A feast of football is upon us this afternoon with fixtures to whet the appetite of the neutral. Manchester United need to maintain their impressive record at White Hart Lane if they are to return to the Premier League summit, while a real six pointer takes place at St Andrews as Aston Villa look for a win to drag themselves out of the bottom three. King Kenny returns to Anfield for the much awaited Mersey derby, while Sunderland looks to avenge their 5-1 beating in the Tyne/Wear derby this lunchtime.

In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes Fergie hitting out at his critics; Capello in the dark about new coach and Grant fighting on as West Ham boss.

*

Grant lingers on at West Ham as prospect of O’Neill looms – Guardian

Dalglish aims for unity – Daily Telegraph

Barton: I’m the most in-form player in the country! – Mirror

Ferguson hits out at United’s critics – Guardian

Is Blackburn rookie Kean the Premier League’s first ‘sackproof’ boss? – Daily Mail

Capello in dark about new coach – Daily Telegraph

Van Der Vaart lifts the lid on his Real torment – Mirror

Baines: I was axed by England boss Capello outside Toys ‘R’ Us – Daily Mail

Ameobi feels the hate in unique game – Guardian

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Suárez tops Liverpool’s wanted list – Daily Telegraph

Tottenham line up €15M move for Giuseppe Rossi – IM Scouting

Arsenal boss Wenger priced out of move for Bolton defender Cahill – Daily Mail

[divider]

Fraser Forster is in the dark about his future at Newcastle. The giant keeper is on loan until the end of the season but Newcastle have an option to recall him in January. Newcastle’s first choice keeper Steve Harper hasn’t played since September after injuring his shoulder but was back on the bench for the recent 3-1 win over Liverpool. Harper’s injury has given Tim Krul the chance to establish himself with new boss Alan Pardew vowing to stand by the young Dutch keeper. Pardew has said…

“Tim performed well for me against Liverpool and made a couple of crucial saves and he has the jersey,” Pardew admitted. That is how it will stay until such time as Steve (Harper) has a bit more under his belt and Tim’s form dips, but at the moment he is OK. The policy is players will be picked on their contribution and not on reputation. That has to be the policy, because if I was a player here that is what I would want to see.”

Harper’s recovery from injury should leave Pardew with enough cover to see out the remainder of the season. Forster spent last season on loan at Norwich and would rather stay at Celtic than go back to St James Park for a three way fight for one place in the team. Pardew hasn’t spoken to Forster yet but the big keeper is hoping to see out his season long loan in Glasgow. Forster has admitted that…

“I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen to me. It depends on whether there’s another injury to a Newcastle keeper. I haven’t spoken to the new manager. He will be busy enough down there without thinking about me. I’ll speak to him soon. It has been a strange few weeks at Newcastle but nothing surprises me about the club any more. They’ve had something like 10 managers in the past five years.

“Chris Hughton was superb as manager and Paul Barron was a great goalkeeping coach. I’m sure both will go on to do great things.  I’m sure Pardew will also do well. He has brought in Andy Woodman as goalkeeping coach and I’ll be speaking to him too. I’ve met Andy before and he will have seen me play. He may have a say about my future. I’d definitely like to stay at Celtic until the end of the season. There’s nothing better than playing every week. I’m fairly happy with my form but it’s not really for me to say.”

Barring injury Forster will start the New Year in goal for Celtic against Rangers at Ibrox. The derby match is already looking like a defining moment for Celtic’s season. An unproven group of players have stuttered to three back-to-back home draws and face St Johnstone and Motherwell before their Ibrox test. Forster will be a vital player in Celtic’s immediate future, but where does his long-term future stand and will he return to Newcastle to fight for a starting spot at St James’ Park?

Article courtesy of Partner Site VideoCelts.com

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Thinking of backing Newcastle against Man City at 9/4?

Australia coach Holger Osieck credited his team’s compact structure as the foundation for their 6-0 Asian Cup thrashing of Uzbekistan.

With a place in the final of the Asian Football Confederation’s premier tournament at stake, a tight contest was expected in the semi-final between heavyweights Australia and an Uzbekistan side that had impressed throughout the competition.

But a one-sided match in Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium caught everyone by surprise, as Australia ran riot on Tuesday to book their place in the final against Japan and leave German Osieck delighted with the performance of his players.

