West Ham will be looking to make it three wins out of four when they travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City on Saturday.
The East London club have made a positive start to the season, winning two matches out of three.
They began the season with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, before going down 3-0 to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Last time out saw their best performance of the season so far, comfortably beating Fulham 3-0 at Upton Park.
Sam Allardyce will be without new signing Andy Carroll, who impressed on his debut before picking up a hamstring injury, which will see him ruled out for another five weeks.
Jack Collison, James Collins and Guy Demel are also set to miss the trip, but Allardyce will be boosted by the news that Matt Jarvis and George McCartney are both fit.
Meanwhile Chris Hughton is still searching for his first Premier League victory as Norwich manager.
The Canaries have drawn two and lost once since Hughton replaced Paul Lambert in the summer, being humbled 5-0 by Fulham on the opening day.
However, Norwich fans can comfort themselves with the fact they started last season in similar fashion, drawing with Wigan and Stoke before losing at Stamford Bridge and then at home to West Brom.
Steven Whittaker is in line to make his debut following his move from Rangers, whilst Elliot Bennett is in contention following injury.
Depending which West Ham turn up, Hughton could see this as the ideal opportunity to pick up the first Premier League victory of his reign.
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Prediction: Norwich 1-0 West Ham
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England captain Steven Gerrard has stated that his side must be patient in their attempts to break Moldova down on Friday.
The Three Lions open their World Cup qualifying campaign against the eastern European side, and the Liverpool midfielder is expecting his team to have to bide their time in the search for goals.
“It can be difficult to break sides down,” Gerrard revealed in a press conference, published in Sky Sports.
“But the good thing is that in our squad we’ve got players who are used to that in the Premier League – we play for top teams and you come up against teams that put 11 men behind the ball.
“As long as we’re patient and don’t force the issue, it doesn’t matter when we score or how we win – as long as we do.”
England’s second game comes in quick succession as they host Ukraine at Wembley on Tuesday, and Gerrard is hoping for six points from the two matches.
“It breeds confidence for the team and the squad,” added Gerrard
“The idea this week is to get six points but the important thing is to focus on Moldova. We are confident we have the players who can get the three points,” he concluded.
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There is a certain Paul Scholes shaped wound situated somewhere on the Three Lions that simply will not heal. It may have been inflicted over a series of years, but since the Manchester United legend’s international retirement some eight years ago now, it doesn’t seem to get any less painful.
They say time heals everything. For England, seeing Paul Scholes continue to produce the goods as he did against Wigan on Saturday, it just makes things worse.
Of course, you could be accused of smothering yourself in nostalgia by continuing to wheel out the Paul Scholes scenario. The year is 2012 and Scholes himself is now approaching his 38th birthday in November. England must be focusing on the next generation of talent and carving a squad capable of making real progress in Brazil 2014- should they qualify, of course.
But sometimes it is implausible to move forward, without looking back. Years of board level mismanagement, a crass neglect for the grass roots game and the odd bit of rotten luck along the way, have contributed in no small part to the 46 years of hurt and counting that the country currently finds itself enduring. But perhaps the tale of Paul Scholes’ international career represents the biggest sin of all.
Pep Guardiola described him as the best midfielder of his generation. Barcelona playmaker Xavi, once said that he was the best midfielder he’d seen play in the last two decades. Bobby Charlton, Alan Hansen, Marcelo Lippi – the list goes on forever – have all waxed lyrically about the ability of Salford-born genius over the years. But perhaps most poignantly, it was the more recent descriptions of one Robin van Persie, which really hit a particular chord.
“I have to say a big thank you to Paul Scholes. When he came on everything started ticking. Every single pass he hit was the right one. Everyone felt that, I certainly did,” the Dutchman said, following United’s 3-2 win over Southampton at the start of the month.
“He hit a couple of unbelievable passes over 30 metres. With him you are always on your toes because anything can happen with his qualities. For me, he is the man of the match.”
Let’s put that into perspective for one moment. The man fitting Van Persie’s description is 37 years of age. In the words of one of Europe’s finest strikers, who’s played with some half decent midfielders himself over the years, Scholes was depicted as the best player on the pitch. Not Michael Carrick, nor the fleeting young English talent he replaced either, in Tom Cleverley.
