The blueprint for this fixture has long been established in meetings between these two clubs in recent seasons. Home or away, Chelsea have been happy to sit and allow Arsenal to play their attractive football in areas which will not harm the Blues, before overpowering the Gunners in the midfield and punishing the inevitable defensive lapses.
With Arsenal confident, perhaps for the first time since they last won the title, that for all their setbacks so far, this could be their year, and with Chelsea yet to convince anyone that they are in fact over their alarming slump, the result of this fixture could be about to change.
Chelsea have an appalling record over Christmases past. From last minute equalisers conceded in home clashes against Reading and Aston Villa, to dour stalemates with Birmingham, the Blues have an unrivalled ability to gift wrap points for Premier League opposition at this time of year.
Arsenal on the other hand will surely be unable to afford another defeat here. Having won only one of the last eleven meetings with either Chelsea or Manchester United, Arsene Wenger will tell his side that should title glory be a genuine aspiration this year, that all three points must be taken from this most pivotal of London derbies.
A fabulous weekend of football awaits us with huge local derbies and the matter of Manchester United’s visit to White Hart Lane. You do sense that Tottenham have a great opportunity to bring an end to United’s unbeaten run, given the injuries that Sir Alex Ferguson side has.
In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes Fabregas accusing Ipswich of rugby tactics, Lammy warns Tottenham about losing their identity and Ancelotti makes a late move for Steven Pienaar.
*
Leave Tottenham and become Stratford Hotspur, warns MP – Guardian
Fàbregas accuses Ipswich of ‘rugby’ tactics – Daily Telegraph
Ancelotti in £3m Pienaar bid – Sun
Oxlade-Chamberlain close to £5m move to Arsenal – Daily Mail
Liverpool need character not cash – Cahill – Mirror
Dalglish to discuss possible transfers – Guardian
Platini issues warning over ‘financial fair-play’ – Daily Telegraph
Lambert joins Hammers list – Sun
Storm grows over Qatar: Fresh claims over World Cup bidding process – Daily Mail
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Giggs rules out prospect of Wales return – Guardian
Last night Liverpool succumbed to their first defeat to Wolves for 27 years and with it Roy Hodgson’s time at the club looks set to be over. Liverpool fans do not want him to stay on as manager, and after his rant at the Liverpool fans who have had to experience such dour football this season, Hodgson must accept his time is up. However, last night was not about Hodgson. He made a few tactical errors, but last night the players must take responsibility for such an embarrassing display.
Roy Hodgson spoke well when he accepted that everyone had let the fans down last night. However, turning on the crowd will only make him more unpopular. What on earth was he thinking? If Hodgson had been more direct and blamed the players, he may have a little more sympathy this morning.
“The fans have left angry and that’s understandable. We’ve let them down,” said 63-year-old Hodgson.
“I have to hope the fans will become supporters because we need support. We are not deliberately losing games.”
The players are the ones that go out and have to get the job done. Whether Liverpool fans agree or or not with the manager’s tactics or team selection, there was enough quality on show last night to beat Wolves at Anfield. However, it looked like certain individuals didn’t want to know, that has to infuriate Liverpool fans. It is very easy to pick on Fernando Torres because he is Liverpool’s best player, and the expectation is that he should score every game. Of course that is ridiculous, but Liverpool fans deserve better from their talisman. He offered very little in terms of movement, and John Barnes was spot on when he said the striker was happy to be marked all game. His all round application was poor last night. He was not the only one, but when times are tough, you learn a lot from your top players. I am not saying Torres played poorly on purpose, and not for one minute was he the only one, but when a player is that good, and Wolves’ defence so leaky, Liverpool fans have every right to expect better.
The first half summed up the way Liverpool approached the game. I lost count how many times they passed the ball back to Pepe Reina, how many times they gave the ball away and how slow they moved the ball. Against a side at the foot of the table it is obvious that you need to get at them quickly, and break their already fragile confidence. It can’t be done by using Pepe Reina as a play maker and drilling balls up to the forwards. Liverpool had no game plan, no way of breaking Wolves down. Without a doubt, Wolves played well but it was made easy for them. Some Liverpool players just didn’t want to know last night, and that is a key reason why they are only three points off the relegation zone. The squad may lack quality, but it is lacking character as well at the moment. Character and determination can only come from the individuals. No manager can give a player the passion for a club that Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard have for Liverpool. It is in their blood, and you can only hope that it spreads through the team. In the past it has. Players in the mould of Sami Hyypia would never have accepted such an abject Liverpool performance, and the way he played the game would have shown us that. Do Liverpool have enough leaders on the pitch? Is this just another easy excuse to shield players from criticism? Although a lot of the boos that rung around Anfield last night were directed at Roy Hodgson, a lot of them were towards the players as well. Roy Hodgson’s time at Anfield is coming to an end. It is obvious to see, and it is ending bitterly. The fans and the manager are at war and some players are showing no passion to get Liverpool out of this current mess. The players must accept a share of the responsibility, it is not all Roy Hodgson’s fault. There are first team players at Liverpool that are showing themselves to be surplus to requirements. Hopefully NESV are watching and are willing not only to invest in January but ship some of these players out of the club. John W. Henry and Tom Werner need to negotiate some kind of exit plan for Hodgson and some of these players before everyone gives up at Anfield.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Netherlands international Ryan Babel is set to leave Liverpool after agreeing a deal with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.
