De Ridder leaves Wigan on loan
January 23, 2010
Dutch forward Daniel de Ridder will spend the rest of the season on loan at Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, after failing to make a regular appearance in Wigan Athletic’s line-up.
The 25-year-old, who also holds the Israeli nationality through his mother, has not played a single league match this season, after featurinf in 18 games in the 2008-09 edition of the Premiership.
De Ridder began his career at Ajax in 2002, and has since represented Celta de Vigo and Birmingham City before joining Wigan in the summer of 2008.
The player also formed part of the Dutch Under-21 side that won the European Championship in 2007, delivering three assists in the final against Serbia.
Tags: Ajax, appearance, assists, birmingham city, Daniel, daniel de ridder, Dutch, European, games, hapoel tel aviv, israel, nationality, premiership, s line, Tel Aviv, VigoRelated posts
Weiss extends City deal
December 18, 2009
Young Slovakian star Vladimir Weiss agreed on a contract with Manchester City on Thursday, keeping the midfielder at Eastlands through the end of the 2011-12 English Premier League season.
Weiss, 20, joined the youth ranks of City in 2005 and made his first-team debut with the Blues late last season in the Premiership. Heralded by both City and Slovakia as a future star on the European football scene, Weiss has been limited to a handful of Carling Cup appearances this season.
City manager Mark Hughes said of Weiss, “He has all the attributes that…can turn matches and we look forward to his further development.”
Weiss is a third-generation Slovakian footballer, his father and grandfather of the same name both appearing for national teams over the course of their careers. Weiss’ father is the current coach of the Slovakian team that will play at this summer’s World Cup.
Weiss has appeared six times for Slovakia and is likely to be on their 23-man squad in South Africa.
Tags: attributes, Carling Cup, Eastlands, English Premier League, european football scene, further development, handful, man squad, manchester city, Mark Hughes, midfielder, premiership, six times, slovakia, slovakian, South Africa, team debut, third generation, vladimir, Vladimir Weiss, World Cup, youth ranksRelated posts
McCarthy delighted with Wolves’ White Hart Lane triumph
December 13, 2009
Kevin Doyle scored the only goal of the game as early as the third minute as Wolves defended brilliantly to hold on to claim a sensational win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Spurs enjoyed much of the possession but could not pose great threat to goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and so, Harry Rednapp’s men failed to score.
McCarthy was full of praise for his players and said they deserved the win, but also thanked the Wolves away “fabulous” support.
“The players were magnificent for 96 minutes,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s a bit of hand in glove, when we play well they (the fans) get the benefit from it and when we’re holding on we get the benefit from their fabulous support.
“We did hang on, but I think we deserved our victory.”
Doyle headed home as early as the third minute after Nenad Milijas whipped in a good cross and McCarthy praised the Serbian’s skill.
“Nenad is settling into life in the Premiership,” he added. “I don’t know how many assists he had. When you put balls in like that its difficult to defend.
“And Doyle, we bought him to score goals and he’s done just that today.
“If you don’t get a good delivery you’ve got no chance of scoring, he’s putting them in right on the button at the minute and we look a threat from every free-kick and corner.”
McCarthy admitted that he did not even watch Wigan’s nightmare 9-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham, believing that the result would have never had any kind of impact on his team’s visit to White Hart Lane.
“That result was a bit Disneyworld, wasn’t it,” he remarked. “Everything went right.
“I would imagine every time the ball went in the box it ended up in Wigan’s net and Wigan responded properly and beat Sunderland the week after.
“I never looked at it, I never read the report from it. I watched them against Manchester United and I watched them against Everton.”
Tags: assists, balls, disneyworld, Doyle, hand in glove, harry rednapp, Hart Lane, Hotspur, kevin doyle, Manchester, manchester united, Marcus Hahnemann, mccarthy, nightmare, possession, premiership, serbian, Sky Sports, Sunderland, triumph, victory, white hart laneRelated posts
Liverpool chief backs Benitez
October 25, 2009
Liverpool’s Managing Director Christian Purslow guarantees that Rafael Benitez’s position is safe even if the Reds did not win the league this season.
Liverpool has been on a losing streak of 4 games, their worst since 1987. What’s worse is that their position in both the Premiership and the Champions League does not look buoyant.
They have 4 losses so far against Sunderland, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa, which has given a major setback to Rafa’s men in their bid for the domestic title. Again, their losses to Lyon and Fiorentina have made it difficult for them to go into the next stage of the Champions League.
