Tim Krul and Fabricio Coloccini could play for Newcastle in the Europa League after stepping up their returns to fitness.
Krul has been on the sidelines since he picked up an ankle ligament injury in the first leg of Newcastle’s Europa League win over Metalist Kharkiv last month but is now closing in on a return and could make the quarter-final clash with Benfica.
The Dutch stopper took to Twitter to break the good news of his return and it will give boss Alan Pardew a big lift ahead of a crucial run-in to the season.
“Completed my first full training session today with the lads,” Krul revealed. “Buzzing to be back on the pitch. Proper freezing out there.”
The game against Manchester City will come too soon this weekend but there is a chance he could make the Benfica game and the same can be said of Coloccini following a back injury.
The Argentina defender returned to his homeland for a spell while he recovered from the injury but is now back on Tyneside and could be fit for the first leg against Benfica in Lisbon.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Diving, or simulation, is becoming a growing problem in football today. With all the money involved in the modern game, the fact that players are still getting away with cheating to win penalties, free-kicks and even red cards for their opponents is a sad state of affairs.
But the reality is that it may never be completely eliminated from the sport. That could be because there are certain ‘professional divers’ who appear to get away with it time and time again, fooling the referee.
So with that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE of football’s worst divers…
[ffc-gallery]
Click on Ashley Young to reveal
[/ffc-gallery]
[ad_pod id=’survival’ align=’center’]
Luis Suarez
As divers go, Suarez is one of world football’s biggest culprits. He dives so regularly that it almost becomes an accepted trait of his world class ability. I say that lightly because, as much as it’s a normality to see the Uruguayan dive and it rarely comes as surprise, he has benefited from it on so many occasions.
Tony Pulis has been very outspoken in the past about how Suarez should face a ban for his simulation, although Suarez himself has denied such accusations.
But the proof has been there for too long and Suarez has been found out on many occasions. It is a worldwide view that, if he were to cut out his diving, he would be one of the beautiful game’s most complete players.
[ad_pod id=’survival’ align=’center’]
Gareth Bale
Since his world-record move to Real Madrid, we haven’t had the opportunity to see him diving as often as he was in the Premier League with Tottenham.
The season before he moved to Spain was arguably his most prolific as a diver, as well as a goalscorer. He defended his actions by claiming that he was merely getting himself out of the way to avoid serious injury.
In some cases that may have been true, particularly in the case of Stoke’s Charlie Adam who clattered Bale on a number of occasions in tackles that looked like they were intended to injure the Welshman.
Bale is an exceptional player and some teams in the top-flight may have felt they needed to get him out of the game in order to have a chance of beating Spurs, but that still doesn’t justify his regular attempts to fool the referee.
[ad_pod id=’survival’ align=’center’]
Ashley Young
The Manchester United winger is arguably one of the worst perpetrators of the art of simulation.
He has been regularly criticised by fans and fellow professionals alike over the years, many claiming that he would be a more effective winger if he tried to remain on his feet.
Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to him about his behavior during his tenure at United, and then David Moyes did the exact same thing, publically condemning Young’s cheating.
It remains to be seen whether Louis van Gaal will do the same, although the question can be asked of Young’s United future should LvG take the Old Trafford hot-seat.
[ad_pod id=’survival’ align=’center’]
Cristiano Ronaldo
He might currently be the best player in the world, but with that comes a dark side. A side that somewhat tarnishes his reputation.
When he’s not wowing the crowd, scoring sensational goals or throwing tantrums, he can normally be found rolling around on the floor in ‘agony’ after a tackle that consisted of minimal, or no contact at all.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
He is the master of simulation, regularly getting his own way on the pitch. With his speed and ability, you’d say he was best placed to argue he’s public enemy No.1 for the opposition, but does that mean he has to dive every time anyone gets near him?
[ad_pod id=’survival’ align=’center’]
Didier Drogba
Chelsea fans will know all about Didier Drogba’s love of simulation, even if they refuse to admit it.
The Ivorian became a Chelsea legend for the goals he scored for the Blues during his time there, but for the rest of the Premier League he was more known for his diving and deceit.
He managed to win countless penalties for going down way too easily in the box and became a target for everyone other than the Stamford Bridge faithful.
