Birmingham boss Alex McLeish must have felt like a jilted man as deadline day approached having being on the verge of a deal for Wigan’s French star Charles N’Zogbia, only to see it break down at the last minute – but the deals he completed with only hours of the window remaining may be a vindication that the club should not have bowed to N’Zogbia’s demands.
Tireless work from the St Andrews boss and the board which up until now had only fashioned frustration finally paid dividends as Blues bolstered their squad with Czech defender Martin Jiranek, Chilean star Jean Beausejour and one major coup in Barcelona’s Alexander Hleb on a season long loan.
The latter of which is particularly pleasing, and the Belarusian’s claims he rejected Liverpooland Tottenham to sign for them will only help endear himself to the supporters following the N’Zogbia debacle. Hleb said: “I had a few options – Liverpool, Tottenham and Benfica, but Birmingham clearly wanted to do the deal more than the others, which is why I made my choice” – Such refreshing comments from the former Arsenal man go a long way to nullify the greed that was laid bare by Birmingham’s refusal to submit to N’Zogbia’s wage demands.
It is also feasible that they are getting a better deal and a better player in Hleb who made 89 appearances during his time at the Emirates before his £14million to the Nou Camp and his arrival will help alleviate the anxious faces worn by fans’ after the latest dose of last gasp transfer heartache at St Andrews. He may well lavish quality upon Blues’ midfield and the fact he simply wants to get on and play for love of the game will fit perfectly into the ethos with which McLeish has orchestrated their recent successes.
The Scot seems to have conducted some shrewd late business which may aid his unenviable attempts to emulate Blues’ record-breaking season last term and he was naturally delighted with all three of his signings. He described Hleb as “a top quality player – one who at one stage we’d only actually dreamed about” whilst lauding Jiranek’s “tremendous experience on club, European and international fronts.”
Late deals are often agreed with naïve haste in a frantic attempt to strengthen the squad, with managers knowing unless they do so they may struggle until January when the opportunity again arises to buy players but I believe one of the busiest transfer destinations in a compelling deadline day has seen some astute arrivals and Birmingham’s second season in the Premier League will no doubt benefit from this.
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A welcome addition the Premier League’s Wag arena – Click on image below to view gallery
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Roberto Mancini is furious with the fixture pile-up City are facing in the coming weeks. The Italian is particularly disappointed that Liverpool have an extra 48hrs to prepare for their match in the coming week, due to TV scheduling.
Elsewhere in the news Villas-Boas concedes the title race; Adebayor vows to keep laughing, while Arsenal’s fringe men poised for leading roles.
Mancini angry with fixture pile-up – Guardian
Chelsea are out of the title race admits Villas-Boas – Mirror
Jose Mourinho reiterates desire to return to England – Independent
Torres’s swagger refuses to return – Guardian
Wenger predicts 2012 will be the Year of the Ox – Mirror
Adebayor vows to keep laughing – Guardian
Harry: We need a mega signing – Sun
Sir Alex on alert as Inter look to sell Sneijder – Daily Mail
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Kaka given all-clear for £22m Chelsea move – Mirror
City strikers to blame for United catching us – Kompany – Mirror
Martin Keown, who won three Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, has claimed that his old club’s current squad face the prospect of leaving the Emirates if they fail to demonstrate their winning potential soon. The Gunners’ current campaign has fallen apart as spectacularly as it has suddenly, and the team are struggling to regain the form they showed before a last-minute collapse against Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final which preceded rapid exits from the Champions’ League and the FA Cup.
Keown believes Arsenal still have a chance to snatch the title from Manchester United’s grasp and has stated that the current squad, “have a chance to be part of history and become legends at the club.” If the north Londoners don’t improve however, the former centre-back has explained from his own experience that “Wenger invests a certain amount of time in you as a player and once he feels you are at the end of the line he gets someone else in to do the job.”
Although Keown’s departure from Highbury came at the age of 37, when his influence had declined due to fatigue, his former manager has previously proved his willingness to release his younger stars who underperform, and nothing suggests that his present charges won’t suffer a similar fate. Jose Antonio Reyes was let go at the age of 23, Alexander Hleb was sold at 27 as well as Philippe Senderos, Mathieu Flamini and Emmanuel Adebayor who have all been sold in the past three years.
