All posts by h79snht.top

With the doors of the recent winter transfer window firmly slammed shut, Fulham fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief in that they kept hold of their most prized asset, Clint Dempsey. The big Texan has made waves since he arrived to the club beside the river back in 2007 from Major League Soccer. You could say he has been a revelation since his move from the Revolution; of New England of course.

But was there really any real transfer speculation circulating over Deuce’s head during the window of opportunity for many potential suitors? The answer was not really. Clubs seemed far more interested in his injury-plagued strike partner Andy Johnson.

What is more surprising is that when you look closely at Dempsey’s stats, they make for some impressive reading, questioning just why the lack of interest?

Statistics clearly show that Dempsey is the highest scoring American to have played in the Premier League. He currently boasts a tally of 43 goals for the Cottagers. What’s more is that he has struck more goals for the club than any other player in eleven consecutive seasons, and often vacates the left midfield role, failing Martin Jol’s decisions to play him as a centre forward. Still not impressed?

The football public have at times pondered whether an American with such a good pedigree could cut it at a traditional top four club, say an Arsenal or Chelsea. But in five years, no such club has got the cheque book out to acquire his services.

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Let us examine his strengths; beside his innate rapping abilities. Dempsey is immensely versatile and has been used on the flanks for most of his Fulham career, but his tall 6ft1 frame has enabled him to hold the ball up well in a centre-forwards role during Bobby Zamora’s absences. It remains to be confirmed whether Dempsey will fulfil this role until the end of the season, as he did in the recent game at City, or whether Russian new boy Pavel Pogrebnyak will fill the void left by Zamora’s move to W12.

Moreover, Clint is highly experienced, winning 82 caps for Jurgen Klinsmann’s Stars & Stripes since his national team debut in 2004, earning a reputation as a hard-working professional with a never say day attitude. Surely traits such as these could be welcomed into the underachieving ranks of fellow Londoners; Arsenal and Chelsea this season?

Current TalkSport pundit Andy Gray told the Fulham Chronicle

“I never feel cheated when I see Clint play, he does it all and works extremely hard for the team”.

If we look back in Premier League history, few American’s have ‘made it’ as such at traditional top four clubs. Failing, Tim Howard’s move to Manchester United back in 2003 where he made 45 appearances, you are hard pressed to find United States internationals at the top end of English football.

American hero Claudio Reyna had a spell at Manchester City, but City have improved into a more established outfit since the start of the 00’s. Elsewhere, Everton have embraced many talents from across the pond including Joe-Max Moore, Brian McBride and currently Landon Donovan. And up the M62 at Bolton, they currently employ Stuart Holden and Tim Ream.

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But the question still remains whether Dempsey will one day get a move to a club playing at the elite European level. Clint himself may harbour Champions League ambitions but first he will look to help Fulham battle through the mid-reaches of the Premier League and balance the clubs targets between survival and a top ten finish.

Is Clint good enough to move to a top four club or should he remain at the Cottage? Follow me @http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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For the third consecutive home game the Silkmen came from behind to earn a point, this time combining the dramatics of the previous encounters to both come from two down and score in the dying moments of the game.

Despite the pressing need for a win, most Macc fans would have taken a point against Crawley before the game. When the Red Devils went two goals up just after half time they would have positively bitten your hand off (especially as the pies have usually run out well before then). The ability to fight to the end is a quality sure to aid the Silkmen in their struggle against relegation, but in fact on Saturday it had looked like heads were starting to drop.

With the fight seemingly deserting the players, the first goal came from nowhere, sparking the Silkmen back into life once more and driving them onto an excellent result. However the brief signs of defeatism leave some lingering concern. Whatever the misfortunes our squad has faced this season, feeling sorry for ourselves will do no good when battling for survival.

On the tactics front Simmo did seem to have heeded calls for a change. Starting with a front two, or three with Marshall when in possession, was a more attacking outlook than seen in previous weeks. It was initially fairly effective, perhaps catching the opposition by surprise, but as the game wore on it was Crawley who took control. Obviously their vast resources meant they would always be favourites, but the game served to highlight the fact that a lack of central midfield options is at the heart of our problems.