“We had a brilliant game today,” Osieck said.

“The players put on a great show and performance. I’m full of praise and credit for them, what they did today was fantastic.”

“You can’t expect a result like this. We definitely wanted to win the game and go to the final but you can never predict the score.”

“The secret was the way we presented ourselves on the pitch. We were well structured, we had a great shape, we played high, we tried to create, Harry Kewell (who scored the game’s opening goal) had a great game and he’s had a great tournament so far but he’s not the only one.”

“All the other boys have done well and I’m very happy with the way our team has developed in the tournament.”

“The entire team works well defensively. We are very compact and the defence starts with the strikers, they close the opponents down and we are very well-structured behind them.”

“When the opposition dribble into midfield, they run into a wall. We win the ball and we play our game. It sounds simple but it took some time to get the structure together.”

“The more we play together, the better we become.”

Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov could scarcely comprehend the manner in which his side were comprehensively dismantled.

“Congratulations to Australia,” Abramov said.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Their win is historic but it’s a bad day for the Uzbekistan team.”

“The way we played today, I cannot describe it. We were prepared but we played badly, this is a big problem, we made too many mistakes.”

“Up until now, I believed that we could beat Australia and win the tournament. I don’t know what happened. After the second goal, we wanted to attack but we made too many mistakes at the back.”

Australia face Japan in the Saturday’s final after they beat South Korea on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the other semi-final.

Porto retained their 11-point lead in the Liga Sagres with a 1-0 win at home to Rio Ave, while Academica and Beira-Mar drew 3-3.

Wide midfielder Silvestre Varela notched the winner for Porto in just the sixth minute at the Estadio Dragao.

Rio Ave finished the match with 10 men after Brazilian midfielder Jeferson was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 82nd minute.

Porto’s win maintains their considerable lead at the top of the table and kept their unbeaten record this season intact.

They also have a game in hand over second-placed Benfica.

Rio Ave are third from bottom, just four points clear of the relegation places.

Benfica recorded a 2-0 victory over Vitoria Setubal as they continue the unenviable task of trying to haul in runaway leaders Porto.

Nicolas Gaitan, capped three times for Argentina, opened the scoring for Benfica in the 45th minute at Estadio do Bonfim and compatriot Franco Jara made sure of the win when he struck 12 minutes from time.

Vitoria’s third loss in their last five matches leaves them 13th, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Academica de Coimbra twice gave away the lead to draw 3-3 in a rollercoaster encounter with Beira-Mar.

Diogo Gomes put hosts Academica ahead six minutes in at Estadio Cidade de Coimbra but Libyan midfielder Djamal Bindi levelled for Beira-Mar.

Artur put the visitors 2-1 up four minutes into the second half.

Senegalese forward Modou Sougou equalised for Academica and Ghana international David Addy restored their lead in the 78th minute.

Not to be denied, Beira-Mar levelled again through Brazilian Leandro Martins with eight minutes remaining.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Elsewhere, goals from Carlos Fernandes and Paulo Sergio gave Olhanense a 2-0 win away to Uniao de Leiria

Goal-scorer Sergio was later sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 72nd minute.

Five minutes later, his Brazilian namesake Paulo Sergio was also sent off for a second yellow.

Nelson Oliveira struck with three minutes remaining to give Pacos de Ferreira a 1-0 win away to struggling Portimonense, while fourth-placed Vitoria Guimaraes were held 0-0 at home to Nacional.

The 2011 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken was launched on Wednesday morning at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon and marks the start of an exciting line up of events for football fans in Asia ahead of the Champions League Final in May.

The Trophy Tour was launched with an official handover of the famous trophy by UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador Graeme Le Saux to Heineken Ambassador Marcel Desailly, ahead of its two month journey across Asia where it will pass through the cities of Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kon Kaen and Seoul before ending its journey in Hong Kong in mid-April.

Heineken and UEFA deserve great credit in rewarding the football fans in Asia for their passion and dedication by exposing them to the most iconic and decorated trophy in European Football. In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marcel Desailly claims that he put his name to the Trophy Tour as he believes it is important to give something back to the fans who continue to give the Champions League it’s truly global and world wide appeal.

