West Ham are still waiting to find out the full damage done to three injured stars who had to pull out of yesterday’s win over Newcastle.
George McCartney seems to be the most serious case, after coming off with an injury to his groin. Matt Jarvis suffered a tight thigh and Yossi Benayoun injured his knee after him and Jonas Gutierrez got involved in a tackle which also sidelined him.
Sam Allardyce, following the match, said: “We don’t play until next Monday so we hope that’s enough time. George is probably the most serious because it looks like he has pulled a groin muscle.”
Ricardo Vaz Te, Alou Diarra and Jack Collyson are already out due to long-term injury, and he will surely be hoping he does not have to add three more players to the list of such serious injuries.
He said to West Ham’s official website: “The three injuries and three changes we had to make never detracted from the performance, which was even more pleasing. Obviously it’s disappointing when we get the injuries but to see three players come on and still perform was pleasing. It’s a good job we’ve got Guy Demel, Gary O’Neil and Modibo Maiga back as the bench has been lightweight recently. It shows how important substitutes are as you have to have a strong bench in this league. “
West Ham play Stoke in a Premier League clash next Monday.
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West Ham won yesterday’s game 1-0. Former Newcastle player Kevin Nolan scored the winner in the first half.
Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Browett has insisted that talented youngster Wilfried Zaha is not for sale.
The skilful attacker has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, who are reported to have identified the prospect as a potential replacement for Theo Walcott, who may leave north London after his contract expires next summer.
With Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City all linked with a move for Zaha in the press of late also, it looked as though the Championship side could lose their prize asset.
However, Browett has eased fans’ worries by stating that the Eagles would not consider selling Zaha to one of the Premier League big boys.
“I can assure you that Wilfried is not ‘for sale’,” the chief commented on a fan’s forum, published in The Guardian.
“We hope that he’ll be playing Premier League football next season. For us. Even if that doesn’t happen, he’s only 19 and still learning his trade in surroundings where he is comfortable and happy. He’s on a five-year contract and we really don’t need the money.
“The four of us bought the club so that we could enjoy watching Palace play football, not to cash in as soon as the moneybags clubs come waving their cheque books. I hope that’s clear enough.
“PS – and if he [Zaha] keeps developing the way he has so far you’ll be reading plenty more rubbish in the Sunday papers,” he concluded.
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Zaha has scored four goals in his last two games, and has represented England at under-21 level four times.
Roy Hodgson will effectively end Rio Ferdinand’s England career by not picking him for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, The Sun claim.
The Manchester United defender was omitted from the Three Lions’ Euro 2012 squad, with it being believed that Ferdinand was not included due to personal issues with John Terry.
However, after Terry’s retirement from international football it was rumoured that Ferdinand could well be part of the England set-up once more in their bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
With games against San Marino and Poland in October, it is believed that Ferdinand will not be included in Hodgson’s contingent for the fixtures, with the coach preferring to select younger players.
England coach Gary Neville has recently stated that Ferdinand should not be part of Hodgson plans due to his age, and as such any omission could well force the United centre-half to hang up his international boots.
Meanwhile, Mirror Football indicate that Hodgson told fellow travellers on a London underground train that Ferdinand would not be selected for the upcoming games.
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Manchester United are certainly champions on the pitch, dominating the Premier League era. There have been plenty of world class names that have graced the famous Old Trafford pitch for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon to be rewarded with silverware at the end of the season.
Is this where the winning mentality stops? Not quite. When all of us grew up wishing to be professional footballers we wanted all the glitz and glamour that came with it. There are those who like to keep a low profile and carry on about their business away from the media limelight – but you won’t be finding any of that here.
There will be plenty in the United changing rooms past and present who will have a lot more to show for themselves then a collection of medals or engravings on a trophy when their careers come to pass. Sir Alex Ferguson once complained how the modern footballer has often been far more difficult to handle. This may gave you an insight into why when they have so much to distract them off the field of play too.
Eric Cantona may have retired early to try and find his way on the red carpet in Cannes, but this list will show plenty who have something they can parade in Leicester Square for movie premieres that doesn’t involve acting skills.
To see the illustrious list of Man United beauties click on Gemma Atkinson
Pablo Aimar believes his Benfica side will beat Chelsea as the current Blues line-up are the weakest for last decade.
The pair are set to meet in the Europa League final on Wednesday in what is sure to be an extremely riveting clash in Amsterdam.
The game represents the Londoners last shot at silverware this season, although their campaign may still be judged to have been a success if they manage to qualify for the Champions League places.
The Blues won the Champions League last year but have struggled at times this term and Aimar is confident his side will emerge victorious in the Dutch capital.