Without Draper and Chalmers we cannot seem to keep control or possession in this area – both are edging towards a return but time is running out. We may have to pray that a recent injection will bring a swift solution to Mattis’s ankle trouble and allow the captain of last year’s champions play a role in the run-in.

At the sharp end of the pitch on Saturday was Vinny Mukendi – handed a start following his second half performance last week. He continues to be something of an enigma, often looking too lightweight and unable to take advantage of his height. Having fluffed more than one chance he did atone by being on hand to make the crucial breakthrough. Obviously he is doing something right in training,Gary rates him and he’s been linked (admittedly by the ever reliable lower league rumours of Sky Sports) to top flight teams.

It is easy to forget he has just left his teens, perhaps he just needs some confidence before he can translate his talents into competitive action. The question is whether he will find any in a dogfight at the bottom of League Two. Fans are already on edge and frustrated, leaving little tolerance for weak performances. In an ideal world Mukendi would have seen out the season on loan with Southport, but these plans have become just another victim of the injury crisis.

And so to the forthcoming weekend. The game against Dagenham on Saturday is the latest in a series of crunch games, and as the league gets tighter at the bottom it becomes increasingly important to grab three points. We are still fifteen points short of what is usually considered the benchmark for safety in the league. There are ten games to go and if we extrapolate the form which has seen one win in our last twenty-one there is only one way this season is going to end. We have had many “must-win” games against sides at the bottom in the last few weeks – failure to make this one count will raise significant doubts over our survival bid.

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By Macclesfield Town blogger Alastair Pattrick 

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Arsenal playmaker Tomas Rosicky has admitted that his side must respect Wigan, despite going into Monday night’s clash as favourites.

The north London club can open up an eight-point advantage in third with a win at the Emirates Stadium, but the Czech Republic international is wary of the relegation-threatened Latics.

“We have a great chance to stay in third position but now we have to make sure of it,” the midfielder told The Guardian.

“That starts against Wigan – and make no mistake, it’s a very big game for us. People might not usually regard a match against Wigan as such a big one but they are still battling relegation, so there is a lot at stake for both of us.

“We saw what can happen against a team fighting for its life when we played away at QPR and we expect the same kind of performance from Wigan on Monday. We have to give 100 per cent to get the result.

“We saw Wigan beat Manchester United last Wednesday, so that’s an indication that it will be a tough test for us. We’ll have to be on top of our game to win, no doubt about it.

“Wigan have some very good players and a good young manager, so this will be a very tough match for us,” he confirmed.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Transfer debacles didn’t come more epic than the Luka Modric fiasco that shrouded White Hart Lane in uncertainty last summer. With Daniel Levy remaining steadfast in his rejections as Chelsea’s bids amplified, the Croatian stumbled back and forth in his commitment to Spurs. Most fans at Tottenham were elated when the transfer window slammed shut and their midfield maestro remained at the club. However, after an indifferent season and his stated desire to move to Chelsea (that must now be even more prevalent after European football has failed to return to White Hart Lane), should the club cash in on Modric? Would £40 million be a good return on a player whose form is constantly fluctuating?

There is no doubt in my mind that Luka Modric is a world class player. When on form, the Croatian looks unstoppable, toying with the opposition as if they weren’t there. His playmaking skills far exceed that of any player in Tottenham’s team when he is at his best. The other side to Modric’s game is his inconsistency. His aforementioned talents on one day will be wiped out by their unexplainable disappearance on another. It also seems that his affection for the club has waned since last summer’s transfer merry-go-round. Maybe his heart is not at the Lane anymore. After his unnecessary public outburst last year stating that he wanted to sign for Chelsea, surely his relationship with Spurs will always be tainted. Commitment to a club gets you a long way with the fans, especially when Tottenham gave Luka Modric the platform to show his abilities on a European stage.

