Glenn McGrath’s successful return to cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reportedly prompted a bold bid from Surrey to lure him onto the county scene. However, McGrath says he has no intention of extending his comeback beyond the IPL and he is keen to return home when the tournament finishes in a fortnight.McGrath, 38, retired from international and state cricket at the end of last year’s World Cup but the Indian Twenty20 competition tempted him to return and in his first ten matches for the Delhi Daredevils he has grabbed nine wickets at 27.44. The reported that Surrey had offered him a three-week stint but McGrath said he was not interested.”They must be desperate,” McGrath told the paper. “Playing in the IPL has been a great experience, but it has only confirmed the reasons why I retired. There’s no way I want to play county.”I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve bowled, I think it has surprised a few people. However, I’m really looking forward to getting home to [wife] Jane and the kids. I’m missing them.”
The news that former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos has moved to Fulham on a three-year deal will not come as a shock to most fans, but upon closer inspection, a move to Craven Cottage has the potential to be mutually beneficial for both parties.
The manager at the helm there, Roy Hodgson, for however much longer he will continue to occupy the position, with persistent rumours linking him with the vacant managerial job at Liverpool refusing to away, has forged a reputation in his time in West London in particular for revitalising out of form, journeyman defenders and turning them into solid Premiership quality players once more. The Swiss international will be hoping for more of the same treatment.
After all, few, if any critics would have recognised players such as Paul Konchesky, John Pantsil, Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird and Stephen Kelly as being of sufficient enough quality to sustain a respectable league campaign and excellent European adventure over the course of the season, especially one as long as Fulham’s eventually turned out to be.
Of course, the cornerstones of Fulham’s success at the back have been the reliability of Mark Schwarzer between the sticks and the assured presence of Brede Hangeland at the heart of the back four, but anyone whose played at the highest level of the game will tell you, that unless each player does their respective jobs, then the defensive line will fail at some juncture and to ignore the aforementioned players contributions would be extremely harsh and also a tad patronising. With 12 clean sheets to their name this season and the eighth best defence in the league by the stats at least, as a unit, they work extremely well together and a lot of that credit must go to Uncle Roy.
Senderos has had a mixed career, and although never considered a regular at Arsenal he still managed to muster 54 league starts in his six year stint as a first-team player there. The feeling always persisted that he was a solid enough player, good in the air and when on form, a capable centre half, but he lacked the sufficient quality to be a lasting success at the club and it always appeared as if he was punching above his weight so to speak by keeping such illustrious company.
Much like Titus Bramble’s career has been defined, Senderos is a player who is remembered more for his failings and shortcomings as opposed to his achievements and his strengths. The cumbersome style he possesses is not the easiest on the eye and Senderos does play as if a gaffe of monumental proportions is just waiting to happen right around the corner at any given moment. From a fan’s perspective at least, he doesn’t breed confidence, only unease.
Yet it’s easy to forget that whilst obviously not in the class of say a club like Arsenal, before his negligible contribution on loan at Everton where he failed to break into the side, he does possess a pretty good pedigree. He boasts 39 international caps for his native Switzerland’s national side, he enjoyed a season long loan to Italian giants AC Milan last season, he boasts an FA Cup winners medal and he also captained the under 17 Swiss side to the UEFA European Championship back in 2002, a record not to be sniffed at for any player no matter how ungainly.
The move could represent a laying of the groundwork for a possible departure of defensive stalwart Hangeland though and with Hodgson drawing particular close attention to Senderos’ “great aerial presence at both ends of the field” it could be argued that he’s been brought in as a straight like-for-like swap for the much sought after Hangeland.
If the big Norwegian (although as a matter of fact for all you trivia fans out there, he did happen to be born in Houston, Texas in the US) does happen to stay at the club beyond this summer’s transfer window, then it’s unlikely that Senderos will be anything more than a replacement for the departing Chris Smalling and will be used in reserve behind the steady eddy partnership of Hughes and Hangeland that has worked so well in the past.
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It’s clear for all to see that at the age of 25, Senderos’ career has stalled somewhat and that he hasn’t developed into the dominant centre half Arsene Wenger thought he might one day turn into when he emplaced so much trust in him when Senderos faced burst upon the scene, but in the capable hands of Roy Hodgson at least, I wouldn’t rule out a comeback of Lazarus-style proportions by this time next year such is the head honcho’s previous track record for saving lost causes and Fulham fans can welcome another addition to their rag tag bunch of misfits down at the Cottage.
