England coach Fabio Capello has revealed his torment of losing captain Rio Ferdinand to injury during the squad's first day of training at their base in South Africa.
The Manchester United defender damaged knee ligaments after an innocuous collision with team-mate Emile Heskey on Friday and he was rushed to a nearby hospital for tests.
After undergoing a scan, the extent of his injury was determined and he will be missing for around six weeks, meaning he will miss the showpiece and Capello has admitted it was big blow for all concerned.
He said:"It was a tackle and then there was big pain. He put his feet in the grass with Heskey and then he moved.
"The other players were upset. They stopped training. All the players who are here with me are important. But he is one of the starting players, the captain, a leader.
"It couldn't have been much worse on my first day. It is obviously bad news and everyone with the squad is very disappointed and sorry for Rio.
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"It was an accidental injury in training, but had nothing to do with the pitch. It is the curse of the captain."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he was proud of his team after their 2-1 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium on Saturday, and feels that the side he picked was close to his first choice starting XI.
First-half goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale gave the visitors the three points, in what was their third consecutive league win.
Despite a number of players still on the injured list, Redknapp believes he fielded a top team.
“There’s players missing, but that’s not far away from our best team. I’m not saying it’s our best team, but there’s enough good players in there to make it very difficult to dislodge them out of our best team,” he told Sky Sports.
“We’re very, very strong and I think we’ve got the makings of a really good side. We lost Jermain Defoe, who was ill overnight and had a high temperature. We had to get a driver to drive him back to London to get him home.
“Sandro came back today alongside Scott Parker and I liked the look of that combination in there. It gave us some strength and I think we’re looking strong,” he stated.
The White Hart Lane outfit dominated the first half, which Redknapp was pleased about, but felt that they could have performed better in the second period.
“It was complete domination first half really and we could’ve been at least four-up.
“We absolutely controlled the game from the start to the finish of the half, and then we did exactly what I told them at half-time not to do, and that was to get sloppy and give a sloppy goal away because they needed a lift.
“If we could’ve started the first 10 minutes as we played in the first half it would’ve been game over,” he concluded.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he was proud of his team after their 2-1 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium on Saturday, and feels that the side he picked was close to his first choice starting XI.
First-half goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale gave the visitors the three points, in what was their third consecutive league win.
Despite a number of players still on the injured list, Redknapp believes he fielded a top team.
“There’s players missing, but that’s not far away from our best team. I’m not saying it’s our best team, but there’s enough good players in there to make it very difficult to dislodge them out of our best team,” he told Sky Sports.
“We’re very, very strong and I think we’ve got the makings of a really good side. We lost Jermain Defoe, who was ill overnight and had a high temperature. We had to get a driver to drive him back to London to get him home.
“Sandro came back today alongside Scott Parker and I liked the look of that combination in there. It gave us some strength and I think we’re looking strong,” he stated.
The White Hart Lane outfit dominated the first half, which Redknapp was pleased about, but felt that they could have performed better in the second period.
“It was complete domination first half really and we could’ve been at least four-up.
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“We absolutely controlled the game from the start to the finish of the half, and then we did exactly what I told them at half-time not to do, and that was to get sloppy and give a sloppy goal away because they needed a lift.
“If we could’ve started the first 10 minutes as we played in the first half it would’ve been game over,” he concluded.
Alberto Aquilani – With Raul Meireles’s great recent run of form, much less has been said about the Italian midfielder. Although a quality midfield player who would add depth to the team, would Aqua’s return be a good thing considering he may not always get in the side? His return has become more likely in recent weeks though as Juve continue to be reluctant about paying the €12million that Liverpool are demanding for the player. According to the Italian press, Juventus want to pay less as they feel they have contributed a great deal of money already by paying the 26 year old’s wages in full from the start of the season. With the Reds now on a secure financial footing though, you can bet FSG will hold out for the €12million demanded or otherwise he could be back in the Red of Liverpool next season.
On the pitch, things are not going so well for his Juventus side. Since we last visited him, Aquilani has played in two 2-1 losses to Udinese and Palermo where he was substituted in both before the end of the match. The “Old Lady” returned to winning ways last weekend though as they beat Cagliari 3-1 with Luca Toni scoring the third (shown below). Juventus now lie 8th in the table, 11 points behind league leaders AC Milan.
