Brazilian midfielder Paulinho has confirmed that he is close to a dream move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The Corinthians ace has been an integral part of the Brazilian Confederations Cup team and is set to finalise a move to White Hart Lane after the final against Spain.
Paulinho has also claimed that both Gareth Bale and Andre Villas-Boas will remain in North London after constant speculation over the past few weeks.
The 24 year old scored the winner for Brazil against Uruguay in midweek and is fully focused on the Confederations Cup despite finding time to say he would not be able to turn down a deal to Tottenham.
“It is important for the team and the Brazilian fans that at the moment all my focus is on winning the Confederations Cup – but after the tournament is finished I hope it is a deal that can get finalised quickly,” Paulinho said.
“To play in England for a great team like Tottenham is a dream. What I respect about Tottenham is the ambition they have shown.
“This summer there has been interest in their coach and their best player (Bale) – and they have been clear they both are not going anywhere.
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“When my agent made me aware that Tottenham were interested I knew it would not be a move that I could turn down.”
Before Manchester City’s 2012 triumph at the Etihad Stadium with Yaya Toure, David Silva and Kun Aguero, back in the 90s the Citizens were trying to get the best out of every season with Georgi Kinkladze, Niall Quinn and BT Sport’s newest European Football Analyst Uwe Rosler.
I went to meet the 44-year-old at the BT Studios in Stratford where I also got to meet Spurs and Newcastle legend David Ginola along with television presenter James Richardson. They both looked very happy to be part of the BT family especially Ginola who firmly shook my hand with a big smile on his face.
The time had finally arrived for me to meet the Premier League legend who arrived at Manchester in 1994 and served for four years where he amassed 152 caps and scored 50 goals. Now he is expected to analyse the Bundesliga while juggling his responsibilities with Brentford as club manager.
“I have a natural interest in the Bundesliga since I’ve been there and played there and I obviously want to follow up the league,” he told me.
The former East Germany international obviously has to go back and forth from Manchester where his family lives and so sometimes he needs to stay in London for the Bees’ Saturday fixtures. On Sunday he works at BT Sport and on Mondays he prepares for the Tuesday fixtures in League One, still an easier schedule than David James’.
However the Bees are playing on Monday so Rosler is expected to impart his knowledge regarding the Bundesliga this Saturday where Schalke will be taking on the German and European champions Bayern. The German seems to be eyeing last season’s treble winners as the favourites for this match and considers new manager Pep Guardiola as a big factor.
“Obviously Bayern have the new manager with totally new ideas. He’s challenging his big-name players. He likes rotation and players playing in different positions, for example Lahm was used in centre midfield and Muller as a centre forward.
“Obviously the players follow his philosophy and know that by working for such a successful coach as Guardiola their own game will benefit from that.”
He names Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben as two of the most important players that adopt the Spaniard’s philosophy but points out that Manchester City’s Champions League opponents will need time to reach their full potential.
As a former centre forward himself he believes that Bayern definitely have the edge up front because they are unpredictable possessing a number of ways to attack, whereas Chelsea’s Champions League opponents Schalke are the opposite – with only Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Adam Szalai up front.
Nevertheless he argues that it is not only the striker that makes a good squad: “In my opinion, as a manager, you need quality in both boxes. When you have a very good goalkeeper, two good centre halves and very good defending in the box as well as one or two strikers that can decide games then I think you can go a long way.”
Bayern will definitely be a tough nut to crack for City but the 44-year-old believes that both clubs will make it through even though the whole group poses threats.
“They (Manchester City) started with a win which was the first time in the last two years and the group is nowhere near as strong as the one last year. It will be tough going to Moscow, playing on different grass and the cold temperature abroad won’t be easy.”
He hopes that his former club will challenge for the Premier League title, although he believes that the defence relies too heavily on Vincent Kompany.
The former Southampton player also gave his thoughts on David Moyes, telling me that he believes the Scot is a fantastic manager and a very good replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson who can build a legacy at Old Trafford. However he will have to add his own philosophy to the club which might take some time and could give City and Chelsea the edge in the short term.