That said, and I’m not defending him in anyway, he was very good at it. Very good.
AZ Almaar manager Gertjan Verbeek has encouraged star midfielder Adam Maher to join Arsenal if he decides to leave the club, Metro reports.
Maher, rated at £8.5million, has been one of the standout performers in the Eredivisie this season and his impressive form was rewarded with a first cap for Holland in the defeat to Belgium last August.
PSV Eindhoven have already registered their interest in acquiring the 19-year-old, who has five goals to his name this season, this month with the Moroccan-born teenager making no secret of his plans to leave the AFAS Stadium.
And Verbeek believes Maher’s potential would be better nurtured under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger and urged him to consider waiting for the Gunners to make an approach.
“I think Arsenal would be a good environment for him,” he said.
“Under Arsene Wenger, these young talents have often improved. I think he [Maher] is very good and can grow there a bit like Robin van Persie.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Wenger is apparently looking to do some late business in the Premier League transfer window and has been linked with a surprise bid for Defensor Sporting forward Diego Rolan.
Reports in France claim the North London club have submitted a £6m offer for the 19-year-old, who is also being chased by Bordeaux as a replacement for the recently departed Yoan Gouffran.
Make sure you do your Tax Return before the 31st January, click here now
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini shouldered the blame for his side’s shock Champions League defeat against Ajax.
The Premier League champions slumped to a 3-1 loss away in Amsterdam, which leaves their chances of advancing beyond the group stages in the balance.
Despite a lacklustre display from his side, Mancini took responsibility for the result:
“I think they played better than us, they played better football,” he said to SkySports after the game.
“Probably, it is my fault because I did not prepare the players well for this game and I am at fault for the defeat.
“I thought in one way and it was very different and probably for this reason (we lost).”
The City boss also confessed that getting into the final 16 will be problematic:
“I think that it is very difficult (to qualify), very difficult.”
The Citizens took the lead early on through Samir Nasri, but a Siem de Jong effort on the stroke of half-time levelled the scores.
Ajax then took the lead in the second period through defender Nikolas Moisander, before Danish starlet Christian Eriksen completed the scoring.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The defeat, coupled with Borussia Dortmund’s win over Real Madrid leaves City some way adrift of the top two slots in the group.
The Manchester club will host the Dutch side in their next European game.
This season, Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe has been in incredible form, and has already nearly matched his Premier League goal tally from the year previous. For once at White Hart Lane, the England international has been given the credit his talent and track record deserves, with Andre Villas-boas clearly viewing Defoe as his main man and even left the club’s new signing Emmanuel Adebayor dwelling miserably on the bench for the first stretch of league games at the beginning of the campaign.
The Portuguese gaffer has played down talks of a January spending spree, telling reporters before in the days before Christmas: “[Levy and I] spoke about the January situation and the eventuality that we could look to strengthen the squad to be better. What came out of those conversations was that our level of focus is not to do a lot in January. We feel comfortable at the moment. Our squad will become big even in terms of numbers with the return of injured players. I believe that they will give us an extra edge. I am not ruling out any situation in the market, but at the moment it looks unlikely.”
Despite the hesitant attitude towards bringing in new recruits, Spurs have been linked by the tabloids with a number of the January bargains, including Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wesley Sneijder, Willian, Christian Eriksen, Fernando Llorente and David Villa. The gossip begs the question – would a new arrival who plays upfront unsettle the in-form Defoe?
Well, it of course depends how AVB is planning to set-up his team. The Tottenham coach has favoured playing Defoe alone up top for the majority of games so far this season, but more recently he has succumbed to the wishes of fans who want to see Adebayor playing either next to or just behind him. Ever the tactician, AVB’s tinkering largely depends on his opponents and who’s available to him. But going forward, Tottenham strike me as a 4-5-1 team due to the fact that their main assets are their wingers – Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. So should another front man be brought in come the New Year, it is likely Defoe will have to accept becoming part of the rotation or at the least will not feature in every game as he has so far this season, bar a single fixture.