We have been blessed with some of the most gifted forwards that ever lived in the top flight of English football so what excuse do we have for these three mugs?
Ade Akinbiyi – Leicester City
Big Ade’s combined transfer value could go a long way in paying off our budget deficit but he couldn’t buy a goal at Filbert Street after signing in 2000.
He’s still the Foxes record signing at £5.5m who had hoped that the Nigerian would be a natural replacement for Emile Heskey who had just joined Liverpool. He scored 11 goals in 58 appearances for the East Midlands outfit before being sold to Crystal Palace at a £3m loss following Leicester’s relegation from the Premiership.
He is now a free agent after being released by Notts County.
Christopher Wreh – Arsenal
The Gunner’s had initially welcomed the Liberian international who had not only played with some distinction for Arsene Wenger’s Monaco but was also related to none other than George Weah.
In his first season at Highbury (1997/98) he showed glimpses of his prodigious talent by scoring some crucial goals as back up for Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp but alas he could not sustain anything like that form and faded in obscurity. The arrival of Thierry Henry was the final nail in the coffin and Arsenal’s seventh choice striker was sent packing after scoring just three goals in three years for the North Londoners.
He ended up in Saudi Arabia before bowing out from professional football with Buckingham Town.
Sergei Rebrov – Tottenham
Big things were expected of the Ukranian frontman when he polled up at White Hart Lane in 2000. He had been joint top scorer in the Champions League the season before and had been one half of a prolific strike partnership with Andrei Shevchenko at Dynamo Kiev.
He left his scoring touch in eastern Europe, however, and the £11m signing celebrated just 16 goals in 75 appearances for Spurs before the hapless hitman was moved on to West Ham where he was even worse and exposed himself as a racist to boot.
Who are your contenders?
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Manager Steve Bruce is happy to wait for Sol Campbell to decide whether he wants to join Sunderland.
Bruce held talks with the free agent defender last week and is keen to take Campbell to Wearside.
The 35-year-old is available on a free transfer after his short-term deal with Arsenal expired at the end of the last Premier League season.
The Black Cats, Celtic and Arsenal are all reported to have offered Campbell a contract for next season and Bruce has now revealed that the ball is now firmly in the former Tottenham defender's court.
"He is somebody we are interested in and we hope we can do a bit of business," said Bruce.
"He's obviously got big decisions to make and we wish him well. He's getting married next week and then off on honeymoon and then I think he will give an answer to all the respective clubs when he comes back.
"In the meantime because of the indecision I'm still looking to see what is out there.
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"He would be an asset to the football club because his end of season form and fitness was terrific, so he could give us that stability that we want."
Campbell impressed after rejoining Arsenal midway through the last campaign following an abortive spell in League Two with Notts CountySubscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
This season, Rob Green will be the one to blame. Just as the general anger and disappointment surrounding England’s shameful World Cup exit was beginning to fade away, the pre-season friendlies offer up an opportunity to vent those frustrations. In West Ham’s friendly with MK Dons, Green’s first save of the match was brought with ironic cheers from those in the stands. This will be just the beginning.
The consistent and impressive performances of Green, will count for nothing compared to one error, which cost England, in the grand scheme of things, next to nothing. Green wasn’t even ‘dropped’ in the true sense of the word; he had been picked because David James was unfit, regardless of his display against the US, he would have made way for the more experienced keeper anyway.
With each game the Hammers play this season, and with each away day especially, Green will be taunted and abused all day long. As with most footballing failures, the English football fan must find a scapegoat, and Rob Green is that. Rather than taking the England team as a collective, and realising that very few, if any, of that squad performed remotely close to what they are capable of, Green’s single mistake was the most glaring and highlighted – thus he fits the bill.
I totally appreciate the anger with England’s performance at the World Cup, because I felt exactly the same way. But it was England that under-performed, not simply Green. Any England player that has missed a penalty in the last fifteen years spends at least a season putting up with tirades from fans across the breadth of the country. When David Beckham was singled out as the reason for England’s departure in France ’98, effigies were burnt. Effigies? He made a mistake but really? When Ashley Cole lost possession against Kazakhstan and they scored – in a game England won 5-1 incidentally – he was roundly booed with every touch he took for the rest of the match. Cole may not be the most popular of players, but he is one of the few players who England have who is genuinely world-class, and potentially the best in the game in his position, and abusing him for a mistake is how he is treated.
