Lazio’s Edy Reja will be looking for a reaction from his players after they suffered a disappointing defeat at Cagliari in their last match.One of the early front-runners in the first half of the Serie A season, Lazio have struggled for consistency so far in 2011.They had been unbeaten in five matches since January 29 before coming unstuck in a 1-0 loss at Cagliari’s Stadio Sant’Elia on February 27.Reja’s men now have the opportunity to bounce back immediately in a home match against eighth-placed Palermo on Sunday.”After the defeat against Cagliari, of course we have the willingness to react, therefore we should take advantage of the home match against Palermo,” Reja said. “We should take into consideration that Palermo has 40 points and has proved to have very good and skilled players.” “They have a good attitude from this point of view and we’re aware of this. Therefore we should be able to play an intense and focused match.”Reja dismissed the suggestion that he may tinker with Lazio’s formation in search of the win, insisting instead the attitude of the players could prove more important. “Well, it doesn’t depend on the players on the pitch, it depends on the mentality and approach showed during the match or in view of the match,” he said.”It doesn’t matter if you play with one, two or three forwards.””There are two aspects: when you have the ball and when you don’t. When you don’t have the ball you should support the team and close the spaces; when you have the ball you should create offensive actions and attack the spaces, otherwise it won’t be possible to win it.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy is still waiting to see whether he will be able to bring former loanee Michael Mancienne back to Molineux next season.
The 22-year-old spent the whole of last season on loan with Wolves from Chelsea, but McCarthy is unsure of the defender's standing at Stamford Bridge.
He told the Express & Star:"If Chelsea say he is available then we would have an interest. Until they clarify what their plans for Michael are, it is very difficult to comment.
"We think the world of Michael at this club. He is a good player, he knows the set-up and he is a popular lad with the squad.
"I think Michael's future depends on what homegrown players Chelsea bring in because they have a balance to strike.
"It is not like going to Tesco and taking tins off the supermarket shelf – as we all know, getting the right players in is very difficult.
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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.
The traditional British dish of pie and mash was on the menu for Tottenham’s players this week, courtesy of David Beckham.The 35-year-old LA Galaxy midfielder and former England captain has spent the last six weeks training with the Premier League side in a bid to maintain his fitness going into the new MLS season.Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had nothing but praise for Beckham’s gesture of kindness.”It’s David’s last day with us. We’ve enjoyed having him here and, as I have said before, and I’m not just saying this, you couldn’t meet a nicer fellow,” Redknapp said.”Absolute top class, a top class person. We all know he has been a great player but he is a great guy as well.” “I had three pie and mash actually. I knicked an extra pie that day because I was brought up on pie and mash in the east end of London. It was fantastic.” “He had pie and mash delivered from Waltham Abbey or somewhere up the road. There’s a lovely pie and mash shop there and we all tucked into some. I think some of the foreign lads weren’t too sure what to make of pie and mash but we eat their portion.”LA Galaxy kick off their new season on March 16 away to the Seattle Sounders, while Tottenham take on Blackpool on Tuesday.
Another World Cup, another nervous time for England fans, and another ball that’s causing the World’s best goalkeepers much concern. The new ball has come under much criticism once again from the lights of England stopper David James and Australia’s Mark Schwarzer.
But a World Cup wouldn’t be a World Cup if the men between the sticks weren’t complaining about the round piece of leather.
So In the interest of all football fans and the World’s best goalkeepers here is more information on the ball that is known as the “Jabulani”.
On December 4th, Adidas and FIFA officially unveiled the Adidas “JABULANI”, the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The “JABULANI”, which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu, features a South African inspired design and radically new technology. The new match ball will be available in retail from December 5th onwards.
The newly developed “Grip’n’Groove” profile provides the best players in the world with a ball allowing an exceptionally stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions. Comprising only eight, completely new, thermally bonded 3-D panels, which for the first time are spherically molded; the ball is perfectly round and even more accurate than ever before.
The name:
The name ”JABULANI” originates from the indigenous language isiZulu, one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of South Africa, which is spoken by almost 25% of the population. Literally translated, “JABULANI” means “to celebrate”. Football is a passion that unites the world. The name of the new match ball appropriately pays tribute to the passionate football celebration international fans will enjoy in South Africa next summer.
The design:
Eleven different colors are used in the Adidas “JABULANI”, the eleventh Adidas World Cup ball. These 11 colors represent the 11 players in every team, the 11 official languages of South Africa and the 11 South African communities that make the country one of the most ethnologically diverse countries on the African continent. The colorful design brings together the tremendous diversity of the country in harmonious unity. Four triangle-shaped design elements on a white background lend the ball a unique appearance in African spirit. And like the outer facade of Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium, individual design elements also capture the colorfulness of South Africa.
