All posts by h79snht.top

Middlesbrough managed to restore some of their credibility as play-off contenders on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Derby County. The result at Pride Park marked the end of a miserable run of nine games without a victory for Boro and gave a much-needed boost to our promotion ambitions.

Curtis Main made the three points ours with an unstoppable shot in the 80th minute after a perfect Barry Robson pass. The former Darlington striker has made a string of impressive appearances from the bench this season and the nineteen-year-old is definitely one to watch for the future. Jason Steele did his fair share of work at the other end of the pitch, keeping out a number of Derby goal-scoring threats to preserve our clean sheet. The final outcome of the match and the inclusion of Faris Haroun in the team, for the first time in eight games, was no coincidence at all. The last time the Belgian midfielder played was also the last time Boro won, on March 6 against Barnsley.  The energy and work rate he offers has been missed recently and his return from a hamstring injury will stand us in good stead for the concluding three fixtures.

Boro have crept even closer to those coveted play-off spots with the win, thanks to results elsewhere going slightly in our favour. Promotion rivals Brighton were hit for six away to West Ham and Birmingham dropped points in a 2-2 draw with struggling Bristol City. The only real problem was Cardiff City winning again, keeping them two points adrift of us. It looks like it will be battle between the Bluebirds, Boro or Brighton for that final sixth play-off spot and you would think we are all in with a good shout.

Cardiff obviously hold all the cards at the moment but with tough home games against Derby and Leeds to contest, they could quite easily drop points. Brighton have slightly easier fixtures in the form of Watford and Barnsley, but a home clash with fourth-placed Birmingham next weekend will be crucial. Boro are quite lucky as they have recently relegated Doncaster Rovers to play at the Riverside on Tuesday night. Doncaster were doomed to League One on Saturday, following a remarkable game with fellow relegation candidates Portsmouth. The home side led 3-2 in the 90th minute but two goals in added time gave Pompey the win. Morale will be at an all time low for Donny and we need to capitalise on this, inflicting further pain to the Championship’s bottom club.

Our biggest test, arguably of the season, will be at the weekend when second-placed Southampton are the visitors. The Saints, who are aiming for the league title, well and truly turned us over at St Mary’s in October so if we somehow got a result then the boost for our morale and play-off chances would be huge.

In a league like ours, morale and team spirit are going to be the deciding factor during these final few fixtures. Brighton boss Gus Poyet will need to lift his side after their crushing 6-0 defeat whereas Cardiff are in great form and full of confidence, which is worrying. It was obvious that morale has been an issue at Boro, with the general consensus amongst club and fans alike being that our play-off hopes were almost over. The team were leaving the field after 90 minutes with their heads down, whilst giving a half-hearted acknowledgment to the fans for their continued excellent support, especially evident at Hull last week. This was a huge contrast on Saturday at Pride Park when Boro were full of life and must have felt like a promotion-pushing side again, which we will hopefully carry into Tuesday’s game.

Boro went on a run of four straight wins during the final games of last season, largely down to high morale under Tony Mowbray’s influence. We finished with a convincing 3-0 win over Tuesday’s visitors Doncaster on the final day of the season. It meant that Boro crept into the top half of the league on goal difference, having spent part of the season in the relegation places. This was a great end to a poor season.

Our just rewards for having a strong season this time round would be to repeat last season’s final fixture form. The difference this year being that we creep into the play-off positions, rather than just the top half. I’m unsure as to whether my nerves can take the stress and pressure that is bound to come over the next couple of weeks but it is going to be a thrilling climax, provided we fans have a little blind faith.

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With one win down there are just three to go. Pride is restored, morale is lifted and we are still in with a shout. Up the Boro.

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Usually, in the build up to a major football tournament, as a nation we like nothing better than to get behind our team. England shirts are in every sports shop, flags hang from houses and every England fan begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, this will be the year where they can finally end that 46-year trophy drought.

This time around, things seem a bit less encapsulating. England aren’t exactly expected to set the European Championships alight this summer. Some even doubt whether they’ll get through the group stages. It seems England fans are resigned to failure, and another wait for a chance at a major tournament.

