the fans will be glad it seems like being in North London.

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Manchester United will be ruing a series of missed chances and refereeing decisions after a controversial Demba Ba penalty earned ten-man Newcastle a point at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils had earlier taken the lead through Javier Hernandez after Wayne Rooney’s second half free kick ricocheted off the Mexican in the penalty area. However they were pegged back after Ba cooly converted a spot kick after Rio Ferdinand was adjudged to have fouled Hatem Ben Arfa in the penalty area despite getting a clear touch on the ball. The Magpies were later reduced to ten men after Jonas Gutierrez was sent off but survived a wave of United pressure with Tim Krul producing a number of saves as they hung for a point that keeps them in the Premier League top four. Sir Alex Ferguson will be disappointed that his side failed to find the decisive goal during a frantic final few minutes that saw Hernandez have a stoppage time strike ruled out for offside. However credit must go to Krul and the defence in front of him that proved to be a virtual force field as the champions surged forward at every opportunity in search of a winner. Despite losing in the blue half of Manchester last week the Geordies came into the game full of confidence and produced another impressive performance that once again justified their position that many labelled as a flash in the pan. They rode their luck at times as United bombarded their goal in the last 10 minutes showing admirable resolve to hang on for a point.

From the first whistle Newcastle looked to attack with Ben Arfa Ba and former Red Devil Gabriel Obertan proving to be an effective attacking trio up against an experienced home defence. The former two combined brilliantly to produce the first real chance of the game with Ben Arfa’s delicate ball through releasing Ba who volleyed provided an early test for David de Gea. Ryan Taylor then miscued a volley from an Obertan cross before United sparked into life with Krul in the visiting goal the only reason why they went into the break on level terms. The young Dutch keeper had already saved twice from Hernandez before producing a fingertip save to deny Ryan Gigg’s who’s deft flick looked destined for the net. Despite his heroics in the first half there was nothing Krul could do to prevent United’s opener four minutes after the restart. Steven Taylor’s clumsy challenge on Hernandez brought a free kick that Rooney slammed straight into the black and white wall. The England striker reacted quickest to the rebound volleying it back into the area with the ball deflecting off Taylor before hitting the Mexican striker and trickling over the line. It was harsh on Newcastle who had defended superbly up until that point but were soon to reap the rewards of contentious penalty on 64 minutes with Ferdinand’s challenge on Ben Arfa producing a flag on the far side much to the bemusement of everyone situated in Old Trafford. After a brief consultation with his assistant Mike Jones, a late replacement for the unwell Phil Dowd, pointed to the spot with Ba cooly converting against a cauldron of whistles and jeers.

It was a goal the Magpies deserved for their performance but their objective of holding on was made much tougher after Gutierrez was sent off after receiving his second yellow following a rash challenge on Nani. From then on it was backs to the walls stuff for the away side as United poured forward in search of a goal but just couldn’t find a way past a resolute Geordie back line. Krul was on hand again to produce another fine save from Nemanja Vidic’s header before tipping away Patrice Evra’s effort. Credit must also go to Taylor who blocked any ball that dared to find it’s self on target whilst former Old Trafford youngster Danny Simpson then produced a remarkable save on the line before Hernandez saw his close range header ruled out for offside as the home side’s frustrations threatened to reach boiling point. It wasn’t to be though as Newcastle held on to claim a precious point and remain in the top four whilst United will regret missing their chance to close the gap on City.

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To say that there is a lengthy line of players who in recent years have occupied more column inches on the front page than the back is something of an understatement. Whether it is down to the money in the game now, or simply the way footballers are idolised to an almost God like status by the public, they are behaving in a worse and more disgraceful manner than ever before, and at some point this is going to start impacting on what they do on the field.

Don’t get me wrong, quite frankly I could not care less what footballer’s do in their own time and how they chose to behave is down to them, but when it begins to affect both what they do on the pitch and the team morale and pre match preparations – there is a problem.

Case in point is Wayne Rooney – throughout his career he has been involved in various indiscretions, of which there would be little point listing due to the fact everyone is fully aware of them to begin with, and each and every time his form on the field has been impacted.