“Since they have inherited a wealthy owner [Abramovich], this is probably the weakest Chelsea team there has been,” he said. “Of course, Chelsea are a big club, but this is not the same team that won the Champions League a year ago. This team got knocked out at the group stages.
“They have not been convincing in Europe or in the Premier League. And it is a team that is not behind the coach [Rafael Benitez]. We can take advantage of the fact they are not at their best and not playing as a team.”
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In October, Cardiff City visited Portman Road coming away with all three points, thanks to two goals from Heidar Helguson; however, Cardiff had not completed a league double over the Ipswich Town since 1947.
After a successful Christmas period, it was a meeting of two of the Championships in-form teams in what historically is an intriguing and often confounding and confused contest. The Tractor Boys started with their two new signings McGoldrick and Mclean up front meaning former Cardiff City forward and Bluebird favourite Michael Chopra was consigned to a place on the bench.
The pattern of the match was set with long range efforts missing the target, mere flashes of play in a boring lacklustre encounter where The Bluebirds failed to get into top gear, playing for the most part without any fire and passion. Bellamy aside who undoubtedly once again was the star player for The Bluebirds, his work rate earned him many rounds of applause against Ipswich, but in the end he was reduced to trying too hard to make up for some poor performances around him.
Play was stopped whilst Town’s Aaron McLean received treatment and former Bluebird striker and fans favourite Michael Chopra received the nod to warm up, grinning as he did so his grin broadened when he received a very positive reception from the home support and he duly obliged The Bluebird supporters with a quick Ayatollah to a massive cheer from the Home fans, not much else got them excited.
After the restart Bellamy’s continued to hound the Ipswich players forcing them to go as far back as goalkeeper Scott Loach rather than conceding possession to him. City looked comfortable on the ball, without really posing any serious threats, an Aron Gunnarsson long throw was met by City captain Mark Hudson, but the centre back’s header sailed over the bar.
Out of the blue Guirane N’Daw unleashed a raking drive from thirty yards out that ricocheted off Marshall’s right post, giving the home team a warning, that Ipswich were starting to find their way in the game but they were unable to sustain any pressure.
Taylor and Conway combined excellently on the left, Taylor whipping, the ball in toward Gestede, who did well to direct his header toward goal. Loach collected under pressure from Noone, playing the ball directly up field. Ipswich then won a free kick in the centre of the pitch, thirty yards out, but N’Daw drilled it straight at the wall, Mark Hudson’s clearing header was miscued and went backwards, McGoldrick found himself with the ball one-on-one with Marshall, but the chance was at an awkward angle and the Town striker hit the chance wide.
Cardiff then created their best chance so far, Bellamy laid the ball off to Craig Conway who put a low cross in, before ghosting into the box. The ball bounced around as Ipswich failed to clear, it fell again to Conway, who drilled a first time shot over the bar.
Ipswich broke on the counter attack, Turner was penalised for a high foot, and the resulting Ipswich free kick was a well drilled set piece, three players exchanging passes before Lee Martin hit in an out-swinging shot that fell just wide of the Cardiff goal.
It was end to stuff but dull with it the final pass going astray far too often.
An Ipswich throw in deep in their own half was won by Matt Connolly, his hopeful punt forward resulted in the ball finding Conway, who was felled by N’Daw. Whittingham powered the long range free kick toward the near post, it whistled by the post the Ipswich ‘keeper beaten.
Cardiff made a half time substitution: Joe Mason coming on for Rudy Gestede, but it was Ipswich that had the first chance after the break, a free kick into the far post, but no one made contact with it resulting in Cardiff winning a goal kick. Noone got on the end of Marshall’s kick and played Bellamy through with an intelligent chipped ball, his shot at goal was hoofed away by an Ipswich boot for a throw.
Bellamy’s fantastic work rate again gained Cardiff an opportunity when he chased down a Hudson long ball, beating Ipswich for pace before his low cross was deflected by Ipswich’s Tommy Smith for a corner, but again the final touch was missing and it came to nothing.
Then Ipswich made the Substitution the Bluebird faithful didn’t want to see bringing on: Michael Chopra.
Chopra’s appearance coincided with Ipswich’s best spell of possession, but like City the final ball was missing.
Ipswich brought on Daryl Murphy, while Cardiff changed Tommy Smith on for Craig Noone. Meaning there was now a Tommy Smith on for each team.
Cardiff’s Tommy Smith was playing his first game for over three months, he received a warm round of applause from the home supporters, Bellamy was still all over the pitch racing back sixty yards to dispossess Chopra.
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Conway skipped past two players before driving the ball towards goal, but it was blocked by the Ipswich defence. Cardiff was failing to test Loach in the Tractor Boys’ goal.
