I know full well you’re all wondering what my West Ham XI would be, so I’m going to make your day and tell you.
Now these players may not always be the best naturally gifted players in the world, but for one reason or another, these players have managed to make it into my heart and have therefore managed to make it into my team.
Now please bear in mind I am only in my early 20’s, so some of you older readers may notice some notable casualties that haven’t made my squad.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate our rich history, it’s just that I don’t think I could name a player that I haven’t seen play, into my squad.
Click on Paolo Di Canio to see my full West Ham XI
This summer has been full of transfer sagas, and to the relief of most the closure of the transfer window has finally drawn a line in the sand under most of them. However Wayne Rooney’s protracted flirtations with other clubs is an issue that won’t go away, and for fans of English football in general, that ‘what if’ question still remains.
Rooney will now stay with Manchester United until January at the earliest, where the incessant merry-go-round will rear its head again. It appears that both Arsenal and Chelsea missed out on the frontman, much to the delight of United. But is the gain of one Premier League club going to be to the detriment of our national side in general?
Ever since Moyes’s implication in pre-season that Rooney would be no more than second choice to Van Persie, the Englishman has become increasingly unsettled. It didn’t start here though, a series of high profile fallouts with Ferguson left the Englishman cutting a frustrated figure at Old Trafford in the latter months of his tenure. An unhappy footballer playing second fiddle, hardly the perfect preparation for England’s main hope going into a World Cup year is it?
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Rooney has for a while now maintained a strained relationship with David Moyes, and unless something can be done to rectify the situation both United and England are going to suffer. It seems a waste that the clubs fourth all time goalscorer and a man with 141 league goals for the club has been forced into such a background role. The importance of Van Persie is marked, but a fit and firing Rooney is surely a worthy addition to any side?
Now of course Rooney may well be afforded the opportunity of playing in behind Van Persie week in week out, to be honest we just don’t know. However what has been made clear is that the team is no longer about Wayne Rooney, and as it stands he is going to be fighting it out with the likes of Welbeck, Kagawa and Hernandez for that first team berth. Some may argue this kind of meritocracy is good, but for someone with the emotional fragility of Rooney I think it really could do more harm than good.
Leaving Rooney to slug it out for first team scraps could well be the best move for United, in the end if someone like Kagawa proves himself deserving then why not move him up the pecking order? The issue is more of a national one in reality. Some may disagree, but for me United still boast a range of International stars ready to take up the gauntlet, the reality for England is that they just do not have this luxury. Wayne Rooney still represents one of a few world-class options for Roy Hodgson, and for the sake of the national side his future still needs to be nurtured.
So would a move have boosted England?
Moves to Chelsea and Arsenal were mooted, and in my opinion both would have benefited the respective clubs and the nation in general. Neither Chelsea nor Arsenal are endowed with the striking riches of United and clearly Rooney would have been a certain starter for both clubs. Chelsea’s willingness to play without a recognised striker just about says it all and in my opinion Olivier Giroud and Wayne Rooney just aren’t in the same league as each other. Now who knows Rooney could have been employed as a number 10 or an out and out striker, it is all pretty hypothetical but most would agree he would be the focal point of both attacking outfits.
Someone like Jose Mourinho openly admitting that Rooney is his only transfer target has a profound effect on the individual. Rooney needs to be wanted and his recent struggles may well have heralded the need for a new environment.
Playing in the confines of London, with consistent opportunities at a top club where he is wanted, surely the blueprint for a resurgent Rooney?
England’s national side, if recent performances are anything to go on, are in absolute tatters. Monotonous and dull, the national side have decided stifling the opposition is the only option for a side that has so little to offer going forward.
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If England are even to get to Rio let alone compete they desperately need a firing Wayne Rooney, and his prolonged stay in Manchester just could put pay to that.
Will Rooney’s failed move ultimately damage England?
Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has given boss Malky Mackay the vote of confidence after the departure of the managers close partner Iain Moody, as reported by talkSPORT.
Mackay is reportedly livid with owner Tan for dismissing his right hand man Moody, who was the head of recruitment at City, and replaced him with friend of the family Alisher Apsalyamov.
