England striker Danny Welbeck was lucky enough to nab himself Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s shirt after the final whistle on Wednesday night, and now it is worth a small fortune.
The Swedish striker turned in a perfect performance scoring one of the greatest goals of all time along the way, to make Welbeck a cool £30,000 if he wanted to sell it right now.
The occasion of the first game in a new national stadium and the fact that it was against England has also increased the value of the shirt with memorabilia collectors everywhere wanting to get in on the action.
“Welbeck’s sitting on a small fortune,” Tom Rollett of Exclusive Memorabilia told The Sun.
“The shirt is of great interest to collectors because of the spectacular goal, the person wearing it and the fact the goal was against England and in a brand new stadium.
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“If it went to auction now while people are still talking about it, the top could get up to £30,000.”
Sunderland manager Martin O’ Neill is set to make a difficult decision about England international Adam Johnson’s training schedule before the visit of Newcastle on Sunday.
The Premier League Tyne-Wear clash at the Stadium of Light is being viewed as a great opportunity for the Black Cats to put their rivals to the sword and the former Manchester City tricky winger is seen as crucial cog in the Sunderland machine.
The entire squad have met today for training at the Academy of Light but with the £10 million signing arriving back last night, there is a worry the player could be jaded.
Even though Johnson did not feature in the England fixture against Poland, the club will be looking to ensure the player is ready to fire on all cylinders come 1.30 Sunday.
England’s decision to fly home immediately after the 1-1 draw means that Johnson should be able to carry out his scheduled training routine and he is sure to be key to any plans Sunderland have of defeating their bitter rivals.
Despite formerly plying his trade at Middlesborough the player has warmed himself to the fans providing an exciting link up with Scotland International forward Steven Fletcher.
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O’ Neill appears to have given the player licence to thrill and it has given Johnson a fresh lease of life. The star was rewarded by Roy Hodgson with a recall to the squad and he will be looking to continue to impress at club level, in order to get his chance to dazzle on the international stage.
Chelsea further cemented their position atop the Premier League following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a resurgent Arsenal. Fernando Torres smartly wrapped his foot around Juan Mata’s delivery to get Chelsea off the mark, before Mata added Chelsea’s second following Arsenal’s equaliser. The win will only have added confidence to a side that is still continuing to have a major overhaul of its attacking philosophy under Roberto Di Matteo.
– Young tyro Eden Hazard proved that he has more to offer Chelsea than just technical wizardy. He worked harder than any of his teammates as he ran for 6.3 miles against Arsenal.
– Hazard is still doing what he does best though, that being terrorising defences with his pace and skill. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s ranked sixth in the league for dribbles with 8.
– Another new signing Oscar showed he also has plenty of pace to go along with his guile and technique. He was the fastest player on the pitch against Arsenal according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, which recorded him running at 21.59mph.
– Juan Mata continues to be the focal point of his side’s play this season. The Spaniard has completed more successful passes in the opponent’s half than any other Chelsea player with 182.
– While Fernando Torres may be regaining some his form in front of goal, his work without the ball could use some polish. His 11 fouls is the highest in the Chelsea squad so far this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Norwich came up against a Liverpool side that had travelled to Carrow Road intent on proving their doubters wrong, as they fell to a 2-5 defeat to the Reds. A second half effort from Glen Morrison and a late consolation from Grant Holt were nowhere near enough to prevent the Canaries being outclassed by a focused Liverpool side.
– Jonathan Howson’s work ethic whilst his team struggled against Liverpool will have been a pleasing sight for Chris Hughton. He ran harder than any of his teammates, clocking up 6.23 miles.
– Midfielder Bradley Johnson will be hoping to escape the attention of the officials against Chelsea this weekend. He ranks joint second on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for fouls with 16.
– Steve Morrison was the Canaries fastest player against Liverpool, being recorded at 20.57mph.
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– Robert Snodgrass is clearly the man Norwich players are looking to give them a spark going forward. Not only does he rank third on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for crosses with 24, he’s also completed more passes in the opponent’s half than any other Norwich player with 105.
– While Grant Holt’s chances in front of goal have been limited this season, he will likely be disappointed in his defensive work so far this season. He’s committed 11 fouls and lost out on 92% of his 12 tackles.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche has praised the club’s support after their Capital One Cup exit.