So there you have it, all the information you need on the ball that is sure to cause chaos in nine days time.
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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’s Laurent Koscielny believes the English Premier League title race is already down to two teams – the Gunners and Manchester United.
The former Lorient defender is still inside his first season in England, but has clearly seen enough to discount the title claims of Chelsea and Manchester City.
United lead the league on 54 points, with Koscielny’s Gunners five points behind in second.
Manchester City lie in third but have played one more game for their 46 points, with holders Chelsea 10 points adrift of United.
The scenario is enough for Koscielny to dismiss all other challengers bar his Gunners side, though his comments are sure to rile in the Manchester City and Chelsea camps.
“It looks like we are the last challengers to United,” he said.
“We have got more points than Manchester City, Chelsea and the others. We need to focus on our game, keep winning, keep picking up points and maybe United will lose games at some point.”
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“Anything can happen in this league. That’s why we must keep working hard together. We will keep fighting. It’s important we keep our defence strong. If we don’t concede, we will always make chances to score ourselves.”
“It’s going to be a big battle between us and Manchester United and hopefully they will drop points, not us. It’s not going to be easy. But we have faith in ourselves and in the squad. We do believe we can do it so bring it on.”
Samir Nasri’s recent three-match ban by the French Football Federation is the latest stain on a career that promised to be so much more than just that of a misguided pretender. There may still be time, but as of now, Nasri has fallen shy of what his career projection once was.
The early comparisons with Zinedine Zidane were there. Although, I think they were more coincidental than concrete. Any young talent is bound to be compared to one of his nation’s past greats. And at the time, Nasri was one of France’s leading prospects.
Nasri has come a long way since being carried off in the arms of Lorik Cana, the Marseille captain at the time, to the overpaid and increasingly unlikely figurehead for this French generation that we now see.
Is Nasri’s involvement on the fringes, for the most part, of one of European football’s most star-studded teams rooted in poor management at his previous clubs, or is there something a little deeper than just being played out of position?
Nasri’s gift was his artistry in the centre of midfield, and while he was often deployed on the flanks during his time at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger did offer the young Frenchman time as the creator in the Gunners midfield.
But effort, commitment and even ability was not always to be counted on. He was fantastic two seasons ago for Arsenal – an outstanding run of form that failed to envelop the entire season. In the absence of other leaders at the club, both physically and mentally, Nasri stepped into the role that he was always destined for. After an initial settling in period, we were finally seeing the makings of a Nasri that many had compared to Zidane.
But rather than dwelling too much on the faults of Arsenal and the reasons behind their best players jumping ship, it also has to be questioned whether Nasri falls into a category of player who masks personal fortune with career ambition.
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His move to Manchester City has offered him both goals, and while he picked up a winners’ medal for playing the required amount of games, is it a fair assessment that he was an integral part of the side?
Nasri’s early form with City was a continuation of his previous season with Arsenal, however it was short-lived. Concerns over his attitude forced his natural footballing ability into the background, and maybe a lack of desire to do better really put a halt to his early momentum.
He has the talent, but does he really have the mentality and desire to be one of the leaders of this Manchester City team? An effort that in turn would make him comfortably the leading creative midfield star of the French national team.
But like a number of French stars before him, Nasri has allowed himself to enter a state where one small move can be the decider between a continued successful career or one doomed to nothing more than personal wealth.
Laurent Blanc described prior to Euro 2012 that he considered dropping Nasri altogether, “because he can be a pain in the a**.”
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His manager at Manchester City also had similar concerns over Nasri’s behaviour, as paths were being explored to move Nasri on from the club and bring in a replacement.
A misguided talent, definitely. Nasri could have done so much more in football at this point.
He wants good players around him, that much is clear judging by his performances over the years with Franck Ribery, Cesc Fabregas and now David Silva by his side. But he also needs to be one of the central figures of a side, something which his lack of application doesn’t allow at City.
Time is definitely not against him, but he’s currently so entrenched in this phase that it’s difficult to see any way out in the near future. However, at the age of 25, Nasri may still be guided to alter his ways from a problematic talent and into a focused and valued member of a squad. It’s increasingly unlikely, though, that we’ll see this former Marseille midfielder follow in similar steps as Zidane before him.
Paul Scholes’ retirement from football at the end of last season left Manchester United with a void in midfield that even Sir Alex Ferguson conceded would be difficult to fill. The United boss described Scholes as a ‘one-off’ and ‘irreplaceable’, though many expected Ferguson to go in to the transfer market and try and find a substantial replacement in time for the new campaign. United were heavily linked with Inter Milan midfielder, and Dutch international Wesley Sneijder for the best part of the transfer window, though how close United were to completing his transfer remains somewhat unclear.
