The Mirror are reporting that Jermain Defoe could be set to leave Tottenham in January with boss Harry Redknapp lining up a move for Juventus striker Amauri as a replacement.
Defoe’s future at White Hart Lane has been the subject of much speculation for the past couple of weeks after the 29-year-old found himself playing second fiddle to Rafael Van Der Vaart.
The Dutchman’s lethal partnership with on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor has seen the England striker relegated to the substitutes bench for much of the season with QPR reportedly planning a move when the transfer window re-opens.
R’s boss Neil Warnock is desperate to boost his front line with an experienced Premier League striker and Defoe ticks all of his boxes and with Euro 2012 just around the corner it’s likely the Spurs man will be tempted by the prospect of first team football.
His proposed exit could pave the way for Redknapp to bring in Brazilian-born Italian striker Amauri who has fallen out of favour with Juve boss Antonio Conte and is surplus to requirements in Turin.
Reports have linked the 31-year-old with moves to fellow Serie A sides Genoa and Palermo but his agent Ernesto Bronzetti has claimed the powerful striker will snub both clubs to move to England with Spurs waiting in the wings.
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It’s the day to dust down your novelty Guinness hats and celebrate all things Irish and Green, it’s the 17th March – St.Patrick’s Day! And in the jolly spirit of our near neighbours I’ve decided to create a list of some of the best players that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have given us in the history of football.
Over the last few decades we have seen a number of players pull on the green jerseys of both Ireland teams, some of them are Irish born and bread whereas others have more distant Irish relations. To make this list fair and in true spirit of St.Patrick’s Day the following Top Ten are for those players Irish through and through!
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>>>CLICK ON GEORGE BEST BELOW TO SEE THE TOP TEN IRISH PLAYERS!<<<
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Celebrate St.Paddy’s Day with a pint of Guinness and a Man Hug!
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
Heidar Helguson struck twice for QPR as they claimed a surprise victory over Stoke in a thrilling encounter at the Brittania Stadium to move into the top half.
Rangers had to come from behind after Jon Walters had given the home side an eighth minute lead only for Helguson to equalise before Luke Young scored his first goal for the club just before the break. The Icelandic striker then pounced to increase his side’s lead just before the hour mark and it proved to be crucial as Ryan Shawcross pulled one back to set up a nervy finish. Tony Pulis’ side should have had a penalty two minute from time after Joey Barton brought Robert Huth down in the area only for referee Mike Jones to wave away any appeals as the R’s held on. The win moves Neil Warnock’s men into ninth position as they won away from Loftus Road for the third time this season. Their form on the road has been a massive plus point and they’ll be ecstatic to be travelling back to West London with three points under their belts. Stoke, on the other hand, made it four defeats on the bounce and were still licking their wounds after a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Bolton before the international break. They responded in the best possible manner going ahead with just eight minutes on the clock.
Walters was the man on hand to fire past Paddy Kenny for his fourth goal of the campaign after latching on to Peter Crouch’s pass as the Potters started brightly. Crouch should then have double that lead seeing one effort saved by Kenny before Clint Hill steered his goal bound effort to safety. However they failed to build on their early supremacy with the visitors scoring with arguably their first chance of the game. Armand Traore sped down the left before clipping a superb cross into towards the unmarked Helguson who made no mistake planting his header past Thomas Sorensen. Warnock’s side clearly had their shooting boot’s on and they made it 2-0 just before half time with Young scoring his first league goal since August of last year lashing the ball home from Jamie Mackie’s cross. It was proving to be a tough afternoon for Sorensen who was making his first league start of the season and was beaten for a third time 10 minutes after the restart as Helguson fired home at the back post from Barton’s whipped cross.
The home side didn’t surrender though and after a period of extended pressure gave themselves a lifeline through Shawrcross’ first goal of the campaign. A corner from the right was touched on by Crouch gifting the Stoke skipper the task of simply heading the ball past Kenny from six-yards. The Britannia was now buzzing with anticipation as they roared their side on to find an equaliser and they were up in arms after referee Jones decided not to award the Potters a penalty after Barton’s trip on Huth. After lengthy discussions with his assistant the official decided a free-kick was to be awarded much to the annoyance of the home bench. Pulis’ men fired everything they had at the Rangers defence but to no avail as the away side held on for a priceless victory.