The Clarets lost 2-0 to Premier League side West Ham on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from Matt Taylor and Jack Collison.
Dyche celebrated his first full year in charge of Burnley, and was full of praise to the fans despite his side’s exit from the competition. Speaking to the club’s official website, the former Millwall star was grateful to the fans who travelled down to Upton Park.
“I want to say thank you to all the supporters. I’ve asked recently about the ongoing support of our fans and if things don’t always go to plan we need that support. Last night was a good show of that,” Dyche said.“The supporters were right behind the team from first to last and tried to get us over the line. Even though it wasn’t to be, the backing has helped to make Turf Moor a real tough place to come and long may that continue, through the ups and downs of a long season.”It was a useful test for Burnley as they push for promotion back to the Premier League. The Clarets are currently top of the Championship after 13 matches, as they continue their fine form in the 12 months since Dyche took over as manager.Dyche faces his old side Millwall on Saturday, over 10 years since he last wore a Lions shirt.[ad_pod id=’capone’ align=’center’]
Reading boss Nigel Adkins believes the Royals must beat his former club Southampton to keep alive their hopes of staying up.
The Royals slipped to the bottom of the league on goal difference last weekend after Adkins’ first game in charge following the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, a result which leaves the Berkshire club seven points from safety.
The former Scunthorpe boss admitted it would always be a big ask to get something at the Emirates Stadium and felt Reading’s fight against the drop realistically didn’t start until this weekend’s match with the Saints.
Adkins is set to put aside personal feelings for the clash with his old club in order to make sure Reading get the three points they need to keep their hopes of survival alive.
“We talk about the long term situation that we’ve got, the way I want to go and play, but first and foremost, the here and now – we’ve got to go and win the game on Saturday,” Adkins told Reading’s website.
“We are where we are at this moment in time in the Barclays Premier League and we need to win. The next game is always the most important one, it’s the first home game for myself and Andy Crosby, and we’re really looking forward to the game.”
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How do we solve a problem like diving? How do we even define a problem like diving? It’s rarely a black and white, yes or no issue that can be correctly evaluated and dealt with in the blink of an eye.
Of course there are the painfully obvious examples where individuals hit the turf as though someone has stolen their knees but what about when players genuinely come together? Unfortunately, in these common scenarios, ‘going to ground’ is usually the decisive factor in convincing a referee that a foul has taken place.
A perfect case in point is the penalty Steven Gerrard tucked away in the opening stages of Liverpool’s recent visit to the Britannia Stadium. Luis Suarez surged past Ryan Shawcross into the penalty area only for the Stoke defender to start physically undressing him.
The shirt tugging on its own will never be enough to bring Suarez to his knees, so he decides to throw his arms back and plummet to the earth, in an attempt to communicate to the officials that he has been clearly impeded. Is that unsporting behaviour? Perhaps, but if he doesn’t go to ground then he is unlikely to be awarded the penalty he undoubtedly deserves.
Another point for debate surrounds the antics that occur during set-pieces. Attackers and their designated markers repeatedly clash as they jostle for position, like two Mexican wrestlers putting on a show. However, because this is regular occurrence and happens between every couple in box, it’s very easy to miss or deem unimportant.
It is remarkably straightforward however, to spot during post-match analysis and has therefore put unnecessary pressure on referees to clamp down on it. Mark Clattenburg’s decision to penalise Norwich in their defeat to West Ham – for a typical and rather low-key incident – incensed the usually composed Chris Hughton. It’s simply impossible to develop a level of consistency in such instances, as players will always feel aggrieved when they concede such fouls and infuriated when they are not awarded at the other end of the pitch.
The reason this ‘contact = foul’ argument crumbles in our hands concerns the philosophy of Gareth Bale, who believes he is entitled to go down if he feels even the slightest whiff of physical connection.
“There is nothing I can do about it – the referees have to look a bit closer. If I get contact there it is a penalty or free kick.