The Anfield club are under huge pressure to get some result as they prepare to take on bitter rivals Manchester United later today. The Reds would be looking to get their record straight. The failure of which, would cost them bidding goodbye to the faint hope of winning their first top-flight title for 20 years and it’s also been hypothesized that Rafael Benitez would face the very real chance of losing his job.
However, Purslow backed up for Benitez and confirmed that Liverpool’s loss would not cost the coach his job.
“The most important aspect of the football club I was involved in my first week in the job, was securing Rafa for another five years. You only have to look at the Premiership era and our two major competitors in the last 10 to 12 years, to see the benefits of longevity,” Purslow told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme.
“Liverpool Football Club is on a long-term journey and that journey is to be the most successful club, firstly in our country and secondly in the world and you don’t do that by worrying about short-term results. You do that by having long-term plans centring on the people and the strategy. Rafa Benitez is absolutely central to that plan.”
“The core of the team which won 86 points last season remains intact with some excellent additions so I have every reason to believe we can perform at that level this season over the season.”
“I guarantee that Rafael Benitez position in the club is safe,” he adds, when question directly about sacking the manager in case the club looses yet again.
He also broke the speculation about the sale of Anfield stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard and insisted they are not for sale at any price.
“Fernando signed an extension to his contract this summer. He has a five-year contract. He is a crucial leader in our team. Fernando Torres and Liverpool Football Club go together and I believe they will go together for the length of his career.” And so is it for Steven Gerrard, he added.
Purslow also revealed that Liverpool were four weeks into the process of raising new equity in the club which could take about six months to set in. And he stressed on the fact that this move does not imply that the controversial American owner Tom Hicks and George Gillett are prepared to sell their share.
Now with Benitez’s position secure in the club, the pressure on Liverpool has lessened a bit. Nevertheless, a home defeat for Liverpool would leave them 10 points behind United in the Premier League table after only 10 games of the season and a win for Manchester United on Sunday afternoon would surely put the final nail in their coffin, a termination to Liverpool’s title challenge this season.
Anurada Bhat
Tags: aston villa, bitter rivals, champions league, CHELSEA, chelsea tottenham, faint hope, Fernando, Fernando Torres, fiorentina, firstly, George Gillett, Liverpool, longevity, losing streak, major setback, managing director, Managing Director Christian Purslow, Manchester, manchester united, premier league, premiership, rafael benitez, reds, sportsweek, Steven Gerrard, successful club, top flightRelated posts
Winter stunned by ‘Beach’ ball strike
October 18, 2009
Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter branded the decision to allow Sunderland’s winner against Liverpool on Saturday as “absolutely amazing”.
Darren Bent’s strike beat Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina with the held of a sizeable deflection off a beach ball which had been thrown onto the Stadium of Light pitch by an away fan.
Referee Mike Jones conferred with his assistant but decided the goal should stand, helping Sunderland to a 1-0 win.
Winter told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m absolutely amazed. It is basic law in football. The goal should just not have stood.
“The laws of the game state that if there’s an outside interference the game has to be stopped.
“Talk about an outside influence – the ball went in off the beach ball and completely deceived the Liverpool goalkeeper.
“I am absolutely amazed that for a referee at that level of football, that between him, his assistant, the fourth official, they didn’t see what had happened and give the correct decision.”
Winter added he was surprised more focus had not been put on Jones.
He said: “I try to defend referees wherever possible having been there and knowing the problems they face but, on this particular occasion, everybody’s having a laugh and a joke about it, but this is far more serious in terms of the laws of the game than when the referee doesn’t see the ball go over the goalline.
“That is understandable with the pace of the modern game and being unsighted, but this is just basic law.
“An outside influence is any outside influence. It is anything other than the 22 maximum players on the field and the referee.
“If it hits the referee and goes in, he’s part of the game. If a spectator comes on the pitch and kicks the ball, the game must be stopped.
“It’s a basic law of the game – one that fortunately doesn’t come into practice too much – but it’s a basic law of the game that a referee would learn on his initial refereeing cause, not when you’re an established Premiership referee.