Rosler described his fellow countryman Mesut Ozil as a “very crucial signing” for the Gunners and added that Spurs have put a fantastic squad together thanks to Andre Villas-Boas’ ability to help his new players adapt quickly at their new club.
As for the best players in the Premier League, BT Sport’s newest analyst admires Aguero in top form but has also been very impressed with Liverpool’s striker Luis Suarez.
“He is a fantastic player. He not only scores but his overall performances were very impressive by the way he occupied defences. He demolished them many times as well. He doesn’t need aid to score goals; he just does it on his own.”
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Although he is now very focused on coaching Brentford, as well as working with BT, he did share a few of his fondest memories during his time at the Citizens and pointed out that his first 18 months at Manchester were the most memorable.
“The best game was when we beat Spurs 5-2 but I was injured so I was just watching it. I think the FA Cup game where we played Manchester United was fantastic in terms of atmosphere, it was a special game.
“My first season was very special as I scored the most goals in the league for the club.”
Watch BT Sport’s exclusively live coverage of Schalke v Bayern Munich on BT Sport 1 from 5.30pm on Saturday 21 September. Each matchweek at 6.45pm on BT Sport 1, Sunday Night Football covers the game across the continent.
Pep Guardiola’s personal touch since moving to Bayern Munich is noteworthy. Having had the option of the Javi Martinez-Bastian Schweinsteiger double pivot that formed the base of the Bavarians’ conquering of German and European football, Guardiola chose instead to install Philipp Lahm, a 5’7 full-back, as the team’s pivot instead.
How will Guardiola top what Jupp Heynckes did last season? Well he’s on the right path to doing so. No team in the modern history of the game has retained the Champions League, and in Bayern Munich, there is a team ready and able to retain all three of its trophies of last season.
The point is, dynasties, much like Pep’s Barcelona, take years to assemble. Even those teams who have been successful on the title front need tweaks to stay at the top. Yes, Bayern have spent lavishly on two of the brightest midfield talents in Europe, but tactical shifts have and will be as much of a deciding factor as Thiago Alcantara and Mario Goetze.
For Arsenal, it may not have been too easy to see the making of a team capable of winning domestic silverware, especially the Premier League title. The star names were streaming out the door, seeking and eventually landing title success at Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United. But the replacements, while not equals – with the exception of Mesut Ozil – are combining for a stronger, more dynamic force.
Look to Manchester City and the four years it took them to win the Premier League, despite millions shelled out for some of the leading names in European football. Manchester United, too, went through something of a renaissance following Jose Mourinho’s dominance at Chelsea, choosing then to lean on younger stars in Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
Arsenal’s problem in the past is that while they had great players in Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, the good never outweighed the mediocre. Instead of leading a good team onto great things, players like Fabregas were forced to carry those who were deemed passengers. One of Arsene Wenger’s great failures as Arsenal manager is his inability, for one reason or another, to help his better players achieve silverware.
The midfield is the most important. No one, perhaps not even Wenger, saw Mikel Arteta as Arsenal’s pivot when he made the switch from Everton in 2011. There’s no doubt that on occasion Arsenal have needed something tougher, sterner and far more defensively resilient in the midfield – a position now held by Mathieu Flamini – but a lot of Arsenal’s good work over the past two seasons was built on Arteta’s discipline and ability to keep the ball moving. Again, and much like Guardiola’s view, it’s about tactical and technical ability over brute force and power.
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As individuals, many in England will be quick to point out the flaws in each of the members of the Arsenal squad. Per Mertesacker is too slow, Laurent Koscielny isn’t physically imposing, Olivier Giroud isn’t world class, Wojciech Szczesny has too many lapses in concentration. Even Mesut Ozil has received his critics, something about being nothing but a lightweight from La Liga. Ironic, seeing as Juan Mata seems to be adored throughout the country. Mata stands at 5’8, Ozil at 5’11.
