Everton boss David Moyes has claimed that he will wait until the final day of the January transfer window to make any signings.
The Toffees have been able to hold on to their key players this month and are set to add at least one more player to their ranks on Thursday, just before the deadline closes.
Moyes has a history of making late window deals and has had success with the likes of Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar on deadline days.
The long serving Goodison Park boss is hopeful that with one or two additions his squad can break into the top four this season ahead of the likes of Arsenal and bitter rivals Liverpool.
It is well documented that Moyes has to work on a tough budget at Everton and the relationship between him and the chairman in key to enable the funds are spent wisely and only if necessary.
“We’ve tended to be Christmas Eve shoppers, so hold on to your hat,” Moyes told the Daily Post.
“Myself and the chairman have said there was a little bit of money we could do some business with.
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“That hasn’t changed so it makes it harder to get the level of player you might be looking for.”
It was always going to be an eventful game wasn’t it?
Not only was Millwall’s game against Bolton their first ever visit to the Reebok Stadium, it saw Marvin Sordell play his first game against the Lions since his claims of racism at the Den.
Since that game it was found that the claims were unjustified, it came out that a 13 year old was banned by calling Sordell a fish and saying he looked like the Disney character “Nemo”.
The club in my view did not stand up for the 13 year old, and express how ridiculous it was that he was being punished for what was described as “verbal abuse”, which happens on any given football ground in England. So this was a chance for the ‘Wall fans to support him in a way. This was done with inflatable Nemo’s and chants of “Marvin Sordell, you look like a fish” and “Nemo Nemo” but Bolton fans saying this was racist once again, the world has gone mad!
Back to matters on the pitch as the Lions picked up a valuable point with a 1-1 draw at the Reebok.
The game started with the hosts on the front foot but the first chance came after Zat Knight gave away a penalty, and this was calmly put away by Andy Keogh, chipping it into the middle of the goal, who needs Pirlo?
Bolton piled on the pressure after that and after going close through Kevin Davies and David N’Gog, they were handed a lifeline after Danny Shittu gave away a needless penalty which was put away by Keith Andrews, 1-1 at half time.
The 2nd half had few clear cut chances, as it seemed both teams were happy with a point. The closest Millwall came to a goal was through Dany N’Guessan, if he goes to head it, he gets a touch, but instead he slides in and misses it.
Bolton nearly stole the three points at the end as a Kevin Davies header looked to be nestling in the net, but this was somehow headed clear by “The Goose” N’Guessan. So the points were shared as the Lions stay 7th.
I’m happy with this result, if you would’ve said at the start of the season we would take four points off of Bolton I’d be over the moon; they were one of the pre-season favourites for the league of course.
But this game did highlight what we really need, a striker. N’Guessan tries his best but is most likely not Championship level, but Jackett must see something that many don’t. Even the bench showed what Millwall compete against in this division; we had Henderson and John Marquis on the bench. Compare this to the Bolton bench…
Bolton had Arsenal loanee Benik Afobe on the bench and the also a certain £3 million pound Marvin Sordell.
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Yes you did read that right; Marvin Sordell cost £3million.
I fully trust KJ to get the players in needed to keep us up in the higher part of the table, but it does seem now that any striker that he signs was nowhere near his first or second choice….
David Luiz went to find Bees player Jake Reeves to personally apologise for his reckless collision with the 19-year-old during Sunday’s 4-0 win against Brentford.
David Luiz collided with Reeves in the 86th minute and his shoulder caught him in the face causing him to suffer concussion. The Bees player was forced to go off the pitch after the medical team advised him to, but the player wanted to carry on for the remainder of the game. Speaking to The Guardian Uwe Rösler, the Brentford manager, said:
“Jake is fine, he wanted to continue but our medical staff said it was better that he didn’t, They said: ‘Safety first.’ I have not seen the situation clearly enough to make a statement now but the player [Luiz] came into our dressing-room and he spoke to Jake, which is a fantastic gesture. He apologised.”
Was Reeves concussed? “Yes, definitely.”
