Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert bemoaned his side’s defensive showing as they slipped to a shock Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Bradford.
The Premier League outfit were expected to overcome the Bantams at Valley Parade, but found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.
All three of Bradford’s goals came from set pieces, much to Lambert’s displeasure:
“I’m really disappointed we lost the game, we are in a game now, that’s for sure.” He told Sky Sports.
“We knew what was coming – set-pieces – and we never defended them well at all. That’s definitely what’s hurt us but that’s certainly not good enough.
“We had a lot of the game and yes they were set-pieces but set-pieces are a vital part of the game and you’ve got to defend them. We didn’t do that.”
However, the former Norwich boss was upbeat about his team’s chances of booking a place at Wembley, but insists that they must up their game in the return leg at Villa Park:
“But it’s half-time and we’ve got time to retrieve this. We’ll see what happens in a fortnight’s time.
“We know what we’ve got to do and we’ve certainly got to do a lot better than that.”
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Nahki Wells, Rory McArdle and Carl McHugh netted for the home side, but Andreas Weimann gave the Midlanders a potentially important away goal.
Spanish giants Barcelona will make an audacious bid to sign Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany in the summer, according to the Sunday Mirror.
The La Liga leaders want the sign the City captain to replace club legend Carlos Puyol who is coming to the end of his illustrious career at the Nou Camp.
The 26 year old Belgian defender has arguably been City’s best player over the past two years, but a possible season without any silverware will have affected morale in the camp.
It would take an astronomical bid from Barcelona to lure City into any negotiations and it is unlikely that Kompany would force through a move away from the Etihad.
Chelsea’s hit and miss centre back David Luiz is also on the shortlist to replace Puyol at the Catalan club and the Brazilian stopper may be available after a slow season in the Premier League that has seen him fall down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
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Mario Gotze has hinted his long-term future may be away from Borussia Dortmund with Manchester United one of his preferred choices.
The 20-year-old is one of the hottest properties in German football and scored his fifth international goal for Germany in their 4-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday night. Gotze has been in impeccable form since returning from a January 2012 hip injury. With a rare combination of pace, creativity, and technical skill, the young winger has been attracting attention from Europe’s top clubs
The youngster has enjoyed another excellent season with Dortmund despite the fact that they are some distance behind champions-elect Bayern Munich and has netted 8 goals in 24 Bundesliga appearances.
Although happy in his present surroundings at the moment, the talented schemer is clearly keen on a move abroad in the future. He did sign a long-term contract with Dortmund last year, but seeing Shinji Kagawa leave for Manchester last year might persuade him to leave.
“Clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United are attractive, and playing in another top league would shape me and help me develop as a player,” he said.
“But I’m not thinking that far ahead at the moment. I’m happy in Germany and am delighted with the way things are going. Anything else is still a long way off.”
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed last week that mercurial midfielder Andrey Arshavin will be leaving the club at the end of the season, but amid links with Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze, isn’t it about time that in order to try and bridge the gap on those above them, that they splash out on a genuinely exciting name that could be the envy of the rest of Europe?
With four wins on the bounce in the Premier League against Swansea, Reading, West Brom and Norwich, four games which the club would always expected to have picked up at least 10 points from, Arsenal all of a sudden look guaranteed to make the top four again this season, with an easier run-in than both Chelsea and Tottenham between now and the end of the campaign. Should they go on to secure Champions League football for a 17th successive season now, it makes them a much more attractive proposition and better off financially than many initially feared was possible after the north London derby defeat in February at White Hart Lane.
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This near-death experience from a footballing perspective should serve as a cautionary reminder that Wenger needs to spend more in the market to have an impact at the latter stage of the term. The last time the club made a splash in such a fashion was the purchase of the 31-year-old Russia international back in January 2009, but a move for Gotze could prove to be a real signal of intent and a mark of the club’s ambition for the future; they haven’t shown too many of those lately.
It’s not a coincidence that reports that Arsenal have things such as a ‘£70m transfer war chest’ in the summer to spend happen to always come out around the same time that season ticket renewals are on the agenda after yet another disappointing season. Being treated to such inconsistent and frustrating fare for the highest ticket prices in Europe will only be furthered by the promise of something at the end of the rainbow, with many crying out for Wenger to finally invest heavily in the squad.
Having spent approximately £53m this season on the likes of Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Nacho Monreal and Santi Cazorla, but after the big money departures of both Alex Song and Robin van Persie to bigger clubs before the season began, that still just takes their net spend to around £9m. The needless penny-pinching ways have to stop if they are to make giant strides in terms of their league performance, otherwise they’ll simply continue to bang their heads against that glass ceiling to the top two.