Although Flamini left for AC Milan after refusing to renew his contract and Philippe Senderos didn’t represent a dependable long-term option due to persistent injuries, Wenger got rid of the other three based on performance and mentality. Not one of them can legitimately claim to have improved as a footballer since leaving, although Hleb was a bit-part member of Barcelona’s Champions League winning side the season after he left and Adebayor is currently enjoying the limelight on-loan to Real Madrid. But what about the class of 2011? With history in mind, shouldn’t Abou Diaby, Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner, Andrey Arshavin and possibly even Gael Clichy be worried they could soon be leaving the Gunners?
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It is widely rumoured that the Frenchman has lost patience with Bendtner whose missed chance in the closing stages of Arsenal’s recent Champions League tie against Barcelona may have been his last opportunity to impress. Bayern Munich are apparently interested in the Danish striker, but the futures of Denilson and Abou Diaby remain less certain. The Brazilian has started less than half of Arsenal’s League games this season having featured 51 times in the 2008/2009 campaign, and although his diminishing game-time is largely due to Jack Wilshere’s emergence, Denilson failed to perform at the required standard during Cesc Fabregas’ absence recently. Diaby, however, represents a different consideration.
The France International remained relatively injury-free throughout last season, having endured an extended absence following a leg-break in his first season with the Gunners, and was arguably one of Arsenal’s best players. Unfortunately, injuries have once again impeded his development and the 24 year-old has only featured 16 times this term, scoring a single goal. I believe Wenger will afford the former Auxerre midfielder more time to exhibit his talents on a more consistent basis, but Aaron Ramsey’s return to the first-team, the irreplaceable position Alex Song has carved for himself and Jack Wilshere’s excellent form will force Wenger to at least ponder Diaby’s place in his squad for next season.
Fans of top teams expect a regular delivery of silverware and Arsenal’s have been deprived for six years, which certainly indicates a time for change in some form at the Emirates. The post-2005 project has to be rendered a failure to a large degree, but Wenger retains one of the most gifted squads in Europe, once he rediscovers a system that best suits their talents or employs players who would immediately fit that system, the Gunners will be back to winning ways.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is known to be fiercely loyal to his players but even by his standards, the loyalty he has shown to his two goalkeepers Manuel Almunia and Lukas Fabianski is impressive.
Like his Fawlty Towers namesake, Manuel Almunia’s time at Arsenal has been characterised by confusion and uncertainty. He lacks the basic positional awareness to be a top quality goalkeeper as seen by the failure to cover his near post for David N’Gog’s opening goal for Liverpool on Sunday. Despite being made captain by Arsene Wenger for Sunday’s game, Almunia didn’t show an ounce of leadership qualities and failed to communicate with his defenders. What is probably most frustrating about Almunia for Arsenal fans is that he does have the ability to produce some world-class saves. For example, his first half display against Barcelona in last season’s Champions League tie at the Emirates shows the kind of goalkeeper that Almunia can be on his day. But his evening was spoilt by characteristic poor decision-making when he rushed out of his goal, leaving Zlatan Ibrahimovic the opportunity to lift the ball over him for Barcelona to take the lead.
Poor decision-making is another characteristic of Almunia’s understudy, Polish international goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The Pole has been routinely criticised for his inability to deal with crosses, leading to the unfortunately nickname of “Flappyhandski” from disgruntled Arsenal fans and opposition fans alike. Fabianski’s uncertainty under the high ball was seen most clearly in Arsenal’s incredible 6-5 preseason victory against Fabianski’s former club Legia Warsaw. For Legia’s second goal, Fabianski tried to come and claim a Legia Warsaw corner from the left, only to trip over his own defender Thomas Vermaelen. The ball fell kindly to Artur Jedrzejczyk who put Legia 2-0 up.
Fabianski was hopeless in the first half against Legia, eventually conceding three goals before being hauled off by Arsene Wenger for fellow Pole Wojciech Szczesny who produced a slightly more accomplished display between the sticks.