So what can be done to spread a bit of optimism around the country? Well, what better than an awe-inspiring video that becomes a viral hit?! Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright has been trying to do his bit, with his ‘What if?’ advert for Absolute Radio. It can’t help but raise the question: what if England did manage to pull something out of the bag at Euro 2012?

The video reflects on famous moments in England’s past and illustrates the kind of perseverance England will need if they are to be successful in Poland and Ukraine this summer. Should we turn to Wrighty for inspiration in his quest to get everyone backing England again?

This video is sure to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and have you roaring for England!

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This post has been sponsored by Absolute Radio

England may not always have been the most common home for many South American’s but it is testament to the league’s growing strength that the continent’s best and brightest aspire to test their mettle in the Premier League. Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero and Ramires are just a selection of recent new additions who call the southern hemisphere home. The sheer size of South America creates a diverse number of players, many of which are unique and differentiated due to their surroundings.

The amount of players ready to cross the Atlantic is such a young age comes as they are offered huge responsibilities in the first team and on many occasions it can be sink or swim. The wealth of talent exported to Europe over the years has been extensive and clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all now watch the continent like hawks, and here we take a look at the potential talents that have been warranting such attention.

Click on Oscar to unveil the top 10

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Who from South America has caught your eye? Let me know on Twitter.

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As John W. Henry spent a day or two sipping coffee with Roberto Martinez, it would appear that he was always longing for a cappuccino with Brendan Rodgers. It seems that the Northern Irishman was always on the Fenway Sports Group’s mind as they led the Wigan boss up the proverbial garden path. But amongst the recruitment process for a new manager, it is interesting to see that a certain Paul Lambert never really emerged as a front-runner for the Anfield post. Why wasn’t the one time Borussia Dortmund midfielder never taken seriously?

It’s fair to say that compared to Rodgers and Martinez, Paul Lambert and Norwich City’s media profile isn’t quite as high in stock. The brand of football that Rodgers had Swansea City playing this season, has been remarkable; his philosophy of possession based football and short, sharp passing, has taken all the plaudits and rightly so. The famous statistic that had Leon Britton as Europe’s most accurate pass master in January, really is testament to the work Rodgers has done at the Liberty Stadium.

Again, Roberto Martinez saw Wigan through an outrageous run of form towards the home straight of the Premier League season, which stole all the headlines. Back-to-back wins against Manchester United and Arsenal, preceded the 4-0 hammering of high flying Newcastle- all executed against a backdrop of flowing, attacking football. For a team that looked dead and buried by Christmas, it’s no wonder Martinez was interviewed for the Liverpool job. Let us not forget that Martinez laid many of the foundations for the man that seemingly beat him to the post, during his time as Swansea boss.

And then there’s Paul Lambert. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that when a promoted team such as Norwich manage to comfortably finish 12th, to such timid fanfare, that the Premier League really has had a mad season. Norwich certainly didn’t thread 532 passes at home to Arsenal like Swansea did and they may not have put together a run quite as stunning at Wigan, but Lambert has arguably done a better job than either Rodgers or Martinez.

On a sunny afternoon back in 2009, Paul Lambert, then manager of Colchester United, travelled away to his current employers on the opening day of the League One season. Lambert walked into Carrow Road with modest aspirations for the season ahead. Just over 90 minutes later, he walked out after inflicting the heaviest home defeat in Norwich’s history, in an unbelievable 7-1 victory. Ten days later, he jumped ship to take over the Norwich side that his Colchester team had ripped to pieces and the rest is history.

To put Lambert’s achievements into context, you need to analyze the players used throughout Norwich City’s journey. The likes of Grant Holt, Wes Hoolahan, Marc Tierny and David Fox all played for both Norwich and Colchester on that fateful day- all have since played their part in comfortably securing Premier League safety. Much of Lambert’s squad today have all racked up plenty of time in the Football League and even his signings, such as Bradley Johnson and Jonny Howson, have originated outside of the English football’s top tier.

Lambert has his own philosophies and principals in the transfer market and his approach of looking outside the Premier League and shunning more proven talent, has paid massive dividends. The performances of more costly players with supposed Premier League ‘experience’, such as Roger Johnson and Scott Dann this season, only serve to galvanize Lambert’s credentials. But maybe that’s where the problem lies.

