Olivier Giroud insists that Arsenal cannot afford another slip up when they come up against Montpellier in the Champions League tomorrow night.
Arsene Wenger’s side have failed to win in their last two games, both losses coming against Schalke and now take on the French champions who have just the one point in the group stage so far.
Giroud scored his seventh goal for Arsenal during the 5-2 victory against Tottenham at the weekend and understands the importance of getting a result when he comes up against his former team.
“It’s a must-win match for us because Arsenal have to go through to the next phase of the competition,” the Frenchman told The Sun.
“Montpellier have nothing to lose now they are already eliminated but we have to be careful as that’s when some teams are most dangerous.
“They didn’t become champions of France with no talent. We must not take anything for granted when they come to the Emirates.”
Giroud also hinted that Montpellier are struggling to cope with the success they achieved last season, adding fuel to the fire of his return to his former club.
“I’ve spoken to some of the guys at Montpellier and they have been having a difficult season. It was a big surprise to everyone that we were champions of France and maybe it was hard to digest,” he added.
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“Last season things seemed to go our way. We were riding a wave and it seems that wave isn’t there anymore.”
The premier league have re-iterated their desire for Premier League teams to shake hands before a game, according to the Guardian.
This is despite anxieties over certain players refusing to shake hands with one another a succession of games in the Premier League this forthcoming September. The first match of concern is between Chelsea and QPR at Stamford Bridge on September 15th. It is though that Rangers’ defender Antonio Ferdinand will refuse to shake hands with Chelsea captain John Terry after the racist allegations made against Terry which resulted both men being embroiled in a dramatic court case over the summer.
The weekend after the West London derby is a clash between fierce rivals Liverpool and Manchester United. This rivalry was intensified even further at Old Trafford last season when Liverpool striker Luis Suarez refused to shake the hand of United defender Patrice Evra following a race row which resulted in Suarez picking up an eight match ban over the Christmas period.
In addition to this, the match between Chelsea and Manchester United on October 28th may cause even more controversy, when John Terry matches up against United defender and older brother of Anton, Rio Ferdinand. Rio is also thought to be angered by Chelsea defender Ashley Cole’s decision to testify in favour of his teammate Terry in court in July. As a consequence of this, Rio landed himself in hot water so the FA when he labelled Cole as a ‘choc-ice’ on the social networking site Twitter.
The Premier League introduced the handshake for the 2008/09 campaign as a goodwill gesture. However, it first attracted attention during a match between Chelsea and Manchester City in February 2010 when City defender Wayne Bridge refused to shake the hand of John Terry following Terry’s affair with Bridge’s wife.
Before the beginning of the season the Premier League did give its 20 member clubs the option of removing the pre-match ritual of the handshake. However, all clubs were unanimous in agreeing that it should remain.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has stressed that veteran defender Jamie Carragher still has an important part to play in the club’s future.
The ageing centre-half has fallen behind Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger in the Reds’ backline, but with the Dane and Martin Kelly struggling with injuries could be used by the Northern Irish coach more frequently.
Rodgers has reconfirmed the defender’s importance both on and off the pitch.
“He’s critical. The likes of Andre Wisdom look up so much to guys like Jamie Carragher,” Mirror Football quote Rodgers as saying.
“For them to be on the same field as him, and to learn from his experience and leadership qualities is very, very important.
“Sometimes as a coach, you can coach players, you can talk with them, you can educate them, but when they go out onto the field, if they’ve got top players around them that can also help them manage the game from the inside.
“Guys like Carra are top class at that and, for me, your young players are only as good as your senior players,” he concluded.
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Liverpool take on West Brom in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night.
With football’s silly season already in full swing and rumour abound that players and managers alike will be seeking pastures new, experienced fans are starting to see a familiar pattern emerging.
Overinflated transfers fees, shock bids for unknown quantities and Harry Redknapp denying links to every player under the sun are just some of the qualities fans await with anticipation, all while the Sky Sports News team has a heart attack providing 24 hour coverage to all and sundry.
The Premier League’s biannual centrepiece is as theatrical as it is uncompromising but amidst all the gossip and intrigue, there’s a sense of inevitability when awaiting the transfer window’s trademark features.
While it may provide a wonderful attraction to football lovers worldwide, every year supporters soon remember how predictable the whole process has become. Below is a gallery of scenes that fans can expect to witness before the window slams shut at the end of August.
Click on Jim White to unveil the 15 things we can expect from the transfer window
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Robert Lewandowski was the first name that came to mind when Liverpool announced Luis Suarez had signed a new long-term contract with the club. It’s something that should rightly be paraded in public: it sends a strong message when a club, any club, can tie down a player of such quality, especially after the events of this past summer.
