Gary Neville has stressed the importance of graasroots coaching to football in England.
Neville, was speaking ahead of today’s opening of the FA’s new national football complex.
The centre of excellence, St George’s Park in Staffordshire, which is 330 acres and cost £105 million, was opened today by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and will have facilities for all of the England football teams. It also aims to nurture more managers and coaches of better quality.
The Manchester United legend has said to BBC Radio 5 Live that grassroot coaches “are everything.” He said: “If we can get more quality, a higher quality, a better quantity of coaching in this country, we will produce better footballers – that is a fact.”
Additionally, the FA is making changes to youth football and creating “youth modules” in order to help the development of youngsters. Neville, who has had a hugely successful career including winning the Champions League, believes it is vital to connect with young, aspiring footballers, saying: “The information passed to six to 14 year-olds is absoloutely critical. I was so lucky I was given the right information. I had good coaches, my parents put the right principles into me.”
Gary Neville joined the coaching team of Roy Hodgson’s England squad this summer.
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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits that he has not considered recalling Andy Carroll from West Ham to help out the striker shortage at Anfield.
The Reds have got just the one recognised fit striker at the club, after Fabio Borini picked up an injury whilst on international duty, and many had expected the Liverpool boss to recall the on-loan Carroll from West Ham.
Rodgers admits the thought has not entered his mind.
“It isn’t something I have considered, to be honest. Andy has obviously gone out to get games. We have people watching when he plays and they report back how he is doing. But with Fabio’s injury just coming up we will assess it from here,” Rodgers told Talk Sport.
Luis Suarez will have to shoulder more of the striking responsibilities during the current injury crisis and Rodgers admits he is disappointed that he will not be able to rest the Uruguayan.
“I’ve rested him a couple of times knowing the squad we have, and the games we have, looking to prioritise, but like most footballers he want to p lay every minute of every game.
“It is something I need to assess. The most important thing is winning games-that is what we need to do and in order to do that as often as we can I need the best players on the field.
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“Luis will absolutely love playing three times in a week but I need to try and nurture him because there are still many games to play between now and January.
Former Everton midfielder Ian Snodin has said that the club can still beat Liverpool despite losing Steven Pienaar.
The South African midfielder was unlucky to get shown a second yellow car with replays showing it was a harsh decision from referee, Jon Moss.
Losing Pienaar for the Merseyside derby is a massive blow to the club and could well decide the clash on Sunday.
Snodin admits that as soon as referee John Moss showed the red card, his thoughts immediately turned to the big derby.
“It’s a massive blow ahead of the Liverpool game to be without a player like Steven,” Snodin told the Liverpool Echo.
“We can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves or fall into the mindset of making excuses already, there is time to plan for the game without him and pretty quickly after I got over my frustration on Sunday I realised I still believe Everton can beat Liverpool.
“We have got the players who can come in and provide the bite and controlled aggression you need to win the key battles in a derby.”
Heading into Sunday’s Premier League tie, Everton are 12 places above their rivals, and are hoping to continue to build on the gap between the two sides.
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“When it comes to winning on Sunday it will be about blood and thunder – who is prepared to put their body on the line, and hopefully we’ll have Marouane Fellaini for the game because he was a big loss in West London,” Snodin added.
Luis Suarez earned Liverpool a deserved point at home to Newcastle, who had Fabricio Coloccini sent off with seven minutes remaining.
The Uruguayans second half equaliser, which canceled out a spectacular Yohan Cabaye opening goal, ensured it was another winless trip to the red half of Merseyside for the Magpies.
Alan Pardew’s men last won at Anfield in April 1994 under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan and looked certain to continue that the trend as the home side broke out of the traps with venom.
But for all their pressure Brendan Rodger’s side couldn’t fashion out a clear goalscoring opportunity, with Suarez going closest with a free kick that skimmed the top of Tim Krul’s net.
As the first half wore on the visitors gradually grew into the game and took the lead in spectacular style through Cabaye’s sublime volley just three minutes before half time.
Hatem Ben Arfa was instrumental in the build up, beating former Toon defender Jose Enrique down the right before picking out his French compatriot at the back post, who controlled and smashed the ball past Brad Jones in one fluid movement.
That seemed to fire Liverpool up and they fully warranted their equaliser in the 67th minute and it was Suarez who did the damage, controlling Enrique’s long punt on his chest before rounding Krul and slotting the ball home.