A fee was agreed between the English Premier League side and Hoffenheim for the 24-year-old on January 19.
It appeared Babel would be remaining at Anfield after Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish announced the move was off early on Monday.
But a statement appearing the same day on the Liverpool website has now confirmed the transfer is likely to go ahead.
“Ryan Babel has agreed a move to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim,” the statement said.
“The Dutch international will fly to Germany tomorrow (Tuesday) to finalise the deal.”
He passed a medical with Hoffenheim earlier this week and is believed to have signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club, who are eighth in the Bundesliga table.
An attacking midfielder and forward, Babel joined Liverpool from Eredivisie side Ajax in 2007.
He struggled to claim a regular place in the first team at Anfield, scoring 12 goals in 91 appearances for Liverpool.
Babel’s departure may lead to new developments in the proposed transfer of Ajax forward Luis Suarez.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The Uruguay international is the subject of a bid from Liverpool, but a deal has stalled after the offer failed to match Ajax’s asking price, believed to be in the region of 20 to 25 million pounds.
Liverpool have also had a four million-pound bid for Blackpool captain Charlie Adam rejected.
The Scotland international had a transfer request turned down by the club on Monday.
If the Tottenham, Daniel Levy and a fan were in a family it would look like this: Tottenham would be the girl, the fan would be boy who is in love with that girl. Daniel Levy would be that girl’s Father.
There might be Tottenham hard core fans that feel they love the club more than Daniel Levy, and they might be right, I’ll never know. But they love Tottenham like a wife (if that still exist), Daniel levy loves it as a child. A father knows what is best for his child and makes selfless decisions based on the child’s future. A father wants its child to be the best it can be, the boyfriend has to tolerate this.
We are at a cross-roads in football, Manchester City and Chelsea have shown just what a difference a sugar daddy can make. If Tottenham fans want to keep up with the likes of these clubs, they will see the need for more revenue. The best way to achieve this is through a bigger stadium, the 36,000 capacity of White Hart Lane is not enough.
When the UEFA Fair Play rules come into force in 2015, clubs will be only be able to spend 70 % of what they turn over on their wage bill. This will mean a big Stadium is vital.
But the idea of re-developing the current stadium is not feasible when compared to the Stratford project; the cost would be double. Tottenham could save this money and begin to compete with the mega-money-market signings like Carroll for £35m. The move would allow this money to be spent on players, and Spurs would not be dormant in the window and not have to pick up bargains all the time.
Levy would not have put forward his scheme without doing his research. We can’t think of him as some rich foreign investor he just swans along and makes brash decisions. We are lucky in that we are one of the few clubs left to be run by an Englishman. Think of all the foreign investment in the Premier League. He is Essex, born and bred, and he understands football. The fans might be what makes a club, but he is a fan too.
He knows that if the club is going to grow and become the best club in London, it needs to move Stadium. He has shown this understanding by stating, to his own bid’s detriment, that there will be no running track at Stratford.
Of course, there will always be protests to the move from die-hard Tottenham fans, they as infatuated with White Hart Lane, as they are with the club itself, but there are also many people who want it to move.
I am sure Levy wouldn’t want to move if there was no alternative, but he has the perspective of business. He is interested in the long term ambitions of the club and will allow it to move to aid these ambitions.
The question remains, are Tottenham selling out in pursuit of glory? I can see where people who feel this are coming from, but I don’t agree with them. Manchester City have done it, from Maine Road to Eastlands. Arsenal have done it (although they went back home). Importantly though, it will allow Spurs to be self-sufficient, unlike Cheslsea. If they lose their owner they are doomed, if Tottenham’s move to Stratford goes ahead, they will have the infrastructure to support big spending.
You have to ask yourself the question, do Tottenham belong at White Hart Lane or do they belong at the top of the Premiership? Because sadly both scenarios cannot occur. I trust Levy’s ambition to be the best club possible is the right one.
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Football has a terrible habit of pigeonholing certain players into categories. Some are warranted some are certainly not; however it is very hard to break away from it when commentators, pundits and supporters have labelled you as a certain type of player.