Borussia Dortmund did something similar at the start of the campaign. It’s pretty much accepted now that Lewandowski will leave Signal Iduna Park at the end of the season, but Dortmund sought to ensure they would get the very best of the Polish international for his final season in yellow. Lewandowski received a pay rise – though the club claim it was always in the offing due to his form last season – and while it was made absolutely clear that there was no extension, offering the Pole a pay increase would at the very least keep him settled until Bayern (most likely) came in for him next year.
How much value can we really place in contracts? Gareth Bale signed a new long-term contract with Tottenham only 12 months before leaving for Real Madrid. One of the most extreme cases in recent times was Thiago Silva signing a new deal with AC Milan, only to be sold to PSG a matter of weeks later. Napoli have been down this road with Edinson Cavani, increasing his pay with a contract running until 2017, only to sell him a year later.
On the whole, contracts mean little. It’s unfortunate, as Liverpool, with their ambitions to raise their flag at the top of the Premier League mountain, would make for a far more competitive league in England and a strong representation in Europe with Suarez on board.
But the Uruguayan has been deserving of his new contract, rumoured to be somewhere between £200,000 and £250,000 per week. For all the form of other players in the Liverpool team, Suarez has carried Brendan Rodgers’ side to the top of the Premier League table, where they sit at time of writing, and if results go their way would remain there for Christmas.
But as good as Liverpool can be with Suarez, it’s likely that Liverpool will be powerless to stop the relentless hammering at the door from Europe’s current crop of big wigs, even in spite of their history as one of the major forces in football.
Milan, a traditional and storied powerhouse of the European game, had their greatest assets cherry picked when PSG swooped in for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. It’s plain to see that the Italians haven’t been the same since. Dortmund, a Champions League winner in the past, a recent back-to-back winner of the Bundesliga and Champions League finalist last season, were left defenceless when Bayern (in fairness a traditional power) came in for Mario Goetze. Last season’s Champions League runners up may also lose Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus at some point in the near future. And let’s not dismiss the audacity (based on rumours) of a couple of clubs who attempted to prise Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
Contracts mean little when the money-fuelled ambition of foreign owners (literally and figuratively) desire the very best the game has to offer.
Luis Suarez is arguably the most in-form player in Europe at this time. Even with a contract running until 2018, Liverpool will be unable to shield their biggest asset from the eyes of Europe. In addition, who’s to say one of the club’s domestic rivals won’t put up a really strong case for his signature? It’s possible Suarez could be involved in another striker merry-go-round, with Real Madrid still admirers of Sergio Aguero. You can probably see where I’m going with this.
As Suarez continues to put in breathtaking performances throughout this season, Europe’s financial elite will continue to hover with hopes of taking him away. And let’s not have naivety cloud reality: Suarez says he’s happy at Liverpool, he looks the part with the captain’s armband, but how long will it be before the allure of Spain charms him once again?
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This isn’t a make or break season for Liverpool. What they have is a very good chance to capture something which was initially out of reach. There’s a title charge at Anfield, as there should be with a player like Suarez in this kind of form. But history has been far too unkind to those who wish to stick to the rulebook. There’s no weight in contracts anymore.
Had English football not been so overall dormant this year, with Manchester United comfortably winning the Premier League title and none of the top four significantly impacting upon the Champions League, you’d argue that the succession of retirements at Old Trafford from players past and present was an attempt by the Red Devils to steal someone else’s thunder.
Perhaps that is a rather cynical view, considering the members of the now famous class of ’92 have reached, and arguably surpassed their natural age of expiration as footballers, but this season will mark the final chapters in the on-pitch careers of David Beckham and Paul Scholes, with the possibility of Phil Neville joining them, in addition to Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure in the United dugout.
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It will be the end of an illustrious era for one of Europe’s biggest footballing institutions, with Ferguson and his boys claiming 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies. The Scot’s natural successor, his fellow countryman David Moyes, faces a tall order in terms of boots to fill, but will be desperately eager from the start of next season to continue the supply line of silverware to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.
Although it will be titles upon which Moyes’ tenure is judged most, he will also be expected to continue the effective running of many other aspects of the club, most notably the scouting and development of youth players, in addition to the continuation of Manchester United as an institutional force in the world of football, as well as the world of commerce which accompanies it.