The reason for Arsene Wenger’s loyalty to his two under-fire goalkeepers is the recognition that confidence is key to a ‘keeper’s performance. In the face of huge media criticism, it is essential that the manager be seen to publicly back his goalkeepers in spite of their performances or risk destroying any confidence that either of them already have.
In the light of all the negative criticism, Fabianski has responded well. He told Arsenal TV Online that he is determined to prove himself to the Arsenal fans and get them singing his name:
“As a player you have to prove you deserve a chance.”
“I can understand every single shout against me and it can only motivate me to play better and work harder.”
“But of course I am going to do everything in my power to show that I deserve to be respected, then maybe they [the Arsenal fans] will start singing my name – that would be wonderful.”
However, Wenger’s faith in Almunia and Fabianski could be coming to an end as reports are linking the Arsenal boss with a move for Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Manchester City’s Shay Given. If that proves to be the case, Wenger will have gone some way to alleviating some of the fears of Arsenal fans over their desperate goalkeeping situation.
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When Wenger asked Arsenal fans not to boo Samir Nasri on his return to The Emirates most Arsenal fans read it as a reminder to boo him. To adapt a cliché: hell hath no fury like a fan-base scorned. And Arsenal were scorned indeed. The departure of one of your best players is bad enough, it’s even worse when he’s the back up plan to your departing captain and he also decides to leave for a team that represent the exact opposite philosophy to that of your own club. So, when Nasri did return to north London it was hardly surprising that he was unceremoniously booed throughout the game. You can understand why Wenger would say not to boo a former player, to be fair Nasri gave one hundred per cent whilst he was at the club but to leave under the cloud he did cannot be expected to be forgiven, and it was pretty clear that Wenger knew that. You didn’t hear him calling for Arsenal fans not to boo Thierry Henry when he came back with Barcelona, he didn’t tell the fans not to boo Robert Pires when he came back with Villarreal, and why? Because they never would have been booed, most ex players wouldn’t.
Arsenal have seen a fair few of their players shipped off to other clubs in recent times but their aren’t many that would warrant a poor reception. Players say they don’t understand it when their old fans turn on them but their ignorance is false. Take the players sold to Manchester City: first you have Kolo Toure who gave everything for Arsenal and expressed a desire to finish his career at Arsenal only to be sold against his will. He is always received well; in fact I still wear my Toure Arsenal shirt with pride. Then you have Clichy. Clichy was also a long-standing servant for Arsenal and it was clear that he was stagnating at Arsenal. He is yet to face his old club but you can be sure that nobody will heckle him when he does, there is no cause.
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Finally Adebayor. People think there was no cause to boo Adebayor either but the fans’ problem with the striker stemmed back to long before his sale. He came to Arsenal after falling out of favour at Monaco and developing a bad reputation as a trouble-maker. Arsene Wenger gave him a chance for a fresh start and at first he took it. However after his first really successful season in 2007/08 he began talking up rumours of a move, claiming he wasn’t paid enough and inviting the advances of clubs like AC Milan. Needless to say his form the following season suffered and when his relationship with the fans was never the same. So, unsurprisingly, when he signed for City with wages around £160,000 per week many of the fans disdain increased towards what they saw as a player ungrateful to the manager that made him.
There will always be cause to heckle former players, and if there isn’t then they probably won’t be heckled. Henry, Pires, Campbell, Toure and many others can all pay testament to this; whilst Cole, Nasri, Adebayor and a few others will warn you of the perils of jilting the love of those fans that used to idolise you.