“What do you expect me to do if I there is contact and I go over – hit my head on the floor? I am not going to stop going because it is a foul.” (Sky Sports)
The Tottenham talisman’s opinion is understandable but deeply flawed considering football is an unofficial yet recognised ‘contact sport’. If a foul were awarded every time players touched one another, the game would never end. The referee’s job is made impossible however, when he has to determine the impact of such a connection. Was he really knocked off balance? Could he have stayed on his feet? Are those screams of agony authentic?
The unfortunate truth is that the human race cannot be trusted. We are all instilled with a will to win, a trait that is magnified in the personality of professional athletes. Players will always seek to find a competitive advantage, consciously or not and when the margins between success and failure are so fine, their dishonourable actions may make all the difference.
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If an individual’s unlawful theatrics have decided the outcome of a game then they can expect a torrent of abuse from the stands, negative exposure in the press and irritated fans clogging up radio phone-ins. All is forgotten however, once the next batch of fixtures arrives and a whole new set of talking points has arisen.
At the end of the day, once the dust has settled, the only thing that remains is the result and the smile that has been concealed from the culprit’s mouth. Their actions may make them heroes in the dressing room but they have no right to complain when their reputation comes back to haunt them.
The only apparent solution appears to involve an increase in retrospective action, where players can have cautions rescinded and awarded by an independent panel. Fines are somewhat futile, only the threat of suspension is likely to instigate change. Such punishments may not stop diving or even deter a player’s natural instincts but at least it will provide suitable reprimand to those who deserve it.
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has refused to suggest the race for the Premier League title is over, despite his side extending their gap over Manchester City to 15 points.
The Red Devils took full advantage of City’s 2-0 loss at Everton by claiming a 1-0 victory at home to old Trafford on Saturday.
With only nine games remaining apiece, many have predicted that United have all but secured English football’s top prize.
But, Vidic is adamant that the battle for the league title is far from finished, citing last season’s late drop in form, where they surrendered an eight point lead, as an example of what can happen:
“It is a big gap and we shouldn’t let that change. We have the title in our hands,” he told Sky Sports.
“What happened last season is the reason why sometimes you can feel the fans get nervous.
“But I don’t think we should allow that to happen again. We can’t allow that to happen again.
“But we still have some tough away games at places that are traditionally hard for us so nothing is finished yet.”
City won the league title with the final kick of the campaign last time out, as Sergio Aguero netted an all-important winning goal against QPR.
Chris Smalling echoed Vidic’s thoughts, stating that nothing can be taken for granted:
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“Last season is a massive incentive to make sure we hold on to this lead.
“We can’t rest on our laurels. We have to make sure we finish it well before the season is over.”
Mesut Ozil has been taken a lot of the stick for Arsenal’s various poor performances since the Premier League season got underway. However, with the German flourishing in his favoured No.10 position against Villa, Rambo didn’t exactly justify his inclusion over Jack Wilshere with several wayward passes and a lack of influence on proceedings.
Mesut Ozil is back
Maybe a slight exaggeration but the German international will certainly have silenced a few doubters with a goal, an assist and a Man of the Match performance. Arsene Wenger must surely realise that he has to play the German as a No.10 or not at all, right?
Danny Welbeck can be Arsenal’s main man
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It was always going to be vital for the striker to grab his first Arsenal goal quickly to avoid the doubts creeping in and the criticism. The former Manchester United striker showed a natural forward’s instincts with a tidy finish and Arsenal fans will be hoping for plenty more of those as the season progresses.
The news last week that Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had been awarded a whopping new eight-year deal caused ripples around the Premier League. It was quite simply staggering display of faith in the 51-year-old on owner Mike Ashley’s part, but what has prompted them to tie him and his coaching staff down to such long-term deals? More importantly, is it even in the best interests of the club?
Since taking over the club in 2010 from Chris Hughton, it appeared to all that Ashley was once again meddling beyond his knowledge in what on the face of things appeared to be a finely run set-up under a thoroughly likeable manager. However, fast forward two years on and while we may still be able to agree that Hughton was harshly treated by the club hierarchy for perceiveably being too close to the senior players, Pardew’s tenure has been a resounding success and he’s certainly made the most of his resources going on to finish a magnificent fifth in the league last term, ahead of Liverpool, a team which had spent over £50m in the summer and Chelsea, the side that would go on to become the champions of Europe.
