Midfielder Franck Ribery has hit back at former national coach Raymond Domenech for his attack on France’s World Cup squad.Ribery was a member of Domenech’s squad during France’s infamous player walkout at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.The French players refused to train in a show of a support for Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for a heated verbal exchange with Domenech during France’s loss to Mexico.Domenech, who was replaced by Laurent Blanc after France crashed out in the group stages, slammed the players as ‘brats’ for their part in the affair.But Ribery, who competes at club level with German giants Bayern Munich, has criticised the former manager for the timing of his outburst.”I don’t know why he says these things. I find it a shame,” Ribery told L’Equipe. ”The World Cup has gone, I don’t want to talk about Domenech anymore. I am very motivated to get back in the France team with a new staff and new coach.””In South Africa Domenech didn’t talk to us. He should have done it immediately, not only now. He should have said it to our face, it’s not good.”Domenech broke his silence over France’s World Cup disaster on Tuesday, saying he was unfairly singled out when blamed was being apportioned following the humiliating opening round exit.”Everyone is talking instead of me. I want to restore the truth. I’m not the moron that people are describing me as,” he told L’Express.”Let’s be clear: I got it wrong, I mustn’t have chosen the right players nor found the words that were needed.””With hindsight, I see them mainly as a bunch of foolhardy brats.”
Lorient central defender Laurent Koscielny is desperate to leave France and join Arsenal this summer, according to the player's agent.
The highly-rated 24-year-old has only been with his current club for one season, but would like the chance to try his luck in England next season.
Agent Stephane Canard told France Football:"French and foreign clubs have shown interest. Among them, there are the Gunners.
"It is difficult to not listen to someone like Arsene Wenger when he is attracted. Any player is tempted to work with him.
"Lorient's officials want to get an eight-digit fee and negotiations have started. With some bonuses, we are not that far away.
"One year ago, coming to Brittany was a real sporting choice. During last season, German clubs showed interest, but it didn't go any further.
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"Now it is different as the season is over. Without being critical of Lorient, Laurent is 24 years old and has others ambitions.
"He recently called his chairman and coach to tell them he absolutely wants to join Arsenal."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
In the 21st century, football is a sport that is driven ferociously by the national media with breaking stories and latest scandals bringing in the big bucks for newspapers, television companies and websites. With this clamour for a story that will jump to the public’s attention footballers are now being approached to be interviewed and offer their opinions on matters that should – at times – be kept behind closed doors.
In a recent video interview, Fernando Torres placed the blame for his dreadful form and goal-scoring record at Chelsea on the shoulders of his supposedly ‘slower’ teammates. Whilst there is no disputing that Torres might actually have a point, it seems illogical to voice such grievances in the press instead of keeping it ‘in-house’. With social networks like Facebook and Twitter also becoming home to the musings of footballers these days, is it right that these players are allowed to speak as freely as they do? More to the point, why do footballers have so much to say these days?
I’m pretty much expecting the argument of ‘they’re human beings and should be allowed freedom of speech’ to follow. Whilst I agree partly with the fact footballers should be allowed to speak their mind and have opinions like everyone else, their words carry a truckload of significance in both the lives of fans and others in the footballing sphere – not least, in this instance, Torres’ ‘slower’ colleagues.
Like Joey Barton before him, Torres has gone about airing the displeasure he holds with his teammates the completely wrong way. Unlike Barton, who took to Twitter when he decied to rant about Newcastle’s owner Mike Ashley and ended up becoming the most talked about footballer in the country, Torres spoke to the official La Liga website and is now insisting his words weren’t translated accurately. Regardless of whether the interview was interpreted incorrectly, and and regardless of whether what he said was taken out of context, he still shouldn’t have openly criticised his teammates in the first place. But why did he do it? Frustration, attempting to shift the blame? Or something more sinister?
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One thing that is for certain is that footballers are becoming more vocal in the written press and online, and in my opinion the amount of power they now hold in the game is the root cause. Fame and fortune have risen considerably along with the level of disrespect that players now seem to have for their clubs. Some are more concerned with keeping their name in the headlines and having their share of the limelight than anyting else.