If Rob Green is called upon to play in another game for England there will be a huge overhanging sense of mistrust in his ability, which is a shame because the bottom line is that he is a good goalkeeper. I am not saying Green should be No.1, but he will almost certainly be involved in England squads in the future, and having been taunted on a regular basis will be the worst possible preparation for him.
It is important to stress that I believe fans are entitled to their opinion and chants at football grounds are part of what we go to games for – I don’t want to sit in silence in the way the match stewards would prefer that I do – but I also believe that songs, chants, and for want of a better word, banter, should all be reasonably justified. Rob Green was not the reason England performed so badly this summer. It looks quite probable that he will however become the symbol of that failure, which for a good player, and from what I can make out, a decent man, would be a sad state of affairs.
With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery
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England boss Fabio Capello appeared to be lost in translation at the World Cup after his instructions of how to play winning football failed to reach the players but he certainly has got the message this weekend that he has lost the respect of the England dressing room.
Before being omitted from the squad, Jermain Defoe claimed the England players were hungry to make amends but it has been the players not considered good enough to make his 23-man squad for the tournament this summer to publicly embarrass the Italian by retiring from international duty AFTER being selected for the friendly on Wednesday.
Both Blackburn’s Paul Robinson and defender Wes Brown had been named in Capello’s new look squad on Saturday night but have since declared they no longer want to be considered for selection. Brown met with the England boss in a face-to-face meeting but Blackburn’s goalkeeper undermined the Italian by announcing publicly he has retired from international duty.
The reality is the England manager can blame nobody but himself as this clearly demonstrates a clear lack of communication between him and his players. Robinson was frozen out of the England set-up having only been named on the bench of Capello’s teams eight times and was overlooked for the World Cup completely.
Signs of player power emerged during the World Cup after John Terry revealed in a press conference the England players and staff were due to have a crisis meeting before their final group match against Slovenia.
Further evidence to support the Italian has lost the dressing room occurred after Ashley Cole failed to acknowledge the outstretched hand of his national manager after losing to Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.
The once strict headmaster figure we all praised during the qualifying campaign for the World Cup for his discipline and getting the best out of his players has now become the substitute teacher the pupils (the players) don’t respect.
Capello hasn’t only lost control of his players but the staff he is working alongside. Club England managing director Adrian Bevington announced after the World Cup: “We aim to have the new coach appointed for the autumn fixtures.” The new coach will be employed alongside Stuart Pearce and Ray Clemence.
However, when asked by the Sunday newspapers in their press conference with him at the weekend, he had no knowledge on who would be joining him ahead of the European qualifiers.
Not only have the players undermined the Italian but the Football Association have all but put an end to Capello’s reign as England boss after director of football Trevor Brooking declared they want the next manager to be English.
“I think longer term, after Fabio, we’d like to go English,” newspapers quoted former England midfielder Brooking as saying.
“We want to create a spell where we appoint English coaches, and Fabio can help us enormously to bridge that gap and help that transition.
“We’ve got a short-term priority of the qualifying games (for Euro 2012) but over the next couple of years the National Football Centre will hopefully be built, and that’s going to be the hub site for the future development of English coaches.”
Capello has agreed to work with Brooking in an attempt to find a dynamic young successor, which doesn’t bode well for England’s chances at the European Championships as the FA are already looking beyond the tournament.
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Written By Michael Muncaster
See Football FanCast columnist, Zarif Rasul, discuss Capello’s latest squad on SKY News
The transfer window always reminds me of Christmas. Full of expectation, excitement and then suddenly it becomes something an anti-climax once it is over. Some are happy with their presents, while others are left seething at the lack of effort that was put in. City fans are undoubtedly happy with their lot this summer, although others are bound to be disappointed.
It has been a relatively quiet transfer window as clubs remain cautious with their transfer spending, given the current climate. Chairman may have had little option but to be prudent, but it doesn’t stop supporters feeling slightly disappointed that a few more gambles haven’t taken place. Surprisingly a lot of managers have actually been sympathetic towards the situation, highlighting the curse of high wages that has made transfer dealings all the more difficult, rather than bemoaning the lack of backing from their club chairman, while others have simply made the best out of the stagnant transfer market, negotiated well and brought in some real bargains.