Chopra then conceded a free kick twenty yards out for a foul on Conway, to Loach’s left, and Whittingham stood over the ball he let fly his free kick hit the wall, it fell kindly to Conway who crossed to Aron Gunnarsson, but the Icelandic international floated his header just over the crossbar.
Carlos Edwards was allowed to run into the Cardiff box, but his shot was deflected by Turner, Ipswich were in no hurry to take the corner. The delivery was good, it caused Cardiff to flap and panic before Chopra hit it over the bar.
Bradley Orr was booked for a foul on Bellamy, who drilled the free kick in, winning a corner. Cardiff’s number was almost up, maybe this was the last throw of the dice The Cardiff City supporters could only hope, Bellamy took the corner and delivered a sweet ball in, but yet again Cardiff failed to get on the end an Ipswich defender getting the final touch, this time Whittingham took the corner. Loach palmed the ball away, a minute later Town nearly made Cardiff pay; Nouble’s quick feet beat Hudson, but his shot fell wide of the far post, much to the home crowd’s relief. As snow started to fall the referee blew up, for the first goalless encounter this season at Cardiff City Stadium. Boring, lacklustre and frustrating it may have been, but the point ensured that The Bluebirds would stay ten points clear of third placed Leicester.
For Tottenham Hotspur supporters, there has always been something of a curious fascination behind the general prejudice that the vast majority of Premier League neutrals seem to bestow towards their very own Aaron Lennon.
Aged only 25, the Leeds-born winger has made over 220 top-flight appearances for his club under four different managers, clocked up 21 England caps and travelled to two World Cups in the process.
Throw in 45 showings in European competition – including a Champions League run in which Lennon proved his ability to cut it on the biggest stage of them all – and you get an idea as to the calibre of a player that has been a first team regular at White Hart Lane for near on eight years now.
And over the last two league games, although Spurs fans were hardly surprised what damage the absence of Lennon’s pedigree might do to this the team, his loss has been sorely felt by Andre Villas-Boas’ side. During the league losses against Liverpool and Fulham, as well as the majority of last week’s 4-1 mauling away to Inter Milan, the Lilywhites looked both off-colour and off-balance without their effervescent number seven in tow.
Because while the cynics might attribute the bulk of Tottenham’s recent hiccup to Gareth Bale’s inability to dig them out of another hole, the truth is that the men from N17 have been unable to produce any form of real attacking rhythm without the injured Lennon. And to a greater extent, their loss is only proving to the rest of English football what Spurs fans already knew about both his quality and his importance to this side.
Breaking down the wall of scepticism that the wider footballing public seems to possess in regards to Lennon’s ability has often seemed like a tough nut to crack over the years. In fact, now aged 25, you get the impression that some will simply never veer away from their perception of an inconsistent, one trick show-pony. Stereotypes die-hard and Aaron Lennon has found it difficult to shed his label as a limited footballer blessed with unique athletic talent, rather than a well-rounded Premier League component.
At times of course, the diminutive winger has often been his own worst enemy in regards to proving those doubters wrong.
Certainly, if Spurs fans are correct in their opinion that Lennon has a lot more to offer than what the boo-boys make out, then his critics aren’t wrong in parading his inconsistency as a major flaw in design. When the confidence has eeked out of his game and the willingness to take opponents on dwindles, he can sometimes look awfully exposed. As a player who has never possessed much of a craft in front of goal or a real match-winning edge, he does perhaps suffer more than most when the bread-and-butter elements of his game fade away.
But he looks no less exposed when his fortunes fade than most players within this league and while he’ll never rack up a goal count quite as high as say, Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, that doesn’t mean he’s any less important to his team than what the Gunners man is to his.
With four goals and six assists to his name in the Premier League this season, Lennon’s statistics don’t necessarily ooze an air of all-conquering importance. Although while not going quite as far as harnessing Villas-Boas’ claims that stats are ‘useless’, viewing the England-man’s contribution empirically hugely undermines Lennon’s value within this team.
You can’t quantify how much space he’s made as a result of his unrelenting runs down the right hand side and it’s within the frequency and efficiency of those runs that you also discover quite how underrated his positional sense and awareness of space is. He is the key that so often opens the doors for others within this Spurs team without even having the ball.
And when he does, the urban myth about a fabled non-existent end-product is slowly beginning to dissipate. The wayward crosses haven’t been culled just yet, but his delivery is a far more consistent beast than it previously has been.
And when it comes to keeping possession, an Andres Iniesta he may not be, but considering 85% of his 765 passes have safely landed at the desired recipient this season, you begin to understand why he’s proved such a valuable asset within this Villas-Boas incarnation of a Tottenham side.