Torres’ outburst comes just a matter of days after he was benched by manager Andre Villas-Boas for Saturday’s win against Sunderland, pushing him out of the Stamford Bridge spotlight. Would he have uttered the same words if he was still in the starting 11 or am I just clutching at straws? It’s just a theory, but I think it’s valid to say that players are now starting to come out with more controversial quotes in an effort to remain in the spotlight and garner attention towards themselves. Players know that journalists and fans will put whatever they say under fierce scrutiny and debate, keeping them relevant – whether it’s good press or bad.
Players like Torres who earn millions of pounds a year seem to have adopted a ‘no-fear’ approach when talking to the press. What do they need to worry about if they get fined or reprimanded further by their club? They earn a more money in a week than most will in a year. Some blame could be attached to the media who, in their line of questioning, could subtly coax out the responses that they know will bring in the sales for their employer. Then there is the argument that footballers should be wiser and more intelligent in how they handle certain questions and the way they answer them so not to cause controversy. People may say there is no way of telling if a footballer is being incredibly naïve or extremely astute in what he is saying during an interview.
My view is that footballers go into interviews knowing what they are going to say. They are embroiled in a perpetual crusade to remain firmly in public glare and free themselves from the risk of sliding perilously into insignificance. They feed journalists with the juicy material which they know will be splashed all over the front pages giving them prime exposure and keeping them fresh in the minds of the public.
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There’s been many crazes at Old Trafford over the years, moo hoodies, upturned collars, clear plastic mackintosh’s, green and gold scarves, the list is endless. One craze that seems to be gathering momentum of late is the idea of blaming a certain Darron Gibson every time United put in a below-par performance.
It seems regardless of how other players perform if young Darron’s on the pitch then it’s surely his fault that United haven’t played as well as they could and he deserves to be chastised accordingly. The disappointing results against Rangers, West Brom, Birmingham and more recently the poor performances in the first half against Blackpool and Southampton were blamed by many on Gibson.
Take the draw at home against West Brom for example, Gibson entered the fray with United 2-0 up at the end of the first half when Ryan Giggs picked up a knock. Cue lots of ranting and laying the blame squarely on Gibson’s door as surely if he comes on when United are winning and then they draw- it’s obviously all his fault. Such fallacies of logic are commonplace when it comes to analysing the impact of Gibson.The game against Blackpool was the same with many citing the introduction of Giggs in Gibson’s place as the games turning point. This is actually true but it wasn’t Gibson who was the only poor performer in a United shirt in that first half at Bloomfield Road, there were other more experienced players who were equally as bad.
A quick glance at the stats for this season will tell you that Gibson has one assist and no goals in eight EPL games, however a more in-depth look will tell you that of those eight games- only three were starts- and he was subbed in two of those. In the Carling Cup Gibson fared a little better with a goal and an assist in just two games.
While those stats hardly make you drool with excitement at the prospect of Gibson’s next United appearance they do tell us that the term ‘stop start’ would be something of an understatement for the midfielder. Playing less than 1/4 of United’s games is hardly enough to give any player either the run or the confidence they need.
Part of the problem for Gibson has been his penchant for shooting at almost every opportunity- so much so that ironic shouts of “shoot” echo around Old Trafford when he gets the ball anywhere near the opposition penalty area. Yet Gibson has risen above many other United prospects-arguably due to his reputation of packing a decent long-range shot. Last season was a case in point, when his long range efforts against the likes of Spurs, West Ham and Bayern Munich seemed to cement his reputation as someone who could score from distance. Unfortunately for Gibson those goals, haven’t been forthcoming in his brief appearances this time round and he’s struggled to convince many of the Old Trafford faithful of his value to the team.
Here-in lies part of the problem, Gibson has had no real run in the side, yet is expected to show his worth when he does play so what does he do? He tries to score from long range efforts, yet when he fails it merely convinces everyone he shouldn’t be in the team, it’s a bit of a catch 22. If Gibson was given a decent run then there’s no doubt his shootig would improve and the goals would come, yet with Anderson, Scholes, Fletcher, Carrick and even Giggs all standing in his way then his chances are limited to say the least.