What many fail to acknowledge, however, is the strengths of each individual and how they make the current Arsenal team a far more likely title-winning outfit than in previous years. No longer do the team have a problem at centre-back; it’s now a modern centre-back pairing who are able to complement each other.
But title-winning teams don’t always need to be littered with world-class talents. There’s an obsession, too, in this country whereby players need to be backed by a large transfer fee in order to be considered ‘good enough.’
Look to Juventus and the shrewdness of their transfer dealings. Andrea Pirlo picked up for free, Andrea Barzagli picked up for less than half-a-million pounds, Arturo Vidal for £11million, and so on. It’s about supplementing the good that you have to a great effective. Alongside the obsession with transfer fees, there’s also an inclination to pick and choose when a club has been clever in the market. Santi Cazorla, for example, perennially overlooked; Christian Eriksen deemed a masterstroke at a similar price.
Arsenal, like those who have built their squads organically, have had to take the long, winding road to reach a point where something concrete starts to take shape. There have been long-standing figures in the team such as Bacary Sagna, Theo Walcott and of course those who came through the academy, and yet in hindsight, the additions made over the past three summer windows have looked smart buys –at least those who have stayed on.
It’s one thing to get carried away by a run of good form, but it’s another to accept that there is something taking shape at the Emirates. Above all, it’s a return to the style of football that had become so famed under Wenger. Of course, it may not show a trophy this season, but following the addition of Ozil and even Flamini this summer, the squad are looking well rounded and far more complete. With the exception of names like Nicklas Bendtner, whose continued presence shouldn’t be taken in hand with the rest of the squad, there are no longer any obvious passengers in the Arsenal team. No Gervinho or Andre Santos; no striker in Marouane Chamakh who is completely bereft of confidence to perform.
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Arsenal are still very much on the road to building an undeniable title-challenging team – another striker and a defensive addition, as well as some form of management for the overwhelming injury list are priorities – but the build is extremely visible and a far cry from the panic buying that many have chosen to label a number of Arsenal’s recent acquisitions.
Is Arsenal’s title-challenging squad starting to take shape?
Roy Hodgson has been dealt a huge injury blow, ahead of England’s World Cup campaign, with the news that Theo Walcott will be sidelined for at least six months with a knee injury.
The Arsenal winger picked up the injury during Arsenal’s 2-0 third round FA Cup win over Tottenham on Saturday and scans showed that Walcott has in fact ruptured his ACL.
The Official Arsenal website states: “Theo has sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.
“He will have surgery in the near future and is expected to be out for at least six months, thus missing the rest of the season and the World Cup.”
Walcott, 24, has been capped 36 times by England scoring 5 goals.
An earlier injury this season caused Walcott to miss England’s last two World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland with Tottenham’s Andr0s Townsend deputizing for him on the wing.
Walcott and Townsend were expected to compete for the right wing berth under England manager Roy Hodgson.
The Arsenal man made his debut for England at the tender age of just 17 years 75 days against Hungary back in May 2006.
However he has not featured in a World Cup despite being a surprise pick by Sven Goran Eriksson for the 2006 edition. Poor form caused Fabio Capello to leave him home during 2010 but Walcott re-established himself under the Italian to be picked for Euro 2012.
The injury is a major blow for club and country. Arsenal, who sit atop the English Premier League, are disappointed having just had the Englishman return from a stomach problem last November.
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The Arsenal website continued: “Everyone at Arsenal wishes Theo a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him back on a football pitch as soon as possible.”
Arsenal face Aston Villa at Villa Park this weekend who beat the Gunners on the opening day of the season.
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.
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“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.”
With all of the hype and anticipation surrounding his arrival at Barcelona, Neymar has had an underwhelming start to his career in Spanish football.
Such has been the Brazilian’s recent indifferent form that questions over his continued selection have been posed by the Spanish media to manager Tata Martino.
Two goals in the Catalans’ recent victory over Celta Vigo doesn’t disguise Neymar’s recent struggles. In the latest edition of ‘El Clasico’, the Brazilian was largely a passenger. Despite winning a penalty, the forward looked lightweight and indecisive in possession before being substituted in the 69th minute.