The main problem that the club has faced in recent years has been not replacing departing players with new faces of the same quality – after Cesc Fabregas left, Mikel Arteta was bought, Giroud and Podolski were added to the squad to make up for van Persie’s exit, while Gervinho has done a ropey job of replacing Samir Nasri. The balance of the side is heavy in certain positions and light in other areas and needs addressing, but this flawed and constrictive approach has coincided with the club finding it more and more difficult to achieve their aims and compete at the top level. A move for Gotze this summer could change all of that.
The issue is whether Wenger, becoming increasingly zealot-like on the subject of Financial Fair Play, will dig deep into the club’s pockets and sanction such a deal. The one thing going in Arsenal’s favour is that for the first summer in the last four years, they don’t have a top player looking to leave to try and win silverware elsewhere, having been cherry-picked by vultures all too regularly. Jack Wilshere remains the crown jewel, and he may one day move elsewhere, but they’ve got him for the foreseeable future and it’s a sad indictment of the lack of potentially world-class players at their disposal.
Instead of treating this as something to be negative about in the long-term, though, it could be used as an opportunity to build from a position of strength, which is what they’ll be in if they make the top four. Arsenal remain an inconsistent beast, held back to some extent by the constrictive fiscal policy of the board, but on the topic of Gotze, given what he could bring to the side and his potential for the future, it’s a no-brainer.
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Spending money is always fraught with risks, but after identifying such a talented player, if they manage to pluck out a Champions League qualification place in a season where so much has gone wrong for them, they should allow themselves this luxury; for a club obsessed with the cost of everything and the value of nothing, the fans at least deserve something to get excited about for a change.
Shay Given admits he must quit Aston Villla to get back into the Republic of Ireland squad, but has denied asking for a pay-off.
The 37-year-old said over the weekend that he intends to leave Villa this summer after spending the season playing second fiddle to Brad Guzan.
Given has three years left on a lucrative five-year contract he signed in 2011 when he joined from Manchester City and will have to take a pay cut if he is to find another club.
His £60,000-a-week wages mean that the remaining value of his contract is over £9.3m, but Given has denied reports that he will negotiate a £5m pay-off to get off Villa’s books.
“It’s a relief to think about moving to a club where I can play first-team football, because I found it hugely frustrating sitting on the bench for most of the past season,” said Given.
“Ideally, I’d like for that to be with another Premier League club, but nothing is guaranteed I suppose. I just want to be able to prove to people that I’m still a good goalkeeper.”
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There could be interest in taking him on loan from several rival Premier League clubs but Villa chief Paul Lambert is keen to reduce his wage bill and the preferred option would be a permanent departure.
Tottenham have lit the fires of this summer’s transfer window in England with one of the best deals so far. Sure, there isn’t much of a comparison in terms of spend to what Manchester City paid for Fernandinho, but the former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder’s compatriot could be viewed as the better deal of the two, with Spurs more than getting their money’s worth for Paulinho.
We’ve been over this before with Andre Villas-Boas and his preference for a three-man midfield, and despite failing to secure Joao Moutinho either last summer or this year, the Tottenham boss will be more than happy with a midfield that is shaping up to be one of the best in the Premier League.
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The trio of Paulinho, Sandro and Mousa Dembele is one which combines, power, drive, a degree of creativity, and a near-impenetrable shield ahead of the back four. It’s sometimes overlooked but Spurs could have Brazil’s World Cup midfield pairing, although Luiz Gustavo will have something to say about that.
It’s an enormous surprise that no other team in the Premier League even appeared to be in the hunt for Paulinho. Manchester United could certainly have done with his services, while the Brazilian is an obvious upgrade on John Obi Mikel in the Chelsea midfield. Fernandinho caught plenty of attention during last season’s Champions League, but how much will Manchester City rue the choice of taking him over Paulinho? (Perhaps not too much if Fernandinho makes a smooth transition; they’re not struggling for cash.)
A point worth considering, however, is how much this will impact the other midfield names at Tottenham. Lewis Holtby was brought in last January as a player who is best suited to the position behind the striker. Over the long term, the German could end up further back in the midfield and add even more creativity among the two Brazilians. Yet that may take some time and the drawback to any of this will be in allowing Holtby to adapt to a slightly altered position on the pitch. The team’s need for pace on the flanks would negate his need in either of the wide positions over the traditional options available to Villas-Boas. Much of the same can be said for Gylfi Sigurdsson, who is also best played in an advanced midfield role.
For Tottenham as whole, though, this should be viewed as another outstanding acquisition, and one that more that affirms the club’s status and ability in European and world football.