With the benefits of consistency and longevity always being the key at Old Trafford, and easily visible throughout the current season as United have stood firm whilst the other Premier League big boys have failed to maintain form, it begs the question as to whether the incoming United boss should keep the experience, knowledge and connection to the club provided by Paul Scholes and Phil Neville within the realms of Carrington, by making them part of his managerial staff and back room team.
The initial concern with former players moving into coaching, is whether or not they can transfer their abilities on the pitch into abilities in the dugout or on the training ground. Of course, technical attributes will have little bearing -unfortunately for Paul Scholes but rather luckily for Phil Neville- however, Moyes will be more interested in the two former United players bringing their ethos, determination, discipline and professionalism shown throughout their playing days to the practice pitches and backrooms at Carrington.
Both players have their respective backers to continue their football careers as coaches, with Moyes tipping the now former Everton captain to be a successful manager in the near future, whilst Ferguson already employed Scholes as a coach at Old Trafford during his first bout of retirement, and has often been linked with managerial vacancies at his favoured club Oldham throughout the twilight of his career.
Yet overall, the pair are clearly inexperienced when it comes to the world of management. Neville has accompanied his former boss at Goodison in the dugout on occasion towards the tail-end of the current campaign, leading to suggestions that he would become Moyes’ successor next season, but he is yet to undertake any official training ground responsibilities in any form, whilst Scholes has just a six month period of coaching at Carrington under his belt.
It’s a sharp contrast to the current berth of talents that make up Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff, Mike Phelan, Mick Phelan, Tony Strudwick, Rene Muelensteen, Eric Steele and Paul McGuiness for example, all of whom have a wealth of experience and took up roles with other clubs first, learning their trade the hard way rather than having the opportunity to work for one of Europe’s footballing superpowers handed to them following their retirement, in addition to many but not all attaining University degrees in their respective fields.
But then again, the potential hiring of Scholes and Neville would be no ordinary appointments; both were members of the class of ’92, the generation of academy talent that has gone on to underpin the vast majority of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successes, and have felt and witnessed more than anyone the benefits and integral nature of United’s youth system and the importance of an overall philosophy of determination to succeed.
Similarly, the former has made 718 appearances for the Red Devils, a feat only beaten by Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs, whilst the latter also turned out on 386 occasions for his boyhood club. Together, both have amassed a total of 125 international caps for England and have a collective total in terms of silverware of 17 Premier League titles, 6 FA Cups and 3 Champions League trophies. They not only carry with them the Ferguson mentality, but more importantly in terms of longevity, represent the English core that makes the Manchester United identity – an unquantifiable intrinsic value that is often regarded as being the key to long-term successes at Old Trafford.
On the other hand, with the key words regarding the transition between Ferguson’s and Moyes’ tenures being longevitiy, consistency and stability, there is something rather paradoxical about the notion of the former Toffees boss bringing in two new recruits to his coaching team. The potential appointments will come at the expense of some of the old heads, with Rene Muelensteen already considering stepping down, and the possibility that Moyes will ask Mike Phelan, currently the assistant at Old Trafford, to resign to make room for his own choice of right-hand man.
Losing these two influential figures will have a bigger effect in a negative sense in terms of the club’s legacy and continuation of progress behind the scenes in comparison to the effect Scholes and Neville could have in a positive sense. Furthermore, you feel that Moyes, who will surely go with a policy of evolution rather than revolution, would benefit more in terms of advice from the current Manchester staff, who’ve on the most part been at the club for a decade or longer, rather than two former players.
But as i’ve stated before, these are no regular former players. They live and breathe the ethos, philosophy and mentality of Manchester United as a football club, and the extension of their playing careers into their late 30’s is only further evidence of their level-headedness, undying professionalism and commitment to the game itself.
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Both are media-shy and have constantly avoided the whirlwind of the glitz and glamour of late-night call girls and heavy drinking sessions that lands modern players in the front pages of tabloids and red tops more often than the back, and if only a small amount of their talent and mentality were to rub off on the next batch of exciting Red Devils’ academy products, it will not be long before another class of ’92 comes to dominate the Premier League and the England national team.
In essence, they are perfect role models in many ways, on and off the pitch, and for that reason alone, David Moyes should strongly consider making them a part of the club next season. The appointment of former players has worked in the past for Sir Alex Ferguson – Bryan Robson and Steve McLaren to name a few – and there’s no reason it can’t continue to be a prosperous venture under his successor.
Although the outgoing Everton gaffer will be intent on making the transition between himself and Ferguson as subtle as possible, it is undoubtedly a new era at Manchester United, and he should use the opportunity for change to bring some fresh blood into the management staff. They could well go on to succeed Moyes in the distant future, and further continue United’s longevity in cultural, philosophical, and historical terms, in addition to prolonging their successes on the pitch.