Not that the Brazilian seemingly has to worry about his place in the side. In a pre-match press conference before ‘El Clasico’, when asked about the player Martino responded: “I will reaffirm what I have said many times that Neymar is one of the top five players in the world.
“I don’t think it will be long before people stop talking about him like just another player because he isn’t,” the manager added.
Neymar’s arrival in European Football was eagerly anticipated. Publicly courted by most of Europe’s elite clubs for several seasons, the Brazilian eventually opted for a move to Barcelona. YouTube videos of Neymar’s various goals and skills for Santos divided opinion and prompted discussion before he had even arrived.
Comparisons with Real Madrid’s world record signing of Gareth Bale were inevitable. Both attackers arrived in Spanish football in the same window with huge reputations and for similarly astonishing fees. Despite all of this, both have also been forced to play second fiddle at their new clubs with Cristiano Ronaldo’s and Lionel Messi’s respective supremacy.
Scrutiny over Neymar’s performance at Barcelona has not been aided by this comparison. After a slow injury-affected start to the season, Bale has shone in the Spanish capital with an impressive ten goals and eleven assists in La Liga so far. Rather than displacing one another, the Welshman has managed to complement Ronaldo in Real Madrid’s attack.
Neymar’s statistics actually make for pretty good reading, having recorded nine goals and eight assists to this point. But the Brazilian has been outshone in his attacking output not just by Bale but several of his own team-mates. Alexis Sanchez has seventeen goals to his name whilst Pedro is not far behind with fourteen.
In the build-up to ‘El Clasico’, Sky Sports Guillem Balague represented the view of many of those in the Spanish press in expressing his surprise that Neymar had been selected ahead of Pedro.
It doesn’t bode well for one of the alleged top five players in the world that he has been convincingly outscored by a number of his own team-mates. Concerns still remain as to whether Messi and Neymar can effectively function together whilst still performing to their respective maximums.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian, his exploits in his debut season have been overshadowed by the revelations of his transfer. Club President Sandro Rosell resigned as specifics were made public, a bemusing action considering the club’s insistence that they have done nothing wrong.
A tax fraud case has been launched launched as the true cost of the deal remains murky. An astonishing 40 million euros was paid out to Neymar’s parents due to their ownership of the forward. Numerous other add-ons totalling millions have also been revealed in the embarrassing scandal.
Club legend Johan Cruyff has slammed the transfer and claimed that “no-one is God when they are just 21 years old” in reference to the Brazilian’s reported salary. Cruyff also expressed his concern over Messi and Neymar’s ability to play alongside one another, stating: “you cannot have two captains on one boat.”
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The Brazilian has also come under criticism for his actions off of the field. The wisdom of a day trip to Disneyland Paris with Thiago Silva at a time when the Brazilian was struggling for form was questioned in the media. The forward has acquired a playboy reputation since arriving in Spain through newspaper headlines and his frequent Instagram posts.
Ultimately at the age of just 22, there is still plenty of time for Neymar to grow into his superstar status at the Camp Nou. Unfortunately for the Brazilian however, his time at the club has been overshadowed by the murky revelations of his transfer and the superior form of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro.
As it stands, Neymar has failed to live up to the hype.
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…
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Click on Ashley Young to reveal
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
Wilfried Zaha has been loaned out by a third different manager at Manchester United – will he ever make it at Old Trafford?
Zaha became a key member of the Crystal Palace team in 2009/10 and was showing real potential. He won The Eagles’ Young Player of the Year in his first senior season and in the following season he picked up the award again, along with the Football League Young Player of the Year – an impressive start.
Wilfried was starting to attract attention from various Premier League clubs and as the January transfer window opened during the 2012/13 season Sir Alex Ferguson purchased the English winger for Manchester United.
A dream move to one of the biggest football teams with arguably the best manager of all time in charge – but not for long.
Manchester United instantly loaned Zaha back to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the season and he played a key part in winning Crystal Palace promotion into the Premier League via the playoffs. He came through the ranks with The Eagles’ but wasn’t going to get a chance to represent them in the Premier League.