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Last night wasn’t especially great if you’re a Manchester City fan, like myself. It began with an uninspired performance, got a bit worse with a striker who had an allergic reaction to the type of grass on the pitch. A two goal deficit to overcome without the aid of an away goal added a bit more to the misery, and that’s before we throw in a poor performance to boot. You would think that it couldn’t possibly have been worse last night, but, unfortunately, it was.
There has been one constant throughout City’s season that we, as blues, could rely on. One thing that we knew, if all else failed, that we could count on to remain solid and dependable in the face of adversity. But, last night, that constant was snatched from us in one moment of madness in the Kyiv cold.
I’m talking, as everybody else is, I’m sure, about Roberto Mancini’s hat.
The moment that that monstrosity parked itself on Roberto Mancini’s head was the moment that it became clear to all City fans that his sense of style – so often revered by the media and so often envied by fans of teams with less stylish managers (Tony Pulis, I’m looking in you and your baseball cap’s direction) – had deserted him. Never have City fans seen such hideous managerial headwear since Alan Ball, complete with flat cap, was at the helm. Although, there was, famously, Mario Balotelli’s impression of Feathers McGraw from earlier this season, but he hasn’t ever managed City and it, therefore, cannot count.
In many ways, Mancini’s hat was the perfect metaphor for City’s performance in Kyiv. It wasn’t in keeping with what had gone before it for the previous seven months of the season and, not only was it difficult to look at, but you knew that it could have gone on all night and never once been right.
It actually started off quite well – City were coping competently with Dynamo Kyiv’s counter attacks and looking slightly threatening at times with some spells of pressure. But, and if there’s one thing that we can criticise Roberto Mancini’s City for it’s this, City failed to turn any of their spells of pressure into clear cut chances. There were half-chances at best – nearly moments where the shot didn’t come, or they were speculative volleys from tight angles, or an over hit pass that would have led to a one-on-one, but instead rolled through to the keeper…
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Then, there was a bit of self-foot-shooting from City for the opening goal. Kolarov and Hart could both have done better and Shevchenko could have done us a favour by showing some of his Chelsea form and skying it or something, but, with over an hour of the match to play, it wasn’t a disaster. There was still time for City to pick up the tempo and play some of that good football we’ve been spoiled with this season.
But, in typical City fashion, that didn’t happen and, as the game wore on and the visitors went in search of that equaliser and away goal, the inevitable happened and Kyiv scored again. A cross that shouldn’t have come in came in, an unlucky flick off one of the centre backs and the right back was a bit flat footed for my liking and, before we know what’s going on, City have a mountain to climb.
Though, to be fair, the conditions on that mountain can’t be much colder than they were in Ukraine.
I was then astounded to read several opinions around the City supporting Twitter feeds and message boards that going out of the Europa League could be a blessing in disguise. It’s a bloody good disguise if it is, because it passed me by – the Europa League being a competition that City could, before last night, at least, have realistic expectations of winning. I mean, it’s not like City have been winning trophy after trophy, so the chance of one more would be nice…
The age old problem is the build-up speed. So many times this season, City have been keeping the ball well – though, last night, that was a struggle at times – but the movement has been too slow. It’s a bugbear of mine when I hear cries that “backwards passes are bad passes” because they’re not. Not every pass needs to be forwards, providing it drags the opposition out of position and messes up their shape. That allows the forward players to exploit the space.
But, last night, again, that build-up was too slow. So, while the passing did drag the Kyiv players out of position, the lack of urgency allowed them to get back into position before the space could be exploited. That left the team shooting from range or giving the ball away in the final third trying to pass it through a wall of shirts… And susceptible to a quick breakaway. Unfortunately.
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City remain in the competition thanks to the skin of the skin of their teeth (or, in other words, the fact that, right at the end, Joe Hart made sure we didn’t need to score four goals without reply to win), but the position is no less than precarious, at best. Kyiv have proven how effective they are on the counter attack and that will be their gameplan at Eastlands – they’ve no need to risk giving City space to find two goals, so they’ll look to keep it tight and kill off the home side on the break.
And, with a two goal deficit to recoup, City will have to push forward, leaving them open to being counter attacked. An away goal for Kyiv could well be the end of any European success for City this season. In fact, coming away from Ukraine two goals behind and without an away goal is worse than leaving Germany trailing Hamburg 3-1 two years ago.
City need to step it up for the final run in. And Roberto Mancini needs to lose the hat. In fact, no, he needs to destroy the hat. Then there’s no chance it’ll be seen in his vicinity again.
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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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that he plans to be prudent in the transfer market this summer.
The Northern Irish manager has added Joe Allen and Fabio Borini to his Reds squad this summer so far, and is still eager to strengthen his contingent.
However, with predecessor Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli in mind, Rodgers has expressed his intent to be sensible in the search for new players.
“You have to spend money but not throw it around,” explained Rodgers. “In professional and social life, I like to get value. That is just my nature and my upbringing. I won’t pay anything at all costs, absolutely not,” The Telegraph quote Rodgers as saying.
“There have to be certain factors to make a player want to come and play for you. Unfortunately for people, money distorts the reality.
“I prefer the hungry player and those that want to succeed. Of course they will earn good money – and they will get their value and worth if they perform. I also understand that it is about two things for some players – game time and money.
“Signing for Liverpool should be the beginning. If you look at the history of the club, it is about hungry players, coming in from the lower leagues, from clubs in Scotland and Ireland, and working their way up.
“Talent aligned with hard work takes you a long way. I just want to maintain that spirit within the club,” he concluded.
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QPR have confirmed that striker DJ Campbell will undergo surgery on an injured foot, and is likely to be sidelined for two months.
The sprightly attacker suffered a metatarsal fracture in training on Thursday, and will be unavailable for Neil Warnock to select until December.
“The consultant we have spoken to has advised us that the best way to deal with it is to put a pin though it,” club physio Nigel Cox told the side’s official website.
“DJ will have surgery and will then be placed in an aircast boot for three weeks which will immobilise the foot.
“The benefit of that is it means there can be some partial weight-bearing so DJ can put weight on the foot from day one.”
“But for an injury of this nature you are looking at a timescale of six-to-eight weeks before the player can resume full training,” he stated.
The news will be a blow for the Loftus Road outfit, who have the joint lowest scoring record in the division, only hitting the back of the net six times in eight fixtures.
The 29-year-old joined the newly promoted side from Blackpool in August, and has scored one goal since his move to London.
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The debate over Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon is always open with both players competing for a place in the England team, but despite their similarities in playing style, they are viewed differently. Walcott’s rise to fame came from his big money move from Southampton to Arsenal and despite not making a debut for the Gunners, he was called up to the England squad for the 2006 World Cup. Since then there seems to be high praise for the occasions when Walcott is showing the potential that has been put on his head from a young age. However, across north London, Aaron Lennon has been generally consistent for Tottenham Hotspur but without the hype and hysteria. So, why is Lennon not seen in the same light as his England team mate?
Despite Peter Crouch scoring the only goal in Milan last week that saw Spurs victorious, it was Aaron Lennon’s electric pace, close ball control and pass that made the move. It reminded me of Theo Walcott’s run for Arsenal in the Champions League at Anfield a few seasons back. Maybe Lennon is just a victim of the fame game when it comes to judging both of these players fairly. He never had the big money move like Walcott despite being a teenage prodigy himself making his debut at 16 with Leeds United. But the £1 million move to Spurs in 2005 wasn’t a deal that raised eyebrows unlike Walcott’s big money move to the Emirates.
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Another contrast is man management. Lennon was signed under Martin Jol’s time at the club but was left out once Juande Ramos’ brief spell in charge started only for Harry Redknapp to show enough faith in the player to find his form again. Walcott however was signed by Arsene Wenger, a man known for nurturing young talent into reaching their full potential, so his progress has always been more highlighted. Whereas Lennon burst onto the scene without as much expectation and focus, but should this be the season where a serious comparison is made?
Especially looking at the England angle, who would you pick? For me it would come down to the formation of the team. I see Aaron Lennon as an out and out right winger who hugs the touchline and is able to beat the full back with his pace and trickery to put in a cross. Although Walcott has been groomed into this role at Arsenal, I believe his better position is playing in a forward role, either on the right or left side or down the middle with a target striker.
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Both players have pace in abundance but I think Lennon being 2 years older than Walcott, is the more complete player at the moment. His displays in the Premier League and Champions League have shown more maturity in his play in terms of decision making, whereas Walcott, who has looked stronger this season does seem to go missing during some games. I was quite disappointed in his performance against Barcelona in the Champions League. As an England fan myself, this debate only has a win/win scenario as I believe both can be important impact players for future tournaments.
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.