“The fact that the referee conferred with his assistant, they knew something was wrong, it’s just absolutely amazing the goal was allowed to stand.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: bbc radio 5, correct decision, Darren Bent, deflection, game one, game state, goalline, having a laugh, interference, Jeff Winter, joke, jose reina, laws of the game, Liverpool, liverpool goalkeeper, mike jones, pitch, premier league, premiership, reds, referee, referees, spectator, Sunderland, winterRelated posts
Newcastle ownership announcement set for Monday
August 21, 2009
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will make an announcement next Monday on whether he intends to sell the Championship club or hold onto it for another season, media reports said Friday.
Sports retailer Ashley bought the club for 134.4 million pounds (155 million euros) in 2007 but following the club’s relegation from the Premiership he has been seeking a deal to sell on for 100 million pounds as local businessman Barry Moat and two other consortia jockey for position.
With Newcastle having offloaded ten players in a bid to trim a squad on bloated Premiership wages while signing just one new face it appears increasingly likely Ashley will remain at the helm with the end of the month being transfer deadline day.
Most of the club’s fans are keen to see the back of Ashley, who initially won support by bringing in popular former player and coach Kevin Keegan.
But the latter’s resignation early last season – citing a lack of a say on transfer policy – presaged a disastrous campaign culminating in the drop and second tier football for the first time since 1993.
Many fans want to see new locally-based owners and former striker Alan Shearer installed as manager.
Shearer was in charge for the final eight games of the season but could not prevent the club sliding out of the Premiership at the end of an abysmal campaign.
On the plus side for potential new owners the fan base remains one of the country’s highest at around 45,000 per home game and Newcastle have garnered two wins and a draw from their opening three matches ahead of a Saturday trip to Crystal Palace.
Despite professing his admiration for Shearer, Ashley is believed to favour a more experienced figurehead.
However, temporary stand-in caretaker Chris Hughton is winning the backing of the playing staff increasingly after he oversaw their bright start to the league campaign.
Hughton said after the 1-0 midweek win over Sheffield Wednesday: “Nothing has changed, if the club is sold at any stage, then possibly I might get a knock on the door and be told that things will change.
“I have very much enjoyed the challenge so far and I am very happy to continue until told otherwise.”
Regarding potential further transfers in or out Hughton said: “I am very hopeful that what we have here at the moment will remain at the club.
“I am also very hopeful that come the end of the transfer window, we have got a squad that is able to compete in this division and a squad that is able to compete at the right end of the table.”
Danny Simpson, who joined on loan from Manchester United last week, is the only arrival to date, although there speculation that former England defender Sol Campbell may also soon arrive on Tyneside.
NEWCASTLE, England (AFP)
Tags: alan shearer, Barry Moat, caretaker, coach kevin, consortia, crystal palace, Danny Simpson, disastrous campaign, eight games, fan base, friday sports, home game, kevin keegan, league campaign, Manchester, midweek, mike ashley, moat, new face, NEWCASTLE, newcastle united, premiership, relegation, Sheffield, sheffield wednesday, sol campbell, transfer deadlineRelated posts
Kyrgiakos set to join Liverpool
August 20, 2009
Premiership giants Liverpool have confirmed a deal with Greek international Sotirios Kyrgiakos, who is set to join the club from AEK Athens.
The defender himself had already revealed a move to Liverpool, and this was confirmed by both clubs on Wednesday. Following his side’s 4-0 win over Stoke City, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said that the Reds “nearly done the deal subject to a medical”.
“He has experience in British football and Rangers. After that with Frankfurt and the national team. He’s a good player in the air, strong and aggressive. We were looking for a player with experience,” the Spaniard added.
The 30-year-old Kyrgiakos, who may already feature against Aston Villa next weekend, began his career at Panathinaikos in 1998 and had been with AEK since last summer. Between 2002 and now, the defender also earned 50 caps with the Greek national team.
Jonathan Roorda
Tags: aek athens, aston villa, athens, british football, caps, FRANKFURT, giants, greek national team, Liverpool, liverpool manager rafael benitez, panathinaikos, premiership, rafael benitez, rangers, reds, sotirios kyrgiakos, Spaniard, Stoke CityRelated posts
On eve of battle, Ancelotti under no illusions
August 14, 2009
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti admits winning the Premier League with his new club will be one of the toughest tasks of his career.
Ancelotti gets his first taste of life in the Premier League on Saturday as the Blues kick-off their domestic campaign at home to Hull.
But the Italian already knows enough about English football to realise he faces a formidable challenge to unseat reigning champions Manchester United from their throne because the league has so much strength in depth.