Nicklas Bendtner has become the latest player to be forced to issue an apology for off the field behaviour after being caught with club Captain Lee Cattermole on an alleged criminal damage spree.

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Why either player felt that this would be appropriate conduct is beyond comprehension, but it is hardly what a struggling Sunderland need – and manager Martin O’Neill will not tolerate such behaviour in any way, shape or form with neither Bendtner nor Cattermole starting what was a vital game against Spurs on the weekend.

Likewise players who find themselves in trouble with the law and have to deal with potential arrests and court appearances – this can obviously range from players who do time in prison – Pennant and Barton can testify to how this effects your career in a highly negative way – or just driving offences – yet even this is hardly a great example of behaviour from a role model for young children – something our footballers are.

It can even be something as simple as getting too involved in a hobby – long have people accused Owen of being more interested in his horses than being fit to play football, and likewise with Ferdinand and his magazine, restaurant and music – anything but football distractions.

Not to do a disservice to players who are complete and utter professionals here – someone like Gary Neville may not be your cup of tea, but he gave his heart and soul to the game for as long as he played it and was also a fantastic role model off the field, and in an age where some footballers are in danger of forgetting what they do is actually a job – yes a dream job – but a job none the less, and 100% of their attention needs to be directed towards it this is a precious commodity.

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Yes, playing football is a short career and can end in a heartbeat, and full credit to footballers for pursuing off the field interests and endorsements whilst they can, but when their off the field commitments or problems begin to impact on their day job – that is a problem.

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Mark Hughes takes charge of his first game as QPR boss against Newcastle on Sunday hoping to guide his new side to a much-needed win and away from danger.

Beating the Magpies at St James’ Park won’t be easy though after they swept past Manchester United with ease a fortnight ago to start 2012 in style. Alan Pardew’s side endured a frustrating festive period winning just once and having to contend with a series of injuries and suspensions to key players. However their display against the champions certainly laid down a maker for the New Year as they aim to qualify for the Europa League. The goals of free transfer Demba Ba have been a huge plus point for the Toon Army with the Senegal hit man scoring 15 times already this season. He’ll be missing for the visit of QPR on Sunday after jetting off to the African Cup of Nations along with midfielder Cheick Tiote. With the former West Ham forward leaving a massive hole in attack the likes of Leon Best, Shola Ameobi and Hatem Ben Arfa will need to step up over the next couple of weeks and ensure Newcastle continue on the straight and narrow until Ba returns. Ben Arfa has offered a glimmer of hope for supporters with his sparkling displays in recent weeks putting him into contention for a regular starting berth. The Magpies will need his Gallic artistry on Sunday as they aim for a second win on the spin in 2012.

Winning is a term that has become alien at Loftus Road with the R’s recording just two wins in their last 15 games causing them to plummet down the table towards the drop zone. The sacking of Neil Warnock last week courted a large amount of controversy with supporters unhappy that their former boss had been ousted after just half a season. However the appointment of Hughes has cooled the anger towards owner Tony Fernandes with the former Blackburn boss seen as the man to save Rangers’ Premier League skins. Scoring goals has been the biggest problem for the club this season with Heidar Helguson the only player managing to find the net on a regular basis. As an ex-striker himself there is no doubt Hughes will provide a solution to that with both Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell struggling for goals since joining last summer. He’ll have to sort it out quickly though with the QPR scoring a paltry five goals in their seven games over Christmas. Doing it at Newcastle on Sunday will be a huge task against one of the top flights strongest defences who also benefitted from a managerial change mid-way through previous campaign.

Newcastle United 7th : 33 points

Last six: W L W L D L

Team news: Sammy Ameobi and Danny Simpson are both sidelined but Danny Guthrie could return to replace Cheick Tiote who is at the African Cup of Nations with leading scorer Demba Ba.

Key Player: Yohan Cabaye

The Frenchman has enjoyed a superb first season in England and kicked off 2012 in style with a stunning free kick in the win over Manchester United. With Cheick Tiote off on international duty there is extra responsibility on Cabaye’s shoulders to hold the midfield together and still be Newcastle’s chief playmaker.

