Cold snap wipes out Wolves´ move for Mansare

January 8, 2010

The big freeze engulfing Britain has put paid to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hopes of taking Toulouse midfielder Fode Mansare on trial.

The Guinea international had been due at Molineux at the start of this week.

But bad weather would have meant Mansare had no chance to show his full potential to Wolves manager Mick McCarthy, with the Midlands club’s players unable to train outside all week because of the cold conditions.

Britain’s harshest winter for decades also put paid to Wolves’s midweek reserve game with West Ham.

The 28-year-old Mansare has 18 months left on his Toulouse contract but is keen to leave France and try his luck in English football, hence his decision to opt out of playing for Guinea in this month’s African Nations Cup in Angola.

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AFP)

Tags: Angola, bad weather, Britain, cold conditions, decades, England, english football, fode mansare, France, Guinea, mick mccarthy, midfielder, Midlands, midlands club, molineux, premier league, reserve game, Toulouse, Wanderers, west ham

Could Birmingham’s Hart be Capello’s England number one?

December 31, 2009

England manager Fabio Capello might well have found himself an unexpected Christmas present this year in Birmingham City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Filling the gap between the sticks at next June’s World Cup finals in South Africa is perhaps the biggest conundrum Capello will face in the run up to soccer’s most glittering event, but Hart may just have made it a little easier.

The energetic England Under-21 international, on a season-long loan at the Midlands club from Manchester City, has been in inspired form this season — highlighted by two superb performances in recent games against Chelsea and Stoke City in the Premier League.

He is also currently the only in-form English keeper in international contention.

Current number one David James is 39-years-old and has not played in Portsmouth’s last eight matches due to injury, while West Ham’s Rob Green has never impressed in an England shirt and continues to be sporadic at club level.

Other contenders include Ben Foster, still residing third in Manchester United’s pecking order, and Paul Robinson, who has shown only slow signs of improvement at Blackburn Rovers.

In contrast, Hart’s form has coincided with Birmingham’s record unbeaten run and his consistency and relentless attitude to learn have earned plaudits from his manager Alex McLeish as well as opposition coaches such as Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti.

“I know the England coaches think a lot of him, and I think they will think even more of him now with his Birmingham performances,” McLeish said.

At 22-years-old, Hart has the agility, confidence and desire to at least earn him a spot on England’s plane to South Africa, if not the number one jersey. The serious lack of alternate options also helps his cause.

Have I missed anyone out? Wigan Athletic’s Chris Kirkland is a maybe or perhaps Capello should drop a division to look at West Bromwich Albion’s Scott Carson. Let us know your thoughts.

Source

Tags: alex mcleish, alternate options, ben foster, Birmingham, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, chris kirkland, christmas present, England, england coaches, england manager, england shirt, fabio capello, Foster, Joe Hart, manchester city, midlands club, most glittering event, paul robinson, pecking order, Portsmouth, premier league, recent games, Rob Green, s hart, s scott, Scott Carson, South Africa, Stoke, West Bromwich, west bromwich albion, world cup finals

Villa prove too much for Pompey

December 2, 2009

Aston Villa booked their place in the semi-finals of this season’s English League Cup with a 4-2 win away to Premier League strugglers Portsmouth at Fratton Park here on Tuesday.

Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov put through his own net in the 10th minute to give Pompey, the top flight’s bottom club, the lead.

But minutes later any joy home fans might have been feeling was curtailed when England striker Emile Heskey equalised for Villa.

And before the half-hour mark Pompey’s Premier League rivals were in front through James Milner.

Stewart Downing, the former Middlesbrough wing, marked his first start for Villa by sealing the Midlands club’s win 16 minutes from time.

Substitute Nwankwo Kanu pulled a goal back for Pompey in the 87th minute but a minute from time Young scored Villa’s fourth.

Portsmouth gave manager Avram Grant, whose first game in charge was last weekend’s 4-1 league defeat by champions Manchester United, something to smile about with an unexpected goal.

Danny Webber’s corner was poorly struck yet Villa captain Petrov managed to slice it into his own net.