Apsalyamov was on work experience at the Cardiff City stadium just two months ago and now has key role at the club, leaving Mackay to ponder his future.
Mackay will attend a board meeting tomorrow to discuss the weeks’ events but unsurprisingly Tan will not be around.
“I have every faith in Malky and his team to lead us through the challenges of the Premier League,” Tan said on the clubs official site.
“I have supported him in the past and will do so in the future for many years to come.
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“I would say to all Cardiff City fans and everyone connected to the club, let us look forward to the future and remain united in our support of the team.”
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has come out to say his side are not scared to face Arsenal at the Emirates in this weekend’s FA Cup clash, Daily Star reports.
The Merseysiders have not beaten the Gunners away in over 18 years, but Martinez believes a perfect performance will send Arsene Wenger’s men out of the competition in a match that it might be worth placing a Bet with Betfair Promotion Code.
The Toffee’s last win over Arsenal was back in 1996, when Highbury was still their home ground.
They will have to beat the Gunners in their biggest clash of the season in their attempts to make it to the FA Cup semi-finals and end a 19-year trophy drought.
And the Everton boss is confident about the prospects of doing so.
“The worst thing in football – and probably life – is the unknown,” Martinez said.
“The fixture in December gave us all a clear indication of what’s needed if you want to be successful at the Emirates, and I think it’s reaching that level of perfection to which we aspire.
“In the past, when a team has been able to be successful at the Emirates, it’s because they’ve been very clear in what they’re doing and are perfect with it.”
The former Wigan boss is very aware of an Arsenal backlash after the Gunners lost 1-0 to Stoke that dashed their hopes of the Premier League title.
“Playing at home is a major factor for them and they’re going to try to take advantage of that and bounce back from the weekend.
“If you wanted to find a bad time to play them, now is probably the moment.
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“But if you want to be successful in any competition, you need to be able to adapt and find a way in the hardest moments.
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The resolve of the Old Trafford faithful has been sorely tested following the departure of club stalwart Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of last season.
The Scot’s achievements, unparalleled by any other manager to date, left Manchester United fans with an overwhelming appetite for success, one that is being largely unsatisfied by new man David Moyes. Indeed, it is fair to say that the transition from well-drilled Everton to the Premier League champions has been far from a smooth one for the new Red Devils boss.
Losses to Chelsea, Tottenham Man City and Liverpool have all but ended their title hopes and have been further compounded by defeat to lowly Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final.
Now then, with just eleven league fixtures left, United lie in sixth position, fifteen points behind division leaders Chelsea and five points beneath fifth-placed Spurs, with the chances of a top four finish about as likely return for Massimo Taibi to the club’s number one spot. The ramifications of this prospective season of discontent then, if it continues upon the disappointing course it has trodden so far, are likely to be significant and wholly unwelcome.
By far and away the most obvious implication of finishing outside of a Champions League spot are finance orientated. Estimates have suggested that failure to qualify for next year’s tournament could cost the club anywhere between £40m and £70m. With a place in even the Europa League likely to see a reduction in gate receipts, broadcasting revenues and prize money
In 2012/13, United banked around £30m from UEFA for reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, whilst Premier League rivals Tottenham received just £4.5m for reaching the quarter finals of the Europa. It is thought that such an outcome to their turbulent season would be endurable in the short term but if not rectified quickly could potentially have substantial knock on effects to the ability to attract big name sponsors.
Furthermore, the latest set of rights deals for the Champions League, set to begin at the start of the 2015/16 season, will provide significant financial boosts to participating clubs, with United facing a very real risk of missing out.
Another area of concern regarding United’s current performances is the impacts they could have on the club’s world status. Under the stewardship of the long-serving Ferguson, United went from a principally English side to a multi-national footballing entity, with the glamour of playing for the biggest club in the world a huge draw for many-a international player.
Now though, without the prospect of working for the most successful manager in the game no longer a viable selling point, it’s not beyond comprehension that the attraction of representing a side who don’t qualify for Europe and cannot compete with the rival top domestic sides could well sharply diminish.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League then, or potentially even Europe, could put a significant dent in the club’s hopes of attracting the world’s very top players with whom they had previously been synonymous. The draw of Ferguson, European Football and Premier League titles is already beginning to seem like a distant memory.
