Tag Futebol

Back at the start of the season, Heart of Midlothian were 150-1 to win the SPL and become the first non-Old Firm club since Aberdeen in 1985 to take the league championship. After beating Rangers 1-0 on Saturday, those odds shrunk to a remarkable 7-1, the bookies it seems are slowly warming to the idea of a serious title challenge from the Edinburgh club.

However, the club have been here before, and not so long ago. Back in October 2005 a Hearts side managed by former, Ispwich Town manager, George Burley stood six points clear at the top of the division after a scorching start to their league campaign.

Almost inevitably, it could not last. Hearts owner, Vladimir Romanov, already had a reputation for erratic behaviour behind the scenes, and in the months after his takeover in January 2005 it was becoming increasingly clear that he would not take a backseat in team affairs.

Even so, the news coming out of Tynecastle after the Jambos’ 2-0 win over Dunfermline that Burley had been removed from his post was a major shock, one that registered on the back pages across Europe.

It would be naïve to suggest that Burley’s departure cost the club a shot at the title that season, considering the experience contained within both of the biggest clubs in Scotland, there was every chance that with over two thirds of the season to be played that the championship could have gone anywhere.

The dismissal of Burley, followed by a controversial and fractured spell in charge for former Arsenal midfielder, Graham Rix, signalled a slump in the Jambos’ fortunes. A solitary Scottish Cup, the only silverware to show for the last five years.

Looking around the division, Hearts could not have chosen a better time to rise again. Both Old Firm clubs are in some considerable strife, and are in genuine jeopardy of seeing the championship trophy leave Glasgow for the first time since the first Police Academy film was in cinemas.

Rangers, in major financial trouble, have had to kiss goodbye to the league’s top goalscorer, Kenny Miller, no longer able to pay the wages many Championship sides would be able to handle. As a club they did themselves great credit as they pushed Manchester United and Valencia all the way in their Champions League group, however a lack of penetration at the highest level was blindingly obvious, and with the loss of Miller, the second half of the season will be tough.

It is not by any stretch a vintage era for Scottish football. The national team have not appeared at a major tournament for 13 years, and very few players see football north of the border as a viable option, either financially or in terms of career development. The period of UEFA Cup and Champions League glory nights look to be a thing of the past.

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Celtic head the division, and meet their rivals from Edinburgh in a crunch clash on Wednesday night. The Bhoys were well beaten when the two clubs met at Tynecastle earlier on in the year, however, were Hearts to repeat the trick the title race would genuinely be wide open.

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West Ham are thought to be keen to bring Tottenham defender William Gallas to the club, according to The Sun.

The French international has played with the White Hart Lane club for the last couple of seasons, but suffered an injury-prone campaign in 2011-12.

With the Hammers recently-promoted back to the Premier League Sam Allardyce is eager to add experienced heads to the Upton Park squad in an effort to ensure survival at the first time of asking.

Spurs are said to be ready to allow Gallas to leave the club on a free transfer, as they target a new central defender to play alongside either Younes Kaboul or Michael Dawson.

The White Hart Lane club continue in their efforts to sign Jan Vertonghen from Ajax and are in the market to add some youthful players to act as a shot in the arm to their crocked backline.

Meanwhile, Allardyce has also targeted AC Milan veteran Clarence Seedorf as a possible summer signing.

The Dutch midfielder is surplus to requirements at the San Siro and available on a free transfer, catching the eye of West Ham.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is confident his ageing squad can win the league title, but he is keen to sign younger players.The Portuguese manager, 33, is aiming to better their second-place finish in the English Premier League last season after taking the reins following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

Villas-Boas said he was confident his experienced contingent, including captain John Terry (30) and Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba (both 33), could take the London club to their fifth league title.

“The market that we have moved in at the moment, and the players we have shown interest in, they are also of a young age so they are also looking into the future – the future of this club,” Villas-Boas said on Friday.

“You might see similar moves in the future from us because the squad is old – it’s one of the oldest squads in the Premiership.”

