Everton manager David Moyes is concerned that he may be forced to sell Marouane Fellaini next summer, and has urged the Belgium international to sign a new contract at Goodison Park.
The 23-year-old midfielder has become an integral part of The Toffee’s first team, but his contract expires in June 2013, and the Merseyside club do not want to lose him on a Bosman ruling.
“Felli is young and you have to think about what he will be like when is 26 and 27,” he stated in a press conference.
Everton’s financial problems have been well documented, and Moyes has been forced to sell Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta in the last two transfer windows; the Scot hopes Fellaini is not the next big name departure.
“Yes, there is a danger that selling Mikel could set a precedent, but I hope not. I would like to think we can hang onto our best players.
“But there is always a danger when someone goes after saying they want to leave that it could set a precedent, and we will have to be careful of that,” he concluded.
Everton have picked up four points from their first three games in the Premier League, and take on Wigan at Goodison on Saturday.
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Luis Suarez had looked lacklustre during the early stages of the Copa America but picked his form up to fire Uruguay into the final, with two characteristic finishes. He is now joint top of the scoring charts in the competition, and on the brink of becoming a national hero
Whilst his form in the Copa America will delight Liverpool fans, the result of his actions may not, as it delays his return to England even further. His efforts mean the earliest he will now return to the UK is just three weeks before Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Sunderland.
Suarez wasted little time in establishing himself as an Anfield favourite with a series of glorious performances after joining in January and was pivotal to the red’s turn around in fortunes last season. Should he bring success to his country, he will return to Merseyside brimming with confidence, but there is a small cause for concern over his long-term fitness.
After an intense summer, having played eight games for the national side, it is likely that Kenny Dalglish will want Suarez to have some rest and recovery time, which could push his return to Merseyside back even further, throwing his participation in the seasons opener into doubt.
The worry for Liverpool is that he will return jaded-both physically and mentally-after a summer without much time off. Lucas Leiva is another who has been in action at the tournament and will also return to Liverpool late. This shouldn’t worry Liverpool too much as they do have much better strength in depth than previous years, so should be able to cope should Suarez and Lucas not be fit for the opener. They will certainly not want to rush either player back and risk potential injuries or burnout in the long run.
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Suarez wouldn’t be the first to struggle after a heavy summer of matches. Javier Mascherano had a bad start to 2009 after returning from Argentina duty, and struggled for form in a Liverpool shirt for a while, complaining of tiredness, although he also wanted a move away from the red’s which probably affected his form as well.
It will be a long season for Suarez and Liverpool will want to look after their prize possession, to ensure they can get the best out of him. If that means giving him some time off at the start of the season to rest and recuperate and ensure he is in the best shape possible to face the vital season ahead, then surely that is what they will do.
Chelsea’s suffered a dismal afternoon in East Anglia as their faint hopes of a title challenge took another hit after being held to a goalless draw by determined Norwich at Carrow Road.
Andre Villas-Boas’ side dominated much of the game but just couldn’t find a way past a resolute Canaries back four as Fernando Torres’ barren run continued in front of goal. The Spaniard cut a dejected figure throughout as Paul Lambert’s men kept their first clean sheet of the season after an inspired performance from goalkeeper John Ruddy in the second half. Chances came and went for the Blues as their aspirations of challenging for the Premier League trophy this year all but evaporated leaving Villas-Boas with only the Champions League and FA Cup as his best chance of winning some silverware in his debut season as manager at Stamford Bridge. Norwich, on the other hand, will be delighted with a point that leaves them firmly entrenched in the top half of the table and well clear of the relegation zone.
Defending hasn’t been the Canaries’ biggest strength this season and they were on the back foot almost immediately as the visitors roared into life during the early stages. Frank Lampard floated a few early balls into the box that were dealt with well by Zak Whitbread whilst Torres’ first touch let him down after being found by John Terry as the Blues continued to press without making any clear cut chances. In fact it was the hosts who went closest to breaking the deadlock after 10 minutes with Grant Holt flashing an effort just wide of Petr Cech’s post after easily shrugging aside David Luiz. Chelsea responded with Juan Mata acrobatically firing over from Lampards corner before sa brilliant effort from Torres with the outside of his was pushed wide by Ruddy.