It’s not as if Gibson is a bad player- following his goal against Bayern Munich last season – I’m sure I wasn’t the only United fan eating a bit of humble pie after questioning his inclusion in the team that night. Sir Alex obviously rates him otherwise he wouldn’t have picked him for such an important game and he wouldn’t have kept him in the squad this season.
I’ll be honest and admit at times, I’ve questioned why Fergie persists with him but as I’ve learned over the years, the United manager is seldom wrong when it comes to deciding who’s good enough for the side and even I’ll confess that there are times when Gibson looks as though he could give United a different, useful option in midfield.
Some people have compared him to Paul Scholes and suggested he could replace him one day which is grossly unfair. Not only is Scholes one of the greatest midfielders of all time- that may sound over the top but I whole-heartedly mean it- but he’s a different type of player to Gibson altogether. Gibson may shoot from range, which Scholes does- or used to do a lot better than anyone- but other than that I can’t see too many similarities.
Gibson is no Paul Scholes, but there’s no shame in that- after all Michael Carrick is no Roy Keane and we don’t expect him to be.
The point I’m making is that it’s time to get off young Darron’s case and realise he’s not the root of all evil. You can almost feel the contempt some United fans hold him in at times and it reminds me of the way a certain Bulgarian was treated by some not a million years ago.
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At United I’ve seen players such as Berbatov, Anderson, Fletcher, Carrick and Jonny Evans all come in for harsh criticism over the past few years and by and large they’ve proved their detractors wrong.
Gibson may not be perfect but as long as he dons the Red shirt I for one will be getting behind him, you never know with a bit of support he may even surprise us all.
Read more of Justin Mottershead articles at the NEW Red Flag Flying High
Bayern Munich right-back Joshua Kimmich impressed and scored in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the defender, rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt.
The 23-year-old has been in impressive form for the Bundesliga champions this season, and he has scored five goals and provided a further 17 assists for the German giants in 42 appearances in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho may well be looking for a new right-back this summer as it is quickly becoming a problem position for him, with Antonio Valencia getting no younger and being criticised by his own fans on Twitter for his displays.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on Kimmich’s latest display via social media, and while one said “give Bayern whatever they want”, another said “Kimmich to replace Valencia please”.
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Another season of Europa League football beckons for Tottenham after missing out on the top four once again, but while this comes as a disappointment to the club there has certainly been one major positive they can take from the campaign.
Harry Kane has shot to fame after a terrific season with Spurs, and his contribution to the side has ensured they can still finish as high as fifth thanks to his 20 league goals.
A worthy winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year, Kane also took his place in the Team of the Year alongside Diego Costa, something very few would have predicted at the beginning of the season.
Unsurprisingly after the season he has had, one which has seen him become the first Spurs man since Gary Lineker to reach 30 goals in all competitions, there is already rumours of a possible exit from White Hart Lane.
Reports last week suggested Manchester United were keen on signing the 21-year-old striker as they look to strengthen their squad in order for a title push next season, and could offer as much as £45m for the England youngster.
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And although this may come as a tempting proposition, Kane must forget about a move this summer and focus on kicking off next season with Tottenham once again.
The club are sure to stand firm as they look to hold onto one of their star assets, and for the striker himself he is currently at the best place to continue his development as a Premier League footballer.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that this is Kane’s first proper season at the top level and he didn’t really get his chance in this campaign until November. The dreaded second season syndrome awaits him from August and in order to really prove himself as one of the top strikers in the country he has to deliver on a consistent basis once more.
It will certainly prove more difficult given the pressure on him to perform and he will now become a player defenders will be keeping an extra close eye on given his exploits this season; again making it more difficult for the young star.
But unlike those teams above Spurs, the club can guarantee him regular first-team football, and to have this at a club with European aspirations at such an early age is exactly what he needs.
We’ve seen plenty of examples of players who have moved on too quickly to Champions League sides, only to find their career stalling as they are offered limited opportunities on the pitch. And this is something that could happen to Kane were he to join United, particularly with the amount of options they have upfront.
A new contract would at Spurs would take care of any wage issues, and from then on he should focus on improving and helping Spurs to improve on this season’s points tally.
