According to The Daily Mirror Sir Alex Ferguson is set to wield the axe this summer with 6 faces set to leave or retire.
Sir Alex was quoted as saying:
“Sometimes when a player grows old, you have to recognise it and they have to move on. We have to maintain a level of success at the top end of the game. We can’t afford bad years or breaking-in years. We have had periods like that, but we don’t want it and we need to be successful all the time.”
Thus the paper is reporting that whether we win the title or not the squad will face a big overhaul in order to keep things fresh.
With the likes of Edwin Van Der Sar and Gary Neville looking at retirement whilst Tomasz Kuszczak, Wes Brown, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen all set to be shown the door a new look Manchester United may be lining up us next season.
Sir Alex is no mug though, he is well aware of the problems Chelsea have faced this season after they tried something similar at the start of this season so he already has a plan in place to fill in the voids created with the use of players like Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley who are impressing on loan as well as Darron Gibson and Chris Smalling who are carving out careers for themselves at Old Trafford.
As well as these youngsters it is thought Sir Alex plans to implement some players from the reserves and academy to bolster the squad meaning much touted youngsters like Paul Pogba may well get some shine.
The move is one that may have been on the cards and makes sense when looking at it logically but having seen what has happened to Chelsea with their lack or reinforcement one must worry.
Read more Manchester United blogs at the excellent ‘The Busby Way’ here
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‘Seize the moment’ is the message from England captain Steven Gerrard as he prepares to lead his side into battle with Italy on Sunday night with a place in the semi finals of Euro 2012 at stake.
The Three Lions haven’t progressed to the last four of a major tournament since hosting Euro 96 when they famously losing to Germany on penalties but Gerrard is confident they can put an end to that unwanted statistic in Kiev.
Despite being unbeaten in five games since Roy Hodgson’s appointment as manager the 32-year-old admits England can leave nothing to chance against the 2006 World Champions if they are emerge victorious and prove the critics, that wrote them off prior to the finals, wrong.
“In previous tournaments we just haven’t shown what we are capable of,” he said. “But our performances are getting stronger in this competition.
“That is what gives me the belief and confidence that we can end this hoodoo that people talk about. I get told that not many of the current players have figured in quarter-finals, but they are all big-game players and are aware of what is required.
“It is important they seize the moment, seize the opportunity, because from experience, I know they don’t come around very often.
“It is important nobody leaves anything out on the pitch and show the critics we are good enough to compete at this level.”
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli wants his side to go into the clash ‘without fear’ as they aim to reach their first European Championship semi final since 2000 when they beat Holland on penalties before losing in extra time to hosts France in the final.
Prandelli revealed he’s done his homework on England but warned his players that building an early momentum will be key to unsettling their opponents strategy which is built on efficient organisation off the ball.
“England are a very tough side and we must go into the game without fear – no psychological hang-ups,” said Prandelli. “We must stay focused and wait for our opportunity.
“We’ve watched England’s previous games and they’re one of the most organised European sides. We need to make sure we stop them playing.
“They’re going to produce a high tempo and put their foot in a lot, so if we can set the tempo then we can do well.”
Team News
Roy Hodgson has his full 23-man squad to pick from but is likely to stick with the XI that beat Ukraine in their final Group C fixture meaning Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney will start up front again.
Giorgio Chiellini is absent after picking up a thigh injury in Monday’s 2-0 win over Ireland with Leonardo Bonucci set to come in as Cesare Prandelli’s only change.
Key Player
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Scott Parker
It’s astonishing that it’s taken nine-years and three England managers to discover that the Tottenham enforcer is the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in midfield. The loss of Frank Lampard has proved to be a blessing in disguise as Parker provides the steady platform for the Three Lions skipper to exert his influence further up field. His full blooded performances has seen him snap and snarl in the face of the opposition supplying a shield of armour for Roy Hodgson’s back four. His matchup with Daniele De Rossi will be VERY interesting.
Andrea Pirlo
Limiting the influence of the Juventus midfielder will be easier said than done. The 33-year-old has rolled back the years in Poland and Ukraine displaying the guile and craft that made him one of the top midfielders in Europe. Pirlo’s advancing years means he doesn’t move around the field as freely as he used too but England should ignore his vision and passing range at their own peril. He wasn’t nicknamed “l’architetto” (the architect) for nothing.
Let’s start off with a statement of the obvious – football is great. Right, that’s that over with. But however great it may be, there are always things that could be better, in anyone’s opinion. So as we crawl painfully towards the start of the season, fuelled only by David Beckham interviews and friendlies from the other side of the world where rampaging gunmen and phone hacking scandals are pushed off the front page because a footballer tried a back heel that didn’t come off, here’s a few things I dream of seeing to make the sport we love that little bit better in the coming years. Almost all of it will never happen.
First off, ban Monday night football. Sky think we all love Monday night football. I recall Richard Keys at the beginning of last season exclaiming in what seemed like a constant loop, “Monday night football is back!”
Well yippee. Get the bunting out, dust off that bottle of Asti Spumante you’d been saving for a special occasion, this is the news we had all been waiting for. Great if you are at home on the most boring night of the week, but for match-going fans it is utter rubbish. My team’s season-opener will be on a Monday night, instantly killing the buzz of the opening weekend. Thanks for nothing Rupert Murdoch.
Football games should only be played on a Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (except for Tranmere, who can play on a Friday).
Trial video technology. No in-depth analysis here, as you will already be bored senseless by the debate. The average football game only has about 60 minutes of play – to claim it will slow down games is nonsense. The FIFA viewpoint that if it is not available to everyone then no one can have it seems ridiculous to me. Better some have an advantage than no one – it is 2011, not 1970 – and the world’s biggest, most popular game is one of the few sports still stuck in the dark ages. The whole technology might not work, I accept that – but that’s what trials are for.
Get rid of the rule that an injured player has to go off the pitch – it was introduced in good faith, hoping to eradicate the feigning of injuries. It hasn’t, and it punishes genuinely injured players. It is stupid, pointless, and annoying.
Speaking of which, allow players to be treated on pitch while play continues, like they do in rugby. Should lead to a good bloopers video, if nothing else.
Whilst we’re at it, get rid of the equally stupid rule of a yellow card for taking your shirt off. Unless there’s a pointless message on a white T-shirt below.
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No one who is a club chairman or even on a club board should have a position of influence at the FA. Impartial? Yeah, right.
Ban all player interviews, on camera and in print. They are undoubtedly boring, and will be misquoted to gain a story anyway. I can live without hearing Wayne Rooney tell us how he is over the moon, and just stuck it in the onion bag, ya know? I really could not care one iota whether Patrice Evra thinks Samir Nasri would be a good signing, or have the slightest interest in David Beckham commenting on how Ferguson should get Wesley Sneijder, or about anything he has said, ever. This is not news. Save it for the ghost-written autobiography. Summers are so boring without football.
No substitutions should be allowed in injury time (unless replacing a player unconscious on a stretcher).
Change the red card for a professional foul (or whatever they call it now) that also results in a penalty – it is totally unfair to dispense a double punishment for a genuine attempt to make a tackle – a red card and a penalty seem too harsh a punishment for the defending team, though I should add I am not sure what the solution is.
Sin bins – trial them for acts of dissent. I am probably in the minority here, but I have always liked the idea of sin bins. I don’t think referees will ever have the nerve to show yellow cards for every act of dissent, as it will decimate the number of players on the pitch (at least for a short while). But sin bins provide an alternative, as 10 minutes a man down should hopefully force the players to keep their mouth shut (eventually).
A proper “Fit and Proper” test. Make it live up to its name – if you want to buy a football club, there must be assurances about financial security, plans for the club, and rules in place to prevent the selling off of assets.
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If that’s possible.
More money to trickle down to the lower leagues, grass roots football, and for hiring greater number of coaches in this country. Secure the future of the Football Supporters Federation using some of this money rather than have its survival rely on the whim of Peter Scudamore and a few of his cronies.
But – get rid of the ridiculous levels of money swimming around the Champions League that has turned it into a cartel that preserves the power of the status quo, and make it a straight knock out too, so that we are rid of all the dreary and fairly predictable group stages. At the very least remove the back-up of 3rd place teams falling into the Europa League. Of course there is more chance of me being trapped on a bus with Sandra Bullock that will explode if it goes under a certain speed, but ultimately I end up being saved due to the bravery and cunning of Keanu Reeves.
And finally, hope that no one has been counting how many points I have made in this article.
They say that you should never go back in football, no matter how romantic a move it will be, it is more than likely that it won’t work out in the long run. There have been plenty of players and managers who have returned to their former club only to come to regret that decision. However, that doesn’t stop Premier League stars failing to learn from others’ mistakes and getting swept up in the romance of a return to old pastures. Tottenham and Newcastle seem to be two of the main culprits of this, but there are lots of other clubs who have fallen foul of a failed return, too. Most recently there has been talk of a return to Liverpool for ex-manager Rafa Benitez, but there’s only one way that could go, surely? Anyway, here’s ten of the most disastrous returns in football.
With this incredible season drawing to a close for Swindon Town, the fine performances of our most important players have resulted in us being crowned as League Two Champions.
All the players have out in a tremendous amount of effort and picking one player will be a hard decision but I have selected nine nominees for player of the season which shows what a great team effort it has been and each of them has put in the effort and performances needed to secure the title.
Aden Flint
Aden Flint has constantly performed as a defender and as a striker this season. The defender has scored his fair few goals but is also a very strong defensive minded player while being somewhat of a fans favourite. After arriving from Alfreton Town in January 2011 he failed to make an impact among Danny Wilson’s squad with experienced defenders getting the nod instead of him. But Paolo Di Canio saw his potential and he is now a consistent member of the starting eleven. The centre-back has been a rock at the back and has saved us on more than one occasion with his tall presence on the pitch. He has numerous Man of the Match awards for performances in a Town shirt and is expected to make a greater impact next season in League One.
Paul Caddis
Near the beginning of the season Caddis was given the responsibility as the Swindon captain and up to early March he never missed a minute in a town shirt until he picked up an injury. He is a constant high performer in matches and has even had enough time to grab a few goals along with his defensive duties. After joining on loan two seasons ago, Paul impressed on a number of occasions which lead to Danny Wilson signing the right back on a permanent basis along with fellow scot Simon Ferry. He has also had fame outside of the County Ground being the skipper of the Scotland under 21 team. Paul has been a resounding success and he has inspired the squad to win the league and Swindon fans hope that he will remain a Town player for many seasons to come.
Matt Ritchie
Everyone knows that Matt is strong a contender for the award after his recent success picking up the League Two Player of the Year award. His high quality performances have been noticed by the press and numerous higher league sides with Bournemouth being linked with the former Portsmouth man. He has scored many goals as well as assisting them in his right wing position making a successful partnership with Paul Caddis on the right. He is liked amongst the fans with many of the younger generations looking up to him as a role model in football. The winger has been a solid performer this season and in the summer I’m sure lots of clubs will be chasing the Portsmouth youth production.
Alan McCormack
Alan originally signed from Charlton as a midfielder and that’s where he played for the first few games in a Swindon shirt but from the start we could see the midfield partnership of McCormack and Simon ferry or Oliver Risser just wasn’t going to work. Then when we had only one centre-back for a game Alan filled in and put in a great performance and since then has formed an unbeatable partnership with Aden Flint. He has also stood in for Captain Paul Caddis a few times and also captained us in our JPT defeat at Wembley.
Alan Connell
When Alan signed he instantly became a fans favourite and has showed why by firing himself to the title of our top scorer despite having to come off the bench and only starting a handful of games. Fans often chant for him to come on and he has certainly showed why he deserves to start games. This season Alan has been named “super sub”. His signing from Grimsby was met with excitement but you can’t help but thinking would he be here if Adam Birchall had agreed to move to Swindon?
Rafael De Vita
The Italian forward signed from Livingston in the summer and started the seasoning partnering Billy Bodin up front and has scored a few goals this season. A few games later De vita was converted to a left winger and made the left wing position his own until the arrivals Luke Rooney and Lee Holmes. De Vita always puts in 100% and is a player I enjoy watching. His performances have been mostly consistent and that’s why I have nominated him for the award.
Jonathan Smith
The midfielder signed from York city in the summer and has put in solid performances in the centre of midfield since signing. He was one of the non league players we signed and was one of Di Canio’s first signings. Although he has stepped up to the plate most of the time and has always tried hard, he hasn’t been started an awful lot towards the end of the season but will be ready for next season.
Wesley Foderingham
When young Wes signed early on in the season not many people had heard of him but in a short space of time the young keeper has made himself a town favourite. The goalkeeper has established himself as one of the first names on the sheet with saves that put us top of the table. When the 20 year old joined on a three month deal in November no-one had really heard of the young shot stopper but after five clean sheets out of five in his first five matches people had taken a shine to him. When January had rolled around most people expected an extension to his loan but instead he was released by Palace and turned out to be one of the best signings we made in January.
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Simon Ferry
The flying Scottish midfielder has been great all season and has popped up to start some great movements which often led to goals. His midfield play has been second to none and we have to hope he will be as effective next season. He deserves his nomination after putting in 100% effort all season and in all being great all round.
So now comes to who deserve to win the award this season and for me the man that stands out is Paul Caddis. The full back has made a great impression and has inspired others to put in the performance to pick up three points..Paul has formed an unbeatable partnership with Matt Ritchie on the right wing and Ritchie is never the same without him. The games that he missed this season demonstrate why Caddis is such an important player for Swindon Town.
Former Inter Milan boss Leonardo has been unveiled as Paris Saint-Germain’s new general manager.The Brazilian had been linked with the post since leaving Serie A club Inter earlier this month, and has finally reached an agreement with the PSG board.
Leonardo’s arrival comes as president Robin Leproux departs the club, having been removed from his position to allow the new general manager full control over PSG’s transfer policy.
The 41-year-old spent one season in the French capital as a player, and said he was excited to return.
“I’m really happy to be there. I have strong memories in Paris,” Leonardo said.
“I always thought I could come back but I did not know this would be like that.”
“It was not easy for me to leave Italy. In Paris, there is much to know and to do. This club is 41 years old, a tradition. It’s a big club coming out of a good season.”
Leonardo spent just six months in charge of Inter after the dismissal of Rafa Benitez in December, but helped the club win the Coppa Italia last season.
State-run Qatar Sports Investments bought a 70 per cent stake in PSG last month and have resolved to return the club to the upper echelons of European football.
But Leonardo said the club would not rush into success by spending big in the transfer market.
“The owners want to work in the long term,” he said.
“We do not want to buy 10 Messis, that’s not how you build a team. You need a base. It exists and must be improved.”
“We want to play in the Champions League and be good in France. I think the first thing is to talk with the coach (Antoine Kombouare) and see who will stay or leave.”
“The transfer window ends on August 31. It is not a project to win the first game but in the long term. I have to study and, slowly, build a project. “
PSG begin their Ligue 1 campaign at home against Lorient on August 6.
Newcastle United have sacked manager Chris Hughton in the wake of Sunday's 3-1 defeat at West Brom.
There has been mounting talk that Hughton would part company with the Magpies, as delays continued over a new contract, and the board have now decided to seek a new manager.
Despite Hughton getting Newcastle back into the top flight and making a decent start to the season, the manager refused to be drawn into a war of words.
The Magpies boss told the Sunday Sun: "What I have always done throughout this period – and I am of course aware of some of the things that have been said regarding my contract – is what I would like to think I do best and that is put my head down and work as hard as I can."
Meanwhile, goalkeeping coach Paul Barron has also left the club and Newcastle say they will immediately seek a replacement.
Hughton guided Newcastle back into the Premier League last season after they were relegated in the 2009-10 campaign.
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Fulham have beaten Sunderland at Craven Cottage on Sunday, with a 2-1 victory lifting the London club up to eighth place.
Clint Dempsey opened the scoring with an exquisite free-kick, before Phil Bardsley equalised for the visitors. However Moussa Dembele restored the hosts’ lead less than a minute later, claiming victory for the Cottagers.
Martin Jol hailed his side’s performance and feels it has been a good season for the club.
“It was a great season, fantastic season and we ended on a very high note,” Jol told Sky Sports.
“I think that’s quite an achievement especially as we’ve played in Europe. It would be a great achievement from this club to be in this position after a hell of a job in Europe.
“Today was 54 or 55 games so I think it’s great.
“We’ve got terrific youngsters, good experienced players so the only thing now is to keep all these players together,” he concluded.
Fulham have leapfrogged Liverpool into eighth place with the win, and take on Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the final game of the campaign.
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Real Madrid could make an audacious last-minute attempt to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, according to Sky Sports.
Fabregas has been linked with a return to his boyhood club for several years and this summer it seems Arsenal might finally be willing to do business. Arsenal are holding out for more than £40 million for the World Cup winner but Barcelona have failed to meet their valuation so far. With the clubs stalling on a transfer fee, arch-rivals Real Madrid could make a last minute move for the 24-year old.
Any move would be anger both Arsenal and Barcelona fans but Real are apparently willing to offer £45 million for the player as they look to bridge the gap on their La Liga rivals. Real had failed to win the title since 2008 whilst it has been nearly 10 years since their last European triumph. Barcelona, on the other hand, have flourished under Pep Guardiola.
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Real boss Jose Mourinho sees Fabregas as the ideal man to add more creativity to the Madrid midfield. Brazilian star Kaka has failed to live up to his transfer fee since his move two summers ago but feels the Arsenal man would be a more than adequate replacement.
Only a couple of years ago, this sort of fixture would the acid test for Liverpool’s title and Champions League qualification aspirations.
In the current environment, with inconsistency besetting the campaigns of the country’s biggest clubs, this clash has become a gauge as to whether Tottenham, not Liverpool, have what it takes to break the established order at the top of the league.
Coming off a resounding win against Werder Bremen in another impressive White Hart Lane European performance, Spurs must avoid the sloppy display they put in against Bolton after their last night of Champions League exertions if they are to topple a Liverpool side that should welcome back Joe Cole to it’s starting XI.
Even without Steven Gerrard Liverpool will possess some level of threat, and as we saw against Chelsea- Roy Hodgson’s men are always keen for the fight when the big boys are knocking around.