The away side continued to press forward in numbers after the break to no avail as Ruddy, Whitbread and central defensive partner Daniel Ayala proved solid in the Norwich penalty area. When they were breached the Blues failed to take advantage with Torres woefully poking low ball into the box wide from just eight-yards before Mata was denied by a fine save from Ruddy at his near post. The Canaries keeper then did well to hold onto Ramires fierce strike after Raul Meireles then fizzed an effort just over the bar as Chelsea continued to attack the home side with vigour. Villas-Boas then through Romelu Lukaku into the mix in search of a winner withdrawing Torres with 13 minutes remaining as he made it 15-hours without a goal. The young Belgian failed to make the necessary impact as the West Londoners struggled to find an end product to their late pressure.
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Two weeks later, with the stardust having settled and the rush of excitement having subsided, I can say it with a clear mind. Barcelona’s performance against Manchester United at Wembley last month was the single greatest footballing display I have witnessed in more than half a century of playing and watching the game. I know us former pros are supposed to tell you that things were better in our day – but no old cynic could have been unmoved by the shimmering brilliance of that Champions League final display. In fact, it was almost a shame that United did score their own, wonderfully-executed goal through Wayne Rooney, otherwise we really might have been talking about perfection from Barca.
As a young pro with Chelsea, I watched Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 at Hampden Park in what I’d always regarded as the best game of football I’d ever seen. Until last weekend. That Real side, including greats like Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Gento, were winning their fifth successive European Cup, while Eintracht, of whom we’d heard little, played their full part in an epic match. I am privileged to say I played in two genuinely great teams – England’s 1966 team and the Tottenham side of the early 1960s, which won the Double just before I arrived and then became the first British side to win a European trophy.
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I also played against the great Benfica side of Eusebio and twice against Brazil at their finest. First, in the 1962 World Cup quarter-final in Chile, in the year when the great Garrincha – the Lionel Messi of his day – won the World Cup almost single-handed. Seriously talented players such as Didi and Vava would do nothing more than get the ball and give it to Garrincha, he really was that good. Then two years later, when Pele inspired them to a 5-1 victory over England in the Maracana. That day I made the huge mistake of scoring, thus making the Brazilians angry!
I also ‘enjoyed’ many encounters with the Manchester United side of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, then witnessed the wonderful Ajax and Netherlands teams of the 1970s.So you understand where I’m coming from – I’ve seen a fair bit of damned good football down the years. And yet Barcelona were better than any of those great sides. Their passing and movement was from another planet. It is phenomenal to think that Messi should produce one of THE great individual displays, in the middle of one of THE great team performances. You could not even say that United had got their tactics wrong or made any glaring individual errors. They were simply outclassed.
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Comparing individual players from different eras is impossible. So all I can say is that Messi ranks alongside the very best – Pele, Best, Garrincha, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, the man who set this great Barcelona era in motion. Barca’s third goal, with Messi’s mesmerising skill and David Villa’s magnificent finish, brought the house down. But for me the image of about 40 Barcelona players and backroom staff performing a ring-a-roses around the Wembley centre circle was just as striking.
As an ex-pro, these are the sort of things you look out for. It looked like this was such an incredibly united bunch of people, with an unbreakable team spirit, and no matter how gifted you are, you don’t reach the sort of level Barcelona have without that kind of unity. I don’t tend to watch football with starry eyes and I’m too long in the tooth to indulge in hype and hyperbole. So please understand that you were privileged to witness Barcelona last month. I don’t believe you will ever see anything better.
England’s impressive display in Bulgaria last week has pushed the nation closer towards qualification for Euro 2012, a major tournament that could mark a time for change for our perennial under-performing team. The 3-0 win last week was not only impressive for its score line but also the ages of the players that are finally been given a chance to shine under Capello.
The golden generation’s failure to deliver during a number of frustrating tournaments combined with their ageing legs means that new blood is finally being given the reigns to lead England to face the best across Europe. The main talking points to come out of Bulgaria were not only the result and fresh faces but the fact it looked like the end for one of the main golden generation, Frank Lampard.
But with the Euros only a year away and many of the youngsters’ experience still limited, is there any room for the oldies like Lampard in Capello’s ideal starting line-up come next summer?
Click on Jack Wilshere below to see England’s likely line-up for Euro 2012
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Who do you think should be in the starting line-up for England at Euro 2012? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5
Bolton are set to take New York Red Bulls central defender Tim Ream on trial, as the club prepares to lose Gary Cahill in the January transfer window.