The additions of Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen will do a lot for Tottenham’s ambitions moving forward, as both players are more than capable of turning out for some of the biggest and best teams in Europe. The signing of Paulinho shows that last summer’s business was no fluke, and although it may have been difficult for some Spurs fans to see the merits of Dembele and Lloris in particular last summer, it just adds to the growing reputation and ability of the club, both on the pitch and off.
In terms of what Tottenham are capable of next season, the addition of Paulinho will help to make up plenty of ground as they chase a top four spot. For those who caught some of the Brazilian’s performances at the Confederations Cup, there were obvious flashes of brilliance. He will be an asset at both ends of the pitch for Tottenham.
On the transfer front for the remainder of this summer, the capture of the Brazilian will just act as a signal to some of Europe’s very best who are yet to decide on a possible offer from Tottenham. That includes a couple of strikers from La Liga.
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How important will the signing of Paulinho prove to be for Spurs?
Liverpool have been pragmatic thus far in the transfer market, uncharacteristically so in a way. Now it’s time for more of the same.
In the short term, the club may believe it to be in their best interest to hold on to Luis Suarez for as long as it takes – and that could mean so they don’t sell to Arsenal, or until Real Madrid come in with a bid worth considering. Over the long term, however, the Suarez saga represents a shackle preventing the club from continuing to strengthen and brushing away the dust from previous failed transfer outings.
Similarly in the argument against Arsenal signing Suarez, what good does it do for a club who finished seventh last season to keep hold a their star player who can’t play until sometime in late September/early October? The battle could be as good as lost then, by which time what does it matter if the Uruguayan comes back, scores a mountain of goals and gets his transfer next year? Don’t we just write this coming season off? Unless, of course, the Europa League is to everyone’s fancy.
And I’m still beating the drum of the fact that Suarez isn’t the only striker in the world capable of doing what he does. He isn’t the end of the road for Liverpool, just in the same way Fernando Torres wasn’t. The club are in transition – that hellish phase that normally amounts to a lack of serious excitement in the transfer market – but it’s the way football works, and it’s certainly the way it works when you make such unforgiveable mistakes with a sizeable transfer budget.
But who cares if it’s £35 – 40 million? The likelihood is that Liverpool are not going to get much more than that because the market dictates the price. In this case, there are only two reported clubs interested in the player. One, Arsenal, are said to have bid £40 million, but Liverpool, rightly, don’t want to sell domestically. Why then would Real Madrid bid even higher? The La Liga club are sitting pretty knowing that a want away striker is likely to fall into their lap because the selling club don’t want to sell to a league rival, even if their bid is a little higher.
So here’s the thing: Liverpool can remain resolute, fight the battle for the underdog in another David vs. Goliath transfer saga (though are Arsenal to be considered a Goliath? I’m not so sure), or they can get rid for a reasonable price – because £35 – 40 million is a good price for almost any world-class player – and restock and rebuild accordingly.
This is just another occasion where the whole thing about “no player is bigger than the club” is taking a hammering. Every Liverpool fan now, I’m absolutely sure, will support the line that the club comes first. But how much good will it do to keep Suarez for a protracted period of time just to make a point? It’s easy to forget that Liverpool could come away from all this looking like the better of all three (or four) parties. Civil war is breaking out among Arsenal fans over Suarez; the media in Madrid can and likely will slaughter the player if he pulls one of his tricks in Spain; all the while Liverpool get a healthy cash injection and replace smartly.
And that’s the end goal, to break into the top four this season or get as close as possible to continue the ascent the following year. Based on what we know now, Suarez is most certainly not going to be a part of it. There are strikers in Europe who can do a lot for Liverpool now and who look to the prospect of playing in the Premier League over the Champions League. Even Suarez himself was signed when Liverpool couldn’t offer Champions League football.
Remaining strong in the face of unsettled players and circling giants will only be of benefit for so long. Was it worth Tottenham’s effort to draw out the Luka Modric saga last summer, by which time they had little opportunity to bring in adequate replacements for that specific position? There is still a month and change left for Liverpool to carry on in this diligent fashion. Why scupper that over a transfer fiasco that only has one outcome?
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Should Liverpool draw out this Suarez saga or get rid quickly?
We all know that World Cups are where the best players from all over the world can come together and show case their talents, exceeding expectations and doing their fellow countrymen proud.
But every now and then a new star is born at a World Cup, one who was almost unheard of before hand but instantly becomes the name on everyone’s lips as he fires his country to World Cup glory (or almost).
There have been some gems that have come out of World Cups in the past. Most have gone on to become superstars within the game, while others enjoyed their moment in the spotlight before fading away in to the darkness, never recreating their World Cup heroics.
Click on Roger Milla below to see the top FIVE top arrivals on the World Cup scene.
Manchester United look set to blow all their near rivals out of the water with the announcement of a new money spinning sponsorship deal. The Manchester giants are closing in on a £300m deal with American manufacturers Nike. The negotiations were first revealed by Charles Sale’s Sports Agenda at the start of September. And the five year-deal, which The Sun report is set to be announced on Friday, will more than triple the annual amount they receive under their current contract.
This all comes after the summer in which Premier League rivals Arsenal announced their new deal with Puma, one that now looks set to be eclipsed. Did the gunners sell themselves short?
It is easy to be a little influenced by the current league standings, indeed in footballing terms of late Arsenal have definitely been a class above. For fans that envisage Arsenal returning to the big time, the announcement that United can still draw upon so much more will surely frustrate.
But this isn’t some financial blunder by Gazidis and co, it is something that makes a lot of sense. When a company like Nike sponsor a club they aren’t backing them to win the league, they are trying to get the best exposure for their brand. In world sport there are few bigger clubs than Manchester United, and this is just a harsh reality that teams like Arsenal have to accept.
United are able to draw upon the biggest fan base in the world, mass audiences in places like Asia and America with everyone trying to get their hands on that famous shirt. The appeal of Manchester United won’t be lost overnight, and their value to sponsors is still very much intact for the time being.
Arsenal’s £30m a year deal looks pretty miserly compared to that of their Manchester rivals, but in world terms it is a significant piece of business. Only Chelsea and Real Madrid can say they have bigger kit deals, and for a club like Arsenal who don’t have the same global appeal or trophy haul, I would actually suggest it represents an impressive piece of business from their perspective.
Arsenal are a club on the verge of something big here, and if their potential can be converted into silverware then they will be able to battle with United on the financial playing field. Until then they are going to have to accept that they are one amongst a number of other big clubs that are playing for the still sizeable leftovers.
So when Arsenal turn out with Puma on their famous shirts it shouldn’t be with any sense of failure at all. Gazidis has ensured that Arsenal have the financial muscle to compete with the very best, and they have a deal which gives them an incredible platform for the future.
Earlier in the season, Thierry Henry, a guest on Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League group game away to Napoli, spoke about the need for partnerships on a football pitch. The Frenchman was obviously drawn into a discussion about Mesut Ozil and he went on to compare the German with former Gunner Robert Pires.
Arsenal’s win against Hull on the weekend gave fans a reminder of what this team were like in the early stages of the season. The returning Ozil not only complemented Aaron Ramsey, who himself returned from a long layoff the game prior, but provided options all over the attacking third.
The point of Ozil isn’t to add too much defensively, and in turn it isn’t to label him a luxury player. The German gives this Arsenal team purpose and direction, of which they’ve been completely lacking for the past six weeks.
He built a strong partnership with Ramsey in the midfield, working to bring others into play. If Ramsey is the engine, tying the midfield and attack together, then Ozil adds the artistry and invention. The opening goal by the Welshman was excellent and evidence of the importance of both midfielders. Ozil was forced wide but turned back on himself and played in Santi Cazorla, who put Ramsey through on goal.
What has been crucial in the pair’s recent return is the production of Lukas Podolski in front of goal. The former Bayern forward may not be the quickest or the most mobile, but he will thrive off the service of others.
Once again, there are partnerships that come from this. Arsenal have been without a consistent goal threat during the second half of the season. What they haven’t lacked is a player who can score goals, as Podolski has shown, but rather someone who can work with him in the final third.
Ozil’s intelligence sees him drift about the pitch in search of openings and points where he can shift the game, either in tempo or direction. Even with Ramsey, Arsenal need Ozil to offer that intelligence to their play. He’s always an option for the other midfielders, who often looked as though they weren’t sure what they ought to be doing. Arsenal’s game needs a runner like Ramsey, as well as Podolski to finish the chances. But it requires the ingenuity of a player like Ozil for the attacks to be put into motion.
Going into the final four games of this season, Ozil will prove vital. Time and again the topic of confidence comes up with Arsenal, and the playmaker will offer that in abundance. We may not be seeing goals or direct assists (second assist may be the fitting term), but the lift Ozil has given this team is enough to merit his £42 million price tag. No other player in the team can get Arsenal playing the way they did against Hull.
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Of course, it’s not to discredit the player on the other end of the pass. Ozil needs runners like Ramsey in order to be effective. But with both now back in the team and having picked up where they left off, suddenly Arsenal’s end of season doesn’t look so daunting.