Glenn Hoddle believes that there is no chance Wayne Rooney will be dropped for England’s World Cup opener against Italy, and that those calling for that are talking “nonsense”.
The Manchester United forward looks in line to operate just off of Daniel Sturridge in an advanced midfield role in Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions XI, and is widely seen as the squad’s most talented performer.
However his form has been patchy of late, with his display against Peru in last week’s final friendly on home soil ahead of the tournament having opened him up for much criticism.
Some pundits and fans have called for Rooney to be dropped after failing to live up to his undoubted talent at previous major competitions, but Hoddle feels that doing so would be a bad move and that Hodgson won’t make such a mistake:
“Drop Wayne Rooney for the World Cup? What a load of nonsense!” he wrote in his column for the London Evening Standard.
“Critics have been knocking him non-stop in the build-up to Brazil — leave him out, he’s no longer at his best, he doesn’t fit into the system, he doesn’t blend with Daniel Sturridge — but Roy Hodgson won’t fall for any of that.
“Let me make it clear — England do not have anyone else with the quality of Rooney to replace him for their World Cup opener against Italy.
“When Rooney is at his best, he is sheer class and I am convinced he can make the difference to this England team. When Rooney hits top form he is some handful but even if he is near top form he’s a handful.
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“If he were benched for the game in Manaus a week on Saturday, the Italians would be the only ones relishing his demise. They would be overjoyed.
It won’t happen. Hodgson is far too astute to fall for any of this rubbish and there’s no way I’m jumping on the drop-Rooney bandwagon. Roy plans to pick Rooney and he has every faith in the player.”
Football – England v Peru – International Friendly – Wembley Stadium – 30/5/14England’s Rickie Lambert warms up before the matchMandatory Credit: Action Images / John SibleyLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert should be given the chance to lead the line against Switzerland, according to Dion Dublin.
The former Three Lions attacker, who was capped four times for England, reckons Lambert is the man to replace injured team-mate Daniel Sturridge.
Sturridge suffered a thigh injury which will rule the former Manchester City and Chelsea striker out of the Euro 2016 qualifier in Basel.
And Dublin is hoping that Roy Hodgson will give the 32-year old the chance to shine on the international stage.
“I want to see Rickie get a shot. I want to see him get a start, I want to see him show what he can do.
New Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will be the bookies’ favourite to replace Sturridge in attack, but Dublin believes that there is no reason that both cannot play.
“If you’re going 4-4-2 then stick them up together,” he added.
“I would like to see them both play together, but then where do you put [Wayne] Rooney? Do you put him in behind? Somebody has got to miss out because Rickie has to come in.
“I would like to see him given some game time with a partner. He’s the same sort of player I was. He’s done well, he’s kept his mouth shut and he’s got on with his job.
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“He’s not moaned about his lack of minutes and I think he deserves a fair crack of the whip.”
Arsene Wenger was a relatively unkown quantity when he was named Arsenal’s permanent boss in October 1996.
The Frenchman had enjoyed some success at Ligue 1 side Monaco before arriving in England but its his achievements in the Premier League that have not only come as a surprise to many, but also changed both Arsenal and the England’s top flight for the better.
He won a famous Double in his first full season in charge of the Gunners, emphatically coming from 11 points behind leaders Manchester United to take the league title before winning the FA Cup a couple of weeks later.
Nobody knew it then, but Wenger’s success that year would be the first footstep towards Arsenal’s establishment as one of England’s most successful football teams. Wenger was a new breed of manager that our shores hadn’t seen before.
He wanted to play a huge part in every aspect of the way Arsenal was run and the success during his first full season at the club was the result of a complete overhaul of how his players lived their lives both on and off the pitch.
He implemented new training regimes, specific dietary programs and was very thorough in the way he built his squad. The likes of Thierry Henry Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Marco Overmars arrived at the club unknown players but went on to become imperative to the trophies and achievements Arsenal enjoyed during their time in north London.
But amidst the three Premier League titles, five FA Cup triumphs and five Community Shield wins, as well as steering the Gunners to a Champions League final in 2006, it was the way in which he masterminded Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League campaign in 2003/2004 that perhaps remains his biggest achievement to date.
Arsenal become the first team to go an entire season unbeaten since Preston North End in the 19th Century, and it came off the back of a disappointing end to the season before, where they handed Manchester United the league title after losing at home to Leeds.
Wenger’s team continued that unbeaten season in to the following campaign and ended up beating Nottingham Forest’s record of 42 games unbeaten, which had stood for 26 years. The Gunners’ run was ended at 49 games without loss when they suffered defeat at Old Trafford against Man United.
The Invinbles completed such a feat whilst playing an attractive, attacking and easy on the eye style of football that Wenger became so famous for implementing upon his arrival at the club. Pundit Alan Hansen once described that team as “quite simply the most fluid, devastating team the British Isles has seen,” and you won’t find many people prepared to disagree with him.
Over the last 18 years Wenger has become Arsenal’s most successful and important manager. He arrived as nobody, but he will eventually leave as a legend.