David Amoo – Liverpool reserve winger has joined League One side MK Dons on a month’s loan. In the three games since his arrival, Amoo has only appeared as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient. He came on to play as a striker for Lewis Guy in the second half. Stephen Gleeson and Sean O’Hanlon scored the goals for the Dons in the match. Last weekend, Amoo was an unused sub as MK Dons drew 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday leaving the side 7th in the table, 9 points behind leaders Brighton. Let’s hope Amoo gets some more game time before the end of his loan spell.
Nathan Eccleston – The young striker is having an equally frustrating time as Amoo and has struggled to get a place in the Charlton side since his arrival on loan in January. Again he got off to a great start to his loan spell after scoring as a sub on his home debut against Plymouth Argyle in a 2-0 win. He has subsequently been used as an 88th and 80th minute substitute against Colchester and Yeovil respectively in 1-0 wins for the Addicks. New signing Bradley Wright-Phillips scored the only goal of the game against Yeovil last weekend and Charlton now lie 5th in the table with 44 points.
Emiliano Insua – After appearing in Galatasaray’s 1-0 home win against Sivasspor as a second half sub, the Argentine full back started the match against second placed Bursapor the following week. Goals from Kenny Miller and Wederson however, gave Bursaspor a 2-0 win. The 22 year old did not play in the 4-2 victory against Eskisehirspor on Sunday which left Galatasaray 7th in the table, a full 15 points behind the leaders.
Stephen Darby – After returning back to Notts County on loan in January, the right back continues to start regularly for the Nottingham club. He has started the last 3 matches for Paul Ince’s side with all three games ending in a 1-1 draw. Speculation has grown that the player will join County permanently at the end of the season. Notts County Assistant Manager Alex Rae has hinted that Darby may join the club in the Summer:
“He’s still got another year to go with Liverpool. In terms of where we go we’ll have to look at it in the summer. How he does between now and then will be a factor.”
County currently lie in 19th position in League One with 32 points.
Read more of David’s articles at the excellent ‘Live4Liverpool’
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According to Don Balon, West Ham target Yerry Mina is set to leave Barcelona on loan this summer, and the Premier League is his preferred destination.
What’s the word?
Yerry Mina arrived at Barcelona in January hoping to become the next long-time servant in the heart of the Catalan giants’ defence, but the towering defender has played just once in the league since the move.
Mina’s position in the squad was clear for all to see this weekend, as Ernesto Valverde rotated the squad for the win over Leganes and still couldn’t find a place for the 23 year-old centre back.
According to the report from Don Balon, Mina wants to leave on loan to somewhere he is guaranteed minutes on the pitch, and despite interest from Girona and Villarreal would prefer a move to the Premier League.
The Hammers were the only Premier League club mentioned in the report.
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Should Moyes make a move?
Valued at £8.1million by Transfermarkt, Mina’s physicality could make him the perfect fit for the Premier League, but his lack of mobility could just as easily hamper any progress in English football.
West Ham have had plenty of troubles at the back this season, with James Collins reaching the end of his career and Winston Reid losing form, but moving for Mina is not the solution.
Mina is a raw talent, but at 23 he should already be showing the refined skills a top centre back must add to their raw instincts. West Ham already have a young star in the making in Declan Rice, who has been superb in the last two matches against Southampton and Chelsea.
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Rice may not have the physical skills Mina has, but he is four years younger and already has more experience in a top league than the Colombian.
The last thing David Moyes needs is a Barcelona reject who wants “guaranteed” minutes coming in and upsetting the dressing room. The Hammers should be looking for a bona fide star to challenge Reid, Rice and Angelo Ogbonna, not a raw talent looking for some free playing time.
West Ham fans, would you like to see a loan move for Mina this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hailed Francis Coquelin’s contribution to the team over the last few weeks. It’s unsurprising really. As Arsenal’s turbulent season continues, a 2-0 win at the Etihad restored confidence in the manager, and then a dismal defeat at home to Monaco in the Champions League has taken it away.
One bright spot of the last few weeks has been the uncovering of Coquelin, however. An actual, real life, defensive midfielder gracing the pitch at the Emirates!
Coquelin has indeed been impressive, and after sustaining a broken nose in a clash with teammate Olivier Giroud against Everton last weekend, the French midfielder wore a protective mask in the 2-1 win over QPR in midweek.