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It is important however, to be realistic about the chances of all these various outcomes actually being fulfilled. A one-season spell in the Europa League for example, would potentially give Moyes a chance to regroup and fashion the side into one of his own making as opposed to the inheritance he received upon taking up his new role.
If this were to be the case, then a brief sojourn out of the top four would be acceptable and the financial implications though unwelcome, at least manageable.
There is indeed much water to run under the bridge. What is increasingly seeming like a given though, is United fan’s feelings that Moyes might not be the man to continue their phenomenal record of the last twenty years, and it is this conundrum that the club’s chiefs must consider as they prepare contingency plans for the probable spell outside of elite European competition, however long it may be.
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Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has called on the club and its supporters to not be too downbeat after losing the momentum in the title race to Manchester City.
The Reds surrendered a 3-0 lead in the last 15 minutes to draw with Crystal Palace on Monday night, leaving them just a point ahead of their Premier League trophy rivals who have a game in hand.
Although not mathematically out of the equation, the Merseysiders need City to slip to one defeat in their remaining two fixtures or draw both to have any chance of claiming their first league championship in 24 years.
Liverpool had been favourites up until defeat at home to Chelsea ended their 11-match winning streak and turned the tide in favour of City.
Although there is a feeling of disappointment at Anfield, Aldridge says that this season – where finishing in the top four was the aim – has been a successful one:
“We’ve scored 99 goals this season, which is incredible. We seem to have been celebrating weekend after weekend. We’ve taken apart top teams and the feel-good factor has been put back into the city, into the club and into the fans.” He is quoted by the club’s official website.
“Let’s not forget that when we have beaten all these top sides, we’ve been able to come away and think, ‘how good was that?’ We won 11 games on the bounce – it’s been fantastic. It’s just a pity that it seems to have deteriorated a little over the last 10 days or so.”
Aldridge also believes that his old club’s title hopes are not quite gone:
“Anything can happen in football,
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“We saw against Palace what can happen and I’ve seen it many times over my career – things happen when you least expect them to. So we’ll just have to wait and see.”
England captain Steven Gerrard believes that the youngsters in the current World Cup squad will learn and improve as a result of this summer’s failings.
The Three Lions’ game against Costa Rica tonight is little more than a dead-rubber following their back-to-back defeats at the hands of Italy and Uruguay, which leave them pointless in Group D and heading out of the competition at the first phase for the first time since 1958.
In the build-up to the tournament manager Roy Hodgson elected to name a host of inexperienced players in his 23-man squad in an attempt to build ahead of EURO 2016 with hopes regarding England’s chances at their lowest for some time.
The likes of Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley both enjoyed minutes on the pitch, while teenager Luke Shaw also travelled.
Gerrard – who may well step down from international duty when the competition finishes – believes that the youngsters who have been involved will gain much despite the disappointment and that they will be better players in a couple of years’ time as a result:
“It’s a difficult one because the World Cup is a level where you don’t forget your experiences in two weeks, four weeks or a couple of months,” he told the London Evening Standard.
“The players have to accept that, cope with it, move forward and try to do everything they can in their power to make sure when they are picked for another tournament that their experiences are a lot better than the one we have just experienced.
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“I do think the youngsters here have that character. I’ve already spoken about how talented they are. But what I have seen from the young lads is they all work hard, they all do the right things in and around training, and they want to stay at this level for a long time. That’s the optimism I have got now. It will be better in two years because of the standard of players we have here.”
Not even my special haircut could save Liverpool this week, as we lost to Everton (well, it felt like a defeat) before being beaten by Basel (I though the Swiss were neutral).I’ve been settling in nicely over the past few weeks, and big Martin Skrtel has been taking me out to meet the ladies of Liverpool. We haven’t had much luck yet, but with the nights getting darker our fortunes could be about to change!As ever, I’ve been a busy boy away from the pitch, so come in a catch up with what I’ve been up to…[ffc-gallery]
CLICK ON ME LOOKING CHEERY BEFORE THE BASEL BRUSH
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Thursday
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Haircut time! I love a new hairdo, and, unlike Samson, I thrive with less foliage on by head. I asked for a Liver bird-type do, but instead I ended up looking like a bloody Canary! Still, Norwich are winning week in week out now, so maybe January could be something to think about…
I went out with Mamadou in the evening and he was not happy with by new style! Seems that he’s annoyed that he no longer looks like my twin. Maybe it was him doing all of those mad things when I was last in England?