If Chelsea, Man City or Man United decide to have another go at prizing the Croatian out of a stubborn Levy’s hands, then another £40 million bid would have to be considered. The investment that can be made in the squad on the back of losing one player is monumental. An adept replacement for Modric along with one or two signings to sure up defensive frailties would surely be welcome at Spurs. However, after the success for Man City domestically and Chelsea having captured Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard, it would seem that only Man United would have an interest in Spurs’ No. 14. His stats this season have not been breath taking and the tumultuous handling of Modric and his future last year, along with the ever increasing asking price, will undoubtedly steer Sir Alex Ferguson away from declaring an interest.

Another question that must be posed to the Croatian is why he would want to go anywhere else. It could be argued that Tottenham squad looks more prepared for a domestic title challenge than the ageing Chelsea squad in which he could have been a part of. Granted Chelsea are European Champions and have managed to capture one of Europe’s best young talents in Hazard but the future at Tottenham looks considerably brighter than the advancing years of the rest of the squad at Stamford Bridge. His chances at Manchester City would be limited considering the playmaking talents that are already plying their trade at the Etihad and a transfer to Manchester United can go awry especially with the pressure of playing for such a successful team. Lessons learned from Dimitar Berbatov would indicate that sometimes it does not go to plan. For now, staying at Spurs might be best for his long term ambitions.

The summer of activity that will commence in the next few weeks, will always have players like Luka Modric at the epicentre. With age on his side and endless talent on his day, the Croatian will be filtered through the rumour mill. However, if one of the rumours comes to light and a bid is made that is comparable with Chelsea’s audacious attempts last year, surely Levy, Redknapp and the fans at White Hart Lane will deliberate offloading Modric and using the investment to refurbish certain areas of the squad. With The Daily Telegraph asserting that the former Dinamo Zagreb man could be sold for as much as £40 million, the impending seasons at Spurs may look brighter without their ‘star man’ in the team.

Should Spurs Luka to move Modric on? For more embarrassing Football puns, follow me on Twitter @mattpegg1

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The rumours keep spiralling around which keeper Queens Park Rangers will sign this summer to replace current stopper Paddy Kenny who is believed to be reunited with former boss Neil Warnock at Leeds.

Rumours have chopped and changed within recent weeks between three replacement keepers: Ben Foster, Shay Given and Rob Green are all up for grabs but which keeper would fit better into the squad and help QPR the most in their fight to prove themselves in the Premier League?

It was reported by the Mail that Mark Hughes was prepared to cough up £5m of Tony Fernandes’ money for Ben Foster rather than taking Green on a free. Former Manchester United man Foster spent last season on loan at West Brom and is keen to stay in the Premier League, rather than to return to Championship side Birmingham City. The 29 year old is the youngest amongst the three potentials which could be a factor for the R’s to make an investment in the stopper. Foster still has a year on his contract at St. Andrews, and although the midlands club are prepared to let him leave they will demand a £5m asking price for their keepers services. Foster displays great distribution and would control the defence around him well at QPR which will greatly benefit the side who came close to relegation last season.

Yet it has also been previously reported that Rangers were prepared to launch a £3 bid for Aston Villa keeper Shay Given. However these rumours have died down since his performance for Republic of Ireland during their campaign in the European Championships demonstrating a lack of confidence between the posts. But with what we have witnessed recently with the signing of Ryan Nelsen and Andy Johnson, Mark Hughes appears to enjoy a good reunion, this could be an inherent factor of why Given should make the move down to the capital to join Loftus Road.

Finally Rob Green is also entered into the equation. The England goalkeeper, 32, is a free agent after West Ham refused to meet his pay demands and failed to agree a new contract. It is rumoured that QPR representatives flew out to the Euros to attempt to finalise an agreement with the England keeper. Although a good keeper day in, day out for the Hammers, many find it difficult to forget and forgive that disastrous mistake Green made during his international spell for England against the USA fumbling the ball into his own net from Clint Dempsey’s poor effort.