When Rafael Benitez was asked about the challenges from Luiz and Cahill he said he had “no complaints” and they were both “normal tackles, especially in a cup competition”.
Chelsea won the game through second half goals from Juan Mata, Oscar, Frank Lampard and John Terry, making it a good day for interim boss Benitez as Abramovich watched in the stands – his first game at Stamford Bridge since January. Benitez spoke highly of his side after the game mentioning their patience and intensity and also said he was pleased about Terry’s first performance after returning from injury. John Terry is facing stiff competition for his place in the team but he said:
“The manager knows me and I want to play, I have been out for months but the other two centre-backs have been doing well. It’s good to have competition.”
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Bee’s manager Rösler only had one complaint and that was regarding the ref blowing the whistle during Luiz’s challenge on Adam Forshaw rather than allowing a few seconds to pass. Rösler believes the side would have been 1-0 up through Marcello Trotta had the whistle not gone.
“On a better day, he could have waited a few seconds and we could have been 1-0 up, which is what you need when you are massive underdogs. When the decision goes against you, you have no chance.”
Wojciech Szczesny arrived in the Arsenal first-team for the away trip to Manchester United in 2010 as the goalkeeper Arsene Wenger’s side had needed. It was of no great concern that here was a player whose only real consistent experience in competitive play came via a loan spell at League One Brentford, nor did it matter that the game was indeed away at Old Trafford; there weren’t any fears that the occasion of Szczesny’s league debut could mentally cripple him for the coming months. Here was finally a goalkeeper who exuded confidence and made the back four a far more stable unit.
For a short time, Arsenal’s goalkeeping woes were allayed. Szczesny looked set to become the team’s No 1 for the next decade at least, provided, of course, the club could negotiate an extension to the player’s contract. It was ability mixed with an unwavering determination to prove that he was indeed one of the best of his age group. Szczesny had launched out of the starting gates and was sprinting well before he had learned to walk.
The blame, however, doesn’t totally lie with the player. It should never have taken up until this point for Arsene Wenger to take action to ensure the player remained grounded. When the competition for places is as close to non-existent as you’re going to get at Arsenal, players become complacent and youngsters never learn from their mistakes.
It was never a problem in the past for Wenger; he was fortunate to inherit David Seaman and surprisingly got it right with the signing of Jens Lehmann. But unlike Szczesny, both of those players were veterans with a wealth of experience at club and international level. They knew when complacency would see them out of the team, they understood how important their position was to the team, and, confidence aside, they had the maturity to know how to come back stronger from poor spells of form.
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It’s about management teaching the youngster to harness his ability and confidence and not jeopardise games by taking on a cavalier approach. The writing has been on the wall for a long time that a slump in form like this would happen, and it’s only fortunate that Wenger can turn to Fabianski for the remaining games of the season.
Wojciech Szczesny isn’t totally a lost cause either; quite the opposite. Here is a goalkeeper who has grown into the player he is – including a full international with Poland – due to the parts of his career spent with Arsenal. He has often shown fierce loyalty to the club and the kind of exuberance you’d expect to find in a young player.
There are a number of excellent examples in Europe to prove that young goalkeepers can indeed be relied upon heavily as a team’s first-choice, and they haven’t kept their place because they’ve lacked confidence. As a club with plenty of ambition, Arsenal will encourage Szczesny to stand barrel-chested and look fear in the eye: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with displaying the cool head that’s needed to be a success at this level.
But many young goalkeepers across Europe either have a good level of competition behind them or a manager who knows how to keep them grounded. Far be it from me to take anything away from the way Wenger manages young players, but the manager’s loyalty has often blinded him in the past. More than anything, Szczesny needed a nudge, through any number of means, to make sure he remained focused throughout the course of the campaign. It was even more vital at Arsenal due to the genuine lack of reliability in the goalkeeping position.
One of the most pointless marks of praise for a goalkeeper is that he is a good shot-stopper, as you’d expect that from any professional goalkeeper. But in the case of Szczesny, he does have the talent to be mentioned in the same bracket as Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Bernd Leno and Thibaut Courtois; the results of which will only come to the fore based on the environment that surrounds him at Arsenal.