“It is a fantastic that UEFA and Heineken are looking to share with the people of Asia the magic of the Champions League. The competition and cup was so important for me, as a player, so I can only imagine how important it is for the supporters; therefore it is vital to give them this opportunity to see the European Cup”

Having played in three Champions League finals and a two time winner, we asked Marcel Desailly about the recent performances of two of his former clubs and what their chances are of Champions League success. Having been in Milan for the Tottenham clash at the San Siro, the night before, the Frenchman was still visibly disappointed at the performance of his former club and although he was quick to praise the display of the North Londoners – the wing play of Pienaar and Lennon in particular – he was just exasperated as to why Milan were so poor and had failed to show up on the night.

“Why I was pleased for Tottenham, I was very disappointed at the Milan display. They lacked movement, played far too narrow and created too much space which Lennon, Pienaar and Van der Vaart took full advantage of. I don’t know the reason why Milan performed like this but they missed the creativeness of Cassano out there. It was strange to see Milan like this, especially given the way they are playing in the league”

While Marcel was desperately disappointed with the Rossoneri, he also showed concern for Chelsea’s form this season, although he doesn’t believe it is time for panic stations at Stamford Bridge. Desailly believes that Carlo Ancelotti has been incredibly unfortunate with injuries this season, which has meant that the Blues have failed to establish the balanced shape that proved so successful last season; however Marcel refuted suggestions that Carlo could find himself under pressure over recent results as he proved last season with the domestic double that he is the right man for Chelsea football club.

“Chelsea are struggling at the moment as Carlo needs to find the right formula and shape to fit the players in. The team has had far too many injuries which has meant it’s difficult to find any consistency and when you lose your midfield like Lampard, Essien and Benayoun it is difficult as you have lost your protection of the defence and the link up with the attack. Yossi is a good player and Chelsea misses that playmaker in the team at the moment to feed the likes of Torres and Drogba, therefore the shape of the team isn’t right at present, but Carlo will get it right as he is tactically astute and he proved that last year with the double. Will they win the Champions League this season; I’m not sure as the set-up on the pitch isn’t right at present but Carlo Ancelotti will find the solution in time, he’s too good a manager not to.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Click here to find out more about the role that Marcel Desailly is playing in the Heineken Champions League Trophy Tour.

Inter Milan coach Leonardo believes the defending Serie A champions deserved more than a ‘strange draw’ at Brescia on Friday.The visitors escaped with a point at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti after Brescia captain Andrea Caracciolo’s late penalty was saved by Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.Samuel Eto’o had earlier put Inter into the lead in the 18th minute, before Caracciolo made the most of a dreadful defensive error by Inter substitute Ivan Cordoba to level the scores in the 85th minute. The drawn result temporarily narrows the gap between Inter and league leaders AC Milan to four points, though Milan will almost certainly widen it to seven when they host bottom-placed Bari on Saturday.A disappointed Leonardo said after the match he felt Inter had done enough to win at relegation-threatened Brescia.”We had many chances and there could have been a different result,” the Brazilian said. “In the first half we played as we expected to, we went ahead and managed the game well but in the second half we conceded a goal from a set-piece and that changed the game.””I’m not too keen on draws, this was a strange draw because we made a lot of chances and it wasn’t a typical drawn game.””But what we’ve done, 11 wins, one draw and two defeats, we’re doing great work.”

Aston Villa’s Australian central midfielder Chris Herd is closely monitoring the progress of his country of birth at the cricket World Cup.Australia play Sri Lanka in the one-day international tournament on Saturday at almost the same time as Villa step out at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium.Herd, who was given his first start as the Villains crashed out of the FA Cup with a 3-0 loss at Manchester City on Wednesday, has told the Villa website of his second love – cricket.Herd, who had previously made five brief substitute appearances this season, admits he was almost lost to cricket growing up in Perth. “Ever since I was a little boy I had a ball at my feet, kicking it around in the back garden,” he told the club’s website:”I got into football locally over in Australia and kept on playing. My dad coached me when I was younger growing up.””He was heavily involved in football and it just felt right and natural to follow in his footsteps.” “But I took cricket quite seriously, to be fair, back then too. I played a lot in the off-season while I played football in season. But it was never really a difficult choice because I always knew it was going to be football for me.””Cricket is obviously well known as a major sport in Australia but football is growing and getting bigger all the time and is one of the biggest and most popular in the country now.” “I did love playing cricket. I was a batsman.””I did a bit of bowling but my main strength was always my batting. But I always had my main focus on football. That never wavered.” “That was always my main goal. I always dreamed of being a footballer. “But I did love cricket too as a sport. It’s a good passion too now when I watch it. I don’t play it seriously. When I go home I have a bit of a knockabout with the boys but nothing too strenuous. “I obviously follow the Australian team and I will be following their progress in the World Cup avidly.””Whenever I’ve got a chance, I’ll switch the television on and watch it. I think we’ll win it – I’ve got a good feeling. We have a new team with quite a few young players coming through the ranks.” “It’s exciting times and interesting to see how they develop. A few of the older stars have moved on now. “If Australia can win the World Cup, Villa can move steadily up the league and away from the relegation issues and I’ve played a few more games in the process too, it would be brilliant.””It would be the perfect scenario.”