He was still off to play for Manchester United but David Moyes was now in charge. He made four appearances under Moyes for United and he was loaned out to Cardiff City to gain some more first team football. This is where Zaha’s career move fell down immediately, he signed for a team with a certain manager who was gone by the time he arrived – not ideal.
He had a half decent time with Cardiff City who were relegated and Wilfried again returned to Manchester United with another different manager in charge. Louis van Gaal arrived and signed more world class attacking midfielders and strikers than you can shake a stick at. He also deemed Zaha surplus to requirements and again he was loaned out but this time it was back to Crystal Palace. Perhaps two years of his career wasted?
Wilfried is still only 21-years-old so his career is still very much in the early stages. Just after the arrival of van Gaal, he had made it known that he was willing to fight for a place with The Red Devils but I don’t think he foresaw the incoming transfers. In terms of attacking midfielders at United, Wilfried is behind Young, Valencia, Mata, di Maria, Herrara, and Januzaj. And since Van Gaal’s system generally doesn’t include wingers, he was unlikely to want more than 2 in his squad.
His return to Crystal Palace has sparked him to life again and he scored on his return. He’s back where he wants to be and should he impress during this loan spell, a permanent move away from Old Trafford may be in the pipeline come the end of the season, or even in January. There is no doubting that the England international (OK, he’s only played seven minutes – but still) has an immense amount of talent and at 21 he is picking up a lot of experience.
He’s playing under Neil Warnock now and is in desperate need of game time if there was any chance of him becoming a part of van Gaal’s first team plans.
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I would suggest that Van Gaal is unlikely to change his style of wing-backs and/or lack of wingers, so all the while that he boss at Manchester United, there is no place for Zaha. The 21-year-old was left in the dark with the departure of Sir Alex as under his guidance he may have flourished. He’s now been rejected by two managers and hasn’t made it into two of the worst United sides in recent history, although the attacking options are as good as they have ever been.
A shame for Zaha but his move to Manchester United was disastrous and while he may return back to Palace on a permanent basis, he probably wishes that he never left.
Opposition fans tried to unsettle him during matches with braying noises – probably inspired by a Daily Mirror article – yet he refused to be put off his stride.
They called him a lowly donkey but, at nearly 19 hands, he was a thoroughbred at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
But his career also contained deep troughs that almost destroyed him. Yet, just like his battling performances on the pitch, he fought his way back from the brink of alcoholic addiction.
Today he is considered one of the greatest players to have graced English football, for both club and country.
Two of his managers even used Greek mythology and academic references to describe his talent. George Graham said he was “my colossus.” Whilst Arsène Wenger described him as a “professor of defence.”
To cap it all, in 2011 a statue of this Gooner hero was unveiled in front of the Emirates Stadium.
But this was in the future for 17-year-old Tony Alexander Adams, who made his debut for Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat at home to Sunderland on 5 November 1983.
From this inauspicious start Adams grew too dominate the Arsenal back four; a defensive unit that included Steve Bould, his partner at centre-back, alongside full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn. How Wenger must long for a similar partnership in today’s Arsenal eleven.
Then aged 21 Adams was handed the club captaincy which he held to his retirement.
His captaincy coincided with perhaps the most dramatic end of season game in living memory.
In May 1989, Arsenal travelled to Anfield needing to win by two clear goals to snatch the title from under the nose of their hosts. Their second goal, scored by Thomas in the dying minutes of the game, saw them achieve what many said was impossible and crowned League champions.
Almost as memorable was Adams goal and celebration after he had raced from the back to bury the ball in the Everton net on 3 May 1998; capping Arsenal’s first League championship under the new management of Frenchman ‘Professor’ Arsene Wenger.
But these were just two highlights in a career that included 10 major trophies spread over 19 years (14 as captain), and 669 appearances.
Adams made his international debut against Spain in 1987, making him the first player to represent England who was born after the 1966 World Cup win.