“But we respect them and we are happy we have enough quality – we have to be able to challenge for the title. But we are also looking into the future and the options we are looking at in the market at the moment are also looking into the future.”

The Stamford Bridge outfit edged Manchester City to second spot on goal difference last campaign, finishing nine points adrift of champions United.

Villas-Boas said he expected the big six – Chelsea, United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham – to contend for the title.

“Manchester United are the title holders and will be a reference for everybody, but you can see the amount of activity that Manchester City have had in the market, which shows pretty clearly that they have a title objective as well,” he said.

“Liverpool did more or less the same (as City). Tottenham want to get back to the first four of the Premiership so they’ll be challenging as well and Arsenal is always a threat.”

Chelsea complete their tour of Asia against Aston Villa in the final of the Asia Trophy on Saturday.

They face Scottish champions Rangers on August 6 before beginning their Premier League campaign against Stoke City eight days later.

Manchester United were, once again, less than convincing at Southampton in the FA Cup. It was a familiar story as they under-performed in the first half, and then relied on the quality of the old guard to push them over the line. But as we continue to be unimpressed by performance, yet overwhelmed by the ongoing unbeaten streak, is it now time for the fringe players to move aside for a new generation to come through at Old Trafford?

I take nothing away from their season so far. How can you when United sit comfortably top of the Premier League table? My point is, with all the talk of United becoming the new ‘invincible’ side, how long can they really remain unbeaten playing the way they are, especially away from home? The first half performances at Blackpool and then St. Mary’s was nothing short of shocking. In both games, Ferguson had to throw on the likes of Ryan Giggs, Nani and Javier Hernandez to restore normality. Sooner or later though, a game is going to be beyond even their capabilities of rescuing. Giggs is a football marvel at 37-years-young, but he’s no superhero.

I watched Paul Scholes cut a frustrating figure against Southampton at the weekend, and I put a lot of it down to the fact that his centre midfield partner, Darron Gibson, gave the ball away far too often. And what about the stand-in-skipper for the day, John O’Shea? Don’t get me wrong, he has been a loyal servant to Ferguson, but he was about as threatening as a puppy going forward from right back.

These players are supposed to be good enough for the manager to rotate his squad to handle the congested fixture list United face. But when the likes of Gibson, O’Shea and even Jonny Evans take to the field from the start, it no longer fills you with the greatest of confidence. Against stronger opposition, United’s week could have looked a lot different: three points lighter in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage thanks to League One opposition.

This dilemma obviously brings us to question who Fergie is to play instead. But looking at the bench at the weekend, I would have much preferred Wes Brown on the field to O’Shea. Fabio is a prospect, and I like how positive he is from full-back – at least he doesn’t get a nose bleed every time he enters the oppositions half like O’Shea. As far as Gibson is concerned, again, he has potential. But with players like Tom Cleverley doing so well out on loan, he has to pick up his performances if he is to avoid being cast aside. He cannot survive off potential alone.

Ferguson puts a lot of faith into his youth set-up so I can’t see him selling off some of his under-performing players quite so hastily. Loyalty is something the 69-year-old Scot holds in high regard, so you could potentially see players like John O’Shea staying as long as Ferguson himself does. But forget all the emotional attachments, you have to ask whether the Irishman is actually good enough to be part of the set-up at Old Trafford or whether it is time United looked to bring though another crop of hopeful youngsters looking to become the next Manchester United generation.

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Like what I write? Follow me on Twitter @Joino

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Brazil is known as, perhaps somewhat stereotypically, the home of the beautiful game. Some of the world’s most exciting players have represented the nation across the decades and have wowed crowds across the globe. However, at the domestic and national level their football has taken a more pragmatic approach in recent years. There has thus been an evolution in the style of players being produced, and coupled with the alterations in the English game this millennium it has made the Premier League a more suitable home.