So, Miroslav Klose and Ruud Van Nistelrooy will become available for free at the end of the season. Tottenham, as they always are, have been linked with both of these players. Sure, this could be just another rumour-mill story where Tottenham are linked to add a bit of spice to the story. But realistically, should Harry Redknapp seek the transfer for one of these strikers in the summer?

Ideally, Spurs need a striker who can play in a 4-5-1 formation. But any experienced striker would not go amiss. Tottenham create enough chances, and just need someone to convert the simple ones. It is all well and good having a player like Jermain Defoe who can lash it in from the top of the box, but his composure in front of goal is much to be desired; he has shown this on more than one occasion this year.

Klose, 32, is a proven goal scorer at international level; 61 goals in 107 games. For his country he has scored countless times with his head. He would certainly be a more attacking target man than Peter Crouch. But he has not been prolific in domestic competition for the last two years. He has not been a regular in the starting line-up at Bayern Munich in this time and has only scored 4 Bundesliga goals, despite featuring in more than 30 games.

Van Nistelrooy, 34, on the other hand, has scored 11 Bundesliga goals in the last two years. He does not start every game either but it appears he is a more effective goal scorer as a substitute than Klose. He still has the knack for being in the right place at the right time and the composure in front of goal that Tottenham have lacked at times. But at 34 he is fairly old and unlikely to be able to start every game.

[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]

Both strikers are old and probably past their best. That doesn’t mean they would not be useful for a season or two. Klose might better fit the formation, but Van Nistelrooy is a more proven goal scorer. Importantly, Klose has not agreed a new contract with Bayern because he is not getting regular first team football. On the other hand, Van Nistelrooy has said he would be content to play on the bench. With this in mind I would choose the Dutchman over the German.

Just because these strikers will be available on a free transfer does not mean it would be excellent business. The problem is, both players are likely to ask for hefty wages at around 70k a week. Tottenham have a wage cap in place that stipulates only a certain amount can be spent on wages each season. In January, Harry said Tottenham could not get Rossi, Aguero or Forlan because they could not afford the wages. Surely the goal for Tottenham has to be to get and Aguero or a Rossi ahead of a van Nistelrooy or a Klose?

Is it worth using £70,000 of the wage budget on a golden oldie at the expense of getting that world-class striker who is going to want 100,000 a week? I think not.

If Tottenham can secure the signature of a top-class striker, and have a player like van Nistelrooy as well, they would be in dream land. But given Tottenham’s previous inability to afford high wages, I think this unlikely. A player like van Nistelrooy would be a great squad player to have at Spurs, but I think he would be an expensive squad player and a luxury that Tottenham could not afford.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Like this article? follow Joe on Twitter

[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']

Two La Liga titles, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League, one FA Cup and one Supercoppa Italiana; Rafael Benitez has a curriculum vitae that most managers dream of. Nonetheless, the Spaniard finds himself resigned to a self-enforced exile from football, after a turbulent and less than successful tenure at Inter Milan. In a matter of months, the Spaniard had surrendered Inter Milan’s 46 unbeaten home game streak and left Jose Mourinho’s treble winning side lumbering in sixth place in Serie A.