QPR 17th : 17 points

Last six: L L D L L L

Team news: Captain Joey Barton is suspended for the game against his former club whilst Alejandro Faurlin is out for the season.

Key Player: Heidar Helguson

With Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell both struggling for goals this season the Icelandic striker has stepped up to the plate finding the net scoring seven times in 11 starts. His power in the air and penchant to score important goals will be key to beating Newcastle on Sunday.

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PREDICTION

Newcastle will be purring after beating Manchester United last time out but with Demba Ba missing they will be going all out to ensure he isn’t missed. Mark Hughes takes charge of his first game as QPR boss and will be hoping his positive influence can have a positive effect on his new side.

Score: 2-0

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QPR have failed in their attempts to sign Brazilian striker Henrique, as the player has been refused a work permit.

The Loftus Road club are on the warpath in this month’s transfer window, and had hoped to bring the 20-year-old to England to bolster their attacking options.

Despite agreeing a fee with the forward’s club Sao Paulo, the Brazil under-20’s star will not move to London due to complications in registration.

“He didn’t get a work permit for various reasons,” a QPR spokesman told reporters.

The news will not have been a huge surprise for Mark Hughes’ men, as Henrique is yet to represent his nation at senior level.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports have stated that Taye Taiwo has completed a loan move to QPR from AC Milan.

The Nigeria international left back had been speculated as a potential target for Hughes, with negotiations over a deal underway last week.

Taiwo has had limited opportunities in Italy since moving to the San Siro from Marseille back in the summer, and will hope to get his career back on track with a short-term spell in the Premier League.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Leandro Damiao has confirmed that Tottenham have made a bid for him, but rumours that Paris-Saint Germain are set to enter the race for his signature are unfounded.

The Internacional forward has a long list of European suitors after impressive domestic performances have catapulted him into the Brazil national squad.

The South American marksman has stated that Harry Redknapp’s men have made an offer to his employers, but that at this stage there has been no contact from PSG.

“All that I know is that Tottenham made an offer, but no offer from PSG,” Damiao told Telefoot, translated into English by The Daily Mail.

“I didn’t have any contact with Leonardo. I just know him from World Cup 1994. Ronaldinho with PSG, it was super.

“Who knows? Perhaps that I will be one day there. Everyone dreams of this club. But, we should not go more quickly than the music.

“In July, if there is a proposal we will discuss about it. But for now, I think just about my club and Copa Libertadores,” he concluded.

Spurs are thought to be in the market for a new goalscorer due to the uncertainty over Emmanuel Adebayor’s future, with Marseille hitman Loic Remy also a possible target.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Chelsea have defied the odds to come back from a deficit against Napoli in the Champions League, beating the Italian side 4-1 after extra-time on Wednesday night.

The west London club were 3-1 down from the first encounter in San Paolo, but fought back bravely with support of the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Didier Drogba opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before captain John Terry doubled their lead early in the second half.

Gokhan Inler pulled one back for the visitors, but a Frank Lampard penalty forced the game into extra time. With penalties looming, Branislav Ivanovic proved to be an unlikely hero, popping up with the winning goal after 105 minutes.

Skipper Terry heralded the win as one of the best during his career at Stamford Bridge, and hit back at the team’s critics.

“This could top them all, for sure,” the England defender told ITV.

“The lads put in a great display, really solid, really resilient, with the firepower going forward.

“We proved we’re a team tonight. That desire, that togetherness. We showed what Chelsea are made of,” he stated proudly.

Frank Lampard was equally as impressed by the team’s performance, and applauded match-winner Ivanovic and the way he took his goal.

“We’re just happy to be in the hat. We’ll enjoy tonight and wait and see. If we play with that ability and desire, we can take on anybody.

“He (Ivanovic) finished it unbelievably, like a striker really. He deserved that, he was fantastic on the night and was a symbol of the determination we showed the way he played.

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“It was important we showed a desire and spirit to keep ourselves in the competition. It’s been a difficult season but a performance like that can change things for us,” he stipulated.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be made on Friday in Nyon; the other teams in the mix are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Marseille, APOEL, Benfica, AC Milan and Bayern Munich.

By Gareth McKnight

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