He represented England at World Cup tournaments and European Championships as well, by the time Euro 96 came round he was the country’s captain.
In all Adams appeared 66 times for England. But for injury, he could have won significantly more caps.
Since retiring as a professional footballer in the summer of 2002 – his last league game in Arsenal colours was against Everton at Highbury in May of that year – he tried his hand at coaching: firstly at Wycombe Wanderers, then Feyenoord, Portsmouth, and Gabala FC in the Azerbaijan Premier League.
But perhaps his greatest contribution to the world of football and beyond was his Sporting Chance Clinic, a charitable foundation he set-up in 2000.
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Based in Hampshire, the clinic provides support, counselling and treatment for sports people with a drink, drug or gambling addiction.
Adams own battle with the ‘demon booze’ was the catalyst behind the organisation which, over the last fourteen years, has helped many others battling their own demons.
During his playing days, his style of play was often associated with that of the legendary Bobby Moore. Sadly, like Morro he was never invited to use his knowledge and experience to better the game.
But then again he doesn’t need to brag about his achievements. Just like Bobby Moore, he can simply show people his trophy cabinet. Nuff said!
@RichardBowdery
Richard Bowdery writes for BobbyFC,com – the Football site with a retro twist.
Well, well, well. If you’d have told us a little over two weeks ago that Newcastle would win three back-to-back games against an impressive Leicester side, away at Spurs and at the home of the reigning League Cup and Premier League champions we may well have been making a concerned call to the men in white coats. But, the Magpies are now on a decent run and look to have finally turned the corner this term after a turbulent opening month and a bit to the campaign.
The win away at Manchester City is, undoubtedly, the pick of the results, and should be a massive boost to the North East side. Could things be about to get even better for the boys in black and white? Maybe… and here’s FIVE reasons why.
If a win against the defending League Cup and Premier League champions in their own back yard doesn’t get confidence levels soaring, then nothing will! The Magpies took on a relatively depleted Man City side, but with Ballon d’Or nominee Yaya Toure, Spanish magician David Silva and Brazil international Fernandinho in the XI, the Sky Blues boasted plenty of experience and quality. It’s worth mentioning that Newcastle themselves were far from the peak of their powers, with teenage rookie Adam Armstrong handed a start while Ryan Taylor continued his comeback.
Two league wins followed by a cup victory over one of the richest teams on the planet? Not bad, eh?
Players stepping up
For the talk of underperforming stars at Newcastle, many are beginning to push on and show just what they’re all about. Rolando Aarons was the major story of the City win, with the highly-rated 18-year-old opening the scoring with a neat finish. The teenager has the potential to be Newcastle’s very own Raheem Sterling, and could thrive if given more chances after a few notable showings this term.
Away from newbies, experienced stars such as Moussa Sissoko – who also found the net – Gabriel Obertan and Jack Colback all impressed at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool up next…
Heading out of the City clash, Newcastle now face a home tie with Liverpool. Although the Reds are a Champions League side and finished the Premier League season as runners-up last time out, Brendan Rodgers’ team have been a shadow of their former selves this term. Losses at West Ham and at home to Aston Villa will fill the ‘Toon’ with confidence at St James’ Park, with the possibility of a big scalp to make it nine points from the last nine firmly on.
Liverpool have shown a vulnerability when pressed and battled, which is something that Pardew will have picked up on.
Cisse back to his best
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Although he’s missed the last two games, Papiss Cisse could be back in action against Liverpool this weekend with his knee problem thought to be resolved. Four goals in as many outings this term suggest that the 29-year-old is well on his way to recapturing the form he showed upon his arrival in England during 2012, and if he can continue to put the ball in the back of the net the Magpies look to have the player they’ve been missing up front for some time.
Players playing for Pardew
Even though the majority of the club’s faithful following have not yet got back behind ‘Handsome Pards’, it looks as if the players are once again playing for their boss. It may be a bit cliché, but the desire and work rate missing through the early weeks of the season – and the back end of 2013/14 – looks as if its now back, with commitment of the cause having increased tenfold over the past fortnight.