Some will say his Arsenal career has been one of two-halves. The first delivered trophies, records and goal scoring greats in the shape of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp, et al. The second has been more of a struggle, and he only managed to put an end to a nine year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup last season.
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But he will always be remembered for his success rather than his failures. As things stand, there isn’t a Premier League team that can boast going an entire season unbeaten and has managed to finish in the top four for 18 consecutive seasons.
That kind of success needs a genius to oversee and achieve. And Le Profeseur was that genius.
The sense of relief was almost palpable as Juan Mata netted a somewhat fortuitous winner for Manchester United against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Spaniard was dropped to the bench by Louis van Gaal, with the Dutchman’s wealth of attacking options becoming, in some ways, a burden, which has been a frustrating regular problem for the player this term.
A star of Mata’s quality would be starting week-in-week-out for around 90% of Europe’s top clubs, with his talents evident and record proven, yet United seem open to flogging their man after just 12 months, if reports are to be believed. We here at FFC Towers think that such a move would be an unwise one for the Red Devils, and here are FIVE reasons why…
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Proven in the Premier League
Buying in foreign imports is a risk. For every Diego Costa there’s an Alfonso Alves, with records in other leagues not always transferring across to the hustle and bustle of the Premiership. United are said to be monitoring ‘Mata alternatives’ but snapping up a new playmaker from abroad, the most likely arena, would be a huge risk.
During 2011/12 and 2012/13 Mata was in terrific form for Chelsea, notching in excess of 10 league assists in each campaign while also finding the back of the net with regularity in domestic and European action. For the latter half of last season he was terrific for United, showing that he has the ability if given the chance to impress week-in-week-out. Read into that what you will…
Versatility
Versatility in the modern game is key; no longer can a player be a one-trick pony, with occupying multiple roles for different games and situations so important. Louis van Gaal is famed for his flexible tactical approach, so a player like Mata should be of use to him.
The Spaniard can operate in any attacking midfield role, with his ability to use both feet and passing range making him a threat from either flank or in his favoured ‘No.10’ role. Angel di Maria can occupy the wings with great effect while Wayne Rooney is a better strike option than Robin van Persie or Radamel Falcao on form, so Mata in ‘the hole’ could be wise.
The best signing Man United have made in the ‘post Fergie’ era
There’s no getting away from it, since Sir Alex Ferguson left United, United have struggled. It was always going to happen. Performances have dipped as managerial changes have been made, and attracting top players has become more and more difficult.
Signed for £37.1m in January 2014, Mata was the only ‘marquee’ arrival of the David Moyes era, and he really did shine at the back end of last season… as the stats show:
In a period of difficulty for United, the 26-year-old stepped up, so why should he be cast aside now?
Selling would be a massive financial loss
Modern football is driven by finances. There’s not getting away from that. United have been massive spenders in recent years – their summer £150m outlay was the largest of any football club in history during one window – so losses cannot be made with missing out on the Champions League next season still a possibility.
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Spanish sides are courting Mata, but the likes of Atletico Madrid are unlikely to be able to match the fee paid for the playmaker and the wages he commands at Old Trafford, meaning that a huge hit would be taken. Valencia are also keen on their former star, but even their new found wealth is unlikely to stretch to the sums needed for United to break even or make a profit.
A Special talent
//www.youtube.com/embed/TXLcszgsl1A
When all is said and done, Juan Mata is a special player. During his Chelsea days he was voted the Blues’ player of the season twice and provided moments of sheer magic on the pitch… as the above video shows.
This talent does not disappear overnight, and with more playing time he will pull off theses tricks, flick and goals again and again.
Juventus have dominated Italian football for the past three-years, winning consecutive Serie A titles since 2012. The 2011/12 saw the Old Lady go the entire league season unbeaten, the first Italian side to do so in a 38-game season. The following season saw Juve retain their title and last term, they won it for a third time in a row amassing 102 points. This was the 30th Serie A title in Juventus’ history, the most by an Italian team.
Much of this success was due to the turnaround in fortunes brought about by manager Antonio Conte. He was at the helm between 2011 and 2014 before leaving to take up the vacant managerial role at the Italian national team. Conte was already regarded as a Juve legend due to the fact he played over 400 league matches from 1991 until 2004. He definitely reinforced that legendary status with all his successes over his three year period as manager.
Former AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri took over from where Conte left off and the club are still dominating Serie A, three points clear after a couple of draws in recent weeks. Three points might not be a massive gap but the way the team are playing and with the quality of players at Allegri’s disposal, they are certainly on track for a fourth consecutive Serie A crown.
The only possible way Allegri could improve on Juventus’ last few seasons would be a better run in Europe. Although they got to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2013, last season they could only manage third place in their group, resulting in a Europa League campaign that finished in the semi-finals. A club of the size and quality is capable of going further in Europe but at least Allegri’s men are on the right track, advancing to the last 16 where they have a tie with struggling German side Borussia Dortmund.
Quality throughout their squad means that perhaps this could be the year for an overdue extended Champions League run. Starting from the back, veteran goalkeeper and Captain Gianluigi Buffon is still a top class ‘keeper capable of consistent performances; he might now be 36 but is still one of the best shot stoppers in Europe.
