Ray Wilkins is one of the few Englishman to have a successful career in Italy and is probably best placed to comment on the Italians style and what England can expect when they meet in the quarter finals of Euro 2012 this Sunday.
Wilkins believes that while Italy still maintains its footballing philosophy of old, the team has a collective togetherness and solidarity:
“The philosophy is not to concede initially and then if they can go and score they will. They’ve always been extremely talented and the Italians have enjoyed defending, as crazy as it sounds they are probably the only national side who still enjoy doing so. I think you will see them defend with a lot of players behind the ball and a bit of quality; if you look at the Juventus squad they’ve been exceptional this season and seven of their players will be in the squad. They’ve got experience in their midfield with players such as Pirlo and De Rossi as well as some younger players so I think the Italians will be a bit of a surprise.
“I think their strengths are not only defence but as a collective team. Italian football is being pulled through the mud a bit at the moment and when that happens the Italians seem to get an inbuilt strength which allows them to come out fighting and put on a good performance to prove that Italian football isn’t in a decline despite what many people may think.”
“For more insight from Ray Wilkins and other leading managers plus all the coverage of Euro 2012 go to yahoo.eurosport.com”
In-demand midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is set to move to Liverpool, according to Mirror Football.
The Iceland international spent the second half of last season on loan at Swansea and impressed in his temporary deal at the Liberty Stadium.
As such a bidding war has ensued to snap up the Scandinavian from parent club Hoffenheim, with the Swans thought to have all but sealed a deal to bring him to Wales on a permanent basis.
However, with Brendan Rodgers moving to Anfield the deal has fallen through, and Sigurdsson is now set to follow his mentor to Merseyside.
A fee of around £7 million is expected to be paid, as Rodgers looks to strengthen his Reds squad.
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Other targets for the new boss include Wigan midfielder Mohamed Diame, who is out of contract, and an enquiry is believed to have been made for Bologna star Gaston Ramirez.
Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has spoken of his delight after his team retained their European Championships title with a 4-0 final win over Italy.
Goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata sealed a comprehensive win for La Roja, making them the first-ever team to win three competitive international trophies in a row.
The victorious team’s trainer has stated that he was impressed with the efforts of his players, and will now look towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“This match was great for our players, they controlled the game,” Del Bosque told reporters, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“After we scored the first goal, Italy were dangerous, but we reacted well. We had possession of the ball, we put pressure on them, and there was depth to our play. So we’re very happy.
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“This success in Spanish football is something historic, and now we have to look to the future and try to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil,” he concluded.
As one of the more controversial figures in European football, Samir Nasri’s recent three-match ban issued by the French Football Federation comes as no surprise following his conduct at Euro 2012, but what it is indicative of is another ugly side to our beautiful game, and what the modern footballer has become.
We are all too aware having seen plenty of examples in recent months and years of what motivates a player of Nasri’s calibre these days. He has proven it himself, leaving Arsenal to join money-laden rivals Manchester City in the quest for personal successes last summer. Success no longer comes from loyalty, but from monetary value. With that, Nasri has now illustrated how the modern player is also now just as focused on their own image off the pitch than what they do on it.
Traditionally, scoring a goal of the magnitude Samir Nasri did against England in a Euro 2012 opener would have been met with jubilation, but instead the 25-year-old decided to use his opportunity in the spotlight to hurl abuse at French journalists who had previously questioned his professionalism. This is an all too inherent feature of the modern game, no longer is a goal a chance to celebrate with teammates and fans, but more a chance to announce yourself to millions of people tuning in.
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Then, his tirade against a French a journalist following their defeat against Spain would have been the last thing the people of France would’ve wanted to hear. Having been disappointed by their team’s performance in Poland and Ukraine, the chance was there for Samir Nasri to take responsibility and look at what they had learned from their tournament; not take the heat off his team or individual performances by putting himself in the spotlight for an expletive outburst at a journalist, thus making different headlines away from what happened on the pitch at Euro 2012.
It also raises an issue of something that is frequently bought to the table when controversies hit football nowadays, of the example players are setting to people watching on. As misdemeanours are now just as frequently broadcast as a team’s or player’s successes, the professional role model that was common in football previously has been lost to players caught up in the circus of matters off the pitch.
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The fact of the matter is; the ban will not affect Nasri as the French face missing him against Uruguay, Finland and Belarus. The deterrent of a ban makes no difference, as Nasri will probably still represent France immediately after his ban, and will most likely be included in every tournament squad for the foreseeable future. The potential that it could be followed by a fine also serves as no deterrent for misdemeanours, as the modern footballer earns such a substantial amount of money and the severity of fines is never enough to make any real impact.
The beautiful game may have lost its professionalism in recent years, and examples are now spilling into matters off the field just as much as on the field ever increasingly, and Samir Nasri is the most recent portrayal to the ugly side of footballers nowadays.
The question on everyone’s lips now the season has resumed and the obligatory Clasicos are under way, is that of who out of Ronaldo or Messi should win the Ballon d’Or. It is pointless to even get into that debate, people are not going to be swayed either way from their opinion, yet one thing that is worth mentioning is that there is a man who has won it all, and he is not even on the shortlist.
It stands to reason for normal people that you would assume a player who has been at the very top of his game for the last ten years not to mention skippered club and country to literally everything and played a massive role along the way should be in contention for the biggest prize of all. Evidently not. The man I am talking about of course is the love of Spain’s life – San Iker Casillas, the only man who does not divide opinion when talking about the national team and who is considered to being close to God by all.
Yet again last week, Casillas showed how vital he is by making a crucial save in the Clasico and then setting up the move that resulted in the goal that kept his side alive – well that and Victor Valdes showing why he will never be Spain’s number one. Not to mention the fact that Casillas had a fantastic Euros and was vital in yet another penalty shoot-out.
If any other player in any other team in the world had made such a contribution they would be a shoo-in for the awards – in fact they would probably have one named after them. So why then is Casillas nowhere near the short list? Simply put, the fact that he is a goalkeeper is the sticking factor, with flair players always preferred for said awards – Fabio Cannavaro had to move heaven and earth in footballing terms to win the Ballon d’Or yet the list of defenders and keepers to win the award is not just a short one, it is virtually non-existent.
The bizarre fact that Casillas is constantly overlooked is even stranger when you consider just how big an impact a keeper can have on a game – they are crucial and can literally win the game for a side – so why then are they always ignored? Yes reigning holder Messi won just about everything domestically and most feel he deserved to win it last time around – but this season? He may have broken scoring records, yet only won the paltry Copa del Rey, whereas Casillas has been fantastic, won the league and Euros not to mention played a huge part in trying to get Madrid to the Champion’s League final, saving more than his fair share in the shoot-out.
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It is said that to win the top awards you have to not only be a game winning player but also win the top prizes in football – clearly who ever said that was wrong. You have to be a forward.
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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