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Paolo Di Canio says he was determined to be a success at Sunderland after receiving the backing of the owner Ellis Short.
Chairman and club owner Ellis Short was under intense pressure during the few days following Di Canio’s appointment which caused a storm amid criticism of his previously-stated political views.
Despite the pressure on him Short remained firmly behind his new manager and Di Canio remains very thankful that he wasn’t dismissed before he had a chance to start his work at the club.
He told the Sunderland Echo: “For three days after I signed the contract, what happened? I don’t have to go through it all again, but look what happened.
“He [Short] might have thought, ‘Now I’ll sack him straight away’ because he was under pressure. Instead he backed me 100 per cent, 1,000 per cent. He supported me in an incredible way.
“It was a strange moment, a strange situation in time those three days. I thought maybe he would call me at that time and say…
“But instead he rang me and backed me all the way. He said, ‘Proceed because you have complete support from the Board’. From there, I felt even more energy, I was even more focused and even more determined to get the best out of the team, and I believed that no matter what the split with fans, I would look to make them happy as quickly as I could.”
That is something Di Canio certainly has done with victories over Newcastle and Everton which have significantly boosted the club’s chances of avoiding relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
Indeed, if they were to win at Aston Villa on Monday evening, the Wearsiders would be eight points clear of 18th-placed Wigan with three matches remaining, although Latics have a game in hand.
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Defeat would see Villa join the Black Cats and Newcastle on 37 points, five clear of Wigan, but Di Canio’s men would then return to the Stadium of Light for successive home fixtures against Stoke and Southampton and the chance to secure their top-flight status.
The phrase ‘Baines and Fellaini’ has been published, discussed and bandied around so much this summer already that I’m beginning to think the two should start their own cop show based on their dynamic partnership. Located in Merseyside, the Everton pair could solve low-level crimes, Baines doing the talking and Fellaini doing the fighting.
Joking aside, there is just cause for the futures of both Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini being so widely debated and documented – the duo have both come to the end of sensational seasons at Goodison, the former recording five goals and five assists from defence, and the latter finishing up with 11 goals and five assists, with some top-class individual performances along the way. The two are the summer’s most hotly anticipated transfers expected to stay within the realms of the Premier League.
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With this summer break constituting massive change on the blue half of Merseyside, following the departure of David Moyes and the appointment of Roberto Martinez as his replacement, it seems the time is right for Baines and Fellaini to finally to take the step up, with both seemingly destined for a higher calling, whilst the Spaniard has the opportunity to forge a new philosophy and bring his own players into Goodison.
It begs the question whether or not Martinez should let his two talismanic stars leave over the course of the summer. Should he cash in on Baines and Fellaini, with the two coming at a shared price-tag of around £40million, in order to achieve his own ambitions at the Everton, or would he be better off keeping as much star quality as possible, considering it will be the Spaniard’s first season at Goodison Park and the potential for disaster.
One of the arguments supporting the case to move on the pair is that it would allow Martinez to work with a clean slate. Despite the protests already made against it, based around notions of Everton’s typically English identity, Martinez will undoubtedly take his new club down a different path in terms of philosophy next season. The Spaniard will be keen to continue playing to the Toffees’ strengths, yet the focus will undoubtedly switch from aerial threat and power to controlling the game through ability on the ball.
But I do not buy into the argument that the current Everton squad, and Fellaini in particular is at odds with the style we’ve seen from Martinez during his tenure with Wigan. The first team’s creative hub lies firmly in Darron Gibson, Steven Pienaar, Leighton Baines and Leon Osman, who all possess great technique and guile, but lack in any particularly athletic physique. Kevin Mirallas finished off the Premier League’s team goal of the season against West Ham, with the Toffees passing progressively and positively up the pitch in a stellar move, allowing the Belgian to find himself in a few years of space on the edge of the box.
Therefore, despite Fellaini and Baines being two integral parts of Eveton’s old style, known for its emphasis on direct football and aerial threat, I see no reason to sell them on the grounds that they won’t fit into Martinez’s possession-based approach. Footballers are capable of modifying their game, and many of the afro-bearer’s goals this season have come from outside of the box utilising his feet, rather than in the air.