Paul Lambert is his own man and he exudes the sort of steely, no-nonsense approach in the mold of his countrymen, like the David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson’s of this world. He didn’t muck around when Norwich came calling and it would seem he’s followed a similar path in the light of a call from Villa Park. But the only problem he’s likely to have with Randy Lerner, is the size of the transfer war-chest. At Liverpool, this might not have been the case.

Despite the imminent appointment of Brendan Rodgers, there are still plenty of murmurings of installing a new Director of Football at Anfield. Regardless of the debate about that particular role, the Fenway Sports Group will want the middleman. They ploughed a lot of money into their prized investment and well and truly got their fingers burnt last season, regardless of who takes full blame out of the Comolli/Dalglish partnership. It is hard to imagine the new man at Anfield receiving full, autonomous control there. And that is where perhaps Lambert falls short.

Brendan Rodgers is made in County Antrim, but bred straight from the continent, managerially. A disciple of Jose Mourinho following his time taking charge of the Chelsea reserves, his matchday preparation, organization and penchant for possession would all suit a Spanish team down to the ground. The role of the Sporting Director would dovetail perfectly with Rodgers. It is difficult to imagine Lambert feeling quite the same about that or the politics and some of the baggage that seems to come with managing Liverpool.

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But Liverpool’s loss may well be Aston Villa’s gain. Lambert will bring an exciting, direct brand of football to the crowds at Villa Park and after Alex McLeish, you can bet he’ll be backed to the hilt. If the board back him as well as the support, who knows how far he can take them. No one is saying that a team that were lucky to avoid relegation last season are likely to finish above Liverpool, but write Lambert off at your own risk. Like his Norwich team or Champions League medal, he has a habit of producing the unexpected.

What do you think about Paul Lambert? Underrated or not in big Brendan’s league? Get involved in the discussion on Twitter, follow @samuel_antrobus and hit me with your views.  

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One of the strangest transfer rumours this summer, quite possibly the oddest since then Bolton centre-half Gary Cahill was linked with a move to Barcelona, has seen Liverpool striker supposedly targeted by AC Milan. The club’s new boss Brendan Rodgers remains open to the possibility of allowing Carroll to depart in time for next season on loan, but what that be tantamount to career suicide, for both the player and the manager?

Andy Carroll has flattered to deceive for the majority of his 18-month stay at Anfield so far, since his staggering £35m move from Newcastle in January 2010. If you’re bored of the mention of the exorbitant fee by now, you’re not alone, but no Carroll story is complete these days without a brief nod to the lunacy of the price paid. However, this fee can often distort people’s views when talking about Carroll – he’s unlikely to ever fully justify being the joint-tenth highest transfer of all-time, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a decent player and capable of more.

Lest we forget, he scored in an FA Cup semi-final, FA Cup final and at Euro 2012 over the past few months as an out-of-sorts Liverpool side slowly but surely began to play to his strengths. By all accounts, he’s lost his taste for the nightlife recently too, a factor  that so worried Fabio Capello and saw him dumped from the international scene just when it looked like he was going to be the long-term focal point for the national side. My point is that there is clearly a player there, a very good one too when on form and there aren’t too many like him about – to casually cast off such an unusual and clearly threatening talent would seem an extremely odd move for Rodgers to make.

The whole talk about Carroll leaving the club on loan this summer came about when Silvio Berlusconi’s son, Pier Silvio, stated he liked what he saw of Carroll at Euro 2012 and urged his father to ratify a move, if it suited the club financially. Here’s what he had to say: “This is a new era for Milan. We will continue to get younger while maintaining the culture. Milan still has its superstars. As a future target I’d like Andy Carroll. I must admit that, for his body build, and after seeing his header in the Euros, I would like to have Carroll at Milan” with reports indicating from Italy that Berlusconi Snr is ‘seriously considering; taking his son’s advice.