The club’s chief executive, the much-maligned Derek Lambias attempted to explain the length of Pardew’s deal by stating: “There is no coincidence that Manchester United with Sir Alex has been there over 25 years and has created stability and with that has come success, and along with Arsene Wenger stability has come success. What we have achieved over the last five years has been tremendous, we have put a lot into the model, financially we are stable and that will continue and now it’s all about stability on the pitch, and having the right managing and coaching staff and chief scout. It is a fantastic move for us and those individuals. You can’t keep changing your manager because you have a bad a run,” he said. “David Moyes for instance has done a fantastic job at Everton – they are going to be right up there, so we are looking for that sort of stability and so to give Alan the eight years is the right thing to do.
“Our model is not rocket science; other Premier League clubs do the same but over a four-year period we have taken them from a very bad financial position to a very good position which will only get better, and we will continue to strive to make football affordable for our fans and to fill that stadium and by having entertaining football is the way of doing it. I would like us to challenge for Europe year on year, and win a trophy. Last year we had a tremendous season – our goal this season is eighth and above but Alan wants to do better than fifth and our players want to do better than fifth.”
This is all very well and good but it still doesn’t quite explain the sheer length of his new contract and judging by Pardew’s reaction in the press the past few days, the issue was hardly pressed hard from his side. No, this has come from the club and Mike Ashley, but it’s still deeply puzzling. In the six-and-a-half years prior to Pardew’s appointment, Newcastle have gone through eight different managers in Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer and Chris Hughton.
Along with Pardew, his backroom staff of assistant John Carver, goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman and first-team coach Steve Stone have also all been awarded eight-year deals similar to the one that chief scout Graham Carr received last year for ‘unearthing’ the likes of Tiote, Cabaye and Cisse.
It seems even when the club are trying to be sensible and plan for the future, they leaves themselves open to mockery. Words like ‘stability’ and ‘continuity’ are great to hear from both the fans and managers perspective, but it still doesn’t exactly get to the root of why he was offered a new eight-year deal than say rather a new five-year one which he got when he first took over the club. It’s truly puzzling.
From an outside perspective, while Ashley may have fallen back in love with the club and be in it for the long haul once more, you suspect that if he received a good deal from a billionaire in Asia or the Middle East over the course of the next few years that he’d still likely sell up, thus saddling the new ownership with a management structure on huge long-term contracts – the compensation packages alone would be mind-boggling.
The main reason that has been floated about is that it offers both parties in this deal a degree of protection. Pardew has spoken of his disappointment at not being able to clinch several signings this summer such as Andy Carroll, Luuk De Jong and Mattieu Debuchy which would really have improved his side which still lacks the necessary strength in depth to challenge consistently for the top four. This show of faith brings with it a degree of loyalty from a manager who has greatly impressed on Tyneside so far and has stated that he is eying the England job when this deal ends.
From Ashley’s perspective, he has finally found a manager willing to work within the financial parameters that he’s set out, while continuously backing the club’s transfer policy to the press. Should Pardew be tempted away be a bigger job, the longer nature of the deal guarantees a larger pay-out in terms of compensation for the club.
As good as Pardew is, though, there is surely a glass ceiling in terms of where he can realistically go from here; Newcastle will likely be the biggest club job he will ever have. I can’t particularly see him going abroad like Steve McClaren and Roy Hodgson have done in the past, nor can I see any of the other clubs above him fancying him further down the line, so it must solely be the lure of the England job that has prompted this deal. Hodgson will be 69 by the time his four-year deal with the FA runs out, so an extension is unlikely.
The biggest problem, though, is if Pardew fails to meet the criteria set out by Lambias of challenging at the top end of the league every year while seeking to end their trophy-drought, which currently stands at 43 years having last won the 1969 Fairs Cup, what will the club do?
Both Kevin Keegan and Sam Allardyce were awarded 10-year contracts at Newcastle and Bolton respectively in the past and both failed to see them through. History is not on Pardew’s side here; football isn’t a long-term game these days and the fact that only Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes have managed at their current clubs for a period of eight years or longer is well worth considering. They were appointed at a time when clubs gave managers longer to shape the team in their own image, but to pretend the game is like that still seems foolish even if it’s good-intentioned.