Friday
Mamadou will not let it go! I found him weeping in the corner in the changing room when I got in today. The poor bloke is a wreck, I almost felt sorry for him until I got a weird text from Fanny… It seems that by ‘double act’ has been hanging around outside of her hotel in a bid to get her back! But she rumbled him after seeing my Instagram account. I had a word, and he looked like he was about to break. Hope he takes it well when Brendan picks Toure over him tomorrow, he has to after the big man beat the boss in the cake eating competition on Monday!
Met up with Fabio this evening. He kept pestering me with calls in the middle of the night, so I finally relented. He showed up at my house with a canister of helium… odd bloke him.
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I also tried to order a Breaking Bad chicken t-shirt… Think I got the wrong web address though.
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Saturday
Derby day, and my worst fears were confirmed. Sakho finally fell over the edge… Toure’s skills with the cherry bakewells got him on the bench, so Mamadou was dropped. He broke down. It was very sad. He began stuffing the half time oranges into his mouth in a bid to convince Brendan, but it was too late. When we couldn’t find the Gaviscon he had to leave to nip to Morrisons. He didn’t come back.
Things didn’t get much better during the game either… That Amish bloke in goal for the blue team kept out my shots and then the clodder at the back who’d been kicking me around hit a Mario Balotelli shot into the top corner. Jose Mourinho text me a smiley face after the game. I hate that bloke.
Sunday
Day off today! Time for the big shop. I love going to Lidl to get things done, but I wasn’t expecting to bump into Rickie. Things are a ‘Lidl’ (see what I did there) awkward between us at the moment, so he hid when I saw him… He was tucked away in the fishing nets when I caught him… bizarre. “First time you’ve found the net this season,†I crowed as I passed him on the way to the wieldy colourer meat section. Mario 1-0 world.
I wanted to head out with Stevie tonight to catch a Phil Collins disco-themed party, but it was cancelled. I could see the rage burning away in him, but I calmed him with the promise of Downton Abbey… he loves that show.
Monday
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Back into training today. Everyone was trying to copy my free-kick (much better than Gerrard’s on Saturday), but the only person able to better it was Colin Pascoe. He rolled up his shorts like Alexis Sanchez does and stretched his turkey legs before rifling it in. Fair play to him, not many people are on my level…
I spent the afternoon on Facetime with my dog in Italy. I need a little pet over here, maybe I can give Fabio a call…
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Tuesday
Switzerland trip. I’ve got my orders to bring back all the Toblerone possible to cheer up Mamadou. He’s not taken things well, so hopefully some chocolate will get him back on track. If he eats too much Kolo can lend him some of those diet pills he keeps on about…
Rickie must have made the same Basel faulty joke about six times today…. Yawn.
Wednesday
I overslept so I did my training on FIFA 15. It’s realistic, right? By the time the game came around I was a little tired, so that’s why we lost. That and the fact Stevie forgot his cod liver oil! I could hear his knees creaking from 50 yards away!
Rickie made the Basel faulty joke yet again! Hope he leaves in January…
Tuesday
Brendan arranged for his ‘Group Bus’ to pick us all up from the airport today ahead of a little cheer up trip. We all went o McDonalds, then bowling and Orange Wednesdays. I had to sit next to Joe Allen all day though. God he’s dull. He was telling me all about his trip to trip to Snowdonia, he even got his photo album out (who has an album nowadays). Still Mamadou came along and seems to be looking well. I just hope he’s not getting together with Fanny. He won’t like me when I’m angry!