So how has Tottenham’s transfer window been and have you been disappointed by the progress that has been made? Was there any real need for Harry to strengthen in the first place? Do you foresee any last minute deals in the last 24hrs of the transfer window?
Matchwinner Shola Ameobi earned high praise from boss Chris Hughton after helping Newcastle United clinch a shock 4-3 win at Chelsea in the third round of the Carling Cup.
Ameobi found the net twice at Stamford Bridge, with his second goal coming in the final minute of normal time, as the striker steered home a superb header from Jonas Gutierrez's left-wing corner.
Hughton said after the game:"Shola showed why he is still at this football club. He has had periods at the club where injuries have hindered his progress.
"That was the case last season, but on this form he is top player."
Of his team's overall display, Hughton added:"This was a game that most people felt we couldn't win irrespective of what side they put out.
"We showed great character and great finishing to get back in the game.
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"It speaks volumes for the players in the changing room and hopefully it will give us the momentum to go into the next few games."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Aston Villa youngster Ciaran Clark is confident in his ability to continue filling in for Richard Dunne at Sunderland on Saturday.
The 21-year-old defender was called off the bench when Dunne picked up an injury during the opening minutes of last weekend's goalless draw with Chelsea.
The academy graduate helped keep the Premier League leaders at bay and almost scored himself when a late glancing header struck the woodwork.
Clark is now looking forward to more first-team opportunities, possibly starting at Sunderland on Saturday.
"I was told I was on the bench and you never know what can happen," he told the club's official website.
"Richey (Dunne) went down and the manager told me to go and warm up.
"There was a lot of pressure but when you get out there you just need to get your head down.
"You can't think 'I'm playing against big players.' You've just got to get on with it and we came out with a draw and everyone done well.
"There were a few nerves when I was running up and down the touch-line. But when I got on and got a few touches, I was good.
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"I nearly scored. I turned around and I thought it was in but it came out off the inside of a post and I was a bit devastated. But it is just great to be out there.
"It is progress and it all looks good. When you play against top teams like Chelsea, it is good to have on your CV."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It began in Africa, or so we are told, and for many of Harry Redknapp’s sides in the past, this has been the case. It seems Redknapp has returned to the continent this week to purchase 23 year-old centre back Bongani Khumalo, but will the SuperSport player prove to be a dud, or another astute African acquisition for the Tottenham manager?
Redknapp seemed to discover his penchant for signing African players at West Ham, where he made the high-profile purchases of Marc Vivien-Foe, Rigobert Song and Titi Camara. Perhaps with the exception of Vivien-Foe these players did not particularly shower themselves in glory, but this did not dissuade Redknapp at Portsmouth as he signed both Yakubu and Lomana Lua Lua in his first stint in charge of the south-coast club. Yakubu helped fire Pompey into the Premier League and between them, the player affectionately known as ‘the Yak’ and Lua Lua scored over 40 goals for Portsmouth.
On his return to the south-coast club in December 2005, Redknapp became more prolific in his African acquisitions, signing Benjani, Kanu, Lauren, Sulley Muntari and John Utaka amongst others, and formed a side which won the 2008 FA Cup from many of these African players. Utaka, Muntari, Kanu and Papa Bouba Diop were all present in the side that lifted the trophy, with Kanu scoring the winner, giving Pompey their first piece of noteworthy silverware in nearly 60 years.
Surprisingly, Redknapp has not continued this trend at Spurs, signing only French-born Cameroonian international Sébastien Bassong for the club. However, all this is about to change as Bongani Khumalo joins the club in January for £1.5m. But the question on Spurs fans lips is, is he going to be a Titi Camara, or a Sulley Muntari? All reports coming out of Africa seem to suggest the latter.
Bongani is a highly thought of and highly educated young player, impressing during the 2010 World Cup in his adopted home nation of South Africa (he was born in Swaziland) capping his performances with a goal against France in the last group game in Bloemfontein. This, combined with the relative youth of the player (23) seem to point towards an investment in Spurs’ future, as well as a player that can be utilised immediately as Tottenham seek to compete on two fronts after the turn of the year.
In looking to Africa, Redknapp seems to have once again unearthed a player with just the right mixture of athleticism and skill, and with a central defence prone to injury, Spurs may well have found a player to shore them up during 2011 and beyond.
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