By Van Persie’s assessment and countless others, on his half hour cameo against Southampton, Scholes would walk, if not crawl on his hands and knees, into the Roy Hodgson’s current England line-up. But even though he’s now retired, you would have assumed that a player as praised, as talented, as gifted as Scholes, would be a legend for his country. Think of his peers and the 127 caps Luis Figo won for Portugal. Or the outstanding 108 that one Zinedine Zindane won for Les Bleus. Or even 117 and counting that Xavi has for Spain.
Paul Scholes played only 66 times for England. That’s only 13 more than Gareth Barry’s current total.
When Scholes initially retired from international competition in the August of 2004, there was a whole quarry of critique aimed at why the then 29-year-old would turn away from running out for England. But not necessarily whole-hearted uproar; owing much to the international emergence of both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Criticism for Scholes was also, nothing particularly new.
Because for all his talents and gifts with the ball at his feet, the fascination was why he wasn’t putting the ball in the back of the net. Despite Scholes’ powers in front of goal perhaps already being in slight remission at this point, both the media and the management seemed displeased with a lack of goal scoring edge to his game internationally. It was felt the duo of Lampard and Gerrard could give the Three Lions what they needed. During the peak years of the Sven-Goran Eriksson era, he was always fit around the pair, not as a key component himself. A move that seems a fitting motif for both the failures of English football and the current predicament we currently find ourselves in.
The most gifted player of his generation in an England shirt – yet seemingly we were the only ones to recognise it. Nearly ten years on and still, the penny only now seems to have dropped. Although that’s pretty much the only thing that has dropped, as even after one short-lived retirement, Scholes performances show absolutely no signs of relenting.
Maybe he can’t play 38 games in a season anymore and it’s not likely he’ll undergo quite too many 90-minute lung-sapping shifts this season. But as he showed in his half hour cameo against Southampton, the class, the vision, the gift, is still there for all to see. The fact that he remains arguably one of the best English midfielders in the Premier League today is testament to this nations devaluation of the skillset he possess. We must ensure that the current emphasis on the technical aspects of the game, the ability to pass, control and move isn’t some flash in the pan.
The new multi-million pound St. Georges Park complex will be worth nothing, if say, barring injury both Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverley fail to make more than 100 appearances for England between them. The coaching philosophies have to value the talents that both they and Scholes possess. The thought of say, Tom Cleverley being forced to play on the left so Ashley Young and squeeze in more centrally might not seem like much. But once upon a time it was Scholes shunted out of position for the more Hollywood players. History suggests that was one of the biggest mistakes in recent English footballing history.
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Every time Scholes pulls on a United shirt and so effortlessly pulls the strings as he did against Southampton, part of an England fan’s soul will always hurt. But it must act as a burning reminder to ensure it doesn’t ever happen again. Otherwise it’s not just Brazil 2014 you can forget about.
How do you feel about Scholes’s recent performances and the state of England’s current midfield? Could it be possible that a similar scenario could happen again? Let me know what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me all your views.
Nordsjaelland defender Jores Okore has not denied the possibility of a move away from the Danish outfit in the 2013 summer transfer window.
Chelsea have been mentioned as possible suitors as have Manchester United, with it rumoured that Peter Schmeichel has suggested the player to the Old Trafford outfit.
The 20-year-old is already receiving admiring glances from abroad after developing a reputation for his consistent performances in Denmark.
He notably impressed in a recent outing against Champions League holders Chelsea, and suggested he had the maturity in his game to make it at the very top level.
Okore is in no rush to forget the opportunity to play in Europe’s finest competition that his current employers have provided him with.
However he admitted to bold.dk: “If the club can find me an interesting offer then I might move during the summer.”
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The defender added that it’s all about selecting the right time to leave.
Aston Villa travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday, hoping that summer signing Christian Benteke can replicate the goal scoring form he showed for Belgium during the international break.
The 21-year-old – signed from Genk for £7million – has yet to hit his stride for Villa, but was on target in each of Belgium’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Scotland respectively.
Paul Lambert will be hoping his form continues, with Villa having only managed six goals in their opening seven fixtures, which has contributed to them finding themselves currently languishing in 16th place.
Fulham have made a solid start to their season, currently sitting 9th with 10 points from their opening seven games. Martin Jol looks to have a fully fit forward line to choose from, with Dimitar Berbatov and Mladen Petric both recovering from injury.
Jol could however be without Bryan Ruiz, after the attacker injured his thigh whilst playing for Costa Rica last week.