The term ‘hard man’ use to be widely used within football. I have been tarred with that very brush myself, and although I would prefer the term ‘committed’ the very fact I would throw myself into tackles for the sake of my team deems me that then there is little I can do my part to change their view. You ask a footballer who the genuine hard men in football are and you wouldn’t hear the usual host of clichéd names of Jones and Fash, but players like Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Cyrille Regis, or for me the hardest of them all Jimmy Case who I was fortunate to play alongside at Southampton. Everyone was scared of Jimmy, who not only was as hard as nails, but as his success showed at Liverpool he could also play a bit as well. Unfortunately it appears the committed, wholehearted footballers are becoming something of a dying breed as the authorities do their level best to change the very fabric of the game.
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
It has become frustrating to watch the game I love changing. Every challenge brings with it players riving in pain in order to get their opponent booked; players get sent off for leading with their elbow when challenging for headers, (how do you jump with both arms by your side?) leaving the game resembling something of a non contact sport that is devoid of commitment. It is shameful in fact and I remember a time when you would be embarrassed to show an opponent you had been hurt and would have been determined to win your own personal battle on the pitch come the end of the game.
The so called experts who see these initiatives as the way of cleaning up the game of the bad injuries we have witnessed in the past two years will do well to look back at the ‘50s, ‘60s ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and assess how many compound fractures, dislocations, leg breaks, broken feet and twisted ligaments occurred to footballers then as opposed to now. I ask the question as to whether it has more to do with the fact the modern pitch has very little give in it like it used to, or whether the actual modern boots worn by footballers are responsible for some of the horrific injuries we have seen in recent years? I am not suggesting for a minute that there aren’t some players who are reckless in the tackle, but unfortunately the art of tackling is being trained out of them, in light of the changing ways of football that is fast becoming something that resembles little more than a non contact sport.
I am sure there are many of you out there that may agree there is a need to clean the game up and welcome the initiatives to do it. For me the game has become incredibly frustrating to watch as a spectacle with the way players fall over at will and clearly have no personal pride or professionalism about them. You wouldn’t have had the likes of Cantona, Hughes or Regis falling over at the slightest nudge in the back or a shoulder charge, as they were made of a lot sterner stuff than the modern footballer within the Premier League. Maybe it is just the current climate of harsh officiating that has turned them soft, but there is certainly no place for the so called ‘hard man’ in the modern game.
*
Former Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham defender Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock is one of the great characters of English football. Razor has the same no-nonsense attitude off the pitch as he did on it.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Uncompromising, controversial and outspoken, read more of Razor’s thoughts in his weekly column
Celtic boss Neil Lennon has played down his heated clash with Rangers assistant Ally McCoist after their 1-0 Scottish Cup win on Wednesday.The victorious manager was shaking hands with his opposing assistant coach following an Old Firm derby that saw three red cards issued to Rangers players Steven Whittaker, Madjid Bougherra and El Hadji Diouf when the pair broke out into a heated argument and had to be separated.Lennon said, however, that the clash was not personal, but merely a build up of the tension following a physical Old Firm clash.”Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, things can be said,” Lennon told Celtic’s official website. “However, we were still able to sit down after the game and, as far as we are concerned, the matter is closed.” “It is a passionate game and both of us want our team to win.” Their clash was not the only concern for the Scottish Football Association to emerge from the match, with likely repercussions to come out of unruly crowd behaviour at Celtic Park in which 34 arrests were made.Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond declared a summit to discuss the future of Old Firm derbies and how best to quell the inevitable outbursts from passionate fans of the two Scottish powerhouses.There were 229 arrests made in the aftermath of their previous clash, on February 20.
The Emirates Stadium probably isn’t the nicest place to be at the moment. After seeing their team conspire to throw away the Carling Cup final, drop points at home to Sunderland in the title race before crashing out of the FA Cup and Champions League, Arsenal fans might be forgiven for wondering if their silverware drought has something to do with their new stadium.
Yet, despite the string of negative results, there remains a genuine chance that one major trophy will adorn the Gunners’ trophy cabinet before the end of May – a first trophy since the FA Cup triumph of six years ago.
The cumulative efforts of the current playing staff at Arsenal over the last few seasons should certainly have been enough to land some cup success during this time, nevertheless, the series of near misses have started to take their toll on many plying their trade at the club.
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
I know there will be a large section of the Emirates faithful that will feel that capturing the league title this season is absolutely paramount after a campaign where there has been positive elements to build upon yet little to hang their hat on. Failure again, some might argue, would seriously undermine what they have believed in for the best part of seven years.
My argument however, is that, as hard as it may be to watch, that Arsenal fans should hope their pursuit of a first league triumph since 2004 falls by the wayside. Obviously, the idea of coming away from this season without something tangible is difficult to stomach, however I genuinely believe that one more failure will do the club a great deal of benefit in terms of pushing for top prizes next year.
Manager, Arsene Wenger, may have seen enough to appreciate that there is more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to his philosophy surrounding player acquisition and deployment. His faith in youth is admirable but this policy cannot continue indiscriminately at the expense of experienced players in crucial positions – particularly when some of the current recruits have been exposed as being short of the required standard. The approach does not need to be all or nothing.
Of course critics will point at the farce that was Birmingham’s winning goal in the Carling Cup final, as evidence of the benefits of an experienced defensive spine, but there is more to the problem than simply one error or a handful of mix-ups. The team lacks leadership, and whilst this is something that is difficult to simply catapult into a side, Arsenal have to hope that a few summer transfers of proven quality could pave the way for considerable success in coming seasons.
Continue to the NEXT PAGE…
A win in this year’s title race would cloud the issue. With Manchester United chasing glory on three fronts and with a tougher run in than their North London rivals, the concept of a first championship in seven years is impossible to ignore.
Yet, having seen the difference between moments of promise and substantial success at three distinct points this season, not to mention several others over the last few years, Arsenal fans must be starting to realise that one championship success this season would not make the squad’s long-term issues evaporate.
If Wenger needs evidence of this, he only needs to look back at very recent Premier League history. Last year’s domestic double winners, Chelsea, have experienced the perils of believing a Premier League title represents the end of a journey rather than the beginning of one.
The Blues rightly celebrated the capture of their first ever double, however, took the success as an indication that their squad was strong enough to capture further glory on all fronts this time around. Considering the comparative merits of the squads around them, it must be appreciated that last season’s competition was one of the weakest in the Premier League era. As a result, their threadbare squad continues to be exposed this term.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’left’]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Arsenal’s exits from this season’s cup competitions have highlighted one particularly worrying problem. Whilst of course a number of decent performances against the division’s lesser lights are imperative for domestic glory, and the Achilles heel of Wenger’s sides in the past, there remains only one positive result against any significant foe across the whole campaign – a home win over a horribly out of form Chelsea. Defeats to Barcelona, United (twice), Tottenham, Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk and the return league fixture against the defending champions, hint at a side with major problems in games that will inevitably define their season.
Wenger has long had a reputation for being a stubborn manager when it comes to the way he handles his player evaluations and choices. As things stand, there is an increasing likelihood that he will be compelled to bring in experienced, potentially expensive squad reinforcements in the summer.
However, should the championship trophy hold pride of place in the Emirates’ trophy cabinet come the start of next term, the door would be left open to a very dangerous and potentially damaging status quo if the Frenchman takes potential success this time around as an indication of how he should construct his squad in future years.
Agree? Disagree? Have the keys to the Emirates trophy cabinet? Leave me a comment or find me on Twitter.
Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean said Saturday’s clash with Lancashire rivals Blackpool is the most important game of the season.The teams are tied on 32 points – just one point above the relegation zone, and Kean knows a positive result at Ewood Park would go a long way to staying in the top flight next season.”When you look at the points tally of both sides, I think it is the most important game of the season so far,” Kean said.”It is a big game because if we get the three points we will have the same amount of points as we had at this stage last season.””We want to finish in the top 10 and a win would put us on track for that top 10 finish.”
Defender Phil Jones, who came through a midweek run-out in the reserve team with no problems, is in contention to return from a knee ligament injury.Kean said: “Phil Jones came through the reserves game without any problems.””He has been out for quite a while so it has to be a phasing in process- playing 45 minutes one game and maybe an hour in his next one.””Hopefully we can speak to his surgeon today and see what the risk is.”
“Elsewhere we have a couple of players who are doubts. Midfielder David Dunn has a hip muscle injury that was recovering well but has slowed up a little bit and defensive midfielder Vince Grella has a tight Achilles tendon.”Defender Gael Givet will also be missing as he serves the first game of a two-match ban.
According to reports in the Metro, Inter Milan are keen on a swap deal for Nani involving Dutchman Wesley Sneijder.
While Manchester United have been strongly linked to the former Ajax and Real Madrid midfielder, losing their Portuguese wizard will surely not have been part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans.
This report from the Metro suggests a deal may appeal to Sir Alex, “Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long-term admirer of Sneijder, and although he would be reluctant to part with one of his outstanding players of the season, the temptation to finally land the midfield schemer may be too much to resist – especially with Paul Scholes in the twilight of his career.”
Regardless of the speculation, it’s evident that since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani has stepped into his fellow countryman’s breech and performed superbly, this season in particular. He has netted 9 times and provided 14 assists for The Red Devils.
It’s apparent there is a need for a goal scoring central midfielder at Old Trafford, although whether Fergie is willing to sacrifice the instrumental Nani to get Sneijder is debatable.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
[divider]
Listen to the first episode of our brand new podcast – The Football FanCast. Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and Toploader’s Dan Hipgrave makes a special appearance!