But two minutes later Villa were level with Milner’s ball, which evaded the Portsmouth defence, giving Heskey the chance to chip over Asmir Begovic.

England international Milner showed he could finish too when, in the 27th minute, he cut in from the left and left Begovic helpless with a well-struck shot into the far corner.

Grant brought on veteran striker Nwankwo Kanu but in the 74th minute Downing set the seal on Villa’s victory by heading in Ashley Young’s cross.

Kanu found the target from close range before Young shot high into the roof of the net.

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

Tags: aston villa, bottom club, captain Petrov, close range, Danny Webber, Emile Heskey, England, england international, first game, Fratton Park, home fans, James Milner, league rivals, Manchester, manchester united, Midlands, midlands club, petrov, pompey, Portsmouth, portsmouth england, premier league, stewart downing, striker emile heskey, veteran striker

Yeung outlines scale of Birmingham ambition

October 17, 2009

Carson Yeung has pledged 80 million pounds over the next ten months in a bid to turn Birmingham City into a more formidable Premier League force.

The new owner is clearly not short of ambition, but he’ll be given an immediate indication of the scale of the task that lies before him when City travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium for their first game since the Hong Kong businessman formally completed the takeover of the Midlands club.

Yeung stated on Thursday that he was ready to make up to 40 million pounds available to City manager Alex McLeish in the forthcoming January transfer window to strengthen the squad.

And he subsequently revealed that a similar amount will also be allocated for trading in next summer’s transfer market, providing McLeish with an opportunity to make wholesale changes to a group of players that have made a steady, if unspectacular start to life in the top flight following last season’s promotion from the Championship.

“There will be up to forty million pounds to spend for the manager on players and wages in January,” said Yeung.

“We are happy that Alex is the manager and we want to do all we can to support him to get the best players.

“We want to make a commitment to the supporters. We want to spend money in January to make sure we stay in the Premier League this season. Our long term plans are to establish the team higher than that. We want to put more than forty million pounds in for next season.

“We want to buy the best and strongest players that are available to make Birmingham City the biggest team in the world.”

How effective Yeung is in establishing Birmingham as a force in English football will depend largely on how the cash is spent.

Other clubs have embarked on substantial spending sprees and failed to generate long term success, as Newcastle United and Leeds will testify.

But McLeish, who will be reassured to have received an initial vote of support from his new employers, insists that recruitment of players will stay firmly within his remit.

“Will I have the final decision on team and transfer targets? It will be down to me,” said the manager.

“That is the normal remit of a manager and we will pretty much be working that way.”

The manager has cautioned, however, that even with a substantial budget to dip into, City’s transformation will not happen overnight.

“We still have to realise we are not a Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool,” he added. “We will still target a certain type of player.

“We are not going to target an Emmanuel Adebayor but there are players out there I know will enhance my first eleven we will try to attract.”

A growing injury list means McLeish would like to be able to dip into the new funds immediately with the Blues heading to face an in-form Arsenal without a number of defensive players with Franck Quedrue joining an injury list that already includes Gregory Vignal, Martin Taylor and Stuart Parnaby.

As Blackburn found out when they were thrashed 6-2 on their recent trip, the Emirates Stadium is no place to visit with a makeshift defence.

Arsene Wenger’s side initially struggled for consistency this season but a run of six straight victories has restored Arsenal’s swagger after successive defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City.

With Tomas Rosicky back to full fitness, Theo Walcott finally ready to kick-start his season and the return of Samir Nasri imminent, Wenger is confident his team will get better.

The main set-back this week has been the injury to Eduardo that will almost certainly prevent the Croatia forward from facing Birmingham for the first time since he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle after a challenge by Taylor in February 2008.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex, alex mcleish, ambition, Birmingham, birmingham city, carson yeung, city travel, croatia, Eduardo, emirates, emmanuel adebayor, first game, gregory vignal, Hong Kong, hong kong businessman, LEEDS, Liverpool, manchester city, martin taylor, Midlands, midlands club, newcastle united, premier league, s promotion, sprees, Stuart Parnaby, takeover, term success, theo walcott, tomas rosicky, wages, wholesale changes

Promoted clubs braced for survival battle

August 12, 2009

Most of the pre-season attention is focused upon potential champions yet recent history suggests the most tense – and financially damaging – competition will be at the other end of the Premier League table.