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Both teams pressed hard to find a winner with Ben Arfa having a shot saved by Jones and Papiss Cisse volleying wide, while Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling both wasted chances for the hosts.
However , the game was to end on a decidedly low note as the usually placid Coloccini was shown a straight red card by referee Anthony Taylor following an ugly late challenge on Suarez.
Tottenham Hotspur star man Gareth Bale has claimed that if the right club came in, he would consider a move away from England.
Bale captained Spurs for the first time in midweek and despite his meteoric rise over the past few seasons, the Welshman is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
“I never really think about being famous,” Bale told the Daily Mirror.
“As long as you don’t get too carried away, you are usually okay. You just go along with what is going along. You never really take too much notice.
“As soon as you realise how big you are, that is when you lose yourself.
“I just try to keep going. You just have to take the attention in your stride. The main thing is to concentrate on my football.
“My agent (Jonathan Barnett) has been great, we have been very close. And my family help me keep my feet on the ground. I have got a great group around me which helps me a great deal.
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“If the time comes and a team that is right comes in for me, then I will look at it seriously. I will see what happens.”
Liverpool midfielder Lucas has targeted a run of good results in December to help the club qualify for the Champions League.
The Brazilian returned from a lengthy injury absence during the Reds’ 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
His restoration gave the club’s midfield a greater feeling of solidity and with some winnable games coming up over the festive period, he believes that the Merseysiders could shoot up the table:
“It shows the Premier League is very tight at the moment,” He said when talking about Liverpool being just seven points off of third spot.
“The gap to third place is not too bad. If we had had a few more wins we would be closer but we can’t change that.
“We have a lot of games now and if we can get three or four wins in a row I think we will be very close to the top four.
“We just have to think to move on to get more points, especially in the crucial time which is coming.
“If we can turn draws into wins it will be even better but we have to keep believing as there are a lot of positive things at the moment.”
Lucas believes that his presence in the midfield will improve the club’s attacking displays:
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“My role is especially key for players like Stevie and Joe, Jordan Henderson, Nuri Sahin and Jonjo Shelvey – the offensive players.
“When you have a player who is not really a holding midfielder (Allen performed the role in Lucas’ absence) the players feel maybe feel a bit worried to join the attack and leave too much space
“If I give that opportunity for them to shine I will be very happy.”
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has confessed that there is not much he can do to keep Demba Ba at the club.
The Senegal international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League outfit, with his much reported buy-out clause tempting the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
It is thought that a fee in the region of £7m will allow Ba to leave St James’ Park, and Pardew admitted that if such a bid is received, the decision will be entirely down to the player himself:
“It’s unfortunate that the contract he has leaves open a lot of questions because we have this clause and every window that comes around, I have to answer the same questions.
“It would be disappointing for him to leave in this window for this club and for his team-mates here, but the decision will be his, ultimately, because that clause is there.
“The most important things we have got with Demba is he is someone who is a goalscorer and he is scoring goals, and that’s very, very important to a side. His commitment to and work-rate for the team, I don’t fault.”
Ba was critical of the Magpies’ current tactics in an interview with Canal+, but Pardew insists that no disciplinary action will be taken against him:
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“It was quoted in England not correctly, and that’s unfair on Demba and unfair on us.
“There will be no disciplinary procedure against him. There was one procedural matter where he could have informed us and should have, really, but that’s neither here nor there.”
Newcastle welcome QPR to St James’s Park and without the hosts even realising it so much in recent weeks it has unexpectedly become a relegation clash and a must win game for both sides.
It seemed highly unlikely not so long ago that Alan Pardew’s men would be fighting for survival as they were looking at the upper echelons of the Premier League.
The Europa League has taken its toll and the side have lost six of their last seven games and only sit two points away from the drop zone in a disappointing 15th place.
QPR fans would settle for that position at the moment though. Things are looking brighter for the R’s since the appointment of Harry Redknapp as they remain unbeaten in his first 5 games, and the last time they tasted defeat was at Old Trafford.
Adel Taarabt’s one man master class display against the Fulham hinted at a return to form for a player who can be the equal of Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa on his day. They also seem to be not leaking as many goals at the back.
The Magpies know this is a huge fixture for them with their next two games being at the Emirates and Old Trafford respectively against Arsenal and Manchester United.
The hosts have to contend with the loss of influential midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa (hamstring). Cabaye and Taylor are also huge blows for the long term for the Magpies.