It would be hardly a new experience for Defoe. In fact, being rather unjustly considered as a third or fourth choice striker has bizarrely been a common feature of his career, especially during his time in a Spurs jersey. Despite often appearing as a substitute, the 30-year-old has managed to consistently score at least ten goals a season in the league for the majority of his career, and has also hit the onion bag on a regular basis in the cup competitions. Should Tottenham sign a new striker, it is unlikely Defoe would suffer in terms of scoring goals. Whenever he plays his potential to score is obvious, and if his role in the first team diminished it would be safe to assume he would return to his old ways of providing a strong contribution of goals for a cameo player.
But this season especially makes you wonder just why the former Spurs bosses have never given Defoe a prominent role in the Starting line-up and assured the England man he is an important part of first-team plans. Well, Defoe’s physicality, or lack of it, makes him tactically less advantageous than many of his counter-parts. Similarly, he is a goal poacher and nothing more. Especially in his earlier career whilst he was still learning his trade, if Defoe failed to score his inclusion seemed somewhat pointless. His natural greed, which I do not judge him for considering his ability to finish, also mean’s the 30-year-old’s game can be somewhat direct and one-dimensional, and he’s certainly not known for his assists.
Should Tottenham even be in the market for a new striker anyway? As a strike force, Defoe and Adebayor rate highly compared to many of the other Premier League clubs competing for fourth spot, and even Chelsea, who are considered to be part of the title race or at the least a dead cert for third place, would probably swap their lackluster pair of Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres for the two Spurs front men. But apart from Defoe and Adebayor, there are no out-and-out strikers in the Tottenham squad. Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele are both capable of playing there, but should there be an injury crisis it would be difficult to rely on either for regular goals and the latter footballer has a crucial rule in the Spurs midfield. Similarly, Defoe, Adebayor and Dempsey are all into their peak years now, and bringing in a younger forward and keeping the future in mind would not be the worst move from AVB.
Whether Defoe would take it to heart is the real concern. I do not doubt he is a professional and, although confidence is a factor in every player’s game, I don’t believe it would severely affect his performance. But, it would be a difficult blow to take should Spurs bring in a new man, especially if it were a high-profile striker such as Huntelaar. As previously mentioned, Defoe has been dismissed as a first-choice player for years, despite his goal record, and this season appears to be somewhat redemption for the England man. If he were displaced by AVB, it would be further confirmation that there is some mystic underlying flaw to Defoe’s game that mean his positional rivals will always be a better choice than him.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
So would Defoe suffer, in terms of performance and maintaining his prowess in front of goal? Probably not – Defoe has proved throughout his career that given enough game-time, he will score goals. But, to flip the debate on its head, would Tottenham suffer? Most probably – “don’t fix what ain’t broken” as my mother used to say back when she was a plumber.
If you dust off the history books or simply tune into The Premiership Years during those long summer evenings, you will see great goals, former heroes and the dodgy haircuts of yesteryear. However, what else you will find are the names of some of the personnel that make you cringe with embarrassment. Yes, those players whom were signed with great anticipation yet fell at the first hurdle to bring any sort of progression to your football club. Some transfers are doomed from the start; plain and simple.
Whether suffering from a big fee or simply knowing they aren’t good enough in their new surroundings, the following players might be reaching for the ‘Tip Ex’ to erase their stints at their respective clubs off their CV. Their ill-fated moves will be remembered not for prolific goal scoring, wonder strikes and man of the match performances but instead for all the wrong reasons. Arriving against the wishes of the gaffer, errors of massive proportions and even mistaken identity all have their place amongst the following ten transfers.
Let us take a look at the ten Premier League transfers that were indeed; doomed from the start.
Click on Tevez and Mascherano to unveil the top 10
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is satisfied with his team’s start the season, but believes there is more to come from the reigning Premier League champions.
The citizens sit in third place, four points from league leaders Chelsea. However, they are yet to recapture the form that won them the title last season.
The commanding centre-back insists that all is going to plan. “We are exactly where we wanted to be, second or third place and there are still a lot of games to play. We are just getting through them.
“It’s already positive for us to pick up so many points when people say maybe we didn’t play our best games, but I think we have to be happy with the results”
The Belgium international, who got on the scoresheet against Scotland in midweek, knows City can play better and senses another good season.
“There will be moments where we will really switch it on.
“If we can still step it up, it’s going to be a great season for us again.”