This week Sneijder has claimed that he never wished to leave Milan, and that talks with United only took place when he heard the club were eager to sell him. The midfielder also revealed that former Chelsea and Inter boss Jose Mourinho persuaded him to stay in Italy, and that once Samuel Eto’o was sold there was no longer any possibility of him leaving. Sneijder’s claims appear to contradict a number of reports that came out over the summer suggesting that the midfielder was offered a contract at United, but that he was unhappy with the salary on offer at Old Trafford. Ferguson was reportedly unwilling to match the £250,00 a week wage the midfielder is believed to be earning at Inter, and such demands were reported to have stalled any talks between the clubs and player.
At the end of July Ferguson was reported to have claimed, “If he wants to come, he must accept our contract offer”, and so the cause for the breakdown of this transfer ultimately depends on which reports we choose to believe. Personally, I believe that money was the motivation behind Sneidjer’s decision to remain in Italy, especially when we consider that Eto’o did not complete is move to Anzhi Makhachkala until late August, and United are believed to have made an offer to Sneijder back in July. Harry Redknapp recently claimed that Samir Nasri’s move to Manchester City was also motivated by money, however, with the exception of Sneijder, there were a number of transfers over the summer that showed money was not everything to modern footballer.
Even Nasri, who will undoubtedly be earning a higher wage while at City, was not simply moving for the money. While Manchester City have been improving their squad year on year, and are gradually becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, Arsenal have gone six years without silverware, and have failed to mount a significant challenge for the league title throughout Nasri’s time there. The prospect of winning titles and silverware is therefore likely to have motivated Nasri to leave North London just as much as the money on offer, if not more. The possibility of such silverware would of course have been on offer at United as well, and so Sneijder’s refusal to accept such an offer could not have been motivated by any apprehensions over potential success.
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Scott Parker also showed that money is not everything to the modern footballer, after he completed his move to Championship side West Ham to Tottenham Hostpur on deadline day. The England midfielder was on a reported £70,000 a week at West Ham, however playing Premier League football is believed to have been more important than the wages on offer, and Parker reportedly accepted a cut in salary in signing for Tottenham so that he could continue to play at the highest level. Craig Bellamy is also believed to have taken a reduced salary after re-joining former club Liverpool on the last day of the transfer window. The Welshman was believed to have been earning almost £100,000 a week at Manchester City, however once Mancini made it clear he was not part of the clubs plans anymore, Bellamy was prepared to seek his football elsewhere, and on a lower wage.
These are just some examples as to why the Sneijder saga should not be used as a generalization for all ‘modern footballers’. We are all fully aware that players already earn well above what they should be, but it is important to recognise the significance that the ‘beautiful game’ still holds for a number, perhaps even the majority, of modern footballers. While some are certainly motivated by money, and to an extent might even be content with warming the bench for over £100k a week, the majority of footballers are desperate to win silverware and prove their ability at the very top level. Some players may move for higher salaries, others may move to win trophies and titles, but the majority, I would like to think, will usually opt for first team football over an extra £10-20k a week.
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Agree or disagree? Is money the real motivation for all modern footballers? Let me know either below or @sixthofficial on Twitter!
The perfect week for Manchester United saw Fergie’s men extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Sir Alex believes the turnaround at Bloomfield Rd could prove the catalyst that the Red Devils need to go on and cement their title push. It appears unlikely that Fergie will be looking to bring in any new additions before the close of the transfer window, despite the continued links with a plethora of targets.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that include the Michael Carrick conundrum, Berbatov slays his critics, while Fergie moves quickly to avoid lightning striking twice.
We also look at the best Man United articles around the web this week.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys starring in…
TEN things we can guarantee on Transfer deadline day
One signing that Sir Alex Ferguson cannot gamble on
The Michael Carrick conundrum
Silencing his Manchester United critics and then some
Sir Alex Ferguson ready to act with bid to stop lightning striking twice
Testing the financial waters at Old Trafford, or making waves for a move?
Morrison mystery set to un-Ravel at Old Trafford
Great player, but not the right signing for Manchester United
Why aren’t Fergie and Wenger busting a gut to sign him?
The glittering career of Edwin van der Sar
*Best of Web*
Goodbye, farewell, Edwin the gent – United Rant
New Deal For Berbatov is a No-Brainer for Sir Alex – Red Flag Flying High
VIDEO: Vidic & Evra talk about their 5 years at Old Trafford – The Busby Way
Third Time Is Anything But Charming – The United Religion
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Unintended consequences – could Financial Fair Play kill small clubs’ youth development? – The Andersred Blog
When Eric Cantona turned Peace Maker, and my Kat saw the King, fifteen years ago – RoM
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Click on Miss Santarelli below to see her in all her glory