The versatile James Perch is a doubt with a neck problem but should just about be ok to play. Gabriel Obertan is ready for selection now too.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar and right-back Jose Bosingwa are both still missing for QPR. Kieron Dyer remains another player who is on the injury list; it doesn’t even come as a surprise anymore for him. Ji Sung Park is still having knee problems. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora don’t look set to play for the R’s anytime soon.
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Demba Ba has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League appearances at St James Park and will hoping to be on target again on Saturday to move his team to safety, despite midweek comments angling for a move to Arsenal.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-0 QPR
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For Daniel Levy, the January window hasn’t open yet, and that may be the positive fans can draw from the lack of arrivals at Tottenham this month.
Lewis Holtby’s summer move from Schalke has been brought forward, and that’s naturally going to be a boost for Andre Villas-Boas and his squad. But while the German is not short of being able to make an impact for the remainder of the reason, the Tottenham manager will be hoping that his chairman will spring into life come sometime this Thursday and present him with a signing in the mould of Rafael van der Vaart.
And it’s not that Spurs are desperate for a midfielder – although a short-term replacement for the injured Sandro wouldn’t go amiss – but rather a striker who captures the imagination in the same manner that the Dutchman did during his time at White Hart Lane. Holtby isn’t that player yet, however it will be interesting to see how he works out in England. But Levy must surely be aware of the prize that’s sitting on the table and waiting to be snapped up. Champions League football is on the horizon and well within sight. Tottenham are looking a far better and more assured outfit this season than their north London rivals, and teams like Everton may not have that extra gear to push them into a top four spot.
As of now, Spurs are also without the spark that could turn a very big likelihood into something further down the meter towards a guarantee. Injuries may come into play and you really can’t bet for sure that Tottenham will be able to fend off any unexpected problems that may arise between now and May. But Levy really needs to make sure that the club have done all they can to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
What would have happened if all of Tottenham’s summer signings were done before the start of the season? The team weren’t playing badly, but it wasn’t enough to turn a loss into a draw or a point into three. What if by the end of the season a place in the top three of the league is lost because Spurs were one point shy?
The thing is it doesn’t even have to be a big signing whose name alone will inspire the crowd. Bringing in good players who are flying well under the radar may be the way Levy wants to go, and it may certainly be best if he’s not willing to spend big. Clint Dempsey has a few goals in recent games, but it should never have come down to him being the only senior striker available. He may provide goal numbers in double figure, but that’s not the point.
Jermaine Defoe has played well for the majority of the season but his injury remains a concern. Furthermore, how much faith can be placed in Emmanuel Adebayor? He’s always been a striker who works for himself, and now that he has the stability of a contract at Tottenham, it might be unwise to expect similar performances to that of last season.
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At this point, it’s still too early to say whether Levy has done enough for Villas-Boas this January. He may even opt to look past the deadline on Thursday and towards the summer where he can strengthen with choices closer to the top of his list. If European football is not the priority (which seems doubtful) then Tottenham are well on course to overachieve on what might have been expected of the new manager this season. But if the top tier of European football next season is the ultimate goal, it’s imperative Levy strengthens this side now. It may still be a few years before Tottenham can spend in the same market as teams like Chelsea, which is why such an opportunity this season cannot be taken lightly.
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West Ham are lining up a summer move for Southampton’s Rickie Lambert, according to reports from The Mirror.
The Saints striker has been in fine form for the newly promoted Premier League side this term, notching 11 goals, making him the division’s highest scoring Englishman.
According to reports, the Hammers made an approach for the 30-year-old last month, and could return with a summer bid should they fail to strike a deal for Andy Carroll.
The London club are believed to have agreed a permanent transfer clause with Liverpool for the on-loan front-man, but there are no guarantees that a deal will be completed.
His former club Newcastle are rumoured to be interested in bringing the man they sold for £35m in 2011 back to St James’ Park, and it’s likely that Carroll would prefer a return to the North East to an extended stay in the capital.
This has forced West Ham manager Sam Allardyce to search for alternatives, with Lambert believed to be high on his list.
He is confident that a deal can be reached with the Saints, who will be fully aware that their talismanic hit-man could leave for free at the end of next season when his contract expires.
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One stumbling block could be Lambert’s willingness to stay with the South Coast club, with whom he enjoyed back-to-back promotions.