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Gareth Bale may ultimately be the talisman within this Tottenham team, but Aaron Lennon’s brief absence over the last two league games has given us a stark reminder that the Lilywhites’ hopes of success rest on a lot more than just the Welshman’s shoulders.
Should they wish to qualify for the Champions League and push on within their Europa League campaign, Villas-Boas is going to need the speed, determination and work-ethic that Lennon brings just as much as any howitzer that Bale might provide from now until the end of the season.
If Spurs are perceived to be toothless without Bale in their team, then they almost certainly look anaemic without Lennon in it. Should they look to get their colour back before more telling damage is done to their Premier League campaign, they’re going to need Lennon back as a matter of urgency.
Arsenal were far from down to the bare bones in their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, but they did make hard work of the three points. Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski’s absence was coupled with the uncharacteristic sluggishness and profligacy of Santi Cazorla. Both lasting effects of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
It does raise concern for the coming weeks. Laurent Koscielny was not fully fit following his Achilles injury suffered in the Community Shield against Manchester City, but he saw minutes nevertheless in the opening weekend. Partnering him, because there was no other option, was Calum Chambers. The former Southampton starlet’s assured performance should not take away from the negligence of going into the start of the campaign with only one senior centre-back available.
In attack, Olivier Giroud started on the bench, also due to a lack of fitness, with Yaya Sanogo lining up through the middle and flanked by Alexis Sanchez and Cazorla. He’ll work for the team and he’ll give his all, but Sanogo, as if we need further reminding, is still not good enough for this Arsenal team. It may be a lack of attacking intelligence; does Sanogo know when to make the runs of an established centre-forward? Maybe, maybe not. But the real worry is his lack of ability to properly complement those around him.
There’s a danger of it all unravelling early. This summer has been the best for the club in many years, arguably the best in Arsene Wenger’s tenure as manager. Thus far, the buys have been either exciting or positive, and the departures haven’t forced sleepless nights. It’s the kind of transfer activity a club of Arsenal’s resources should be conducting regularly.
But the team isn’t ready, and forced selections can lead to injury. It wasn’t lost on anyone that Arsenal have only played three pre-season games ahead of the Community Shield, and that trip to New York featured less than half of the first-team regulars.
This week the team travel to Turkey to face Besiktas in their first leg effort to be included in this season’s Champions League proper. On Saturday, a tough away trip to Everton awaits.
What struck most about the win over Palace was just how poor the passing was throughout the entire team, as if none had quite woken up to the fact that the league season had begun. Had it been midway through the campaign, you’d be able to easily forget the performance. Sort of. It would be one of those that you check off as that of the mentality of (potential) champions, winning even when playing poorly.
Arsenal need reinforcements – and that’s not the reflex of years of frustration. The team are undermanned in defence, and one more central midfielder is also needed. For those who try to build it up as a necessity, though I feel it’s more of a luxury due to the numbers in the squad, another centre-forward should also be on the end-of-window shopping list.
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But ahead of all that, Arsenal need to find their fitness and rhythm, and quick. None of the top teams who played on the weekend were totally convincing, and there have been plenty of comments that the Premier League season has come too soon. But even with three points in the bag, Arsenal are still some way off where they need to be for this season.
Frank Lampard has stated that he is starting to think about his life after he retires from professional football, and would relish the opportunity to be Chelsea’s manager.
The ageing midfielder is coming to the end of a stellar career, and has confessed that he would love to coach the side he current plays for.
“I am thinking about my coaching badges now but there is only one club I want to manage,” the England international told The Sun.
“I know it might sound a bit big-headed or selfish but I wouldn’t want to go through ‘showing myself’ with a lower club.
“Although I would never expect to walk into a position such as the Chelsea manager, this is the only club I’d want to manage.
“I’d love to have a crack at it but I’d want to do it well.
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“I wouldn’t want the supporters to forget everything I’ve tried to do as a player because I can’t manage the team,” he concluded.
Kolo Toure gifted West Brom a hard earned 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool as former Everton striker Victor Anichebe cancelled out Daniel Sturridge’s first-half opener.
The left-back passed the ball straight to Anichebe on the edge of his own area to hand the forward an easy finish past the helpless Mignolet.
Sturridge’s opener was his 50th Premier League goal, but West Brom ended up with a crucial point as they battle relegation. Here’s how Twitter reacted to all the talking points…
24 minutes – Daniel Sturridge gives Liverpool the lead with a simple tap-in from a Luis Suarez cross…
59 minutes – Luis Suarez gets the better of Lugano but sees his effort saved by Baggies keeper Ben Foster…
67 minutes – Kolo Toure gifts West Brom an equaliser when his pass across the Liverpool box is straight at Victor Anichebe, who smashes home…