In quotes reported by the London Evening Standard, Wenger said that despite his injury, Coquelin did not want to be left out of the team and was determined to hold onto his place. Speaking of Coquelin’s recent success, the manager added:
‘the human being is a strange animal – the more you have suffered before, the more you enjoy it’
In fact, this might just sum up Wenger!
Take the finding of this new defensive midfielder, as an example. For so long fans have been vainly calling for Wenger to bring in a midfielder to sit in front of the back four while Arsenal’s orchestra of number 10s create beautiful attacking moves up front.
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What they may be celebrating, though, is a new, pragmatic Arsenal. Albeit, celebrating mutedly after the horror show that was the Champions League game against Monaco.
But the win over City was done in such a way that the Arsenal fans probably enjoyed that particular victory more than most of their recent ones – and Wenger will have too. It was the first time in recent memory that Wenger had set his team up to stifle the opposition, and the success of this was due in no small part to Coquelin.
Wenger’s tactics and team selection worked and he was widely praised, even managing to pacify some of the fans calling for his head. For a while at least.
Equally, the Gunners’ first trophy in nine years did a similar trick for Wenger. Along with signings like Alexis Sanchez, it bought him a few months of good will.
Clinching fourth place has also been celebrated like winning a trophy. There have been heaps of jokes about this fact, but in seasons like 2011/12 after the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, and 2012/13 where they pipped Tottenham to fourth, Champions League qualification wasn’t always certain for Wenger’s team.
The celebrations as Arsenal beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James’s Park that year are a testament to that. Even though the fans want more, Champions League football is still hugely important for the club.
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Wenger’s words sound like those of a man who has been through some suffering, and after the abuse that he has been getting from a sizeable section of the Gunners’ support, he is probably entitled to enjoy what success he gets this season more than most. With Arsenal looking to start their habitual late season charge for fourth, and have a good chance of retaining the FA cup if they can beat Manchester United on Monday night, Wenger may yet have something to cheer.
Maybe Wenger saw something of himself in Coquelin. Maybe Arsene Wenger is a strange animal – the more he has suffered, the more he enjoys it.
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Sir Alex Ferguson has refuted speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo will be returning to Old Trafford this summer, according to The Metro.
The Portuguese winger left Manchester United for Real Madrid in a four year deal worth £80 million in 2009 and has been rumoured to make a shock return to the Manchester club, while being prepared to take a pay cut to do so.
Ferguson says there is no truth in the rumours and thinks it is a tactical part of the contract negotiations:
‘I don’t think there’s anything, as far as I’m aware, that would encourage me to think he would come back here. I don’t think there’s anything in that at all,’
“He has got two years left on his contract. It could be to do with the fact that negotiations are going on for a new contract. I think maybe his agent is playing the game, though I’m not prepared to comment on that.
I think it is false hope.”
The 28-year-old is in the best form of his life and has even outdone Messi in recent weeks, but is refusing to sign a new contract with Real Madrid indicating that he could leave at the end of the season.
He returns to Old Trafford this week when United take on Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champion’s League round 16 tie and Fergie expects that he will receive a warm welcome from fans.
“Cristiano will get a good reception. All our former players, especially the ones who have been great for this club, get a good reception when they return.
“He is a better player now than he was when he was with us because he has matured. He is 28 and at the peak of his career.
“From 28 to 32, with the fitness Ronaldo has got, he never misses a game and is never injured. He will be at his absolute best.
“I’ve got a plan to stop him: it’s called a machete, plan B is a machine gun!”
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Man United came back from the Bernabeu with a draw but they will be fighting to overturn that into a win.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford had to be content with a place on the bench while Jesse Lingard was fielded alongside Juan Mata, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku against Swansea City on Saturday.
United produced a lively first half performance to secure a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Lukaku – his 100th Premier League strike – and Alexis Sanchez, who really needed the confidence boost.
Combined with Chelsea’s home defeat to Tottenham, it was a good weekend for United who are now 12 points ahead of the reigning champions in the race for the top four; a surely unassailable lead with just seven games remaining.
We’ve taken a closer look at the numbers behind the performance of Lingard, who is valued at just £22.5m by Transfermarkt, and went into this one on the back of two impressive England performances and his first Three Lions goal.
The academy graduate looks so much more lively when United play at a high tempo and he was at the heart of everything good about their first half display.