Yet, £40million, although rumoured in the red tops and by no means a concrete figure, is a difficult sum to turn down. The Toffees are desperate to land a new striker, with Victor Anichebe and Nikica Jelavic scoring just 13 goals between them this season. Whilst Arouna Kone has been linked, due to him having a strong campaign under Martinez at Wigan last season, should the Everton boss really wish to achieve his self-imposed ambitions of pushing his new club into the Champions League, they will need a more prolific, better quality and younger acquisition than the 29 year old. In January, a bid was made and rejected for Alvaro Negredo, and although the Spaniard represents the calibre of player Everton need, it will cost them at least £17million to get Sevilla around the negotiating table.
Similarly, plenty other areas of the Everton squad could do with strengthening, at centre-back for example. Phil Jagielka’s future appears secured after being offered the captain’s armband, but there are doubts over the longevity of Johnny Heitinga, with the Dutchman clearly falling out of favour with Moyes last season and making just 17 Premier League starts. Furthermore, whilst Sylvain Distin is still yet to show signs of ageing after another strong and consistent campaign, there is no getting away from the fact the defender is now 35 years of age, and will not be able to maintain his current level of performance much longer.
No disrespect to the current Everton roster, but it’s no secret that David Moyes has been getting the utmost out of his cast for some time. If Martinez cannot gaurantee the same standard of motivation, he will need to bring in added quality in all departments to not neccessarily greatly improve the Toffees but simply to maintain their current level. Similarly, the lack of depth at Goodison is arguably one of the most pressing issues – during Moyes’ tenure, cup runs have been few and far between, and the club’s second string fringe players are much lesser in terms of quality compared to Everton’s divisional rivals.
On the other hand, if the true ambition is Champions League football at Goodison, and it’s not simply a case of ‘reach the stars and you’ll hit the moon’ rhetoric on Martinez’s part, it seems rather illogical to sell two of the club’s three Champions League quality players – the other being Phil Jagielka – in his inaugural transfer window. Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forwards, but Baines and Fellaini are amongst the top performers in the Premier League, and any team of any style Martinez wishes to forge has a stronger justification to be built around the pair, rather than made out of the profits their departures could provide.
Considering their integral roles on Merseyside, would the Everton boss be able to find a full-back as creative and gifted on the ball as Baines at less cost? The Englishman provided the most chances to score out of any Premier League player last season according to OPTA. Similarly, is there another footballer on the planet who can provide the unique skills set of Fellaini, encompassing height, power, an imposing frame, ability on the ball, an eye for goal and defensive awareness?
£40million is a lot of money – especially for a club like Everton. But, at least in the short term, the potential deal cannot be of benefit to the Toffees. There are no direct replacements for either Baines or Fellaini on the horizon, and even if the money was on the most part spent on a new striker, it will be hard to find one that will be attracted to a club of the Toffees’ stature and also have as big an impact on results as the Everton duo.
Yet, it seems that the fee alone may be too good an offer for Bill Kenwright to turn down – finance and resources are always limited at Goodison, and the Everton chairman may have to simply accept his club will have to take a step backwards next season, as a result of the departures of two key personnel.
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But it does give Martinez the opportunity to forge a legacy – should the money be spent wisely, in addition to the Spaniard adopting the philosophical approach we’ve seen him employ at Swansea and Wigan, providing relative success for both clubs and at times outweighing the importance of any particular individuals, the Toffees could begin to reap the benefits over the next few years.
Should the pair be sold for profit, it will undoubtedly create a difficult start to Martinez’s tenure, and overall, the Toffees will have to endure a step backwards next season. But the £40million can be reinvested in young players, in mirrors of the models seen at Borussia Dortmund on a large scale and Aston Villa on a much lesser scale this season, which could allow Everton to reach the desired goal of Champions League football in the years to come. However, the potential plan would certainly be in the long-term, and there’s every chance that the Spaniard’s spell with the Toffees could well have ended before he is privy to its rewards.