Nottingham Forest’s trip to Huddersfield Town this past weekend left the Reds going back home with their tails between their legs as they were outclassed with a 3-0 scoreline fair reflection. Forest conceded from a header from former player Joel Lynch inside the first minute of the game. The defence went into meltdown mode, making a comeback impossible as they conceded another two soft goals, with the third scored by another former Red, Grant Holt.
Forest manager Stuart Pearce reflected on this defeat, and he believes the reason behind this result and Forest’s recent run of form is down to the defence and the lack of confidence from his players. He said: “We created plenty of chances but I think the starting point is making sure we’re hard to score against.
“With the line-up we have we will create chances in matches, we have done all season. But at the start of the season we were keeping clean sheets and were very tight to play against. At this moment in time we’re not, so we have to solve that.”
Pearce also believes it’s down to him to help the players with their confidence issues and help them find their first win in eight Championship games. “We’re the only ones who can turn results around for Nottingham Forest, nobody else,” he stated.
“It’s down to me to install confidence in the players and make us hard to beat. The good thing is we have a home game in front of our own fans on Wednesday evening.”
It will be good for Forest to rekindle their form at the City Ground against Brentford on Wednesday evening, as they have only played three home games in their last eight league outings.
However, they haven’t been lacking fan support, as the fans at the Huddersfield game last weekend were in strong vocal form right up until the final whistle despite the team losing the game.
The absence of strong Forest leaders such as Chris Cohen and Andy Reid doesn’t help the confidence issue either, as Cohen isn’t expected to return till June 2015, and Reid isn’t expected to be back till January at the earliest.
The good form of Michail Antonio, Britt Assombalonga, and Michael Mancienne is a distant memory, as neither Antonio nor Mancienne have put a string of good performances together since Forest drew with Watford in mid-October.
Assombalonga on the other hand, has only scored once during Forest’s eight game winless streak, and needs to start finding the back of the net soon to revitalise his side’s promotion push. Forest would be over the moon if he could find the form that helped him score eight goals in the first seven league games of the season.
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A good start for Forest to find their confidence would be in their next game at home against Brentford. If they don’t win, the fans and Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi need to back Pearce in his decisions, otherwise the club will not move forward.
Al Hasawi has a history of having a trigger finger with managers, not quite to the same level as Massimo Cellino at Elland Road, but not dissimilar. He has stated he would like his club to be in the Premier League within the next two seasons or so but we all know he wants it now. Hopefully he has time and patience with Pearce during this bad run of form.
A surge of confidence will bring back to life Nottingham Forest’s promotion push in a very competitive Championship, but this would have to start with a win against Brentford, and a strong run of form will be needed for promotion to happen. Results will turn around, but as Brian Clough famously once said, “tactics don’t lose you games, players do.” It is down to the players to heave themselves out of this situation they have got themselves into.
Manchester United Paul Scholes fears that Arsenal star Danny Welbeck could come back and haunt the Red Devils when the two clubs this weekend.
Welbeck made a deadline day switch to the Emirates after being deemed surplus to requirements by Man United manager Louis van Gaal, and Saturday’s clash will be the first time he faces his former club.
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Scholes believes that heading into the fixture United will be missing the Englishman’s energy in attack, and fears the worst for Van Gaal’s men with Welbeck looking to prove a point.
“In terms of United, they miss the energy that Danny once gave them in attack,’ Scholes wrote for the London Evening Standard.
“My view has not changed: he should not have been sold and recently I have felt that United have looked a bit pedestrian going forward. As a United fan I am a little concerned for them going into Saturday’s game.
“Aside from Michael Carrick at his very best, United lack a central midfielder capable of linking play and getting the best out of their forwards.
“They need that individual who can pass the ball forward, play one-twos and bring the strikers into the game. That kind of playmaker – a Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric or Toni Kroos – is vital to any side. They are the brains of the team and without them the forwards can struggle.
“Much will be made of Danny Welbeck’s first game against the club at which he grew up. The immediate assumption will be that Danny is nurturing some grievance against United at being sold and will want to prove a point.
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“I don’t see it that way. Danny will want to play well because he would want to anyway, regardless of the opposition, and from what I see and hear he is very happy at Arsenal and with his move to London.”
Welbeck has scored five goals in 12 appearances for the Gunners since his move from Man United.