Lambert hopes to welcome back Stephen Ireland to the Villa midfield after he missed the last two with a wrist injury, as Villa look to halt a run of three league games without a win.
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To call the past few days disappointing would be putting it lightly. A surprise defeat to Norwich at the weekend and then a lacklustre performance at home to Schalkle has angered many fans and they are demanding answers. To call this a crisis however, is ridiculous.
What do Arsenal fans expect from a team that has gone seven years without any silverware and once again is ‘rebuilding.’ With Wenger’s contract up at the end of next season, we should questioning his managerial ability but more his desire. If Arsenal continue to go without any trophies, would he actually want to stay?
The Gunners are desperate to see Jack Wilshere in an Arsenal shirt again, but we must be careful not too put too much pressure upon his young shoulders. The team have lacked creativity in recent week and have mustered only a handful of chances. Despite adding to his squad in the summer, we are already looking forward to January and what could be.
The Arsenal AGM took place this week and no doubt Arsene, Ivan Gazidis and Stan Kroenke came under fire about the club and it’s direction. As expected, anger was shown about the club’s apparent lack of spending. Gazidis defended the club’s policy, saying that Arsenal led the way in ending ‘pointless’ spending. He commended Wenger on his transfer dealings and was confident that Arsenal could compete with Europe’s elite and end their trophy drought. Gazidis believes that spending every penny is not the answer.
An uncomfortable moment arose when those in attendance were asked if they opposed the re-election of Gazidis. Apparently 10-12 hands went up, uh oh. As expected, Wenger tried to reassure those in attendance that things would work out for the club and that their goals remain clear. He commented on the quality of the squad and spoke of his faith in their ability. However, this same speech is given each year at the AGM. I am not surprised that it may be starting to fall on deaf ears.
So another year gone and we are still hearing the same story. The squad is good enough to compete and Arsenal will not be spending big. Let’s see what January brings.
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are keen to add to their defensive options and have identified Molde defender Vegard Forren as a possible candidate.
Forren plays for United legend Ole Gunnar SolskJaer at Molde and could head to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £4 million.
Solskjaer told The Sun:
“He could play for United but I don’t need to tell him that.”
“Vegard is a very good footballer but he has to be focused on delivering and securing his place in the Norway team.”
The centre back helped Molde to the Norwegian Championship last season and since his arrival in 2007 has played almost 150 games in the Tippeligaen.
In 2011 Forren rejected the chance to join Belgium side Club Brugge and despite insisting he dreams of playing in one of the big European Leagues; he remains happy with Molde.
Forren has played four times for the national side since making his debut against Thailand in January 2012.
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Arsène Wenger has indicated that Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wojciech Szczęsny have a chance of being in tomorrow’s Arsenal squad for the North London derby.
Walcott and Szczęsny will have tests to assess their fitness, while the club is monitoring Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Walcott withdrew from England’s friendly with Sweden this Wednesday after injuring himself during Arsenal’s draw last weekend with Fulham.
Szczęsny last played when Arsenal thrashed Southampton 6-1 in the Capital One Cup, before finding himself sidelined due to an ankle injury, while Oxlade-Chamberlain has been out with a hip injury.
However, the manager confirms the three all could be in tomorrow’s squad.
“They all have a chance to be in the squad. Walcott came off against Fulham and will have a test, so will Szczęsny,” Wenger told the club’s official website.
However, he has revealed that Arsenal are still considering when the right opportunity would be to bring full-back Bacary Sagna back to action. Sagna has been out since breaking his leg last season.
“It is just for general fatigue. Sagna has played three games quickly, but before that he didn’t play for six months,” he added.
He has also confirmed that Jack Wilshere should also be back tomorrow following his suspension, and how glad he was that Wilshere returned from international duty unscathed.
“I believe he didn’t need games. He was overloaded with games so on that front I was happy that he got a little breather,” Wenger admitted.
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“It is not a complete breather because 20 hours travelling is of course not what we want. It’s the advantage and the disadvantage of being called up in a squad. At least he didn’t get injured and hopefully will recover before Saturday.”
Arsenal are 11 points off Manchester United’s current points tally in the Premier League table, but three points against their fierce local rivals tomorrow would give the Gunners and an under-fire Wenger a much-needed boost.
Robin van Persie adjusts his sniper scope, carefully lining up his laser sight left foot with the back of the net. Rooney scuttles sideways, luring Tevez away from the defensive barricade being assembled by Joe Hart. Meanwhile Samir Nasri is climbing into the back pocket of Edin Dzeko, seemingly eager to avoid the spoils of a war he cares little about.
The result is somewhat inevitable. The wall crumbles in the wake of the Frenchman’s cowardice and his nonchalant flick of the leg not only fails to block the incoming shot, but also inadvertently sends the ball beyond the flailing reach of England’s number one. The gutless actions of one man have decided the outcome of perhaps the most important Premier League fixture this season.
But what has happened to Samir Nasri? Did Roberto Mancini foresee such a decline? Only a fortnight ago he outlined his desire to see much improvement from his influential midfielder.
“In my opinion we are talking about a top, top player here. And if he wants, he can change every game. But I think he can do better. He has played some good games for us but he can do better because he has everything.” (Guardian)
The Italian does not believe Nasri has suffered or diminished since his turbulent move from Arsenal, but I would beg to disagree. Under Arsene Wenger he was the iconic figure of an exciting attacking line-up, nowadays he is merely a generic member of a squad largely tainted by greed.
He may have a Premier League winners medal tucked away at home but he was hardly an indispensible cog in their title race machine. During last summer’s European Championships, despite some positive displays, he was draped in controversy after an expletive-laden rant directed at his own nation’s press.
Nasri was not alone in his abrasive nature – Philippe Mexes bullied his way past a young volunteer just too avoid reporters – but it was Nasri’s actions that made the headlines. It wasn’t even an isolated incident, with a fierce remark reportedly aimed at journalists after he picked up the Man of the Match award against Ukraine.
The 25 year-old attempted to justify his behaviour as a stand against what he considers “unfair media criticism”. However, president of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, described him as “intolerable” while head coach Laurent Blanc labelled his comments “embarrassing and regrettable”, before adding, “I already told Samir what I had to say, obviously the message did not get through.” (Guardian)
The reaction of his superiors highlights their perception of an egotistical individual, concerned primarily with his own fortunes. Since his ascent to stardom upon arriving on English soil, Nasri has found his head stuck in the clouds and Mancini’s assessment that he only had “two-and-a-half” players in his wall, only serves to depict a man that is a shadow of his former self.
During his spell at Arsenal, he flourished alongside the equal-minded and equally paid Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie. He was the jewel in a crown beginning to rediscover its shine and displayed the physical and mental strength that reignited comparisons with the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
However, at Manchester City he is permanently trapped in the shadow of fellow playmaker David Silva. While the Spaniard is adept to playing out wide under Mancini, Nasri has struggled and repeatedly finds himself bullied by full-backs. His stark refusal to help out with the defensive duties prompted Gary Neville to unleash this painfully accurate verdict:
“This is a player you’ll see when the ‘oles’ are coming out, but when the going gets tough I’m not sure he fancies it that much.” (Manchester Evening News)
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As Robin van Persie wheeled away in celebration, Pablo Zabaleta crumbled on to the post, distraught at the fact his efforts would go unrewarded. Nasri on the other hand shrugged and wandered back up the pitch, ignoring the volley of abuse coming from Tevez. Mario Balotelli is often an easy target for those die-hard enforcers of the ‘British Bulldog’ spirit but despite another uninspiring performance, he may thrive now the critical glare is fixated on another target.
There is no denying Samir Nasri is an incredibly talented footballer, which makes his current predicament all the more infuriating. In many ways, he has undergone a role reversal with Tevez, becoming disillusioned with life in Manchester, which is particulary evident from his rapidly degrading athletic physique.
However, if a golf-loving arrogant striker can worm his back from exile then so can a sulky Frenchman. He just has to rediscover his motivation, even if that involves Mancini luring him onto the pitch with a bigger paycheck attached to a piece of string.
On Day 16 of our Football Advent Calendar we’re trying to bring some cheer to Bolton Wanderers fans, who have suffered a pretty torrid time of late, but giving away a signed Bolton shirt from the 2011/12 season.
Unfortunately the 2011/12 Premier League season was not one to remember for Bolton fans, as the Trotters finished 18th and thus Owen Coyle’s men were relegated from the top flight.
Now under the stewardship of former Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman, Bolton find themselves in the bottom half of the Championship and hence could do with some Christmas cheer!
Fancy winning a signed Bolton shirt?
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The winner will be announced tomorrow, when we will also be unveiling our prize for Day 17. Don’t forget to come back to FootballFanCast.com then!