He can motor forward from the number 10 position with 2 dribbles here, and also contributed one key pass, as well as the deflected assist for Sanchez’s goal.
Three crosses and four shots show Lingard’s ability to produce end-product – this is by far his most productive season in terms of goals – but three tackles also show that he is not afraid of getting back in and doing his work defensively.
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He had to do that in the second period here as Swansea came on stronger and he will also have to muck in defensively as he is fielded more like a conventional midfielder as it stands for Gareth Southgate’s England.
In a season where so many of United’s more expensive stars have flattered to deceive, could you make the case that Lingard has been the most consistent forward at the club?
As Arsenal’s search for a new midfielder rumbles on, Cheick Tiote of Newcastle is now firmly a name in the mix. The rugged Ivorian – who is currently away at the AFCON – is understood to be a £9m target for the Gunners, with talks between the club and the players’ representatives having already taken place.
However, despite his talents, Tiote is not exactly the sort of player to set pulses racing at the Emirates Stadium… yet his team-mate, Moussa Sissoko, is. Another linked with a move from the North East to London, the Frenchman seems better suited to the ‘Arsenal way’ and we think he could be a more useful signing. Here are FIVE reasons Arsene Wenger should be looking at Sissoko, not Tiote…
More versatile
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While Tiote is a specialised holding midfielder, Sissoko can operate from a range of roles. This season alone the Frenchman has played in each midfield position through the centre of the pitch as well as on the right of an attacking midfield line, but in the past he’s been known to drift to the opposite flank and even fill in a little deeper. Wenger is known to appreciate diversity and versatility in his players, and Sissoko’s ability to feature in a range of roles could be a tool the experienced boss may find useful with continental and domestic football to balance.
Better long-term option
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Tiote is 28, Sissoko is 25. It may seem a little simplistic, but, in theory, the latter has three more years at the highest level. Tiote is, arguably, in his peak years now, while Sissoko is just about to enter the range at which he’s likely to be at the very top of his powers. As a result, the Ivorian will have less time and a lower sell-on value, while the France international’s price tag may increase at the same rate as his abilities.
More useful than Tiote
Tying in with versatility, Sissoko will be of greater use than Tiote in terms of contribution in the final third. The former Toulouse man out-punches his team-mate in terms of almost every key attacking stat, while his shorter range of passing makes him more suited to a ‘Wenger team’. Position on the pitch may have something to do with it, but Sissoko’s stats also take into account his time playing in a deeper role.
More of a ‘Wenger’ player
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While Tiote is a destroyer, Sissoko is a hybrid of a break-up player and an attacking force. This is somewhat reflected through his consistent passing stats, with his overall accuracy having been impressive through his career. With Arsenal a ‘front foot’ team, Sissoko’s ability to get on the ball and make things happen could be useful.
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Loves the club
“When I was young, Arsenal were my favourite team. My idol played there: Patrick Vieira. I have always loved that club. I still love that club.” The words of Sissoko himself.
A love for a club is key, and Sissoko’s passion for Arsenal could add the sort of determination and guts the Gunners have been criticised for lacking for some time.
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson’s commanding midfield performance against Norwich a fortnight ago told the story of how much the 22-year-old has developed in recent months, quietly but assuredly becoming one of the team’s best performers, following a similar path laid out before him by one-time pariah, now firm fan favourite, team-mate Lucas Leiva.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that it collectively became okay to hold the Brazilian international in high regard, but we shouldn’t forget that he was widely and routinely mocked after moving to Anfield from Gremio back in 2007-8. This was back when Liverpool could boast one of the strongest midfield departments in the whole of Europe, with Steven Gerrard, Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano and Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso as regulars. There is certainly no shame in looking an inferior player to that trio of world-class operators.
Lest we forget, though, with a constant need to re-write history on Lucas in what has quickly become the ‘cool’ contrarian viewpoint to take, while the abuse he received was out of line and certainly wrong, that is not to say that his performances didn’t merit criticism. There were flashes of his talent, the 5-1 away win against Newcastle in 2008-9 standing out in particular, but he lacked that crucial consistency, often ranging from the sublime to the atrocious within a few games. Being picked on by supporters is never warranted, but we shouldn’t conveniently ignore the underlying point just because he is good now.
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Of course, this was all forgivable because to put it into context, he moved to England, a completely different culture, style of football and environment to Brazil, at the relatively young age of 20. He was highly regarded in his homeland, having already made his international debut against Algeria, but he was still a raw, box-to-box midfielder with drive, commitment and a decent passing range, but perhaps lacking the positional awareness and authority to have a lasting influence in important games. However, he is now an absolutely integral member of the starting XI who is not only missed, but pleaded for whenever he is absent.
There are many parallels to be drawn with the club’s move for Henderson back in 2011 with Lucas, but both were shown remarkable faith by the men at the helm at the time – Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish – as they sought to adapt to the tough playing environment that is Liverpool, a club which has claimed the reputations of many a talented, promising young player in the past.
While Lucas struggled for consistency early on and may have been hampered by the quicker tempo Premier League and his more glitzy counterparts in midfield, Henderson was shunted out wide by Dalglish into an auxiliary right midfield role akin to when Sunday league teams stick the young 17-year-old up front simply because he’s fit and young. This wasn’t and will never be his natural position, just like it won’t at Arsenal for Aaron Ramsey and he has always played his best football when part of a midfield three, usually at its tip.
The £16m price-tag has also hung around Henderson’s neck like an albatross and he hasn’t been helped by the subsequent failures of the club’s two other major purchases that summer, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. He has always been conveniently lumped in along with that duo despite being played slightly out of position in a struggling side full of new players which lacked a clearly defined plan. It’s no coincidence that under Brendan Rodgers, a man with a ‘philosophy’, preferred system and adopted style, Henderson looks much more at home and comfortable in his own skin. He clearly knows what his role is now.
One of the more intriguing aspects of Rodgers appointment in the summer was how he planned to deal with the expensively-assembled remnants of the Dalglish-Comolli era and his marginalising of Jose Enrique, Downing and Henderson early on in the campaign, while Carroll was sent out on loan, smacked of a man trying too hard to put his own stamp on the squad. Credit must go to the 39-year-old, though, for reversing the fortunes of the aforementioned triumvirate in recent months.
The sheer size of the fee forked out for Henderson demands a fully-formed player, which he most definitely is not, but he is an industrious, determined and intelligent technician; decent on the ball, but not flashy, often picking the simple pass rather than the Hollywood ball. Early comparisons touting him as ‘the next Steven Gerrard’ were both lazy and wide of the mark. He is not a very English type of player, he keeps things ticking over and is more of a jack of all trades in terms of midfielders go as opposed to someone who will stand out in any one role for a prolonged period of time, very much like Manchester City’s James Milner.
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Nevertheless, he is clearly worth pursuing with and he’s shown flashes this season – away at Udinese, at home to Norwich, at home to Sunderland – to suggest that he is making good on his potential and developing into a well-rounded and reliable member of the first-team and it says it all that he was hugely missed during the recent 2-1 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford, with his energy and urgency both on and off the ball crucially absent during a terrible first half team display. He wasn’t helped early on by Rodgers given the fact that the manager seemed unsure of what his best starting midfield was, but he’s more than playing his part now.
Much like Lucas, Henderson is clearly worth persevering with and as I’ve always argued, no matter what the fee, a long-term attitude has to be taken to his signing, just as it was with the Glen Johnson in the past, in that you will eventually see a return on your money in the form of longevity rather than eye-catching, lung-bursting runs and magnificent spraying passes. He has won over a few more cynics recently, but really, like his Brazilian team-mate, all he ever really needed was the time to settle. Patience is a precious commodity in football these days, but with concerns to the 22-year-old, he is worth the wait.
Romelu Lukaku certainly gets a lot of stick for a player that has scored 25 times in 44 appearances for Manchester United since his arrival last summer.
The 24-year-old had a difficult spell towards the end of 2017, but has largely been brilliant for the Red Devils following his move from Everton.
The striker, who is valued at £76.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, was excellent against his former club Chelsea last month, before impressing against Liverpool in United’s last Premier League fixture on March 10.
Lukaku is currently on 99 Premier League goals, and will have the chance to reach the century in United’s home match against Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.
The former Chelsea forward also scored twice for Belgium against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night to continue his remarkable form for his country.
United supporters are absolutely loving Lukaku’s performance levels at this moment in time, and many have taken to social media to pay tribute to the former Anderlecht youngster.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below: