Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has been buoyed by recent words of encouragement from England coach Fabio Capello.
The 23-year-old was overlooked for World Cup duty by the Italian following a season where he scored 16 goals in 46 appearances for the Midlands club.
However, Agbonlahor was recently identified by Capello as one of the new breed of player he might turn to following England’s dismal performance in South Africa.
“It was nice to hear what Mr Capello said and it gives you a boost ahead of the new season,” said Agbonlahor, who was won three full England caps to date.
“But what I need to do is show him that I deserve it. I want to get off to a good start, have a good season and get back in the England squad.
“I’ve been involved before but missed out on the World Cup. It’s not easy for the manager, because he can only pick 23 players, but I want to get back amongst it.
“If you ask me and some of the other lads who didn’t get into the squad, you have to take a look at yourself and question if you did enough to make it.
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“There will be tough competition and younger players trying to get into the squad. I want to be one of them.”
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Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere is good enough to break in to the England set-up this season.
The 18-year-old could feature in England's friendly against Hungary next week after impressing in the weekend Emirates Cup encounters with AC Milan and Celtic.
Reports also suggest Fabio Capello is keen to use Wilshere in the forthcoming European Championship qualifying campaign.
Wenger will not let Wilshere return to Bolton Wanderers, where he enjoyed a successful loan spell last term, as he believes he is good enough to be a first-team regular at the Emirates Stadium this season.
He said:"Theo Walcott was at the World Cup at 17 years of age. He had not played one game in the Premier League, and it didn't kill him.
"In 2012, Jack will be 20, so why not? You cannot rule it out, but it is down to performances.
"I believe Jack is stronger than last year, physically, and the few months he played at Bolton have given him something. He will be used at the club, of course.
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"The problem at that age is to be patient, but you don't have patience. If you look at the number of good players we have in midfield, nobody can guarantee a position to anybody."
Wilshere has featured in 15 first-team games for the Gunners and played 14 matches during his loan spell at the Reebok Stadium last term.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton has allayed fears that in-form striker Andy Carroll is set for a spell on the sidelines.
Carroll has scored four goals in three appearances for the Magpies in the opening weeks of the new Premier League season despite being troubled by an ankle problem.
The England Under-21 striker missed the recent international double-header in a bid to improve his condition.
Magpies boss Hughton now expects the powerful frontman to be available for Saturday's trip to Blackpool.
"He's doing okay but he still hasn't trained. We have to make sure he is rid of the problem," he told the Newcastle Chronicle.
"When it happened before the Wolves game he didn't train for five days and there was still a lot of swelling afterwards.
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"We're confident he'll be okay for Blackpool, but as always we'll continue to assess his fitness throughout the week."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It is hard to know what is going on exactly at Villa Park. Kevin MacDonald was never totally sure he wanted the job, until he put his name forward and it was promptly rejected, the players showed their support for MacDonald while celebrating Ashley Young’s goal in his last game at the weekend, and incoming boss Gerard Houllier is restricted by commitments from his previous employers at the French Football Federation (FFF).
The fans are unconvinced by the appointment of Houllier, but within the game there are few who are held in as high esteem. It is easy to forget just what Houllier achieved at Liverpool. The obvious successes are the trophies he won in 2001, but there is far more to consider. The rebuilding of a reputation and professionalism after the so-called ‘Spice Boys’ era (whether the title is a fair one or not, Houllier managed to shrug it off), the re-development of the club’s now impressive Melwood training ground, and the core of players he put together that were then expertly steered to the Champion League title under Rafa Benitez. His history in the transfer market at Liverpool was mixed. People remember the flops, but for every El Hadji Douf there is a Sami Hyypia, every Bruno Cheyrou, a Gary McAllister, and speaking of which.
Houllier has turned to who he called his ‘most inspirational signing’ to help ease him back into the rigours and demands of the Premier League. After learning his trade at Coventry, Leeds and most recently, Middlesborough, Villa is a step-up from them all. The relationship the two men shared together at Liverpool was one of mutual respect and a fruitful one, and there is no reason to see that not continuing at Aston Villa.
What the two men inherit is the nucleus of a very good team. Regardless of the sale of James Milner, there is a very solid and settled defensive unit, pace and creativity in the shape of Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, and an academy that produces a regular amount of Premier League talent – Marc Albrighton being the latest example. Much depends however, on the ambitions of Randy Learner.
It seemed that Martin O’Neill left because of the sales of Milner and Barry, combined with the lack of investment in new players over the duration of the summer. If Learner is really intent on dipping less into his deep pockets, then Houllier will have trouble trying to build a team in his own fashion. That said, some of his best signings at Liverpool were on the cheap; Hyypia and McAllister as mentioned above, as well as Danny Murphy, were all relatively low in cost, as was Jerzey Dudek. Houllier also has an extensive knowledge of players around the world due to the longevity of his career and his obsessive attention to detail.
The other managers touted for the position at Villa included Alan Curbishly (decent without being spectacular), Sven-Goran Erikksson (experienced but a mercenary), and the untried Bob Bradley who would be completely new to the Premier League. Many fans wanted MacDonald, but even he wasn’t totally sure about his credentials for the job himself.
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Houllier and McAllister know the league well, have vast experience both here and abroad, and have the respect and admiration of players, contemporaries and journalists and fans throughout the game. Whether Villa can finish as high as 6th again this season, may be a tall order considering the improvements the likes of Man City and Spurs have made, but in the management team that they have appointed, all the ingredients for success seemingly exist.
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Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti was pleased with Yuri Zhirkov's contributon to Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League victory at Spartak Moscow.
The Russia international has struggled with injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge and has been linked with a return to his homeland but got on the scoresheet in a wintry Moscow.
Afterwards former AC Milan boss Ancelotti said:"I think that we played a good game. It was not an easy game because I think Spartak in the second half played a good game, tried to come into it at 2-0 down, but in the first half we scored two goals and had more control.
"Defensively we played well, above all Petr Cech who made a fantastic save. The players were focused on this game. For Yury it was an important moment to come back to play for Chelsea in Russia and he scored a fantastic goal. I think he'll be very happy tonight.
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"He played very well. He doesn't have a problem to play at left-back or as a midfielder. He scored a goal that was very important for the team. He opened the game and for us it was easier to win."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp believes the return to form of Aaron Lennon could have a key bearing on the result of his side's intriguing Champions League clash with Inter Milan in the San Siro.
The former Leeds United winger made a slow start to the campaign after struggling for England at the World Cup finals, but showed in the weekend victory at Fulham glimpses of his best form.
Redknapp is looking forward to pitting his wits against Inter boss Rafa Benitez again, saying:"I thought when Aaron came on against Fulham, that was the best we'd seen from him for a while. He came on, he was positive and he attacked the full-back.
"He's got fantastic pace and, one on one, he's a threat to any full-back. I thought that he was back to his best last Saturday. This year, he's tended to get it and pass it without attacking people but I thought last weekend was his best performance.
"People go through spells in football, it's confidence or whatever. However, the way he played on Saturday will have done him good.
"Getting at people and attacking defenders is what we expect from him and what we need from him. That's when he's at his finest. Hopefully he's back to that now and we'll see some more of that.
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"We'll look to have a go and try to cause them problems. We won't just look to sit back and soak up pressure for 90 minutes. We can give anybody a game, so we're ready."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
In May 2009 Stephen Ireland was named Manchester City’s player of the year. Things are never plain sailing in football, with a new manager and change in personnel Ireland soon found himself struggling to make the first team. Since then, Ireland has moved to Aston Villa and like the end of his Manchester City career, playing time has been severely limited.
I feel slightly sorry for the Cork born star, Ireland only joined Aston Villa at the start of the season, after being included in the deal that took James Milner away from Villa to Manchester City. It would seem the midfielder has been farmed from club to club allowing little time to settle and regain the form he once had at Eastlands.
With a lack of opportunities at Villa, Speculation surrounding the club suggests that Aston Villa’s new manager Gerard Houllier is willing to allow Stephen Ireland to leave the club in January, providing him with the finances to personalise the team.
It would appear that Stephen Ireland is affected more so than others when it comes to change. Since the departure of Mark Hughes at Manchester City and his move to Villa, he has failed to hold down a first team place and has subsequently fallen down the pecking order at whatever club he found himself at.
With a long list of injuries at Villa, I found it surprising that a fit Ireland was overlooked as Houllier went for youth instead of tried and tested in the games against Fulham and Blackpool. This does not bode well for the 24 year old and would spell out that his days at Villa are numbered. However, Could another move resurrect the career of this talented individual?
It is believed that Ireland would quickly slip in to Roy Hodgson current Liverpool squad, and could make a spectacular partnership alongside captain Steven Gerrard in the Reds midfield. Hodgson has been vocal over his expected transfer activity in the January transfer window, and his desire to improve upon his current Liverpool squad.
Could a move to Anfield be just the ticket Ireland needs in order to regain the form he once enjoyed at Manchester City? Was his rich vein of form at Eastland just a flash in the pan? I guess only time will only tell.
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If you’re of the opinion that November is too early to be sticking up your pagan symbols to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, then the chances are you’re not going to like this. With the league not yet at its halfway point, West Ham and Wigan play out a game that could have a huge bearing on the relegation picture. We’re loath to use the cliché, but let’s just say this clash could affect either team’s predicament by more than 5 points and less than 7 points. Lose the game and the Hammers are a virtually intergalactic eight points away from safety whilst a win for the hosts will have them so close to safety, safety will be considering taking out a restraining order.
Despite the sizeable difference in points, these two sides have had very similar seasons. Short of goals, leaky at the back, managers getting increasingly grumpy by the second – the signs aren’t looking great for either side. With both teams averaging less than a goal a game, pretending this game is going to be classic would be as delusional as thinking Jay Boothroyd is an international striker, but stranger things have happened. The good news is they’re both up against brittle rearguards so there stats should get a shot in the arm.
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It’s likely to be very tight, so almost instinctively that has us scurrying towards the draw prices. A straightforward stalemate is priced up as a very interesting 12/5 shot. If you fancy getting slightly more specific, then the Correct Score market is worth a look. Although these sides have a fairly paltry goalscoring average so far this season, the 8/1 for them to not even live up to that is rather tempting. That’s the price of a scoreless draw and if you fancy a similar outcome but with only slightly more goals, then the 1-1 Draw at 5/1 is well worth considering.
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Chilean midfielder Alexis Sanchez is being strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, and long time admirers Manchester United are said to be heading the queue.
The 21 year old Udinese winger, who has a skilful and eye-catching style of play, has been tracked for some time by Sir Alex Ferguson and can play anywhere across the midfield or in a more advanced position.
Sanchez’s representative, Fabrizio Larini, believes that his player is well equipped to deal with the style of football in England: “The Premier League would be a good destination for Alexis as he is young, strong and very fast, something very important for being able to have success in that league.”
“Manchester United has been following the performances of Alexis since some time ago and it could be a possibility in the future.”
Despite his age, Sanchez has over 150 club appearances to his name during his career in South America and Europe and since making his international debut in 2006 against New Zealand, Sanchez has hit an exemplary 12 goals in 33 games.
Described as ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo’, Sanchez was named among the ’50 Most Exciting Teenagers in the World Game’ in 2007 by World Football magazine.
Manchester United already have a wealth of tricky wingers in Antonio Valencia, Nani and Anderson, so the arrival of Sanchez could signal the departure of one of the aforementioned players.
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Watch the video below to see some Alexis Sanchez highlights…
Luis Suarez has garnered quite the reputation in the last couple of years and he is now on of Europe’s top striking talents. His days at Ajax are numbered and he looks certain to depart from Holland this season with a move to the Premier League in the offing. His two main suitors are Liverpool and Spurs, both with very different projects on the go at the minute and both in very real need of a player of Suarez’s capabilities, but whose need is greater?
Spurs are enjoying a fantastic season. As I contested in an earlier article of mine this week, they are not too far off truly challenging for the title. Their main obstacle to cementing their place in the elite and proving that last season’s 4th spot wasn’t a one-off but the start of a period of dominance for the North London side, is their comparatively weak strike force compared to the rest of the top four sides.
Luis Suarez could provide the perfect partner for Jermain Defoe in attack and spearhead a concerted effort for the title. The league is wide open this year and with the only inevitable thing in such an unpredictable season being that the top sides around them will drop crucial points again at some stage of the rest of the campaign, Spurs would do well to bolster their front line with a genuinely world class acquisition while they have the chance, otherwise this season could go down as a missed opportunity.
Their strength in depth is excellent all over the pitch apart from up top. Suarez could be the missing ingredient Spurs are looking for. Their midfield is up there with the best in the league and they have creativity in abundance, but they do sometimes lack a cutting edge in front of goal against the best that Suarez could help eradicate. Jermain Defoe has been out for long periods so far this term through injury and suspension, and in his absence Peter Crouch has yet to fully stake his claim with just a solitary effort to his name despite 14 league starts. Pavlyuchenko, again while a decent option, is not committed enough to lead the line for a title challenger and his contribution can sometimes be lacking. In short, Spurs could do with Suarez an awful lot. His work-rate, finishing and pace could be a real asset.
However, I feel Liverpool’s need at the minute is greater than Spurs. Whether that means Suarez will rock up at Anfield any time soon though, I’m not so sure and surely if an offer was put to him as to who he’d rather join out of the aforementioned duo, he’d most definitely plump for the sights and sounds of London over Liverpool.
Liverpool are clearly a club on the wane. The cupboard is bare so to speak. They lack quality in so many key positions and have on over-reliance on so few players, that sometimes the burden can be overbearing on their key players. If Torres, Gerrard and Reina don’t perform for them, they rarely succeed in their endeavours.
Interim manager Kenny Dalglish looks like he’ll be given funds to spend this transfer window, but the confusing state of affairs at Anfield as to the identity of the club’s next full-time manager may put off several potential targets from joining the club, as will their dire league position.
This Liverpool side should be doing better, that much is clear. They are no world beaters and they lack the invention and concentration to put in a quality shift for the full 90 minutes at the minute, but there were signs in the first half against Everton in the Merseyside derby last weekend that there is still enough there to work with, and Dalglish, the talismanic club legend, will be hoping his presence can be used as a catalyst to push them higher up the league.
One of the main problems Dalglish has inherited though, a problem that existed under Hodgson and that he did little to remedy, and one that Hodgson himself was passed on to by Benitez, is that Fernando Torres has no discernable competition up front or a strike partner to share the load with.
David N’Gog has a decent strike rate despite his clear limitations and while he can frustrate at times, he’s not too bad a prospect considering he’s only 21 years old and arrived at the club for just £1.5m in 2008. He’d be handy to have around as the club’s third-choice striker. But let’s just say Torres isn’t having any sleepless nights that N’Gog will be keeping him out of the side any time soon. The lack of pressure on Torres has been a downfall of Liverpool‘s management in recent times.
A move for Suarez, which rather unbelievably is looking increasingly likely by the day should the rumours be believed, should reinvigorate Torres while also making a statement of intent that ambition around Anfield is not quite yet consigned to the past. Mediocrity is not something that the Anfield crowd are used to seeing, but that was all they got during the insipid Hodgson era as a state of inertia set in after consistently turgid displays on the pitch.
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Dalglish looks to have removed that to an extent already and with the club just the four points above the drop zone, the club’s target of a top six finish looks as far away as ever. But, this is a tightly contested league and Liverpool are just 8 points off sixth-placed Sunderland and with a game in hand. Things can change quickly in the league this season, that much is clear, and with a decent run of results Liverpool could be right back in the thick of it.
Suarez may be faced with a choice; join an emerging, youthful and vibrantly attacking outfit on the up, or try to revive a falling giant. Money talks, and he may not get a straight choice between the two, for the choice would surely be a simple one, but Spurs have other options already within their squad that Liverpool simply don’t possess. If he were to sign, Suarez would unquestionably be Liverpool’s best signing since Torres in 2007 and their need looks greater at the minute, purely because they are performing way below expectations and Spurs are just about performing as they should be.
What does everyone else think? Whose need is greater? Would Torres and Suarez link up well? Will Redknapp have the money to move for Suarez this transfer window?
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