Experienced striker Kevin Phillips will be staying with Premier League new boys Crystal Palace for another season, as reported by Sky Sports.
The vastly experienced front man will turn 40 years old next week but is still going strong and is enjoying yet another gruelling pre-season after being released by Blackpool at the end of last season which he spent the second half of on loan at Selhurst Park.
Phillips scored the goal from the penalty spot to send Palace back to Premier League back in May at Wembley and is set to play a strong role in the Eagles side with main man Glenn Murray set to be sidelined until the new year.
Phillips knows this may be his final year as a professional and going out at the top was always an aim of the former Sunderland, Birmingham and West Brom striker.
“I am absolutely delighted, I loved my time here at the end of last season and was always hoping to have another chance to play in the top flight,” Phillips said.
“It’s unbelievable for me but I am really looking forward to it and hoping I can play a great part in the season ahead.
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“Everyone I spoke to said to keep going as long as the fitness and hunger is there and that is certainly the case with me.”
This week Barcelona announced the signing of Denis Suarez from Manchester City, picking up the hugely talented youngster for €1 million plus incentives and offering a clear path in his career that wasn’t on offer at the Etihad Stadium. Suarez will go into the Barcelona B team for this season, where the plan is to prepare him for life as either Xavi or Andres Iniesta’s long-term replacement, possibly the latter.
And it hasn’t just been Suarez. It’s been reported that Barcelona have a first option on a number of Atletico Madrid players as part of the David Villa transfer. Among the names said to be on the list are Oliver Torres and Saul, another immensely talented midfield duo. It’s clear planning for the future, and sensible planning too, something that isn’t an overriding theme of Sandro Rosell’s tenure as president.
So where do Liverpool stand on their need to replace a veteran and iconic presence in the midfield? Steven Gerrard is 33 and is most certainly counting down the days towards life after football. But isn’t there an argument to say Liverpool’s game isn’t as dependent on Gerrard as Barcelona’s is on Xavi?
The focus at Anfield has been on the newly acquired talents, with Coutinho heading the new wave. The style of football is set to take a shift from what we’ve been accustomed to in previous years, while even Jordan Henderson, a part of that reckless summer of 2011, is looking to shake that stigma.
Gerrard is the face of this Liverpool side and clearly has an important role to play. Without him in the squad you’d have to wonder how successful Brendan Rodgers’ tenure could be, or any manager for that matter. Gerrard is the go-between, the bridge between the manager and the dressing room, the most respected figure at the club and one who anyone would both want and need to have onside.
But such is the shaping of the building project at Liverpool that Gerrard could eventually be more of a symbolic figure rather than one who acts as the catalyst for a successful unit. The importance, however, and much like Barcelona are doing, is for Liverpool to establish who Gerrard will pass the torch to, identifying the midfielder who will define the next generation at the club.
Of course, that player could already be in the squad in Coutinho. Moreover, Rodgers may once again opt to look to Spain – a market which the club have clearly identified as key in their building – and pick up one of the promising midfielders to build a team around. Yet such is the success of the Brazilian thus far at Anfield, and of course Gerrard’s ability to stubbornly stare in the face of his advancing years, that Rodgers isn’t under an enormous amount of pressure to replace the club captain with a like-for-like.
The difference between Barcelona and Liverpool is that the La Liga champions have a style of play that is set in stone, one that runs right through the club and covers all age groups. It revolves around the need for players in the mould of Xavi and even Cesc Fabregas, which is why there was such confusion as to Barcelona’s willingness to place such a low buyout clause in Thiago Alcantara’s contract.
Liverpool, however, have the freedom to work with what they have and adapt their style accordingly. Yes, for now Gerrard is an important figure both on and off the pitch. But how long will it be before the responsibility is shifted elsewhere, and not necessarily to the club’s downfall?
There are plenty of positives to take from Liverpool’s summer of build, and obviously future success will allow for greater spend in strengthening the squad. However, such is the potential for success in the new wave of players at the club – and let’s not forget Luis Alberto – that this team can learn how to win without Gerrard as the torchbearer.
