Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes players must be made culpable if they end up injuring their opponents during games.
In the aftermath of Danny Murphy's comments, the Frenchman has sided with the Fulham captain's views, despite earning him the wrath of Stoke City, Blackburn and Wolverhampton Wanderers' management.
Murphy suggested that clubs could be guilty of 'sending out their players so pumped up there is inevitably going to be problems' and Wenger has backed his claims, suggesting the players must play to the rules and ignore their bosses if told to deviate from the norm.
"I am a strong believer you are responsible for what you say and what you do," he said."When I make a mistake, I do not look at anybody else, to say 'it is his fault'. It is my fault and if I behave wrongly, it is my fault, it is not somebody else's.
"If a player does bad tackling, it is too easy to hide behind the manager's instruction because you are responsible for how you behave.
"I do not want to add anything to what I have said many times – I like commitment and physical games, but it has to be in a fair way because it can only work if everybody goes into it in a fair way.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"I believe Murphy said we as managers have a responsibility regarding the behaviour of our team, and I agree, I do not deny it. I am not in the other dressing room, so I do not know. I never ask any player if he has been wound up by his manager.
"I always say the same thing – the referees have the rules for them and (have) to get the game respected, the players have to respect each other, no matter what they are instructed to do."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The now infamous statement that “The first spade will start going into the ground on that [stadium] project by March [2007]”, made by George Gillett, after he and Tom Hicks assumed control of the club, still resonates at Liverpool to this day. Although I do not believe this was a lie from the now much maligned former owners, more a misguided statement given that they hadn’t fully assessed the situation, the stadium issue is as pressingly in the mind of current owner John Henry, as it was for his predecessors. But with life on the pitch not going as smoothly as most would like, combined with the fact that only £37m in stadium-related borrowings are now left at the club on top of the money that has already been invested in the Stanley Park stadium, is it time to put plans for a new ground on the backburner and concentrate on footballing matters?
For financial growth, a new stadium, or a refurbishment of Anfield, is vital for Liverpool. But if things on the pitch are not rectified quickly, there may be many empty seats at a 60,000 seater stadium. The issue, as is the case with many clubs, is not whether Liverpool have the fan-base to fill a ground of that size, they do, many times over, but what percentage of those fans will want to pay to see a side not playing well and perhaps not even getting into Europe. It is a situation which is also in evidence at West Ham. While investing time, money and effort into securing a move to the Olympic Stadium, the side languish at the foot of the table. Again, West Ham have the fan-base to fill the stadium, however, how many will turn up to watch a side struggling in the Premier League, or even plying their trade in The Championship?
[divider]
[divider]
What is encouraging for Liverpool fans is that John Henry and NESV seem to want to make the right moves for the advancement of the club and not jump into commitments like the previous regime, highlighted by Gillett’s unfortunate ‘spade’ statement. On taking over the club Henry stated;
“We have to listen, learn, talk to the community, talk to the council, talk with the supporters. But the biggest issue of all is really what makes the most sense for Liverpool, long term.”
It is clear that Henry and NESV are not going to jump in head first with any decisions, and this may well be what is best for the club. They recognise the stadium issue as one that has to be dealt with, and Henry compared it to the situation he encountered when he took over at the Boston Red Sox;
“The stadium issue was a big issue in Boston. We went in there not knowing what we should do – build a new ballpark or refurbish, and we have the same issue here”
They eventually refurbished the famous Fenway Park in Boston and ditched plans to build an entirely new stadium, instead concentrating on the team. Henry and NESV would be wise to do the same at Liverpool, as a less than satisfactory start to the season has been combined with dismal performances and a general lack of ambition.
Although a new or refurbished stadium may well be on the agenda for Liverpool, it should be part of a long-term plan, with a short-term plan aimed at bringing success on the pitch, increasing revenue and allowing a sustainable period of growth during which the club can build a stadium fit for the future of a successful side. To concentrate on the stadium whilst neglecting on the pitch issues would be a gross oversight for the new owners, as more years in the wilderness would somewhat take the shine off a brand-spanking new ground.
If you liked this and would like to read more, then why not check out my blogs, or follow me on Twitter.
Fancy playing your mates every week in a Premium Fantasy Football game?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With the latest squad announced by England manager for the friendly against France seemingly in a constant state of flux after a spate of withdrawals, I was somewhat disappointed not to see one name in the 23 man squad – Nedum Onuoha.
Now, this article has not been written because of his stunning run and finish for Sunderland’s first in their fantastic win at Chelsea on Sunday evening, but because with so few options about, I find it strange that the player on loan at the Stadium of Light from Man City has been ignored after displaying some exceptional form this term and not been given a chance to stake his claim for a future role in the side.
Those of you that are familiar with this site may remember that I championed Onuoha’s inclusion for the Mexico friendly before this summer’s World Cup, for no reason other than the national side were desperately short of viable alternatives to Glen Johnson for the right back slot going into the tournament, and because Nigeria were sniffing around the Man City trainee in the hope of naming him in their World Cup squad themselves. Thankfully, Onuoha wasn’t drafted in by Nigeria and as yet, he still awaiting his first full England cap after impressing during his time with the under-21s in the past.
With decent Premiership standard right backs hardly growing on trees at the moment, it seemed unwise to let Onuoha jump ship when we may require his services further down the line.
Glen Johnson incurred the ire of manager Roy Hodgson this weekend after the Liverpool boss questioned whether England’s first-choice right back’s club form was befitting of an international footballer. Johnson, for all his attacking attributes is a weak link in any defence and surprisingly poor against pace considering his own speed.
As a right back, his game is suited more to continental football, where a full back is encouraged to be the attacking outlet for his team, but in the Premiership, he can horribly exposed at times and he remains a debatable figure for both club and country due to the obvious flaws in his natural game.
As will happen with Ashley Cole when he decides to finally retire from international football and hang up his boots, as has happened with Gary Neville and his international career, as the old adage goes, you only realise what you’ve got till it’s gone. There looks to be a ready-made replacement for Cole waiting in the wings in Kieran Gibbs, but wasn’t this supposed to be the case with Micah Richards and Gary Neville? In football, things are rarely as clear cut as this.
Onuoha is explosive, strong, positonally sound and excellent in the air. At 24 years of age, he’s also playing week-in week-out in an excellent Premiership defence. Few, if any of his rivals for the right back spot can say the same.
The humiliating 5-1 defeat to rivals Newcastle aside, Sunderland have conceded just 8 goals in their other 12 matches and they currently have 6 clean sheets to their name, behind only Chelsea and Man City.
Micah Richards, injury aside, which isn’t too unrealistic a possibility with the way things are going at the moment, looks certain to start the game against France on the 17th, after being the only recognised right back named in the squad, and it would appear that his midweek moan at being consistently ignored for international selection by Capello was nothing more than amusingly mistimed in it’s release. While I welcome the nature of the thought process behind many of Capello’s selections for this latest squad, with the emphasis firmly placed with one eye on the future, I just feel a call-up would have been just reward for Onuoha’s fine form.
Micah Richards is to put it quite simply, an awesome physical presence, but his game has not developed in the way many of us would have hoped by now. He is still a raw talent three years on from his breakthrough season. He is a natural athlete, but to my mind at least, not a natural defender and while he does possess the speed of movement, the speed of thought is sometimes his undoing.
There is a real dearth of right backs capable of making the step up to international level at the moment, this much is crystal clear, and while I’m not saying Onuoha is a world beater, he is the in-form English right back playing in the top flight this season and his exclusion is noticeable. His goal against Chelsea, while unexpected in it‘s execution, will hopefully just draw a little of the spotlight onto the unassuming Onuoha and perhaps Capello will sit up and take notice for future squads.
Written By James McManus
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has insisted that he will be staying at Newcastle, despite rumours linking him with a move.
Since Carroll broke onto the scene with a hat-trick against Aston Villa he has been rumoured to be on the move in January, with Spurs or Arsenal being his likely destination. Since the sacking of Chris Hughton speculation has surfaced once more, but Carroll has distanced himself from a move, stating that he is happy to stay where he is: “I’ve always worked towards being where I am now and want to stay here – it’s as simple as that.”
I regards to departed manager Chris Hughton, Carroll said:
“Chris has been absolutely fantastic with me. All I can say is that I appreciate everything that he has done for me.”
“He’s helped me become the player I am now.”
“He’s gone now, and I just need to keep working on what he’s taught me, and with the new manager, I’ve got to listen to him.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The news will come as an early Christmas present to Newcastle fans who have seen their team, though inconsistent, climb to 8th in league and only five points behind 5th placed Spurs.
Carroll, who made his England debut in November, is currently the second highest goal-scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals and can also boast six assists.
Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Brentford v Charlton and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!
Most Tottenham fans may despise Damien Comolli but his record for bringing in young talented players who go on to form the backbone of a squad is unquestionable. Tottenham’s success in the last 18 months has been largely down to the work that Damien Comolli put in at White Hart Lane from 2005–2008. Granted, some of his signings were poor, but who has a one hundred per cent record in the transfer window? The big difference since the appointment of Harry Redknapp has been that Tottenham now have a manager who is capable of getting the best out of the talent Comolli brought into the club rather than waste it like his predecessors.
You just have to look at who has shone for Tottenham both domestically and in Europe to see the true influence of Damien Comolli. Comolli has an eye for unearthing young quality players that retain their sell-on value. For example, who would have thought that Tottenham would have been able to get £30m out of Manchester United for Dimitar Berbatov when they signed him in 2006? Added to this, Younus Kaboul, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Benoit Assou Ekotto and Roman Pavlyuchenko were all signed by Comolli. These players are the backbone of Tottenham’s success and that can’t be overlooked. Comolli never sat back and just scouted players. He took a hands-on role in making the deals happen. Some would say he overstepped the mark, but he made the deals happen and now Tottenham are in great shape going into the future.
Liverpool fans should be very happy NESV have brought in Damien Comolli, a man with one of the best CVs in world football. He has great eye for spotting young talent, something that NESV have stated will be the new strategy for Liverpool. Comolli will offer Liverpool a wide scouting system, as well as a proven track record. It is up to the manager to make the players gel. Roy Hodgson has worked under directors of football before, so he should not feel undermined by Comolli at Liverpool.
Damien Comolli has been given a largely unfair reputation as a trouble maker. His role in the sacking of Martin Jol wasn’t pleasant and there is very little else that can be said for him in that regard. However, English football will never embrace role of the director of football because naturally we are defensive people. As a nation we look upon this as somebody trying to undermine the manager’s position, and this is exactly how the director of football is perceived. Managers nowadays can’t do it all on their own, they need help, and why not get help from an expert who has a proven track record? Had it not been for Damien Comolli, Tottenham would not have the depth of talent they do now. The success of the squad is down to Harry Redknapp but look what he was given to work with. Liverpool should be very happy. They can now tap into the Comolli system and can look forward to better days because of it.
If we look at the Tottenham squad today – the influence of Damien Comolli is there for all too see. Tottenham have gone up a level because they recruited a top manager in Harry Redknapp, but he was given the young stars to work with. As well as this, Comolli was instrumental in bringing the players into the club, not just finding the talent but making sure deals materialised. Liverpool is a long term project, and so is Damien Comolli’s. He may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but he is very successful in his role.
Comment below and follow me on twitter
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all to win at 15/8!
Chelsea blew the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Premier League as a last gasp Ciaran Clark goal gave Villa a share of the spoils. The result has left Ancelotti claiming that the Manchester United game is now make or break for the Blues, in their hope of retaining the title.
In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories which includes Fergie reveals the outrageous demands of agents; Spurs demand £29m for trio, while FIFA launch force to fight corruption.
Ancelotti: we have to win United clash – Daily Telegraph
Redknapp waiting on Beckham – Sky Sports
McLeish: Hleb must fit the bill – Sun
Spurs demanding a whopping £29m for want-away trio – Mirror
Coe backs West Ham’s stadium plan – Guardian
Bit late, Blatter! FIFA launch force to fight corruption after World Cup farce – Daily Mail
FA looks to BOA to salvage Fifa trust – Daily Telegraph
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Youngster Daniel Martinez had the final say as Palermo beat Parma 5-4 on penalties on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia.
Paraguayan Martinez, 17, struck the winning penalty after Hernan Crespo had his effort saved and Francesco Valiani blazed over for Parma.
Neither team had been able to find the back of the net in regular and extra time, ensuring the game had to be settled from the spot.
Fabrizio Miccoli wasted a chance early on for the hosts at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, when the Palermo captain sent a tame drive straight at goal.
Slovenian Josip Ilicic also went close, forcing a save from Parma goalkeeper Nicola Pavarini with a volley on 18 minutes.
Raffaele Palladino threatened twice for the visitors in the opening half, before Palermo midfielder Giulio Migliaccio went closest to breaking the deadlock when he headed against the bar from a Miccoli free-kick.
Bulgarian front-man Valeri Bojinov shot wide for Parma and substitute Sebastian Giovinco could have scored twice, drawing excellent saves from Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Argentina attacker Javier Pastore should have snatched a winner for the hosts but spurned two simple chances – one with seven minutes left in regulation and another from close range in the final moments of the extra-time.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Parma’s veteran Argentine striker Crespo and Palermo defender Mattia Cassani missed the opening penalties of the shootout before Valiani fired over the bar for the visitors, leaving teenage substitute Martinez to convert the winning spot-kick and make himself the hero for Palermo.
They will now face the winner of Sampdoria against AC Milan on Wednesday, while in the other half of the draw Napoli meet holders Inter Milan on Wednesday and Roma take on Juventus on Thursday.
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has expressed disappointment that his side twice gave up a lead in their 2-2 draw with Fulham on Saturday.
Houllier’s men led 1-0 at half-time thanks to an own-goal from Fulham’s Ghanaian right-back John Pantsil but the visitors hit back after the break through an Andy Johnson goal.
Villa’s advantage was restored by a great goal from Kyle Walker and they looked on course to claim all three points until Clint Dempsey headed home from a corner with Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel stranded in no man’s land.
Houllier said he was disappointed to have dropped points at home after twice edging in front.
“The entertainment is one side of the game, but the other side is that we feel extremely disappointed because we played extremely well first half and could have done better in terms of goals,” Houllier told Sky Sports.
“Even before they equalised we had a great move and could have been 2-0 up but once they equalised it looked as if it affected a bit of morale.”
“We managed to get back in front but I thought we only have ourselves to blame for not holding on to the result, because Fulham at the moment is full of confidence. In the second half they deserved their equaliser.”
Fulham boss Mark Hughes, meanwhile, was happy with the spirit shown by his men to keep fighting after falling behind.
“I’m pleased with the performance, obviously we had a setback of an own goal early in the first half and that could have knocked us out of our stride, but it didn’t.” Hughes said.
“We came back strong in the first half and for the last 20-25 minutes restricted them to very few chances.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“I thought we were excellent in the way we took the game to Villa and the way we came back twice shows great character and great resolve.”
“That what we’ve been showing in recent weeks and from our point of view it’s a good result. It’s a difficult place to get a point but we did really well.”
“You see in our play we finish games stronger and that’s a quality that’s been growing since we’ve come into the new year.”
Everton teenager Jack Rodwell is in line to return against Sunderland at Goodison Park on Saturday. Rodwell, 19, was expected to be out until April after injuring his groin playing for England Under-21s against Italy a fortnight ago. Rodwell is desperate to play some part in the crucial clash against Sunderland as Everton look to build on their FA Cup triumph over Chelsea. With the Toffees just three points above the Premier League drop zone, Rodwell is under no illusions about the importance of the clash with Steve Bruce’s side. “Sunderland is a massive game for us,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “We need to pick up as many points as we can – especially at home.”
Rodwell has paid tribute to Everton’s medical staff as he has made quick progress in his recovery. Manager David Moyes is keen to involve Rodwell, particularly as Tim Cahill is in doubt with an ankle knock that forced him out of the FA Cup win at Chelsea after 70 minutes. It’s the second time this season Rodwell has shown his powers of recovery as he returned ahead of schedule after damaging ankle ligaments last August. “The medical staff here are really good,” Rodwell said. “I have full faith in them and hopefully I can shave off a few weeks. My last injury I was told it would be three months but I was back in two, maybe even less.”
Sunderland, who have lost their last three league matches, are seventh on the table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Spurs. The Black Cats have not played in the league since losing 2-1 at home to Spurs on February 12 but young England midfielder Jordan Henderson believes the break has paid off. “I think it’s been a really good break for everyone, now we’re looking forward to being back,” Henderson told the Sunderland Echo. “Everyone’s been lively in training and we cannot wait for Saturday. We just want to concentrate on the future. The first thing is the Everton game and hopefully we can do well.”
Manager Steve Bruce’s hand will be strengthened over the next few weeks with the return from injury of some key first-team players. “I don’t think it’s a case of hanging in there waiting for players to get fit again,” Henderson said. “We’ve got enough quality players in the team to go and get some good results against some good sides. We’ve played well against the top teams and hopefully, in the next four or five games, we can do that again. Personally, I didn’t feel as though I needed a rest. I felt okay, my stats were up to what they had been all season, so I wasn’t really worried about being tired. I just wanted to get out there. Possibly in the last couple of games I didn’t play as well as I could have. But I’m just going to concentrate on the next three games now and try to take it to the level where I was at before. I just love playing football, so I want to play as many games as I can.”
Prediction: 1-1 – you can get odds of 11/1 with bet365!
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It’s a question that you will have debated with your mates down the pub on many occasions, who is the best player in the Premier League? English football is home to many fantastic players, both English and foreign, but who is the cream of the crop?
In the Football Fans Survey 2011 carried out here on FootballFanCast.com, we opened that question up to you and gave you plenty of choice. Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes all made the list of nominees, as did Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart from Tottenham, Arsenal’s Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, but it was a Liverpool star who took the crown.
Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard won more than one fifth of the vote and beat Fabregas, Tevez, Bale and Nasri into 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively. The Liverpool captain is undoubtedly a top performer and has been one of the best players in English football for a decade, often dragging the Reds up the Premier League table almost single-handedly.
It is interesting that an Englishman won the vote, while the age-old debate about Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard is firmly put to bed here – sorry Frank! With Kenny Dalglish back in charge at Anfield, will Gerrard be tasting some more success in the coming years and is he really the best Premier League player? Have your say…
To see the rest of the results from the Football Fans Survey 2011, brought to you by ZOO Magazine and FootballFanCast.com, click here