What happens if in three years time Pardew finishes 12th, adrift of the European spots and with the side in a downwards spiral? While it’s likely that Ashley has inserted all sorts of exclusion clauses in terms of performance into the contract, they’re still saddled with a manager not doing as while as they would like, but they’re financially bound to him due to the needless risk that the length of this contract comes with. Who is to say that if a bigger club came calling for Pardew, that he wouldn’t just resign, therefore forgoing any entitlement that the club might have to financial remuneration in the process – they’re protected to a degree, but not to the extent that an eight-year deal makes sense.
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We’ve already seen this summer that Newcastle’s transfer policy of scouring Europe for the best and most importantly, cheapest talent that their money can buy is not the most sustainable of policies. The selling clubs now have more of a grasp of what Newcastle are doing and the moment that they sell a Cabaye, Tiote or Ben Arfa for a fee past the £20m mark, their bargaining position becomes weakened because clubs know they’ve got the cash to spend, thus driving any future purchases up in price. This isn’t to mention that it’s going to prove extremely difficult to keep replacing players of the quality of Cisse, Coloccini etc with cheaper alternatives of equal quality.
The club haggled themselves into a standstill this summer on the Debuchy and Douglas deals and while this may be why the club are on such a sound financial footing at the moment, there’s no doubting that they could have done with a few extra bodies this term given that they now have a European campaign to contend with on top of their domestic commitments.
Pardew has done an excellent job so far at Newcastle and he’s proven himself to be a shrewd operator both on and off the pitch, capable of working within the strict budget constraints that Ashley requires above all else. There’s no doubting that he deserves a new deal for his efforts to date, but I’ve yet to hear a convincing explanation about the length of the deal, which seems to needlessly tie them both together in a game where a revolving door policy isn’t only the norm but is inevitable.
Manchester City host Chelsea on Monday evening and it should be quite the occasion. Thomas Rooney from Footballtips.com previews the action at the Etihad.
Ask any football fan their opinion on the title race and the majority will say its between these two. Either Manuel Pellegrini or Jose Mourinho will lead their team to glory this season.
That seems a fair conclusion too. Arsenal are competing more than ever, but have they got what it takes to get over the line? Out at 11/2 to win the title, they are the third favourites.
So, taking Monday night as the battle between the two main contenders, it’s a massive evening for both teams. You send a serious message by getting three points in this one.
As the home side, it probably won’t surprise you to see Manchester City as the 20/23 favourites with Bet Victor. Quite simply, they are unstoppable at the Etihad.
Scoring goals for fun, they are a constant threat to the opposition defence. From the fluency and pace in midfield to the clinical finishing up front, there’s arguably no-one better right now.
This will be reduced slightly by the injury to Sergio Aguero, while Alvaro Negredo is a doubt too. This leaves the emphasis very much on Edin Dzeko – but he has a great record.
It’s a team effort from City too. Everyone is confident right now and they have goals all over the pitch. On this note, Yaya Toure looks a cracking anytime scorer bet at 11/4 with Betfred.
There’s no doubt City will hit Chelsea with attack after attack too. That’s the way they play and it’s the style that’s seen them hammer Arsenal, Tottenham and Man Utd among others.
As for the visitors – at 7/2 with Bet365 for the win – they have approached big games, particularly away from home. At Man Utd and at Arsenal, they’ve been happy with a point from the word go.
Mourinho criticised Sam Allardyce for his approach in the week, but in truth, Chelsea have gone into more than one game searching for a draw from the word go.
This won’t cut it at the Etihad Stadium though. Chelsea’s defence is good, but not that good. They cannot simply sit back and let the home side at them.
So maybe, just maybe – we will see the Blues give this one a real go. Neutrals watching the game will certainly hope so, making over 2.5 goals at 4/6 with Ladbrokes.
Chelsea edged the previous meeting between these two earlier this season and it could go the way of the home side again in an entertaining contest.
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From this point on, can anyone stop City?
Recommended bet:
Chelsea to win and BTTS @ 5/2 with Coral
Thomas Rooney is the Editor of FootballTips.com – the best place for this weekend’s Premier League tips