Foster appears to be the favourite amongst many R’s fans as he is the younger option and all round a very structured, organised and strong keeper. He would be a more valued keeper at the club due to his opportunity to serve longer for Rangers and is an experienced Premier League goalkeeper. Alternatively I believe that Rob Green is the favourites among the board members and would not be surprised if the club announce today that Green will stand his part between the posts for Queens Park Rangers next season.

Paddy Kenny played tremendous last season as he stood up to the Premier League stage after their promotion and took it on head first as a challenge. Kenny was a great attribute to QPR’s survival however Rangers need to look into the future of the club and need to establish themselves as a worthy facet to the Premier League and require an agile and buoyant keeper to stand foot in their team.

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Tweet me who you would prefer for the R’s @gmileham1

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You have to say it hasn’t been a bad start to the summer for Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite losing out on Eden Hazard he won the race to sign Crewe’s teenage star Nick Powell and completed the acquisition of Shinji Kagawa on Friday. After seeing rivals City nab the Premier League title in May the forthcoming season is huge for United after being knocked off their perch. Investing in youth once again indicates Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping to create a new dynasty at Old Trafford that will continue long after his impending departure. The 70-year-old has built and dismantled many a squad during his two decades at the reins but this has the potential to be the most exciting yet. Kagawa is a player described as being the missing link in attack whilst Powell has been dubbed a future England captain. Add into the equation the likes of Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Chris Smalling and Tom Cleverley and they have a strong Three Lions contingent aware of the United culture and customs. With Wayne Rooney as the spearhead backed up by the veteran trio of Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs the blend of experience and youth bears all the hallmarks of a Ferguson squad.

This week on FFC which winger is Ferguson targeting and could he be the direct replacement replacement for United’s Portuguese contract rebel?

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“This is a challenge I am really looking forward to. The Premier League is the best league in the world and Manchester United

 is such a massive club. This is a really exciting time for me. I can’t wait to meet the team and start playing.” Shinji Kagawa after completing his move to Manchester United

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Man Utd complete Kagawa signing

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Tottenham have been handed a massive boost as star winger Gareth Bale has signed a new contract with the north London club.

With Spurs missing out on Champions League football for next term and Harry Redknapp being dismissed as manager, a number of the outfit’s leading players have been linked with White Hart Lane exits.

With Barcelona seemingly keen to add the Wales international to their star-studded squad this summer, Bale has opted to extend his stay with his current employers.

After signing a new four-year deal with Tottenham, Bale has expressed that he wanted to be loyal to the club.

“I’ve been here for five years now and I’ve enjoyed every minute,” he told the side’s official website.

“The fans have been great to me and I’d love to re-pay them and do the very best for them. The club is progressing and I want to be a part of that, so it was great to get the deal done.

“I love the club and the fans and I want to play my part in trying to get us back into the Champions League – where we belong. We’ve a good, young squad and we need to work together to get back on the biggest stage again,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Roberto Mancini’s recent announcement that he will be seeking five new faces to complement his Manchester City squad may have come as little shock to distant onlookers now accustomed to the Premier League champions’ big spending reputation, but the extent of Italian’s recruitment drive is still surprising given the strength in depth at Etihad Stadium.

With so many talented players to choose from and a wealth of experience and skill at his finger tips, such drastic changes may seem difficult to accommodate but the need for constant improvement means the former Inter Milan boss must find new ways to develop his team in order to continue their rapid rise to prominence. While his side may have found their place at the top of English football, their squad is still bloated with overpaid fringe players eating away at the wage budget and the need to streamline their finances into a sustainable business model, while becoming powerhouses at European level, means their transfer activity is far from over.