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Will Liverpool suffer once Gerrard decides to retire?
Leicester City caused arguably the biggest upset in Round 4 of the Capital One Cup with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Premier League strugglers Fulham at the King Power Stadium.
Foxes manager Nigel Pearson insisted his Championship side were not the underdogs heading into the game and he was proved right by his players who dug deep to clinch a quarter-final spot.
The result will be a painful one for Fulham boss Martin Jol whose job becomes more and more in the balance after a uninspiring start to the season.
Hugo Rodallega headed the visitors in front after 18 minutes but Leicester’s resilience meant they went in to the break in front thanks to goals from Wes Morgan and Chris Wood.
Ignasi Miquel headed home eight minutes after the restart to double Leicester’s lead and seemingly put the game to bed before a second goal for Rodallega and a bullet free-kick from Giorgos Karagounis levelled things with just three minutes left on the clock.
But just as the game looked to be heading into extra time, Lloyd Dyer pounced in the 89th minute to hand Leicester the win.
Leicester’s form in the Championship so far this season, compared to Fulham’s in the Premier League, had many touting them for a win. And when Rodallega tapped in a Damien Duff cross mid-way through the first-half it looked as if Fulham might be the ones ready to cause an upset.
But Leicester came to life after going behind and former Fulham defender Paul Konchesky twice went close with long-range efforts for the visitors before Morgan took advantage of Maarten Stekelenburg’s failure to keep hold of a Anthony Kncokaert free-kick to head in the equaliser.
And moments before referee Keith Stroud called time on the first-half, Leicester took the lead through striker Chris Wood with his fourth Capital One Cup goal of the season after Philippe Senderos made a meal of his clearance.
Eight minutes into the second half and Leicester doubled their lead when Ignasi, on loan from Arsenal, got on the end of a Danny Drinkwater cross to nod home his first Foxes goal.
But Fulham got themselves back in straight from the re-start when Elsad Zverotic went unchallenged to cross in for Rodallega’s second goal of the evening.
Leicester looked like they would hold out for a 3-2 victory but Karagounis smashed home an unstoppable free-kick from 25-yards to force a nervy finish and, perhaps, extra-time.
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But the prospect of extra-time and penalties did not interest the hosts as they responded perfectly by sending their fans into raptures with a winner two minutes later.
Substitute David Nugent’s first touch of the game played Dyer in who made no mistake with his finish to end this seven-goal thriller.
The last time Leicester beat Fulham in this competition and reached the last-eight they went on to win it in 2000, and they’ll be hoping that kind of coincidence takes them to Wembley this time around.
Younes Kaboul has called on Tottenham to give Tim Sherwood a chance to stay on as manager for the long-term.
The current Spurs chief took over from Andre Villas-Boas following his sacking shortly before Christmas and was handed an 18-month contract by chairman Daniel Levy after some impressive initial results.
However, speculation has suggested that he will not see out the full length of his deal, with the North London club already eyeing possible summer alternatives.
Despite Sherwood having guided Tottenham to seven wins and two draws in 10 Premier League games at the helm, Levy is believed to be unsure of his tactical approach and vision for the club.
Louis van Gaal – Holland’s manager – has been linked with the role, but Kaboul feels that his current manager should be kept on:
“I hope so, for him, he deserves it.” He responded when questioned by the London Evening Standard on whether Sherwood should stay.
“He knows the club very well, he’s been here for a long time and he knows exactly what he’s doing.
“He learned a lot in the past and the best fact is that he played football at a high level. He won the title with Blackburn in 1995, so he has plenty of experience. His playing career is important, because he knows what it’s like for us.
“We don’t waste time on other stuff, because he went through everything and he understands. He knows the game perfectly. I remember that when Harry Redknapp was manager (from 2008-2012), Tim and [coaches] Les Ferdinand and Chris Ramsey would come to nearly every game.
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“Wherever we were playing, it didn’t matter; they would be there. They would talk to us about how to deal better with certain situations on the pitch and even then, I could see Tim becoming a manager. He just had to be patient and wait for his chance.”