“In England the championship is more competitive because, in Italy, three or four teams can win. Here I think that more teams can win the league,” Ancelotti said on Friday.
“To win a season in England is not easy for any team. It’s not easy for Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, and also for Arsenal.
“To win here is very difficult. It’s a difficult start. We’ll have to overcome difficulties in every game.
“We have to work to improve because the situation on the pitch has to be natural. Now it’s not natural because some things are new for the players.
“But, with work, it will become automatic. We have to put continuity into the games. That wasn’t the case in the last game – some periods of the game were very good, others not. We need to put continuity on the pitch.”
Ancelotti won just one Serie A title in eight years as AC Milan coach and he is coaching outside Italy for the first time in his career.
But the 50-year-old insists he is not afraid of the step into a new football culture.
“This is my first season outside Italy so it is a bit different, but I want to do well with my team. I am happy, not afraid. There’s no tension or pressure,” he said.
“It is new but not the unknown. I’m not in the dark. I know my team very well. I appreciate the squad over the month I’ve had here, and the quality of this team.
“The ambition is to remain competitive until the end of the season in all the competitions – in the FA Cup, the Premiership and the Champions League.
“We want to arrive well in March and April in all the competitions. If we have strength and the right mental attitude, we can win at the end.”
In the short time he has been in England, Ancelotti has already made a positive impression on a Chelsea squad who have responded to his calm demeanour.
Seeing John Terry reject Manchester City’s overtures was a major boost to Ancelotti, while Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and defender Michael Mancienne – who has now joined Wolverhampton on loan – have both signed new deals recently and the Italian wants Ashley and Joe Cole to follow suit.
“I am happy that Didier signed a new contract because he is a very important player for this team, not only for now but for the future,” Ancelotti added.
“He’s a very important striker who did very well for the team and will do very well for the team.
“We spoke with Mancienne and we found a right solution for him because he needs to play games. He will be a Chelsea player for the future.
“Didier is a top striker. I don’t know in the standings, but he is a top striker like Fernando Torres and Emmanuel Adebayor.
“I’m hopeful that Ashley and Joe will stay with us. For sure. This is the opinion of the club.”
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: ambition, arsenal, carlo ancelotti, champions league, competitions, emmanuel adebayor, England, english football, Fernando Torres, first taste, football culture, HULL, Italy, Joe, Joe Cole, john terry, last game, Liverpool, london, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Michael Mancienne, Milan, periods, pitch, premier league, premiership, toughest tasksRelated posts
Everton concern at Fellaini illness
August 3, 2009
Everton manager David Moyes is concerned midfielder Marouane Fellaini may miss the start of the season with the Belgium international suffering from a virus which has caused him to lose significant weight.
Fellaini did play in Sunday’s pre-season draw with Coventry but Moyes is worried he may not make the start of the Premiership campaign at home to Arsenal on August 15.
“Fellaini has had an illness for most of the summer which has affected him,” said Moyes.
“He picked up a viral infection in the summer. It got into his blood, he lost a lot of weight and he wasn’t a boy that could afford to lose any weight.
“It’s noticeable looking at him how thin he has become. It has definitely had an effect on his overall performance.
“It is going to take a little while I feel for him to get his full strength back. I don’t think he is there yet.
“He has not been right all through pre-season and he is still not right.
“When you are the shape and build he is, when you lose weight it’s not all that easy to put it back on.”
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: arsenal, august 15, Belgium, blood, coventry, David Moyes, effect, everton, full strength, london, Marouane, Moyes, premiership, shape, suffering from, Sunday, viral infection, virusRelated posts
Barry Ferguson reunited with McLeish
July 18, 2009
Barry Ferguson’s time at Rangers has come to an end, as the midfielder agreed terms with English side Birmingham City.
Ferguson’s future in Glasgow had been in doubt ever since losing his captaincy last season.
Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish, now at Birmingham City, expressed his wish to sign the player and reinforce his squad ahead of the coming Premiership season.
The 31-year-old played in England before, although his two-year spell at Blackburn Rovers was marred by several injuries.
By:
Tags: alex, alex mcleish, barry ferguson, birmingham city, doubt, England, English, English Premier League, Ferguson, former rangers, Glasgow, midfielder, premiership, premiership season, roorda, Rovers, Scottish Premier LeagueRelated posts
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