Kompany has been struggling with a calf injury this season, an accepts some of his performances haven’t been at the same level as his fantastic form last year. “I’ve always been good. It’s just that we set such a ridiculously high standard last season that people are expecting a lot.
“That’s fair enough, I’ve got no problem with that. I just keep working hard. I never really change my vision of the game, I always try to give my best.
“I just look at the league now and we are in a good position. We’ve done what we needed to do and we’ve managed to keep ourselves at the right place” said the Belgian defender.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Manchester City travel to Hawthorns at the weekend to face in-form West Brom and will hope to close the gap on first place Chelsea.
“Chelsea are obviously doing great at the moment. We never said it wasn’t going to be a tough season” added Kompany.
Everton boss David Moyes is hopeful that Marouane Fellaini will not be sold in the upcoming January transfer window, but admits he isn’t 100% sure of that.
Fellaini has been the stand out player for the Toffee’s so far this season and with help from his six goals from midfield, the Merseyside club are sitting pretty in fourth place going into today’s clash away at relegation threatened Reading.
Moyes has seen top players such as Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell sold when big offers come in and the Scot believes Fellaini will require a similar sort of price tag.
“We’re going to be very expensive because he’s such a good player,” Moyes told Sky Sports.
“We don’t want to lose him – that’s for definite. I don’t think we will – certainly not in the short term.
“I can understand. I’ve been here over 10 years, I’ve always worked hard and will continue to do so.
“I’ve got a great relationship with the chairman Bill Kenwright – I speak to him every day – and when the time’s right we’ll sit down and see where we’re going to go.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Tough-tackling Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong has ended his three year tenure at the Etihad Stadium by joining Serie A side AC Milan, according to The Daily Mail.
The fee for the Dutchman is thought to be in the region of £3.5 million. City boss Roberto Mancini accepted that he felt that de Jong needed to gain some regular first-team football: “I am sorry because Nigel was an important player for us but if he is happy, I am happy for him. I am sure he will do really well in the Italian championship.”
De Jong, who joined Manchester City from Hamburg in 2009, expressed his delight at joining one of the biggest clubs in the world, “Milan will be competitive – both in Italy and in Europe. It is a fascinating club with a great history. After having experienced the Manchester derby, I will now get to experience the Milan derby.”
De Jong had made an impressive start to his Manchester City career and became renowned in the Premier League for his hard, dismissive style of play, becoming labelled as “the lawnmower” by his adoring fans.
However, in the last couple of seasons de Jong has fallen out of favour with manager Mancini and has often been limited to appearances from the substitute’s bench of late. As a result de Jong has made just 37 Premier League appearances in the last two seasons for City.
De Jong is expected to go straight into the Milan side for their away trip to Bologna tomorrow night.
You can follow all the deadline day deals on our live blog right here
Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis was disappointed with the way in which his side defended during Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, reports Sky Sports.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his return to the Arsenal first team with two second half goals, and ended Palace’s hopes of three consecutive Premier League wins.
The result saw Pulis’ team slip to 17th place in the table, and the former Stoke City boss was quick to bemoan his side’s defending for the first goal, as well as their inability to take their chances.
Cameron Jerome wasted arguably the chance of the game, having a free header saved by Woijech Szczesny in the 51st minute.
“We’ve been to Man City, Chelsea and Tottenham, and I didn’t think we created as many chances today as we did in those games,” Pulis said after the game.
“The first goal was a poor, poor goal. Two players have been caught with their body positions in poor positions and they get a runner off the back.
“Once they get the first goal, you’re up against it but having said that, a couple of minutes later we’ve had our best chance and if Cammy (Jerome) scores then, it might have been a different game.”
Palace take on fellow Premier League strugglers West Brom at Selhurst Park next weekend, and Pulis is hopeful the new signings and injury returnees can push his side towards three crucial points.
“The spirit, commitment and togetherness of the players is brilliant and we can bring a couple more players into it now, which will help us,” he added.
“Joe Ledley is a good passer of the ball and keeps things ticking, but he’ll also score a goal. We need that.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Glenn Murray isn’t far away either, he’s going to have another game on Monday and we need goals in the team, no question of a doubt.”