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Only a minority of fans have such short memories that they would resent their former players moving clubs. Players can move on for any number of reasons and most of those are perfectly understandable: not enough game time, more ambition, being unhappy in a foreign country. However to move either for money or to a rival will not go unnoticed; to do both as Nasri and Ashley Cole did is unacceptable. Similarly with Sol Campbell during his time at Tottenham. He had the option of moving to Manchester United but instead he chose Arsenal. Is it at all surprising that Spurs’ fans resented him for it? Football fans are often accused of being fickle but it is rarely the case. As Thomas Vermaelen said recently after signing a new contract at Arsenal: the temptation to jump ship in times of trouble should always be overpowered by the desire to help out the club that has invested so much time and money in you. If you can genuinely say as a player that you gave your all to a club then it is acceptable to move on. If you sign for a club, benefit hugely from their manager and coaching staff before forcing a move to a rival before you’ve even seen out your first contract, as Nasri did, then don’t ever presume that you would be welcome back in that part of the world. Yes, players have short careers and they need to make the most of their opportunities but that doesn’t mean that you can go through life with no principles and expect to be loved for it.
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Arsenal will need maximum points to keep the pressure on Manchester United when Blackburn Rovers visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The north London side are five points behind United, but have a game in hand over the Premier League leaders.
They were forced to fight back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw away to West Bromwich Albion in their last match, and were held by Sunderland to a scoreless stalemate in their previous home league affair.
Rovers’ form in their past five games has been nothing short of abysmal – scraping a point from their clash with Blackpool after trailing by two; losing to Fulham, Aston Villa and Wigan; and luckily snaring a draw against Newcastle in a game Alan Pardew’s men dominated.
Arsenal’s push for the Premiership could be boosted by the return to fitness of stars Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott for the clash with Steve Kean’s side.
Van Persie picked up a thigh injury while on international duty with the Netherlands, while Fabregas could return from a hamstring injury sustained in their loss to Barcelona in the Champions League this month.
Walcott has not appeared in Arsenal colours since February – outed by a right ankle injury, but reportedly trained well in the international break.
Blackburn have no fresh injury concerns, but will be focussing on breaking their run of five straight away losses in the league.
When Pepe Reina placed a Barcelona jersey on his Spanish World Cup winning team-mate, Cesc Fabregas, it conjured up an unwanted image for Arsenal fans. It may have been a practical joke amidst the joyous Spanish celebrations but it showed their captain in Barcelona’s colours, a sight they had been dreading all summer. Barcelona’s pursuit of their former youth team player has carried on where it left off last summer. It is now a transfer saga destined to rival at least the longevity of Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Real Madrid. Fabregas, however, remains an Arsenal player and Arsene Wenger is unyielding. “I always said Cesc Fabregas will be our captain next year and that we want to keep him.” With the Spaniard set to resume training this week, will he commit to the Gunners the only way he knows how? Will he inspire Arsenal once more, grow in authority and break the club’s cycle of trophy-less seasons?
Barcelona who provided seven of Spain’s World Cup winning squad would desperately like to add another to their ranks. The Catalan midfielder unquestionably has the inimitable Barca/Spain style of play. As a central midfielder Fabregas is creative, technically superb and a gifted ball player. Despite the ringing endorsements of current Barcelona players such as, Andres Iniesta it is difficult, as with the Spanish national side, to see where Fabregas would fit into their star studded team. Moreover with Barcelona’s reported financial problems sparked by a rapidly increasing wage bill it is questionable as to whether the side which describes itself as ‘more than a club’ has the resources to recruit Fabregas.
Questions over Fabregas’ position in a squad simply do not arise in north London where he remains critical to the Gunners’ plans. They reportedly dismissed Barcelona’s initial bid and have signalled their reluctance to enter into any negotiations. For a transfer which seemed inevitable it now appears increasingly unlikely that a move will occur this summer. Wenger has accordingly challenged the player to reaffirm his commitment to Arsenal by leading them to major honours. “The biggest achievement for him now is to help us win the championship.” It is a prospect that would eclipse any potential honours secured at the Camp Nou. Does this talismanic midfielder not owe the Arsenal faithful and the club which has nurtured his talents a fervent commitment to challenge for honours once more?
