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.
Bale-mania has reached epic proportions at times this season. Perhaps unlike the 1960’s Beatle mania, the Welsh wizard does not have a legion of female fans stalking his every move and fainting at will upon seeing him in the flesh, but similar to the Obama mania of 2008, there are now various t-shirts and paraphernalia available to budding Spurs fans or followers to the Wales national team should they wish to cover their body in tributary images of the Tottenham man.
It’s not simply his excellent record of 16 goals in 26 appearances that has created such a widespread attraction, but rather the aesthetic qualities in Bales locker that captures the imagination of football fans around the world. His physique and athleticism make him incredibly explosive, bursting into life from seemingly static positions to take on defenders and often gallop past his opponents with ease, and furthermore his technique and control has lead to Bale unleashing some unstoppable and seemingly impossible strikes that are destined to send ripples into the back of the net from the moment the ball leaves his boot.
But there’s no doubt that the White Hart Lane star’s due attention has been further heightened by the constant news reports and transfer speculation rumouring a summer move to La Liga. The Spanish league is currently home to the world’s two leading footballers that are undisputedly considered as being truly world class; Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The on-going debate of whether Bale is in the same category as Ronaldo and Messi has on the whole come to the conclusion that if he’s not already, the Wales international will be in the very near future.
Gareth Bale may be a very talented footballer, but there is something very English about his manner of play, based around the effectiveness of simplicity combined with his unparalleled athleticism, that seems adverse to the Barcelona mould. And thus, out of the two Spanish giants of European football, it appears that Real Madrid are on the whole the much more likely club to make an offer for the Tottenham winger at the end of the season.
Yet, would moving to the Bernabeu actually represent the best move for Bale? Is there not a danger that being himself swept up by Bale-mania, the Welshman could be rather blindly going with the flow, without considering all the options and possible outcomes?
Of course, signing for Real Madrid is an achievement in itself, and is the kind of personal accolade that the vast majority of footballers on the planet can only dream of; it would certainly take a brave man to turn them down without having an equally prestigious alternative club to turn them down for.
Similarly, at Tottenham, although Bale’s rise in stock has coincided with the North London club reaching the next level in terms of domestic football, and looking set to finish inside of the top four, with the possibility of ending up in third place come the final day of the current Premier League season, actual chances of picking up silver wear will always be limited to the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Spurs may have come on leaps and bounds since the days of having Michael Brown in midfield and Paul Stalteri at right back, but they’re still a long way off getting their hands on the Premier League title for the first time, and even further from lifting the Champions League trophy – two feats that should be achievable for a player of Bale’s quality.
Comparisons have been made between Bale’s recent accentuation to continental recognition with the career of Cristiano Ronaldo. After perfecting his trade at Manchester United, the Portuguese winger left Old Trafford at the age of 24, and similarly, should Bale depart in the summer, he would be the same age. But there are still some stark differences to consider.
Firstly, Ronaldo left with three Premier League titles under his belt, in addition to an FA Cup and lifting the Champions League trophy. The Tottenham man may have played a bit-part role in the club’s successes in the League Cup back in 2008, but it is hardly equivalent to Ronaldo’s achievements by the time he had departed for Spain.
Secondly, unlike Bale, who’s always performed well for Spurs but is finally amid a real coming of age campaign, Ronaldo had been regularly scoring over 15 goals per season for three years prior to joining Real Madrid.
But there is no doubt that their physical styles are incredibly similar. Whilst Lionel Messi may be the more gifted in terms of natural footballing ability, Ronaldo has complimented his exceptional skill by becoming an impeccable physical specimen and the perfect athlete. It is well known that Bale idolises the Portguese star, and in many ways has based his game around Ronaldo’s. Furthermore, although I do believe losing the Welsh wonder would be a huge loss to the English game, the prospect of seeing Bale and Ronaldo operating on opposite flanks leaves me watering at the mouth.
[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”grid”]
However, I still have my concerns. Unlike Ronaldo, the Tottenham man is a far more timid personality; he frequently returns home to visit his parents, and is rarely out-spoken. In fact, in his very few discussions with the press, I have only once witnessed him come out and speak in protest about his negative stigmatism of being a rather theatrical diver, despite often being condemned and criticised by the British media.
Furthermore, and most importantly, it appears football has not learned its lesson from the Fernando Torres saga. I have little doubt that the hefty £50million price tag, which Bale’s future fee is set to beat by up to an additional £20million, was the underlying factor in the Spaniard’s demise from being one of Europe’s top strikers to becoming one of the biggest transfer flops of all time.
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A £70million deal would be a huge cross to bear, and it’s not as if there’s an instant spot waiting for him in the starting line-up at the Bernabeu. The natural assumption would be that Ronaldo would be moved over to the right flank, yet it would be a bold move for the next Real Madrid boss to shaft Angel Di Maria as he’s been a consistent performer since moving to Spain, and this season has four goals and nine assists in 23 La Liga appearances.
Former team-mate of Bale, Luka Modric, has been suffering from such a problem this season, as he’s struggled for game time whilst Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil have been consistently impressive in the middle of the park.
Of course, the move may not go ahead, but I doubt Gareth Bale would turn down signing for the Spanish champions instead continue his tenure at White Hart Lane. Then again, staying put could severely benefit his career in the long run. I can understand the association between the Welshman and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the way they play, but seeing the latter’s career as a template for the former is a false comparison.
Ronaldo was a cocky, confident and outspoken player, who was a big fish in an big pond at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Bale is a big fish in a comparatively smaller pond at Tottenham. I have no doubt that he has the potential to be world class, and in that same bracket as Messi and Ronaldo; I’m just unsure whether he’s ready to take the leap of faith to the next level, and if his hypothetical move to the Bernabeu goes wrong, it has the potential to scupper the rest of his career.
Patrick van Aanholt says he would love to be given a chance to play for Chelsea but will go out on loan once again if necessary.
The Netherlands Under-21 star joined the Blues back in 2009 but has made only two Premier League appearances for the west London outfit.
He has spent time on loan with five different clubs in the past four years, with spells at Coventry City, Newcastle United, Leicester City and Wigan Athletic before arriving at the GelreDome in January 2012.
The 22-year-old re-signed for Vitesse for the entire 2012-13 campaign last summer and has enjoyed an excellent season, with 35 appearances this term.
Ashley Cole and Ryan Bertrand are currently Chelsea’s top two left-back options and so the defender might have to bide his time for a while longer before showing the Stamford Bridge faithful what he can do, and he remains philosophical about his future.
“I move on with a good feeling,” he told NuSport. “I have had a good season and just have to wait and see. A new coach, new chances.
“I have to be there on July 1 and then we have to wait. It depends whether the new coach believes in my qualities.
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“If that doesn’t work out, I will go out on loan again.”
Newcastle goalkeeper Tom Krul won’t play again this season after being forced off early through injury in the Tyne-Wear derby.
The Dutchman’s involvement in Sunday’s clash with Sunderland was cut short in the 57th minute, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder while punching away an Adam Johnson free-kick.
Krul appeared to land awkwardly and had to be replaced by Rob Elliot, who conceded twice as the relegation threatened Black Cats secured a much-needed 3-0 victory over their bitter rivals.
His manager Alan Pardew believes the timing of the injury couldn’t have come at a worst time, and effectively ended their hopes of getting back into a game which Sunderland had led since Stephane Sessegnon’s 27th minute.
Adam Johnson and David Vaughan then took the St. James’ Park contest out of sight with further efforts in the last 20 minutes to hand Paolo Di Canio his first three-point haul since replacing Martin O’Neill as the Black Cats boss.
Pardew said: “Tim has dislocated and is definitely out for the season.
“The loss of Tim and the goal that was not given for offside were a couple of crucial moments. Losing Tim lost me a pair of legs and one sub which was difficult. Those two moments meant Sunderland could see out the win.
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“I don’t feel particularly great. It was a tough day really. They looked like a team that worked all week on us on the training ground and we looked like a team that had a really tough game on Thursday night.”
The Premier League boasts a collection of some of the finest sportsmen on the planet, and yet seeks to subject its viewers to a standard of punditry that wouldn’t be out of place in a Primary School. In fact it is safe to say most 10 year olds have a better grasp of the English language and ability to form a cogent argument than the likes of Paul Merson and Mark Lawrenson. A move away from the continued treatment of fans as simple-minded morons is key to solving this problem
Whilst speaking to FATV in Istanbul, Gary Neville expressed his belief that pundits should gain coaching qualifications in order to improve the quality of TV analysis. In regards to the structure of the badges he said: “We have done a lot of video analysis this week on the course. It is becoming a critical point of football now. The fans want more, they demand more.”
The former Manchester United defender was initially greeted by harsh criticisms over his appointment to the Sky Sports Monday Night Football team. However, he has since emerged as a leading light in a field of relative mediocrity due to his ability to break down key moments and then give the viewer in depth analytic insight. This is in stark contrast to many of his colleagues who simply feel regurgitating the previous 90 minutes into a tidy minute long summary is satisfactory for the average viewer.
Neville picked up on this exact point when speaking to the association TV channel stating: “From a broadcasting point of view, they don’t just want telling that the ball has ended up in the back of the net, they want to know why it has ended up in the back of the net. They want to know who made the mistake, why they made the mistake, how they made the mistake and how to rectify the mistake.” Most worryingly of all, Neville appears to be in a minority who see the need to move away from the spoon-feeding approach to football punditry.
There is a worrying trend that the role of a pundit is simply to act as an alternative to having the subtitles running during a match. This is by no means a criticism of the way in which a company such as Sky run their broadcasts in general, but just particularly football. Fans of Golf are able to witness countless hours of coverage with past professionals expertly dissecting the strategy and swings of the competitors on show. By contrast, the average football fan who tunes in on a Saturday afternoon is subjected to a motley crew of ex pros who without fail leave fans with less of a clue after viewing than before. As Merson stumbles between non-sensical points and Phil Thomson continues to inundate your club with showers of needless unfounded criticisms the natural reaction is to flee to happier climes at the BBC. Here you encounter football luminaries that include Alan Hanson and Mark Lawrenson who frequent the studio of an evening to treat viewers to now infamous pieces of knowledge. During the recent Confederations Cup Final between Spain and Brazil, Lawrenson expertly highlighted the fact he knows less than the average viewer by exposing Lucas Moura as something of a relative unknown on the world stage, someone who is of course a crucial part of the plans afoot at Paris St-Germain. This follows a history of gaffes made by the BBC pundit including a high profile blunder when failing to discern between Arsenal’s Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho on A Question of Sport.
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The suggestion that pundits should take coaching badges is however a somewhat uneasy one to make. In an era where fans feel alienated by the franchise that football has become, a hierarchical approach to punditry is totally wrong. Neville’s, push for pundits to have coaching badges could just add heed to this worrying transition by giving a sense that opinion must be qualified to matter. In the end everyone’s opinion when expressed with a degree of argumentation to substantiate it is as valid as the next persons, something that is often totally absent from many current pundits repertoires.
Playing the game need not be a pre requisite for a world-class pundit, and in fact opinions independent of a playing career may offer interesting insights. Football needs to take a lesson from other sports that select their pundits based on ability first and foremost whilst making popularity and previous playing history a secondary consideration. The current problem is that broadcasters seem to have naively found comfort in selecting any old ex professional to fill the berth, when instead they should be searching through the plethora of talent out there to discover someone who won’t simply waste a seat but will offer the sort of insight that fans yearn for.
Q: What positive developments have you noticed now that David Moyes is manager?
A: We’re been working quite a lot on tactics with David Moyes and he’s been working a lot with players individually to improve their abilities. Training has been intense and hopefully all of these things we’ve been doing will help the players improve to be better and to play better through the season.
Q: Do you think Manchester United has a chance of winning the Premier League title again this season and which teams do you think you’ll need to watch out for?
A: Yes, we definitely believe we can win the title. I would say our main competitors this season are Chelsea and City.
Q: Last season you struggled with injuries; how is your condition so far this season?
A: I’m in good condition this season and I’m training well at the moment. I’ve already played a few games and I trained in the pre-season, I’m good right now.
Q: In your opinion, what makes an ideal team captain?
A: I think to be a good captain you first of all need to be a team player. Secondly, you have to lead by example to the young players by training hard and performing well.
Q: Who are the most promising young stars on the Manchester United squad and why?
A: We have two players in the academy, Adnan and Jesse, who really stepped up in the pre-season. They both played really well on the tour and I think these players could make the cut in the future if they continue developing and training hard.
Q: What are the most important features in a football boot for a defender?
A: The most important feature in a boot is that it is comfortable; if the boot fits well to the foot and is lightweight then it will be comfortable to play in.
Q: Do you remember your first pair of boots?
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A: Yes, I definitely remember my first pair of boots. It’s always a big moment when you get your first pair and start playing football, a great memory I will always have.
Q: Who was your favourite player as a child?
A: I didn’t have a particular favourite player as a child, but my favourite team was Red Star Belgrade.
Nemanja Vidic wears the PUMA PowerCat 1 FG boots available from ProDirectSoccer.com. Nemanja was speaking at the launch of PUMA Football Club, an online community allowing fans worldwide to get closer than ever before to their favourite stars. Head to www.PUMAFootballClub.com to conquer challenges and win trophies #PUMAFC