To suit FIFA’s new Financial Fair Play regulations City must spend within their means and that leaves reducing their outlay as the only viable option if they are to continue attracting the world’s top stars. Enticing players like Robin van Persie to the blue half of Manchester is integral to their development but impending restrictions means they cannot afford to keep players like Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz in reserve if they are to afford continuous improvements. The club has already made strides to solve this problem by loaning out some their unwanted squad players and allowing the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge and, before them, Craig Bellamy to play elsewhere was a step in the right direction. Still, they have often had to subsidise part of the wage packets delivered by prospective buyers and as such have struggled to find a financial balance. Not only have they had to spend more than necessary but expensive failures like Adebayor and Bridge often end up returning because their wages are too excessive for the club that loaned them and a permanent deal is impossible.

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It means the best way for the club to move forward is to permanently offload their squad members and while this may be difficult given the majority their unneeded employees are overpaid, the end is nigh as most have now been moved on and the squad is looking more and more streamlined. If Mancini can do to Toure and Santa Cruz what he did to Bellamy and potentially Adebayor, then he will free up some room in his transfer war chest and can pursue his main targets without fear of reprisal from the bank manager. With billionaire owners in charge such concerns may seem unnecessary, but City must get used to sensible spending and cannot afford to keep excess baggage in today’s economic climate.

If such standards can be achieved then it’s essential that City start their transfer activity as soon as possible, otherwise they may lose out on their main targets. They can certainly attract top quality but if they delay for too long targets like Van Persie may be swayed by Italian giants or their bitter Manchester rivals. Despite the likelihood of City missing out on one player over financial concerns, the principle still remains as Mancini seeks for his reported five new signings. If said players are to be brought in then they will be of immediate quality and capable of improving the first team, so will cost a lot and be coveted by other top sides. In order to compete, City must be able to snare these players’ signatures while offloading their unused reserves and with the new season only three weeks away, they must step up their transfer activity if they are to get their business done in time for the opening day visit of Southampton. While a winnable home game against a newly promoted side doesn’t offer the greatest incentive to speed up recruitment, it’s still important to have the majority of business deals finished before the beginning of the league campaign. Not only are players eager to find new homes and could be snatched by a more organised rival, but they also take time to settle in, so the quicker new signings are brought in the better.

For a manager whose stock is especially high at the moment, Mancini’s responsibilities are just getting started as he seeks to repeat last season’s heroics and also improve on them. With increased expectation on his shoulders, City’s manager must get stuck in to his transfer dealings to keep his reputation improving along with his title winning side.

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Should Mancini speed up his transfer activity? Do Manchester City need 5 new players this summer?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

Tottenham have had a bid for Fulham playmaker Moussa Dembele accepted, Sky Sports claim.

The north London club are in the market for a creative central midfielder after the sale of Luka Modric to Real Madrid, and have identified the Belgium international as a possible replacement.

The talented all-rounder joined the Cottagers from AZ Alkmaar in 2010 for £5million, but it is reported that Spurs have had a bid of at least double this accepted.

Dembele was left out of the Craven Cottage outfit’s team that surprisingly lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night, paving a move to White Hart Lane.

It is reported that the player will undergo a medical with Andre Villas-Boas’ men on Wednesday, with Spurs looking to wrap up a deal well before this weekend’s home fixture against Norwich.

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Dembele has also been linked to the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the past.

By Gareth McKnight

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard delivered another decent performance for England mid-week against Ukraine, the late red card aside, with the contrast with his current club performances growing starker by the week. At times under Brendan Rodgers so far, he’s resembled a square peg in a round hole, but most importantly, can he adjust to the new system in place at Anfield?

Upon taking over the club from the sacked Kenny Dalglish in the summer, Rodgers had this to say on Gerrard, indicating a key role in the process: “I believe your senior players are vital and those particular two are the life and soul of this football club. They have been very important members of this group here for a number of years. I’m looking forward to working with everyone and having close relations with my captain and vice-captain.”

Nevertheless, Gerrard completed just 80 per cent of his passes in the team’s first game of the season in the 3-0 defeat away at West Brom, just 77 per cent against Manchester City, completing only 55 of his 71 attempted pass and it got even worse against Arsenal with just 69 per cent finding a team-mate.