The England international is in the final year of his contract at the Reebok Stadium, and with ambitions of playing for a bigger club, Bolton are resigned to losing their star player.
The Trotters had to watch as Johan Elmander left the club in the summer on a Bosman ruling, and may try to cash in on their England international in the new year to avoid a similar outcome.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are thought to be keen on the defender’s services, with a price of around £7 million thought to be enough to persuade Owen Coyle’s men to sell.
The Scottish coach has revealed his admiration for possible replacement Ream however, and wants to add the North American to his squad.
“Tim is under contract at Red Bull and a top international. His club are not keen to let him move on, but it would be great to get him among the group and see what he has to offer,” Coyle told The Telegraph.
“We’ve been successful in that American avenue before with Stuart Holden and it’s a market I’m always looking at because there are some terrific players there,” he concluded.
Ream has also been on trial at West Brom recently, and the Baggies may challenge Bolton for his signature.
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Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio said he is still hopeful his side can qualify for next season’s Europa League.Juve are unbeaten in five matches and are seventh in Serie A.
With Udinese and Roma occupying the two Europa League spots ahead of them in fifth and sixth respectively, Juventus’ hopes appear to be out of their hands as they prepare for Saturday’s league game against Catania, according to Marchisio.
“(Our) last month was positive. We had three wins and a draw, some good performances and we gained some points,” the midfielder said.
“Now we need to focus on the last five games, but we can’t just focus on our own games, we need to look at the games that other teams will play. We still hope that something will happen.”
“The important thing is to continue like that, both from a mental and a physical point of view, because we have done very well. We didn’t make the same mistakes as we did in the game against Roma, so we need to continue that way.”
Marchisio blamed his side’s early form in the campaign for their struggle to reach Europe’s second tier competition, and leave them all but out of contention for next term’s Champions League.
“We missed some chances earlier in the season, not recently. It’s wasn’t the draw against Fiorentina that ended our hopes, but now we know there will be two important games, the one on Saturday against Catania in particular. If we win that game we can prepare well for the game against Roma, while Lazio will play against Inter Milan, so we will see,” he said.
“It’s important to continue like this and to try to gain three points, then we’ll go to Rome and hope for something.”
“Apart from the draws, we don’t need to consider all the missed opportunities. The last two are enough – the games against Lecce and Bologna. If we had won those two games we would have had six points more and we would have had the same points as Lazio now.”
“We cannot think like that now, the only thing we can do is try to win on Saturday and then go to Rome and see how it goes there.”
If cab drivers, tabloid newspapers, radio phone ins and Carlsberg adverts have taught me anything, it’s that the one thing an England captain needs to be, is passionate. In fact, if any of those things have taught me anything at all, it’s that all an England captain need be is passionate. Actual footballing ability is an added but non essential luxury, somewhere down the pecking order below bravery and not being a total bastard. And so it was, to great fanfare, that Sky Captain Flight Leftenant Scottsforth “Scotty” M. Parker was tasked with the brow beating, chest thumping honour of leading out his country, almost 20 years since he earnestly tried to convince us that takeaway McDonalds was the surefire path to professional sports excellence. Rewarded no doubt for his commanding performance in the North London derby last week, Scotty was all blood and thunder kamikaze heroism and no nonsense football. Imagine Carlos Tevez but without most of the skill, none of the unbearable arsery and only some of the facial scarring. At one point he even tried to win back a ball he’d lost with his face! And in the end, isn’t that all we really want from an England captain? Well, no. But it’ll do for now.
Tomorrow’s Children – Staying true to his edict of showcasing things we wouldn’t normally see in an England team, Stuart “Psycho” Pearce manfully led from the front by showing us what he’d look like as a proper, grown up manager in a suit, complete with imitation Scott(y) Parker hair do. This had the unfortunate side affect of making him look ever so slightly like a right wing politician vying for mainstream credibility, though it did at least dampen his previous unfortunate resemblance to Bradley Walsh’s permanently kitted, over eager assistant from Mike Bassett England Manager. And the pervading notion that he was always secretly hoping to be brought on. On the field his mantra took shape in a number of ingenious ways, most notably playing Danny Welbeck as a lone target man, and then instructing everyone else to play as far away from him as possible. Daniel Sturridge’s introduction provided some needed impetus, though his slightly baffling man of the match performance mainly consisted of a nice wriggle and shot early in the second half, and a lovely cushioned pass back to Stekelenburg. Meanwhile the youthful defence were nothing short of admirable in their consistent ability to look more composed, assured and effective going forward than they ever did defending, which was thankfully aided (or perhaps encouraged) by the fact that Scott(y) Parker spent most of his time playing as a kamikaze sweeper.