Throughout his managerial career, Benitez has suffered strained relationships with the boardroom. Rafa left Valencia after falling out with the club’s director of football over control of transfers, famously remarking “I was hoping for a sofa (a defender) and they’ve brought me a lamp (Fabián Canobbio)”. Furthermore, Benitez had a well-publicised falling out with Liverpool’s previous owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, again over transfer policy; tensions were high on Anfield and after a seventh place finish in the Premier League no-one was surprised to hear that Benitez had been sacked as Liverpool manager. True to form, Rafa’s downfall at Internazionale was orchestrated by his transfer demands and with owner Moratti refusing to publicly support him; Benitez ‘jumped’ before he was ‘pushed.’

Rafael Benitez has earned a reputation in English football as a hard man to please, with Steven Gerrard admitting that he longed for a “well done” after good performances. That, coupled with the fact that in less than four seasons Benitez had disposed of his Champions League winning side, apart from Anfield legends Gerrard and Carragher. Despite his ruthlessness, Rafa has often been praised for his tactical acumen, particularly on European nights. Despite this, the former Valencia man does have a tendency to accommodate his favoured 4-2-3-1 at the cost of players’ preferred positions, with Dirk Kuyt being deployed more as a right winger than the forward whom the club signed (and was clearly evident in the defeat of Man United a few weeks ago). This resilient defiance of anything other than his favoured formation can also be found in his love for zonal marking, which is constantly slated by pundits and was routinely suspect at times, especially during set-pieces.

[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]

The Premier League this season has laid down new ground rules for each team’s 25 man squad, in order to help develop the use of ‘home-grown’ players in the top flight. If Benitez was to return to management in the Premier League he would have to alter his values to accommodate the new rules. During his time at Liverpool, Benitez was criticised by fans for failing to support and develop local players such as Stephen Warnock, Danny Guthrie and Adam Hammill, who he allowed to join smaller clubs, a trait Benitez will have to change if he is to rejoin and succeed again in the Premier League.

All this being said and done, if Benitez were to return to the Premier League, where would he go? Gerard Houllier’s job at Aston Villa is supposedly under threat and Benitez would probably be keen to replace Houllier at the helm, just like he did at Liverpool. Still, Houllier is very similar in management styles to Benitez and this has reportedly created a tangible friction between him and the players and staff at Villa Park, so Rafa’s ruthlessness and strict tactical formation may well not suit the Aston Villa set up.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Overall, I think it is safe to say that there is only one manager the Premier League wants to see again and that is Jose Mourinho. Benitez left a bad taste in the mouths of those associated with Liverpool Football club and the Premier League after his reported £6 million pay off, a ludicrous amount even by modern day standards. The only positive this writer can personally see of Benitez’s ‘homecoming’ is to reignite his verbal sparring matches with Sir Alex Ferguson, because we all love a bit of manager ‘banter’ ahead of matches.

[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants his side to ‘gain parity’ with the Champions League’s biggest names – beginning this season.United have reached the European Cup final on four occasions – winning three times – but other powerhouses across the continent easily eclipse the Red Devils for their number of final appearances, namely Real Madrid (12), AC Milan (11), Bayern Munich (eight) and Liverpool (seven).

The boys from Old Trafford take on Schalke in the first-leg of their semi-final on Tuesday and Ferguson believes it was time his side stood up to convert their final-four showing – United’s 12th time at the competition’s stage – into a final berth.

“This is where we should be (in the final). The expectation has always been high with regard to the European scene and you do get envious of other clubs’ great record in Europe,” Ferguson said.

“We are trying to gain parity with that. You look at Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool.”

“We really need to progress quickly to get to that level and the present group have enough experience in Europe now.”

United’s trip to Gelsenkirchen will see the return of striker Wayne Rooney to the arena at which he was dismissed in the 2006 World Cup, but Ferguson said the 25-year-old was capable of putting the memory behind him.

“You have to put bad moments behind you. That is normal for any footballer,” he said.

“But good players create their own platforms in the sense of the importance of their performance.”

“Wayne, more than anyone, realises that performances are the thing that he will always be judged on.”

Ferguson said it was hard not to be nervous heading into the final-four stage of European football’s most illustrious competition.

“You always get apprehensive at this stage of the competition. Semi-finals are never easy,” he said.

“We had the same situation in 1999 when we played our semi-final against Juventus.”

“There was an apprehension in our first game at home that we released in the second leg.”

“When we played Barcelona in the first leg (three years ago) we got the result we wanted. But the last 20 minutes of the second leg were absolute agony.”