Around 40 million pounds is the estimated cost of relegation for the three clubs who finish at the foot of the standings and this season, as in most, the three promoted sides are also hotly-tipped to return directly to The Championship.

Wolves, as champions, Birmingham City and play-off winners Burnley are the clubs who graduated to England’s top-flight and all face a monumental task in consolidating their new found status.

A key factor in being able to stave off a swift relegation is the calibre of players recruited by a newly-promoted club and, consequently, Wolves and Birmingham will perhaps feel more confident than Burnley, even though all three have broken their transfer records this close season.

Wolves have brought in players such as the experienced forward Kevin Doyle, a record 6.5 million capture from Reading, as well as midfielder Nenad Milijas from Red Star Belgrade and goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, also from Reading.

It is the combination of experience and new-found enthusiasm that is so often the key factor in a side managing to stay up, as Hull City proved with their impressive opening to the campaign 12 months ago.

Equally, Birmingham have so far recruited eight new players, which is firstly a tacit admission that their Championship squad was not big or talented enough to survive the rigours of the Premier League and also suggests they believe their stay in the top flight is a long-term venture.

Attracting players such as Lee Bowyer, Joe Hart, on loan from Manchester City, former Scotland captain Barry Ferguson and nine million signing Christian Benitez will all significantly strengthen the west midlands club and they will be quietly confident they can avoid the fate of relegation, which they endured in May 2008.

Burnley have spent significantly less than their promotion partners, primarily because more money simply does not exist.

Manager Owen Coyle has admitted he has just 16 million to spend on both transfers and wages, with the three million invested in Hibernian winger Steven Fletcher his largest investment.

As a result, the Lancashire club has an almighty mountain to climb, not that Coyle himself is too concerned.

“In terms of Premier League salaries, we will be the lowest payers, but equally, they will still be good salaries in life, so players have to be aware of that,” he said.

“We were one of the smaller clubs in terms of finance in the Championship, so small fry does not even sum it up when it comes to talking about the magnitude of the Premier League.”

However, it is not all gloom for the new sides.

All three will take huge spirit from the fact that last season, two of the promoted teams – Stoke City and Hull – both managed to keep a foothold in the Premier League while two supposedly more established clubs did not, in the forms of Newcastle United and Middlesbrough.

Very few people backed north-east giants Newcastle for relegation 12 months ago, nor were their near neighbours Middlesbrough favourites for the drop, underlining how much predicting survival is an inexact science.

This year, Bolton Wanderers, whose manager Gary Megson can still not win the fans over, could be a strong candidate.

Portsmouth are racked by financial troubles and an unhappy squad which could also be an issue and both Stoke and, especially given their second half to last season, Hull will again face seriously challenging seasons as they look to survive.

Wigan Athletic could be an outside choice to struggle as they head into the season with a new manager, Roberto Martinez, who has never managed at this level while West Ham and Fulham will only feel comfortable once safety is a mathematical certainty.

Paul Jewell is one of the game’s most experienced managers in life at this end of the table, having steered Bradford and Wigan to safety and taken Derby County down into the Championship in his career.

He has no doubt that it will be a major surprise if, as has happened only once before in Premier League history, all three newcomers survive.

“When you have spent a while in the Championship, operating on simple budgets with no big benefactor, making that leap into the Premier League is massive and you don’t have to be a genius to work out why new clubs fail,” said Jewell.

“It is luck if one survives, incredibly unusual if two do and it will be a miracle if all three make it.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: barry ferguson, birmingham city, calibre, christian benitez, hull city, Joe Hart, kevin doyle, Lee Bowyer, manchester city, Marcus Hahnemann, midlands club, monumental task, nenad milijas, red star belgrade, relegation, top flight

West Brom player suspended after drugs report

May 17, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion have suspended their Czech striker Roman Bednar following allegations that he bought illegal drugs.