Across his first three games in a red shirt so far in the league, Joe Allen has recorded a 94.7 per cent pass completion rate, while even Nuri Sahin on debut against Arsenal finished with 91 per cent despite looking a bit off the pace and rusty. It’s clear that Gerrard is at odds with the possession-based football that Rodgers is trying to implement at Anfield this term.

At the moment, the 32-year-old skipper is being asked to perform a role at the tip of a midfield three and to help support Luis Suarez higher up the pitch, but his wayward passing has contributed to not only his own form dropping off but the Uruguayan’s, as he continues to grapple with an almost chronic lack of service and support.

It’s not that Gerrard is unfamiliar with playing the role of supporting the lone front man, as he showed in tandem with Fernando Torres back in 2008-9 to the tune of a career-best 16 league goals as they were narrowly tipped to the title by just four points, courtesy of a couple of Federico Macheda shinners.

However, the demands of each role are clearly different and the starting position under Rodgers is about 10-15 yards further back; the result has seen Gerrard lost at sea between both lines and struggling to have an impact on the game. When he has done, though, it’s been a negative one, with his first-time pass on the break against Arsenal intercepted going on to lead to Lukas Podolski’s breakaway goal, providing a stern test for Rodgers’ patience and highlighting how at sea he is with his current role.

It’s not, as you may initially assume, that he’s been trying to play too many Hollywood passes, a criticism often aimed at Gerrard, or unrealistic through balls; Gerrard has lost that crucial yard of pace that set him apart from his peers in the middle of the park now and he’s taken on an altogether more reserved role for England to great success in recent times, with a starting position a lot deeper than than he is currently playing for his club, so he still has the ability to play deeper, even if it’s a bit of a waste.

He isn’t incapable of staying disciplined or playing a limited style of play, after all, he first broke through into the starting eleven under Gerard Houllier as an energetic holding man alongside Dietmar Hamann, but still, something clearly isn’t quite clicking at the moment.

It’s usually assumed that the older a player gets, the further back down the pitch he is pushed to compensate for his ever-decreasing lack of pace, but it would be interesting to see Gerrard as one of the front three at some point in the future, perhaps in place of Fabio Borini, with Suarez moved out wide and given free licence to roam.

Suarez usually struggles whenever he’s given a fixed position and he’s been at his best for both club and country in the past as part of a fluid two or three-man attack. His unpredictable nature isn’t exactly ideally suited to Rodgers methodical tactical plans, but he provides a spark when he’s on the ball, even if he has been hamstrung by his own poor first touch on a number of occasions already this season.

The club’s pursuit of firstly Gylfi Sigurdsson and then Clint Dempsey this summer should indicate that Rodgers has always had reservations about Gerrard’s ability to get up and down the pitch and perform the dual demands that the role requires, even if he still clearly has something to offer the side.

It’s worth remembering that despite an injury-disturbed campaign last term, he still struck five times in the league and set up a further six goals, which when you put into context the team’s struggles, is a very reasonable return by anyones standards and it feels a bit as if he’s been shackled by the tactical demands of the new system; like a coil waiting to unwind at a moment’s notice, clearly at odds with the swiss precision Rodgers is aiming for – there’s one for those of you out there that have a penchant for watch-based metaphors.

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With Joe Allen excellent since coming to the club, Lucas Leiva assured of a starting spot upon his return from injury and Nuri Sahin something of a transfer coup after signing from Real Madrid on a season-long loan deal, the side seem fairly well-stocked when it comes to players who occupy that space just in front of the back four.

It would be sad to see Gerrard retain his starting place in the side simply on status alone, with his form continuing to tail off. His positional future needs to be addressed sooner rather than later as it’s a major reason why the side are currently failing to provide any sort of goal threat; whether that means moving him forwards or backwards remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, Gerrard can’t stay where is right now, otherwise moves will continue to flounder and gaps behind him cruelly exposed.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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