William Gallas’ antics may have propelled Fabrgeas into the role of captain sooner than anticipated but it was always probable for a player whose influence and authority has grown year on year. If some fans and pundits had questioned Wenger’s reliance and belief in youth, the progression of this man alone has done something to justify that policy. He has become the complete midfielder for Arsenal, the creative heartbeat of the team, assisting goals, scoring many himself whilst combining defensive qualities too. Like all good captains he has the ability through his performances to inspire the fans and his team-mates. It was against his potential suitors in the Champions League that brought his most memorable performance of last season. Having been demonstrably outplayed during the first half, Fabregas’ presence was crucial as Arsenal fought back to secure a draw in which he converted a late spot kick and bravely persevered with a broken leg. It came as little shock that in his absence their hopes of continuing in that competition and maintaining their title push evaporated.
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Fabregas indisputably owes plenty to Wenger and Arsenal. He is acutely aware of this and duly dedicated Spain’s World Cup triumph to his club side and its manager. Whilst speculation surrounding the player will continue Fabregas will know the most effective way of eradicating that conjecture is through his performances starting at Anfield on the league’s opening weekend. Arsenal fans will just hope that when he said, “I am really proud to have been an Arsenal player,” it was a minor slip of the tongue.
Over the last 20 years the Premier League has been blessed with players who just have that bit more about them than the average customer. From the hard tacklers to the quirky personalities, the Premier League has been blessed with entertainers, now let’s look at the top ten Premier League characters.
10. Craig Bellamy
Love him or loathe him, Craig Bellamy is undoubtedly one of the biggest characters in the Premier League. A tremendously talented football player, who certainly has not achieved what his ability allowed for, unfortunately Bellamy has too often fallen foul of disciplinary action or injury limiting his playing time. The late Sir Bobby Robson labelled him the ‘gobbiest’ player he had ever worked with. Bellamy’s most controversial incident perhaps came in 2007 when he allegedly confronted John Arne Riise with a golf club before an away game at Barcelona. Bellamy was fined £80,000 by the club but made amends as both the Welshman and Riise scored in a 2-1 victory.
9. Stuart Pearce
Positively nuts in his commitment to the cause, his nickname ‘Psycho’ tells half the story. Stuart Pearce gave everything for club and country throughout his career and was an outstanding left back. Perhaps best remembered for his penalty miss for England against Germany at Italia 90, and subsequent penalty he scored at Euro 1996 against Spain, Pearce embodied passion on the football pitch. Kevin Keegan once stated that Pearce ‘emerged, running out of the mist, wearing nothing but a pair of underpants and a towel wrapped round his head. That’s why they call him Psycho.’
8. David Luiz
For the Sideshow Bob hair alone, David Luiz deserves his place on this list. Yet, there is so much more to the Brazilian. Maybe it’s his recent habit of ‘giving luck’ to teammates in a pre match ritual by touching their foreheads, eyes closed in concentration. Maybe it’s that he is disturbingly attacking centre back, indeed Luiz is more likely to be found on a bamboozling run down the left wing than he is to be making a last ditch tackle. Or maybe it’s that he cannot seem to take life too seriously, indeed his post match interview with Fernando Torres and Frank Lampard is comedy gold. Luiz will need to cut the mistakes from his game if he is remain a cult hero to Chelsea fans, but currently for the neutral he is a joy to watch.
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7. Paolo Di Canio
An enigma, Paolo Di Canio made headlines throughout his time in the Premier League. It was at Sheffield Wednesday that the Italian started his career in English football and it was not long before he courted controversy, with Di Canio fined and suspended for 11 games after he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground. Di Canio moved to West Ham and was consistently one of the Hammers best players in his time at the club, two moments in particular stand out. His scissor kick volley against Wimbledon in 2000 and his outstanding act of fair play against Everton in 2001. Against Everton Di Canio snubbed an open goal, catching the ball from a cross after Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard had went down injured. Di Canio was awarded a FIFA Fair Play Award for the incident.
6. Dennis Wise
At five foot 6 Dennis Wise was hardly one of the Premier League’s intimidating players, yet Wise was not one to shirk a battle in centre midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that Wise ‘could start a fight in an empty house’, he was probably right. Wise amassed 65 yellow and 5 red cards in the Premier League and was never far from trouble. Wise was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver in 1995 and was sacked by Leicester following breaking teammate Callum Davidson’s jaw. Despite his dirty side, Wise was extremely successful as captain in his time at Chelsea, winning two FA Cups, a League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
5. Joey Barton
Is Joey Barton the most outspoken player in the Premier League today? Many would argue that he is, with Twitter a valuable tool at the disposal of the opinionated Mancunian who has over 800,000 followers. Barton has never been far from controversy, publicly denouncing those selected for the England squad on numerous occasions in the belief that he himself should be in the squad, yet thus far Barton has amassed just one cap for English. Barton has spent time in prison and his career at Manchester City was brought to an end following a training ground assault on teammate Ousmane Dabo. Despite these poor marks on his character, Barton is undoubtedly one of the biggest characters in today’s game.
4. Eric Cantona
A unique specimen of a footballer, Eric Cantona will forever be looked back upon as one of the best players and biggest characters to grace the Premier League. His time in English football saw him win five league titles in 6 seasons and he was twice voted PFA Player of the Year. Cantona oozed arrogance on the pitch; he really was a class apart. Unfortunately Cantona may be remembered best for his assault on a fan at Crystal Palace, in the infamous Kung Fu kick incident. Perhaps even more bizarre was his press conference regarding the incident, where Cantona stated, ‘When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much’ before getting up to leave.
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3. Roy Keane
The most successful captain in Manchester United’s history, Roy Keane gave everything to the cause in the heart of midfield. Keane spent 12 years at Old Trafford, 8 of which were spent as captain. He was the definition of box-to-box midfielder both scoring goals and contributing defensively. It was Keane’s leadership and questionable disciplinary record that earn him his place in this countdown however. On the one hand, Keane’s never say die attitude was his best quality, on the other it was his worst. He held a long standing rivalry with Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira which led to numerous confrontations between the pair. It will be his knee high tackle on Alf Inge Haaland that many remember him for though, a tackle that Keane talked about in his autobiography as premeditated.
2. Vinnie Jones
Football’s archetypal hard man, Vinnie Jones has even fashioned out his post football career on the image he obtained during his playing days. In 7 Premier League seasons Jones managed 7 red cards and 39 yellows. Amongst Jones’ honours is the record for the quickest yellow card, when Jones’ was cautioned after just 3 seconds playing for Chelsea back in 1992. A better player than many would admit, Jones spent his career at the top with Wimbledon, Leeds, Sheffield United and Chelsea. In 1998 Jones’ appeared in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and as they say the rest is history, with Jones since appearing in numerous films.
1. Mario Balotelli
What can be said about ‘Super Mario’ Balotelli that has not already been said? The striker is clearly a top class footballer but his behaviour both on the field and off it is notoriously erratic. Balotelli endured a torrid relationship with Jose Mourinho before reuniting with first boss Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. Since joining City Balotelli’s notable exploits include confronting a school bully after asking why a young City fan was not in school, giving £1,000 to a homeless man following a trip to the casino, throwing darts at youth team players at the clubs training ground and becoming the face of a fireworks safety campaign following a fire in his home, cause by, you guessed it – fireworks. At just 21 suppose Balotelli will continue to astound, indeed as the planner for City’s Christmas do, expect the unexpected.
Do you agree with the top 10? Comment to me on Twitter @CamHumphries
Arsenal legends don’t come much bigger than Tony Adams. The defender played for the Gunners for two decades and won four First Division / Premier League titles during his time at the club. Here’s Adams talking about playing under Arsene Wenger, the move to bring Jens Lehmann back to the club and Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League title this season…
What is your view of the work Arsene Wenger has done at Arsenal in the last 15 years?
He’s been phenomenal, he’s a great man, and he’s a lovely man. Very honest, honest with his players. Physiology is his strength and he’s just been a revolution for Arsenal. You’re talking to a big fan of Arsene Wenger, he was brilliant for me.
Has he been a big influence on your coaching style?
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Well there are many influences. In life, you are what you learn and he’s certainly taught me a great deal. The answer to whether I have actually used it yet at the clubs that I have worked at is, probably not to be completely honest with you. He’s a fantastic physiologist in my opinion, that’s his strength. I’ve been at clubs where that side of the game is not really used. I had technically gifted young players at Feyenoord but I wasn’t really in control of their diets and their physiology. But yes of course he has been an influence.
Do you think this current Arsenal squad can win major silverware?
During the winter break I went back there for the game against Manchester City and I did a couple of interviews and I honestly thought the League Cup was the one for them this season to start the ball rolling. Unfortunately they missed out on that one; I’d like to see them win a trophy soon.
What do you make of the re-signing of Jens Lehmann?
Well I’m thinking of getting the boots back on! I think Jens is a fantastic goalkeeper. I know they’ve got some injuries there including to young Wojciech Szczesny who I like. Arsene needs cover in the goal keeping position and I see the logic in bringing Jens Lehman back.
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Who do you think will win this season’s Barclays Premier League title?
My heart says the Arsenal of course but my head says United, they’ve just got too many players who’ve won it before. When you have done it and you’ve crossed the line, you know when to peak and when not to peak and when to win games. Once you’ve done it once, you know when to step up to the plate.
Visit the Dugout www.yahoo.co.uk/dugout for new interviews every week with England’s top football managers
When Tottenham signed Jonathan Woodgate in 2008 it looked like a gamble that would pay off. Having resurrected his career with two relatively injury-free seasons at his boyhood club Middlesborough, the £8m Spurs paid for him seemed like money well spent. His first season at White Hart Lane saw him secure a pivotal role in the Spurs’ defence, carrying on where he left off at Boro, with assured performances, but more importantly, plenty of them. A goal in the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea capped off a man-of-the-match performance and an impressive start to his Spurs career, and it appeared that the previous injury problems that had crippled his career were behind him. However, the last twelve months have been an ugly reminder of what Woodgate is up against.
Since breaking into the Leeds team with Alan Smith, Lee Bowyer et al, Woodgate’s quality has been there for all to see. A centre half who managed to balance strong tackling and good aerial ability, with a more graceful art to passing and bringing the ball out of defence, he was constantly tipped to go onto success, not only with his club, but also with England.
In the eleven years since he made his England debut, he has managed just 8 caps. A frightening statistic when you consider the ability that he has. Still, it’s only one less than the 9 appearances he managed in his two and a half year stint at Real Madrid.
The £13m that Real Madrid paid Newcastle for him raised eyebrows. Woodgate hadn’t been able to play regularly for Newcastle due to a cocktail of injuries, but his style of play suited the Spanish giants and a fully fit Woodgate may well have been exactly what they needed at the time – some added steel, but with some flair thrown in. So few English players play abroad and when he completed the move there was a genuine sense of fans wishing him well, and hoping he could succeed at such a big club. Real would have taken his history with injuries into account but even they would have hoped for more than the nine games that he managed.
For Tottenham, this is becoming all too repetitive. As well as Bassong and Dawson have played, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate would be one of the classiest centre-back pairings the Premiership has ever seen, and yet they have had such little opportunity to form a relationship because of the injuries that they have suffered. Even with his chronic knee problems, King managed 21 games last season; the total lack of training in between appearances meant that his quality performances were bordering on the freakish. For Woodgate however, he managed just the three games. For someone on £50k per week, Spurs can only wait for so long.
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Watching England’s backline getting torn apart in South Africa only highlighted a lack of complete defenders produced by this country. John Terry isn’t as bad as some have you believe, yet his lack of pace was horribly exposed. Matthew Upson is solid without being spectacular, but maybe out of depth at international level. Maybe if Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate had had two seasons of playing week in, week out, alongside each other, who’s to say that wouldn’t have been Fabio Capello’s preferred pairing.
In a position that lacks depth in this country, Woodgate is a classic example of ‘what might have been’. Harry Redknapp can’t envisage registering him for the upcoming season unless there is a drastic improvement in the player’s recovery. That would mean he would be out until January at the earliest, and with King’s fitness a constant issue, Redknapp may well have to bring in another centre-half. The fact that so many managers have taken a chance on him simply shows the quality he has, but now on the wrong side of 30, the stifled career of a highly gifted player hangs in the balance.