The 26-year-old international was named and pictured in a newspaper report Sunday morning and the midlands club have taken swift action.

A statement from the club said: “Roman Bednar has been suspended while the club conduct an internal investigation to the matter.”

Tags: Albion, allegations, English Premier League, illegal drugs, internal investigation, london, midlands club, newspaper report, roman bednar, striker, sunday morning, swift action, west brom, West Bromwich, west bromwich albion

Boyd 100 not out for Rangers

April 26, 2009

GLASGOW (AFP) – Rangers assistant coach Ally McCoist heaped praise on striker Kris Boyd after his 100th goal for the club helped them earn a place in the Scottish Cup final with a 3-0 win over St Mirren.

Boyd was on target in the second half to notch up a century of strikes for the Ibrox club in just 146 appearances since he joined his boyhood heroes in January 2006 from Kilmarnock.

He became the fastest person to get to 100 goals for Rangers since 1960s star Jim Forrest and the first since Mark Hateley in 1994.

The lethal marksman’s achievement is rendered even more remarkable by the fact he has only started 110 games for the Old Firm giants.

Boyd still has some way to go if he is to catch McCoist’s record total of 355 goals for the club, but the legendary goal-scorer, now assistant to Walter Smith, said Boyd’s feat deserved recognition.

“It’s a fantastic achievement, it really is. We just gave him a special mention in the dressing room there,” McCoist said.

“Kris deserved a special congratulations for scoring his 100th goal. It is a wonderful achievement when you look at the games he’s played.

“It’s the hardest job in football, in my opinion, to put the ball in the back of the net and he does it very, very well.

“I felt he played well today. He got a very important goal for us. Kris and I had a chat at half-time and I said to him he would earn his chances with the way he was playing. I was delighted with him today and he deserved his goal.”

But Boyd might never have got to 100 for Rangers if the club had offloaded him in the January transfer window.

The striker was the subject of a 3million pound bid from Birmingham City and the player looked to be on his way before the deal collapsed when he couldn’t agree terms with the Midlands club.

McCoist said he was glad the speculation surrounding Boyd hadn’t affected his game and praised the 25-year-old’s attitude.

“All I can say is that since the Birmingham thing his attitude has been first-class. He has come into training and worked hard,” McCoist said.

“When you look at Kris, all he wants to do is play and score goals and win games. Hopefully that can continue and it certainly looks that way at the moment. He deserves all the plaudits that are coming his way at the present time.”

At Hampden Park on Saturday, Andrius Velicka gave Rangers the lead in the second minute when he poked the ball home from six yards out, before Boyd calmly slotted past Mark Howard after good work from man-of-the-match Steven Davis.

Kenny Miller, on as a second-half substitute for Velicka, then volleyed home the third as the Ibrox side eased their way to a May 30 meeting with either Falkirk or Dunfermline, who contest the other semi-final on Sunday.

The Ibrox club, who have won the trophy 32 times, will be making their 51st appearance in the Scottish Cup final.

Tags: 1960s, ally, ally mccoist, assistant coach, back of the net, Birmingham, birmingham city, Boyd, boyhood, dressing room, dunfermline, Falkirk, Glasgow, hampden park, Jim Forrest, kenny miller, kilmarnock, kris, legendary goal, mark hateley, Mark Howard, marksman, Midlands, midlands club, Scottish, scottish cup, Scottish Premier League, speculation, st mirren, Steven Davis, striker, target, walter smith

Birmingham´s Brady arrested in corruption probe

February 11, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Karren Brady, the managing director of Championship side Birmingham City, was re-arrested Tuesday by police investigating allegations of corruption within English football.

Brady, 39, was questioned by officers from the City of London police, England’s lead force in dealing with sporting corruption inquiries, and then released on bail.

Known as ‘the first lady of English football,’ Brady was first arrested in April along with City co-owner David Sullivan.

The pair were questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

A City of London Police spokeswoman said Tuesday: "A 39-year-old woman was today arrested on suspicion of a further offence as part of the ongoing football investigation."