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The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy has given Crewe a pleasant side-track to a promising return to League One football this season and on Tuesday night, the lower league competition saw Gresty Road stage the northern section semi-final with Bradford City. The Bantams sit just outside the play-off places in League Two and have beaten Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa of the Premier League in a remarkable League Cup journey that has them ninety minutes, and a 3-1 lead over the Villians, away from Wembley.
After last week’s heroics over Villa, Bradford were back in the more modest surroundings of a below-freezing night in Crewe but Phil Parkinson’s side travelled down with a cup pedigree that promised to make this a very tough tie even with the squad changes, eight in total, that is likely to land the Yorkshire club a FA fine. Parkinson has bigger occasions possibly awaiting on the horizon however, the chance to enter themselves in League Cup folklore likely to only be secondary to the quest to climb out of the fourth tier, something their long-suffering fans have waited five years to achieve. The JPT was arguably third on their list of priorities and Parkinson rang the changes logically despite an awaiting financial penalty.
Crewe manager Steve Davis also made changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Leyton Orient. In came Ajay Leitch-Smith and Harry Davis for Max Clayton and Mark Ellis, whilst in goal Alan Martin replaced Steve Phillips whose error contributed to Orient’s opener at Brisbane Road on Saturday. That Lee Cook strike was all the Londoners had to show for an opening 35 minutes of domination however and Crewe managed to draw level through Byron Moore just before half-time. The second period, in which the visitors could have stole victory as Ellis, Clayton and Bradden Inman all had chances, saw improvement though the overriding feeling was the Alex had been lucky to escape from the capital with a point when a second successive defeat, after the substandard display against Stevenage the week before, seemed likely in the opening stages.
Despite a steady run of results, it is still only two defeats in nine league games, the standard of performances has began to suffer and the JPT, with it being secondary to domestic form, gave Davis a chance to tweak the side in order to arrest the slide that had been creeping in. Bradford’s heavily rotated team started the game very well however, obviously instructed by their manager to press and unsettle Crewe’s habit of moving the ball on the ground. The match became tight and fragmented as a result, the home side were making mistakes on a frosty pitch and Kyel Reid sent a long range effort fizzing through goalkeeper Alan Martin to give the away side the lead. In a match where chances were sparse, it was a goal that predictably came from nothing.
It was hard to see, from a Crewe point of view, where an equaliser would come from. Leitch-Smith appeared rusty in making his first start since the start of October after a long injury absence, Mathias Pogba struggled alongside him and the midfield of Luke Murphy and Abdul Osman were failing to cope with Bradford’s close attention of the duo in order to prevent their regular passing game. The disjointed performance was worrying until Byron Moore was allowed to run at an isolated Ryan Dickson on the right to loop a strike over goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin via a Nathan Doyle deflection. Pogba and Inman went close immediately after as Crewe finished a poor first half strongly, but the interval was welcome with the scoreline level.
The break seemed to galvanise the home side as they emerged brightly. Inman, continuing to impress on loan from Newcastle, broke free on the left to hit a shot that McLaughlin tipped over before Doyle and Dickinson combined to deny first Matt Tootle and then Moore with two desperate blocks. Despite the Crewe pressure, Bradford always had a threat on the counter-attack with the constant running of Blair Turgott and goalscorer Reid. Parkinson brought on highly rated striker Nakhi Wells and winger Zavon Hines as he tried to relieve some of the pressure building on his team. Davis responded by withdrawing Leitch-Smith and Pogba for Max Clayton and Chuks Aneke.
Those substitutions proved to be the catalyst for Crewe’s eventual victory as Aneke and Clayton combined for a move that culminated in the latter meeting a cross from the superb Byron Moore to direct a diving header past the helpless McLaughlin. From then it was one-way traffic; Inman was denied again by Bradford’s busy ‘keeper, Clayton had another diving header disallowed for offside just after Aneke sent a shot narrowly wide. The impact of the Arsenal loanee, so often frustratingly lethargic and ineffective, was game-changing and he sent Inman racing away to finally mark his influential display with a cool finish. Aneke finished things off with an emphatic half volley after a neat lay-off by Clayton.
The late goal glut made the score more one-sided than the game itself however and there will be still some concern about the standard of Crewe performance before Davis turned to his bench. The impact made by Aneke and Clayton however, plus the decent contribution maid by Leitch-Smith as he continues his rehabilitation from injury, will give the manager a lot of options as he prepares for the visit of MK Dons on Saturday. Coventry lie in wait in the northern area final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy but that tie will wait until February as the league will reclaim the focus in the meantime, one hopes that Davis will take the momentum gained from the competition in order to get Crewe back on track in League One.