Playing on a weekly basis under Mauricio Pochettino will not only allow him to do this, but also give him the best chance at making the England squad for next summer’s European Championships.
Continue on this upward curve over the next two or three seasons, and then he can start thinking about a move to a bigger club where he can fulfil his aspirations of lifting trophies, and he’s certain to have plenty of offers.
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We’re seeing with Raheem Sterling the amount of negative press coming his way as his contract saga rumbles on, and Kane, as he is doing, has to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen with him.
He’s at a great club where the fans love him, and with the opportunity he has to play on a regular basis as well as compete in Europe once again next season, he would be foolish to leave Spurs at this early stage of his career.
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.
For so long this season, Manchester City looked unstoppable under manager Pep Guardiola, but the last week has changed perceptions.
There is not much doubt in the Cityzens’ title bid considering that they have a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with six games left to play, but three defeats on the trot have raised eyebrows.
City were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday night by Liverpool 5-1 on aggregate.
Guardiola’s men were undone in 31 minutes at Anfield in the first leg last week due to goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane.
In the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, City had a sense of renewed hope when Gabriel Jesus scored inside the first two minutes, but Liverpool defended well and nabbed two away goals.
In between those outings, the North-West outfit squandered the chance to secure the league title due to a 3-2 defeat to neighbours Manchester United.
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Bernardo Silva, who signed for the club last summer, was one of the more impressive players for City on the night, but he was unable to change the course of the game.
After the final whistle, the 23-year-old, who has struggled for regular game time this season, took to Twitter, and received a warm response from the fans.
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is failure. A kick up the arse is often the best remedy for under-performance. And under-performance is certainly what we’re seeing from Manchester City.
They’re like the kid at school who gets an A in his GCSEs, but in the first module of his A-Levels he gets an D.
It hurt, and it was unexpected, but that was the best thing that could happen under the circumstances. Because it was such a shock to his system it made him work hard, he knew then that he couldn’t just drift without trying and still get a good grade.
A disaster is sometimes the best medicine, but only when it doesn’t lead to all-out catastrophe. So long as you aren’t knocked out, you can come up off the mat and fight on.
And Manchester City are still fighting. Sort of.
They were under pressure after the Manchester derby. Liverpool were closing in on them for the final Champions League spot and given City’s form, it looked possible that they’d not even make the Champions League at all this time around.
But Liverpool have faltered and City have pushed on somewhat – even if they were lucky to beat Villa last time out.
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Yet they’re still under-performing. Even the last two wins have been poor from the Champions’ perspective. They were lucky to beat Villa – they were even lucky not to get beat. And they still have Spurs and Southampton to play. On current form as well as on motivation, you’d have to fancy the Europa League chasers over the deposed Champions.
Yet this might just be the shock to the system that Pellegrini’s men need. They’ve been poor all year, right from the start, but they were right in a title race up until fairly recently. They somehow managed to keep the pace with Chelsea up until New Year’s day when they were neck and neck, dead level.
They’ve since realised what our school kid realised, however. They realised they can’t just coast through a season and win the league at the end of it. There are fresher, better-performing teams who can win it instead. They’ve received some sort of shock, but if they finish in an automatic Champions League spot they won’t truly have learned their lesson.
Coming fourth would be that extra kick for City. It wouldn’t be an all-out disaster, they’d still finish in a Champions League spot. So their finances, prestige, and that all-important co-efficient rating shouldn’t be affected – unless they lose that too.
Coming second or third would be better of course, they wouldn’t have to qualify. But maybe in this case, after the disappointment of this season has sunk in, City will realise that they need to be ready right from the off in August.
And the best way to get City to do this is by forcing them to play two very important matches before their season actually kicks off in earnest.
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City have been guilty of coasting through this season. But if they finish fourth as punishment for their sin, they’ll have to be up and running early next season, and that’ll build momentum. And we’ve seen what City can do with they build momentum – they’re almost unstoppable when they’re on proper form.
So although it would be a huge disappointment for City to finish fourth – and they look like they might manage second or third at the moment – it might just be what they need to have a great season next time around.
A kick up the arse would do them the world of good. It won’t have Father Ted style repercussions, but it’ll help long term. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is failure.
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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