Yesterday’s Men – Despite this brave new world approach in defence and attack, the ethos obviously failed to fully stretch to midfield where, for reasons that continue to escape my fragile mind, the mighty talents of Barry, Milner, Downing and Young were yet again given their bi-monthly chance to under whelm us all into tedium. To Ashley Young’s credit, he has at least conspired to gather a rather impressive goal tally, which – by the law of Crouch – entitles him to a prolonged presence. The others however continue to be considered as “still promising” or “settling in” despite for all intents and purposes being relative mainstays. Pearce qualified his exclusion of the good old boys (i.e. the mainstays we actually know are quite good, but getting on a bit) on the grounds that we all already know what they can do. Paradoxically, he continued to pick players who we’re all very well aware of what they can’t. This slightly schizophrenic approach was given an added dimension by the simultaneously indulgent and undermining inclusion of Steven Gerrard for 30 minutes. If giving new blood a chance was the aim, surely playing Welbeck and Sturridge together from the start would be more preferable than playing a knackered Gerrard for a token cap whilst very publicly giving the captaincy to someone else? Oh Psycho, to know your mind.
Mind the Gap – Despite what was actually, despite my nit picking, quite a spirited performance, the one stark contrast at play was just how large the gap was from Holland’s impressive front three to anyone in England’s roster. Arjen Robben in particular did his best to ram home just what the difference was between some decent well meaning try-hards and a genuine world-class player. This despite the fact his first goal was aided by some of the best English defensive retreating since the American Civil War and the fact he continues to run like a ballerina trying not to step on a hot floor.
You’re sh*rt, and you know you are – All in all though, it was an enjoyable game, and not an embarrassment of any kind for England for once. For one, we were playing a World Cup runner up of genuine class rather than a collection of semi professional firemen, and many in the side are young and learning enough to write off the defensive frailties as youthful exuberance. In fact the only truly offensive thing on display last night worthy of scorn and derision was the new and completely unneeded kit, and indeed, everything it stands for. For shame. If only we had some brave, passionate, no nonsense kit makers, everything would be alright.
You can follow Oscar on Twitter at Twitter/oscarpyejeary where he will gladly offer to dye the crest on your England top red for £50. Shipping not included.
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Brest earned a point in their Ligue 1 relegation fight and struck a blow to Lyon’s Champions League hopes, as the sides drew 1-1 on Monday.Lyon – sitting third in the French top flight – are just two points clear of fourth-placed Paris Saint-Germain, with the Parisians holding a game in hand in the quest for a top-three spot and subsequent Champions League berth.
Brest saw out their fifth draw in six, but had to fight back from a deficit after Ederson headed home a Miralem Pjanic cross on the quarter-hour mark for the visitors at Stade Francis-Le Ble.
Lyon were on target to increase the gap on PSG to four points, before Brest’s Czech substitute Mario Licka scored in the 76th minute.
Just six minutes after gracing the field, the midfielder fired home a strike from outside the area after being put through by Nolan Roux.
The point helped Brest move two points clear of the drop zone and into 15th on the table.
There was no room for AC Milan star Robinho in Brazil’s 24-man squad to face Scotland in a friendly on March 27 at London’s Emirates Stadium.Brazil coach Mario Menezes has selected four men playing in the English Premier League, with Chelsea pair Ramires and David Luiz getting the nod along with Spurs defensive midfielder Sandro and Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva. Ronaldinho, who completed a move from Milan to Brazilian club Flamengo in January, was another high-profile omission from the squad. But his former teammate at the San Siro, Alexandre Pato, makes the team, as does Inter’s Julio Cesar, Lucio and Maicon.Full squad: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio), Jefferson (Botafogo), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Lucio (Inter), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Milan), Luizao (Benfica), Lucas (Liverpool), Ramires (Chelsea), Sandro (Tottenham), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Henrique (Cruzeiro), Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen), Jadson (Shakhtar Donetsk), Elano (Santos), Jonas (Valencia), Pato (Milan), Nilmar (Villarreal), Neymar (Santos).