The norm in Brazil has is to operate with two, sometimes even three, defensive-midfielders, or volantes as they are known locally. There is no shortage of players to occupy this position and having been raised to play in this position, the quality in the domestic league is strong. It is now commonplace to see such two deeper lying midfielders across Europe too. They are used to offer greater freedom to a group of four forwards, allowing them to play higher up the pitch whilst not compromising the defence.

Typically in Brazil the forwards currently play at a far narrower degree to their transatlantic coutnerparts. The wing-backs are used to provide the width while the volantes separate the duties of defending and linking the play. In Europe it tends to be a less energetic position, but the shift from one holding player to two in the English game has enabled players like Sandro and Ramires to flourish. The Chelsea midfielder proved a revelation as he surged forward with lightening pace that led to an impressive 12 goals this season. This surprising source of goals has put a spin on the traditional English view of a defensive-midfielder as someone who has to police the game without departing his own half.

The evolution of the Premier League means that the formations are now more suitable to Brazilian players. Not too long ago, a player such as Lucas Moura would only have been able to fit in on either side of a midfield four or as a forward in a 4-4-2. He would then have been expected to contribute to defending at a far greater level. That is now eased by the two defensive-midfielders, but some tracking of opposing full-backs is still required.

Under Roberto Di Matteo Chelsea used Ramires wide on the right. This offered his full-back a greater deal of cover due to his defensive capabilities whilst also exposing the opposing defender with his electric pace. Such a role was displayed perfectly when he scored against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou.

The convergence of formations has allowed for greater expression and has therefore made the transition from Brazilian to European football a smoother one. Whereas a Brazilian player may have previously been more keen on a move to Spain or Italy the adaptation of the English game to less rigid tactics, as well as remaining the best ranked league in the world, has made it a far more attractive destination.

Many people are of the opinion that players of a smaller frame such as Neymar, Lucas, or Arsenal target Wellingon Nem would find the Premier League far too physical. However, they are no strangers to on-pitch brutality. Following his rapid rise to stardom, Neymar is watched like a hawk with defenders desperate to stop him. Indeed Velez Sarsfield defender Gino Peruzzi said of the Santos attacker: “If he tries his tricks on me I will break him in half.”

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The coalescing of certain tactical ideals across the Atlantic means that now, more than ever, the Premier League can offer a more than suitable home for players from the Samba nation. Brazilian footballers are able to flourish in a more flexible approach that has been adopted by many of the top English clubs meaning that now, possibly more than ever, they are able to find a suitable home in England’s top flight.

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Australia coach Holger Osieck has cautioned against complacency after his team were handed a kind qualifying draw for the 2014 World Cup.The preliminary draw, conducted in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, saw the Socceroos placed in Group D of Asian third-round qualifying, alongside Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand.

Australia begin their campaign – with a place in the final two fourth-round groups at stake – at home to Thailand, a team 96 places below them in the FIFA rankings and seemingly an easy target for the Asian Cup finalists.

But German Osieck, who succeeded Pim Verbeek as head coach in August 2010, dismissed any suggestion that his team were guaranteed a place in Brazil next year.

“There are a lot of strong teams in Asia right now. We know that from experience,” Osieck said.

“You shouldn’t underrate the teams we will play in the group, they all went through the second round, they qualified, so they must have some potential.”

“Take for instance the Asian Cup when we had India … it was important for us to go into the tournament, play well, score a couple of goals and build our confidence.”

“And the same happens here – we will definitely have the best team available.”

While attempting to play down expectations of a swift passage to the fourth round, Osieck did endorse the ability of his players, calling on them to demonstrate their quality with a flying start in the first match on September 2.

“Our target is simply to go through to Brazil,” he said.

“We are at the first stage, so we have to take every single step very seriously.”

“Football is not a wishing well, and you can’t predicate anything. It would be an ideal scenario that we could make the qualification for the second round as early as possible, but there’s a lot of unpredictability.”

“What I don’t like in football is to calculate. First we play, then we go from there.”

“I’m a positive thinker. I want to see our guys play. We have a lot of potential; I want to see them perform. It’s very important to have a very positive start to the campaign and … to really build on the confidence we should be in from that first game.”