This led to Rodgers stating just a few days ago: “It’s something I would have to look at, I have to be honest. Andy’s always going to be linked with clubs, whether he was here or not. He knows exactly where he stands, but I have had no enquiries about him. There are many things to going on loan. Is it going to be beneficial for the club, that’s the most important thing? Sometimes a player going out on loan – in general, not just Andy – can benefit the club in the long term. It gets them game experience and they come back a better player, a more confident one. Certainly more so than if they’ve been sitting on the bench for the majority of the season. I’m not going to sit here and say I will never let anyone go on loan, then come in here in two weeks and a player’s gone, and you’re saying ‘you said you wouldn’t let them go’.”

This would seem to indicate that Carroll is not in Rodgers’ first-team plans for the coming campaign, despite his marked improvement towards the back-end of last season. Assuming that Rodgers adopts a similar 4-3-3 formation that he did last season with Swansea, this may mean that he wants Luis Suarez to take the central role that Danny Graham played for most of last season for the Welsh outfit.

The 39 year-old Ulsterman likes his number nine to be both strong on the ball and mobile off it, but do you really want Suarez playing with his back to goal for most of the game? Is that not a monumental waste of his creative talents? Carroll may not be as mobile as Graham, but he’s certainly better in the air, can bully defenders more and his work-rate has come on in leaps and bounds the past few months and with the right service, he’s a serious goal threat.

It may be the temptation to play it long which is hindering Carroll’s cause. England with Peter Crouch in the side suffered from this very same disease. Crouch isn’t particularly great in the air, but whenever a defender or midfielder was pushed for space and time on the ball, they’d play the easy ball further forward to Crouch, hoping he’d do something with it. Crouch’s strength was on the deck, but that didn’t matter and it was just an example of those players passing on responsibility of actually doing anything of note when in possession – a collective lack of ownership over their own and the team’s performances.

Perhaps rather than what Carroll is actually capable of, Rodgers fears that having such a big target man and useful outlet will prove too tempting to ignore for some of his new side and could compromise his new passing ‘philosophy’ at Anfield. However, there must still be a case for keeping him at the club as a useful plan B even if he’s not going to be a regular guaranteed starter under Rodgers.

Liverpool are hardly blessed with strength in depth up front either at the moment. Dirk Kuyt has left the club after six years and moved to Fenerbache in Turkey, while Craig Bellamy cannot be relied upon to either play or perform consistently due to a chronic knee complaint, which leaves just Carroll and Suarez. Even if the club do complete a deal to bring Fabio Borini to the club over the course of the next few days, there’s no pressing nor convincing argument to allow Carroll to move elsewhere in the short-term.

Alberto Aquilani has been moved about on loan to both Juventus and AC Milan over the past two seasons while the club had to put up with inferior replacements such as Jay Spearing and Christian Poulsen and they are in danger of letting the same thing happen all over again with this Carroll situation.

The giant Geordie is far from the complete player and there are still technical deficiencies in his game which may hinder his long-term future under Rodgers, but I thought the entire point of bringing in a new young and vibrant manager with a fluid set of principles was that he would get the best out of the existing talent at the club, rather than give up on it before a ball has even been kicked in anger. Is it not his job to find solutions to problems such as this, rather than simply getting rid of them altogether?

It’s clear that Rodgers is not under the same pressure to play the likes of Carroll, Downing and Henderson as Kenny Dalglish was, but he’s simply far too useful an option to simply let go to Sam Allardyce’s West Ham or wherever next season. How is Carroll expected to learn and adapt to a new style of play at Liverpool if he isn’t even there in the first place? Rarely when players are loaned out do they come back and prove themselves, especially when they are somewhat proven already and have cost the sort of figure that Carroll did.

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If Rodgers wants to sell, then that’s another matter entirely, but Carroll’s stock has never been higher during his time at Anfield, and a loan move merely signifies that the player has no real sell-on value. He may not quite fit the system or the style of play, but even as just a hugely expensive plan B, Carroll deserves another season at Liverpool to prove himself.

Do you think Carroll should be given another chance at Anfield next season?

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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Team GB opened their Olympics campaign on Thursday with an unconvincing 1-1 draw against African side Senegal.

Craig Bellamy gave Stuart Pearce’s men a perfect start when he opened the scoring on 20 minutes, but Moussa Konate denied the hosts all three points with a strike eight minutes from time.

Pearce admitted that not seeing the game out was a cause for frustration.