She said she could not provide details of the offence, adding: "We have been working with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from the outset of the investigation. The investigation has always focused on money laundering.

"The Fraud Prosecution Service has identified that tax offences may be involved."

In November 2007, several high profile figures within English football were arrested as part of the police inquiry.

Among those still thought to remain on bail are former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, now in charge at Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie, former chairman Milan Mandaric, former player Amdy Faye and football agent Willie McKay.

Brady became the UK’s youngest football managing director when City became a public company in 1997.

Neither Midlands club Birmingham nor HMRC would comment Tuesday.

City are currently third in the Championship, just two points adrift of one of the two automatic promotion places to the lucrative English Premier League.

Written by: AFP

Tags: automatic promotion, Birmingham, birmingham city, city co, city of london, city of london police, corruption probe, david sullivan, England, english football, English Premier League, Faye, football agent, Harry Redknapp, hm revenue and customs, hmrc, karren brady, london, Midlands, midlands club, Milan, milan mandaric, money laundering, Peter Storrie, police inquiry, police spokeswoman, Portsmouth, prosecution service, tottenham hotspur, UK, Willie McKay

Palacios reveals fears for kidnapped brother

January 31, 2009

CHIGWELL, England (AFP) – Wilson Palacios has revealed how football has helped him cope with his fears for his kidnapped brother Edwin, who may have no idea about the player’s recent switch to Tottenham.

The Honduras international moved to the White Hart Lane club from Wigan in a 14-million-pound deal last week but his family’s ongoing anguish over the fate of 16-year-old Edwin has cast a shadow over his achievement in establishing himself in England.

Edwin was snatched in October 2007 and a ransom demanded from the Palacios family after Wilson signed for Birmingham City – his first English club.

His performances at the Midlands club and then with Wigan have established the 24-year-old as one of the outstanding midfielders in the top-flight and persuaded Spurs manager Harry Redknapp to spend big to acquire his services.

But the family have been unable to share in that success.

And Palacios – whose mother made an impassioned plea for the release of her youngest son on Honduran television last week – admits football has provided a release from dwelling on his brother’s plight.

And he desperately hopes Edwin has somehow learned of his move to one of the Premier League highest profile clubs

"It is very difficult but the way to do it is to carry on concentrating on playing football," said the midfielder. "But I speak to my mother every morning. We know what’s happening and we are confident it will all come to a positive conclusion.

"I don’t know if he knows I have signed for Tottenham. Of course I hope he does know."

Palacios will make his Spurs debut against Bolton Wanderers and the player is hoping the rest of his family will finally be able to come over to see him play in England some time soon.

He added: "My mother’s not had a chance to come over and see me in England because of what’s happened to my brother, but she’ll be coming over soon to give her a break from it all."

Away from his personal trauma, Palacios is helping forge a path for Latin American players to make their way to the Premier League and at Wigan he played with fellow Honduran Maynor Figueroa and Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia.

And the player is convinced that having learnt his trade back home at Deportivo Olimpia, there are many more quality players capable of making the move to Europe’s strongest leagues.

"There have always been some excellent players in Honduras," he added. "But I think what has happened in the past is people have thought because it’s Honduras in Central America, maybe they can’t cut it here in the biggest leagues in Europe.

"There are certainly a lot more players like me in Honduras."

Palacios’s move to Spurs marks a remarkable turnaround since he was first invited for a trial at Spurs’ local rivals Arsenal 18 months ago, only to be rejected by Arsene Wenger because of the number of midfielders then in the Arsenal squad.

The Honduran retains good friends at the Emirates – in particular Cesc Fabregas – and admits he even has an Arsenal shirt amongst his collection which may not go down too well with some at White Hart Lane.

But Palacios insists his first priority is Tottenham and helping lift the club away from the relegation zone and back into the top of half of the table.

He said: "Harry Redknapp didn’t have to sell the club to me. Everybody knows it’s a big club that’s normally in the top half of the table and our first job is to get the team moving back up the table."

Wriiten by: AFP