KSC Lokeren missed the chance to climb into the top four of the Belgian First Division after being held 0-0 by KV Kortrijk on Tuesday.Elsewhere, Seth de Witte’s second-half strike secured a 1-0 win for KV Mechelen away to Eupen.

Guiseppe Rossini went closest for Kortrijk in the first-half at the Guldensporenstadion, while team-mate Mario Carevic threatened from set-pieces without success.

Croatian midfielder Carevic had a strong claim for a penalty turned down in the second half, but a Jeremy Taravel header for Lokeren and a final effort from Rossini proved to be the only other chances of note in a dire second half.

The draw leaves Lokeren fifth and one point behind Club Brugge but with two games in hand.

Kortrijk slipped to ninth following Mechelen’s narrow victory in Eupen.

Julien Gorius should have put the visitors ahead in the first half at the Kehrweg Stadion, but shot wide when one-one-one with Eupen goalkeeper Olivier Werner.

On-loan Fiorentina forward Matthias Lepiller troubled the Mechelen goal with a succession of dangerous free-kicks, but he was unable to find a way past Olivier Renard.

The match appeared to be drifting towards a goalless draw before de Witte rose to meet a Gorius free-kick, beating Werner with a near-post header to snatch the win with 13 minutes remaining.

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Mechelen are seventh but, with three games in hand and just four points behind fourth-placed Club Brugge, they retain realistic ambitions of finishing in the European qualification places.

Defeat leaves Eupen 13th and just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Sky Sports are reporting that Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Redknapp have parted company.

Rumours have been circulating in the last 24hrs that Daniel Levy had no intention of extending Harry Redknapp’s contract at the club.  It appears after today’s showdown talks that a parting of the ways was necessary, in the eyes of the Tottenham chairman, so the club could move forward.

Football is all about fine margins and missing out on the Champions League, having been in pole position for most of the season to get a top three finish, has arguably been the deciding factor behind the decision. It was surely no coincidence that Tottenham’s downturn last season had much to do with the speculation linking Harry Redknapp with the England job. Harry claims it didn’t change anything, but there are many Spurs fans out there who will undoubtedly beg to differ.

It must be stressed that at the point of writing this article that nothing has been officially confirmed, but with all of Fleet Street are tweeting the news and it being all over Sky Sports at present, the chances of it being unfounded remain unlikely.

Paddy Power has stopped taking bets on David Moyes to be the new Tottenham manager, but is he the type of man that Spurs fans want leading the club forward?

Where do Tottenham go from here?  HAVE YOUR SAY!

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Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, has praised the club for trying to sign Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing, as a £20 million deal is being negotiated. The Guardian report that Kenny Dalglish has flown back to England from the outfit’s Asian tour earlier than planned to finalise the deal.

“It’s a terrific signing, there is no doubt about that whatsoever,” the former England international stated after an open training session in the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Malaysia.

“He will definitely make a difference with his ability to go outside and down the line to get in quality crosses. He was Aston Villa’s player of the year and he will give us something we have been lacking – genuine quality on the left-hand side.

“When you look at the players who have not come out here – Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina, Luis Suárez, Jordan Henderson and Glen Johnson – they would make the basis of a top team. We are not going to make any statements about what might happen next season but it is pleasing things are looking positive once again.

“I know him, so does Stevie. He knows Andy Carroll and Johnno from playing with England so he is not going to be walking into a dressing room and feeling all on his own,” the veteran concluded.

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If the former Middlesbrough winger does move to Merseyside he will become The Reds third major summer transfer after the captures of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam.

The image of today’s footballer is the one of a young man with too much money spending it on fast cars and page 3 models. Now in some cases this is a fair assessment but there are a few with a more eccentric side. We highlight ten footballers who lead very bizarre lives away from the football field, be it as a hobby or a second job. Below is a selection of what I call the new modern footballer.

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Click on image below to see the alter egos

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