“The fact we got our noses in front and didn’t nail the game – and if we had moved the ball quicker we might have done – is a frustration,” Pearce told reporters after the game.

“It would have been nice to win and now we have to deal with the disappointment of conceding a late goal.

“As I know from my own experience as a player, the first game is always a nervous affair. There were a few nervous faces in the dressing room beforehand.

“There are big expectations on the host nation but it was fantastic to be applauded out by all the staff,” he concluded.

Team GB take on UAE on Sunday in their next game.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Fulham midfielder Moussa Dembele has confirmed that Real Madrid have made an enquiry about him.

The Spanish champions are in the market for a creative midfielder this summer, with Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric the number one choice.

However, with the north London club standing firm on their valuation of the Croatia international, negotiations have been ongoing but a deal is yet to be agreed.

As such Jose Mourinho is thought to be weighing up other options, with rumours that Dembele could well be an alternative.

The Belgium international has blossomed at Craven Cottage and is being monitored by a number of leading Premier League clubs, but Dembele has revealed that Los Blancos have been in touch.

“I do not know if I will leave,” he told the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, translated to English by The Guardian.

“Actually I can say nothing about it.

“There was contact between Real and my agent. They wanted information, but that was it. Everything is still.”

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By Gareth McKnight

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With the departure of Robin Van Persie to Manchester United, it looks like Arsenal are on the verge of losing another key man as Barcelona line-up a move for midfielder Alex Song.

According to the Evening Standard, Barcelona’s vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu was in London for the last few days to hold formal talks over a potential deal to bring Song to the Camp Nou. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has publicly stated he will not allow a sale to happen – but it is rumoured that, although happy at the Emirates, Song will not sign an extension to his current contract, which expires in three years.

Worried over a repeat of the Samir Nasri situation, where Arsenal’s negotiating position was severely weakened by the Frenchman having only 12 months left on his contract, the club may consider cashing in on 24-year old Song now.

The Gunners are keen to hold out for their £18m valuation of the Cameroon international, a price-tag that Barcelona are yet to match. The lure of joining the Catalans is tangible, and their interest in Song is thought to be because of his versatility – as he is comfortable playing as a holding midfielder or as a centre-back.

Barcelona begin their La Liga campaign with a match at the Camp Nou against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening.

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Manchester City have denied reports that they were set to sign Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina, only for the Montenegrin to turn down the move. ESPN reports.

Jovetic claimed City were interested in him, but he turned down a move to the Premier League champions as they reportedly took too long to deliberate over a deal.

The 22-year-old scored 14 goals for the Florence side last season and was also a target for Juventus.

But a club source dismissed the claims: “It sounds very much like the player’s agent working hard to pull off a deal somewhere, so why not mention City? Best to ignore it!” the source told ESPN.

“We were pretty busy signing quite a few players on transfer deadline day, but this one was not on the list.”

City had already signed one player from Fiorentina, by bringing in Matija Nastasic for £12million in a late spending frenzy, which also included the arrivals of Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell Javi Garcia and Maicon.

Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has warned his side that they must guard themselves against errors in this season’s Champions League campaign, and must do better than last term.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were eliminated in the group stages disappointingly in 2011-12, and start their campaign this time round against Galatasaray on Wednesday.

The Danish stopper has stated that his side must cut out silly errors and ensure that they are clinical in the competition in 2012-13.

“We have to do better. Anything else will be very disappointing as it was last season when we went out after the group stage,” The Guardian quote Lindegaard as saying.

“I think we got too careless. In a couple of games, especially against Basel at home [drawing 3-3], it was very annoying for us. That was the tendency last season. We had the game in our hands and we threw it away. For whatever reason that was, we cannot afford to do that again this season.

“We have to win everything. That is how it is to play for Manchester United. I don’t think it is bad for us to have a so-called easier group. But I’m not sure it is very good either.

“No matter who you play against in the Champions League, it is a special kind of football, the team you are playing are the champions or among the top three in their respective countries and we have to take every assignment very seriously. We can’t afford to make light of anything.

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“I don’t know if we were complacent last season but the fact is we didn’t go through and we were very disappointed, and we have to make it right,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight