Championship club Derby County have signed Australian international goalkeeper Brad Jones on loan from Liverpool for the rest of the season.Derby found themselves without a senior goalkeeper after loanees Frank Fielding and Matt Duke returned to Blackburn Rovers and Hull City respectively.
Stephen Bywater began as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, but fell out of favour and is on loan at Championship rivals Cardiff City.
Jones, 29, will become the second Liverpool player to join Derby on loan following the arrival of Daniel Ayala in February.
“Matt (Duke) was due to play for our reserves on Tuesday, but we got a late call from Hull to say they wished to recall him,” Derby manager Nigel Clough said.
“They were perfectly entitled to do that as he is their player, so we had to use our contacts pretty quickly to get someone of sufficient quality in the building.”
“Brad fits the bill perfectly; he has Premier League experience, Football League experience and – importantly – big-game experience.”
“We have some big games coming up between now and May, and he will be our number one in them.”
“He hasn’t had much first-team football this season, so I’m pretty sure he will be looking forward to the challenge.”
“He also knows Daniel Ayala well and he has also played with Shaun Barker in the past which will be good for him when working with the back four going into his first game at Cardiff.”
“Liverpool have done us a big favour and I would like to thank Kenny Dalglish and the other officials at Anfield for agreeing to loan another of their players to Derby County. “
Jones began his career with Middlesbrough, making 57 appearances for the senior team between 2001 and 2010.
He was loaned out on six occasions during that time, before joining English Premier League club Liverpool in August 2010.
Jones made his full international debut for Australia in 2007 and has won three caps for the Socceroos.
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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Every single transfer window, supporters in the Premier League seem to crave signings, expecting a number of players to come into the club and take them on to the next level. Players that come into a side in a transfer window always feel they have something to prove, whether it be repay the price tag or prove the doubters wrong.
If a club is playing well then what is the need for mid-season signings. I can understand a side in the bottom three feeling the need for something new but shouldn’t the summer signings and existing players be given a season to prove their worth? Historically, January signings are not as influential as the summer signings and there are many reasons for that.
A summer signing will have a pre-season with a new club behind him and time to get to know his new team mates and club before competitive matches, where he is ultimately judged. A January signing will have less than a week to train with the first team squad sometimes and learn how the club is run, something that is tough in any line of work, especially football with thousands of people watching you each week.
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The price of a player will also increase during January as clubs become desperate to land their preferred signings. An example of a signing such as Andy Carroll moving to Liverpool for £35million last January should be brought up in every board room after Christmas, highlighting the dangers of the January transfer market. Carroll’s lack of form could be to do with anything from moving to a new city, feeling the pressure of the price tag or getting used to the style of a different club.
Supporters should not expect big singings at the start of the New Year as it is not always a good idea to disrupt and add to a squad throughout the season. Is the grass always greener when new signings arrive? Spending money is becoming rare for some Premier League clubs and it should not take spending to satisfy fans who demand new blood in the dressing room.
The future of English football could also be in danger from transfer window’s that let clubs bring in players for two months of the season, seemingly dismissing youngsters looking to break through into the first team. If the January transfer window did not exist, I guarantee that more youngsters would be a success in English football. Long term injuries and poor form could prompt clubs into making unnecessary big money signings in January, whereas it would be a lot more refreshing to see youngsters getting a first team chance at the highest level.
If the club allows youngsters to play as cover for the 25-man squad that is registered then that is surely enough players to not have to indulge in spending money half way through a campaign. Give the youngsters a go and get rid of the January transfer window to enable English football to be fair through the season and giving youngsters a well earned break.
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We are starved of Premier League action this weekend, but Premiership teams are playing in the FA Cup, with the pick of the ties undoubtedly Manchester United v Arsenal at Old Trafford, while Reading are the last remaining Championship outfit in the world renowned competition.
The Championship is hotting up as the race for promotion reaches the finishing line as teams battle for the top places. There is a good chance that there’ll be a Welsh team in the Premier League next season, and Cardiff and Swansea will both be looking for three points at home to Barnsley and away to Derby respectively. Elsewhere QPR can will look to extend their lead at the top of the Championship league table against Crystal Palace at Loftus Road.
Here are those all-important predictions from the country’s newspaper jounalists…
BIRMINGHAM V BOLTON: Big Eck’s double dream still on.
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NOTTINGHAM FOREST V DONCASTER: Forest’s promotion charge has stalled recently and the extra pressure could take its toll with Doncaster free to just go out and play their game. More dropped points at the City Ground
England have risen one place in FIFA's world rankings despite their World Cup debacle.
Fabio Capello's side have moved up to seventh in the world despite failing to make it past the round of 16 in South Africa.
The Three Lions were thrashed 4-1 by Germany in the second round after labouring through a group which included the United States, Algeria and Slovenia.
Elsewhere, Spain have replaced Brazil at the top of the rankings following their final victory over the Netherlands on Sunday.
Holland are up two places to second with Brazil – who only reached the quarter-finals despite being pre-tournament joint favourites with Spain – have slipped down to third.
France and Italy were the biggest losers after slipping 12 and six places to 21st and 11th respectively.
Both the 1998 and 2006 winners failed to qualify from their groups and have fallen dramatically in the rankings.
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Meanwhile, Uruguay are the big winners after moving up ten places to an all-time high of sixth following their impressive run to the semi-finals.
New Zealand, who were the only team not to lose a game during the finals, have rocketed up the standings from 78th to 54th.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham fans have been reacting to the news that Moussa Sissoko could start against Newcastle, and the responses are unsurprisingly negative.
It’s been a pretty terrible month for Tottenham fans, and they think it might get a whole lot worst on Wednesday night as Moussa Sissoko is set to start at Wembley.
Although there is no concrete report suggesting the Frenchman will get the nod, an injury to Mousa Dembele and an illness for Eric Dier means Sissoko is just about the only midfielder available to start alongside Victor Wanyama.
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Sissoko has clearly had the trust of his manager this season, as the 28 year-old has played 47 times in all competitions.
That hasn’t stopped him getting plenty of flak from the fans though, who feel the Frenchman adds virtually nothing to the team, despite his bundles of energy.
Though Newcastle have nothing left to play for, Rafael Benitez’s side are likely to deploy a deep block at Wembley on Wednesday, so Spurs will need players that can unlock deep defences with a killer pass.
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Sissoko averages less than one key pass per game in the Premier League, so fans are fearing the worst about the possibility he could start, while others are hoping Christian Eriksen is moved into the deeper position.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
According to reports on Italian media outlet Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur are part of a five-horse race keen on signing €25m-rated (approximately £22.2m) Ajax forward David Neres, who has scored nine goals in 23 games this season.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Calciomercato says the talented 20-year-old is attracting the interest of a number of big clubs across Europe following some impressive performances for the Dutch giants, with Spurs listed among the five sides that are keen on the Brazilian.
However, Calciomercato says that the north London outfit’s Premier League rivals – Manchester United and Arsenal – and Italian clubs Juventus and AC Milan also want the attacker, who only joined Ajax from Sao Paulo last January.
The report adds that the Eredivisie club have no interest in selling Neves next month with a potential exit happening next summer at the earliest, as he is already valued at €25m (approximately £22.2m).
How good has Neres been this season?
He has been excellent.
The 20-year-old has scored nine goals and provided a further 12 assists in 22 appearances in all competitions, averaging a goal every 149 minutes in the Eredivisie.
All of the Brazilian’s outings have come from the right wing, where he continues to make a big impression.
According to WhoScored.com, Neres has shown his ability on the ball by successfully completing 46 of the 80 dribbles he has attempted in 16 Dutch top flight outings this term, while he has made 38 key passes.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly looks as though he would be, yes.
The 20-year-old has plenty of potential and even though he is still relatively young, he is already making a big impact for Ajax in terms of goals and assists.
Spurs certainly lack depth in wide areas with another youngster in Georges-Kevin Nkoudou struggling to impress following a move from Marseille in 2016.
Will they get him?
With Ajax seemingly unwilling to sell the Brazilian next month, there could be a big battle for Neres’ signature next summer if he continues in his current form throughout the rest of the campaign.
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Spurs may hold an advantage over some other clubs as they have dealt directly with Ajax plenty of times in recent years having signed the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Davinson Sanchez from the Dutch giants, but he could be valued at much more than €25m by then.
It is one of the most watched football games in the season, as well as being one of the wealthiest, the Championship play off. The players on the pitch know they are merely 90 mins away from potentially reaching the fabled land of the Premier League. Last season, Watford and Crystal Palace were the clubs competing for the rights to make the trips to Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Anfield, and The Eagles were the lucky ones to win this honour.
However, is the format for promotions and relegations throughout English football a fair one, and should there be consideration for adjustments to be made? Currently, as everyone knows three teams are relegated from the Premiership, with three teams going up, two automatically, and one through the play off system. It is a similar story between the Championship and League 1, however then it begins to become questionable.
Four teams get relegated from League 1 into League 2, and as such, three teams achieve automatic promotion, with another going up via the playoffs, yet only two teams suffer the pain of relegation out of the football league and in to the conference. Ten years ago, this would be disastrous for a team, and granted, it is still not fun by any stretch of the imagination, however there is now a considerable number of former league teams battling it out, most of whom are now fully professional, a distinct change from a decade ago. What infuriates me however is the fact that all of these teams, such as Lincoln, Luton, Chester, Wrexham, Cambridge, Grimbsy, the list it continuous, but all of them are battling for one automatic space to get promoted, whilst the next four then enter the play offs for the second and last spot to return to the football league.
Perhaps it is a little bias on my part. Being a Luton Town fan means I am desperate to see the club return to League football, however I would like to think I would feel the same even if we were still in The Championship or League 1. The facts simply speak for themselves, as evidenced by the progress some recent teams have made since their promotion from the fifth tier in football. Since the 2002-2003 season, two teams now play in the Championship, three in League 1, and 13 in League 2. More impressive perhaps is that in the last decade, 4 teams who have been promoted from the Conference have gone on to secure automatic promotion from League 2 up to League 1 the season immediately after.
It could be argued that a system such as that employed in Germany is one that should be considered in England, and applied down through till the Conference now, given the rise of squads turning professional within the league. In Germany, the system works so that there is 2 automatic promotion spots available, thus 2 automatic relegation spots as well, however the team which finishes third last in the league embarks on a two-legged play off match against the team which finished third top within the league below. This would still be a sensational spectacle for all to watch, and would ensure only those who truly deserve promotion achieve it. It would certainly make promotion a harder task, with a top 3 finish being required to have any chance, however it does mean that a team who finishes 7th for example in League 2, who then go to become victorious in the playoffs, despite perhaps not having deserved over the course of a season.
Play offs are tough on the three other teams that lose out, however it is most gut-wrenching in the instances where the team who finish 3rd (or 4th in League 2s case, 2nd in the Conference) if they lose out, often aggrieved that a team who finished below them be offered the chance of promotion ahead of them. As such, the idea that 3rd place do battle with 3rd bottom seems attractive. It still has the cup atmosphere, and if the team lower want to be successful in the higher divisions, they need to be able to be victorious in games such as those, whilst by the same token; teams hoping to avoid relegation should be able to see off the lower opposition.
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Granted, currently as the play offs work, it is a fantastic spectacle for fans. The two-legged semi final followed by the dramatic finals at Wembley are a brilliant tradition, and it is one which should certainly be incorporated in some way. It is a tough decision to make in reality. My major interest is witnessing the conference gain an extra promotion place, which I feel is well and truly deserved following the remarkable 10 year progress which has taken place in the league, with plenty of successful clubs now growing within the structure. The question that remains is how that should be tackled. Be it merely by introducing one extra place for automatic promotion and increasing one more relegation spot from the division above, or indeed by reshaping the way that play offs work entirely. I am not completely opposed to the idea of a match between one team in each division; however if this idea is to be advanced further, it should certainly be ensured that we keep the decisive match at Wembley.
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has picked up a thigh injury whilst on international duty with Netherlands.
The current PFA Player of the Year was substituted at half-time of the Oranje’s 4-1 victory over Hungary as a precautionary measure after taking a heavy challenge from an opposition defender.
Louis van Gaal has stated that the injury does not look to serious, but he was eager not to risk the Red Devils’ man.
“We took off Robin for precautionary measures. It doesn’t seem to be too serious, but you never know. We didn’t want to take any risks,” The Guardian report the trainer as saying.
Sir Alex Ferguson will hope that the knock will not keep the star on the sidelines for any prolonged period of time, especially given that Wayne Rooney is currently recovering from injury also.
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It remains to be seen whether Van Persie will be available to feature for the Old Trafford outfit in their next fixture against Wigan on Saturday.
There has not been a rivalry, per se, between Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion over the years, but the Merseyside club have struggled at times.
The Baggies’ brand of football has often frustrated Liverpool teams on the pitch.
This season, Jurgen Klopp’s side picked up two points from a possible six in league matches against West Brom.
The contest at Anfield ended goalless, while the clash at The Hawthorns finished 2-2 following late goals from the home side.
Next season, the Reds will not be taking on West Brom, unless they meet in cup competitions, because the club have been relegated to the Championship.
Despite a late resurgence, the Baggies had to accept their fate on Tuesday night as they were knocked down to the second tier without kicking a ball.
Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Swansea City resulted in West Brom losing their spot in the top flight.
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Some Liverpool fans have wished the club well due to the fact that they honoured the 96 victims of the Hillsborough tragedy in 2016 by painting 96 seats red at The Hawthorns.
Even though Liverpool supporters are grateful, the majority are pleased to see West Brom go.
Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..Comment from discussion “Good luck to West Brom in the Championship next season. Haven’t forgotten how they honoured the 96 in 2016 by placing 96 red seats in The Hawthorns away end – a classy gesture”..