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Fiorentina hitman Stevan Jovetic has revealed he would be interested in a move to Arsenal if the Gunners came calling.
The Montenegro international looks set to be at the centre of a tug of war for his services this summer, with the Gunners, Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester City all said to be chasing him.
The 23-year-old has previously admitted he would rather ply his trade in the Premier League if he were to leave the Stadio Artemio Franchi and has now revealed a move to north London could appeal.
“I’ve heard about Arsenal’s interest,” Jovetic told The Sun.
“It’s a big pleasure for me to be on the radar of such a big club. I am happy about that.
“I’ve always had an affinity with Arsenal. It’s a major club with a big tradition, one of the biggest in Europe.
“They are still very strong. I often watch Premier League games on TV. It’s one of the best leagues in the world and looks tempting for me.”
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Fiorentina are unlikely to let Jovetic go on the cheap after 12 goals in 24 appearances for the Viola this season, with the Tuscan club reportedly looking at offers of £20m and above.
With the international break over (cheer or sigh depending your feelings towards the past two weeks) the Premier League roadshow is once again back in town and that means Fantasy Football returns!
The fiendishly addictive game will have us all scrambling for 3G signal while taking a strange interest in Crystal Palace v Burnley as we plot to overhaul our mates or continue the quest for office bragging rights.
Manchester United provide, perhaps, the most interesting challenge heading into the weekend following their transfer activity, and here is how you could take advantage of Louis van Gaal’s dealings…
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IN – Angel di Maria
Having broken the British transfer record and shown signs of promise during his debut at Burnley, Di Maria is likely to be a key cog in United’s XI against QPR on Sunday. The Argentine was La Liga’s top assist maker last season with Real Madrid and has shown in the past he knows where the goal is, making a points return feasible.
He may not come cheap, but Di Maria could become the focal point of your side and potential future captain material.
OUT – Juan Mata
With the raft of attacking additions at United it looks like one man could drop out just to ensure that LVG doesn’t have the most top-heavy team in Premier League history. Even though Mata has impressed so far in terms of points, his Dutch manager may be tempted to add more pace to his side and incorporate his own players, which could see the Spaniard drop out.
IN – Marcos Rojo
After finally being granted a work permit, Rojo looks set to slot into United’s backline in a bid to add some form of solidity. The Argentine was decent at the World Cup in a left wing-back role, and he has shown in the past with Sporting Lisbon that he can occupy a centre back position capably – which is where he could be used.
Rojo won’t break the bank and chances of keeping a clean sheet at home to QPR are relatively high.
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OUT – Tyler Blackett
For anyone who has been using Blackett as a cheap way into a big side’s backline, it may be the time to cut the youngster loose. With Rojo in and Jonny Evans back, the academy graduate’s short run in the first-team might be at an end. Blackett picked up a decent return at Burnley, but that may not be enough to keep him in LVG’s XI any longer.
IN – Radamel Falcao
Now back to the fun stuff. Falcao grabbed headlines on deadline day by completing a loan move from Monaco, and LVG may opt to throw him straight into the action on Sunday. If the Colombian’s record is anything to go by he will guarantee goals, with his spells at Atletico Madrid and Porto having garnered a return of nearly a goal a game! You’re looking at a Wayne Rooney or Sergio Aguero style price tag, but the South American may well be worth it.
Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Dutch striker Luuk de Jong in a deal worth £8.5million, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Magpies have been chasing De Jong for a long time, and look finally set to get their man, after Dutch rivals Ajax and PSV were priced out of a move.
Borussia Monchengladbach are demanding £8.5million for the former FC Twente star, and will sanction the deal once they bring in a replacement.
De Jong has struggled to settle in Germany, and has barely featured this season.
The Bundesliga club wanted out of favour Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse as part of the deal, however the Senegal international wasn’t interested in a return to Germany.
Newcastle hope to have De Jong signed in time to make his debut at Norwich next Tuesday.
The clubs may look to push through an initial loan signing, with a view to the deal being made permanent in the summer, in order to ensure the transfer is successfully completed this month.
Monchegladbach will demand an initial £7million for the forward, with the rest being made up in add ons.
The total fee will still come to less than the £10million the Magpies offered FC Twente for the forward before his move to Germany.
Click below to see Arsenal, Fulham and Everton in action this weekend!