Their back-line is full of experience and knowhow with the likes of Giorgio Chiellini who has made over 300 appearances for the club. Patrice Evra was signed from Man Utd in the summer and although he might not be able to start every game nowadays, he is still capable of putting in high-level performances needed to succeed.
The midfield is extremely solid with Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba just infront of the defence. 35-year-old Pirlo plays more of a midfield general role these days sitting in front of the back four, whilst Pogba is a box-to-box midfielder capable of scoring goals. Chilean Arturo Vidal adds even more quality to the midfield, with fantastic attacking attributes.
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Upfront, former Man Utd and Man City man Carlos Tevez continues to score goals. Since joining in 2013, he has scored 29 in 49 Serie A appearances also chipping in with vital goals in Europe. Tevez and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente have formed a tremendous partnership upfront, a strike force that can be lethal in the latter stages of the Champions League.
With a fourth consecutive Serie A title looking likely, a Champions League challenge is certainly not beyond this extremely efficient Juventus looking side.
Olivier Giroud has always been a bit of a slow burner. Just as it took him five years in the lower tiers of French football to gain employment from a top flight club, just as he had to wait until the age of 24 to represent the France national team, it’s required two-and-a-half seasons of hard graft at Arsenal for the 6 foot 4 striker to earn his share of critical acclaim, following a brace-grabbing display against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup’s fifth round.
The justification of £10million price-tag has never come into question, but the ultimate instalment in a line of Gunners strikers that includes Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie, three of the greatest forwards in Arsenal and Premier League history, Giroud has always struggled to replicate the impact and quality of his many world-class forbearers.
A return of 27 goals in his first 70 Premier League appearances, although nothing to be sniffed at, was hardly noteworthy at a club that’s won the division thrice before and reached the group stages of the Champions League for 17 consecutive seasons; indeed, over the last two terms it seemed there were many strikers in world football that could be scoring at that rate or greater for a Gunners side prolific in chance creation, whilst offering a more dynamic all-round game.
This season however, we’ve witnessed what Arsenal fans will be hoping is something significantly closer to the real Olivier Giroud, the one that convinced Arsene Wenger to take a punt on an in-form Montpellier forward in 2012 over the more expensive, more experienced and more coveted options on the market that summer.
In terms of goals, the France international has finally broken the one-in-two barrier in England, netting seven times in just nine Premier League starts and boasting a return of 10 in 18 across all competitions – a significant improvement upon the 17 in 42 of his opening campaign and the 22 in 51 of last season – and in the process, he’s overcome my biggest criticism of his performances over the last few years; namely, a limited impact against top sides.
Prior to the current campaign, for example, Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton constituted the only noteworthy Premier League opposition the Frenchman had found the net against – teams the north Londoners will always expect to claim points from in the battle for the top four – but this term he’s scored past Manchester United and Manchester City already. In fact, of his seven league goals, only one has come against opposition that didn’t finish in the Premier League’s top ten last season – Aston Villa.
But it’s the added sense of aggression in Giroud’s game that’s become most prevalent lately, as if the 28 year-old has finally realised how imposing, threatening and effective his 6 foot 4 frame can be.
Tenacity is something the Gunners have desperately lacked over the last few seasons, especially in forward positions, and although Giroud might not be a neanderthalic, street-brawling battering ram like Chelsea’s Diego Costa or West Ham’s Andy Carroll just yet, the physicality he now offers from the front – and the manner he utilises it to bring midfielders into the game – is intrinsic in importance to a lightweight Arsenal side often bullied out of games by their closest divisional rivals.
The source of Giroud’s improvement this term? In my opinion, there’s two psychological factors; firstly, Arsene Wenger’s relentless faith in the French forward, demonstrated by bringing him back into the starting XI as soon as possible after his foot injury at the start of the campaign, and secondly, the added competition within the Emirates squad.
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As the Gunners’ most conventional and least versatile front-man, he’s always got the upper hand in the battle for the No.9 slot, but the role of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck, all viable replacements for Giroud should his form slump, in keeping the towering striker on his toes should not be downplayed. Part-carrot, part-stick, Wenger’s methods of motivating his first-choice striker, whether by coincidence or design, have worked wonders this season.
That being said, I still remain skeptical over the former Montpellier star’s long-term role at the Emirates. If this season is Giroud’s best – although it’s very, very good – it’s still some way short of Europe’s elite front-men; the Karim Benzemas, Robert Lewandowskis and Sergio Agueros of this world. Of course, we’re talking about one of the most expensive positions a club can buy for, but if Arsenal are to ever re-emerge as the trophy-winning powerhouse of old, upgrading upon Giroud, at some point over the next two summers, remains essential.
We all think of the Premier League as the greatest top flight in world football – an idea relentlessly refortified in our minds by pundits and the media. Although it lacks a dominant institution like Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, the even spread of quality throughout the Premiership creates an unrivalled level of competitiveness, and when enjoying good health, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all capable of competing for the title, whilst Tottennham, Liverpool and Everton are rarely far behind.
In comparison, only the recent resurgence of Atletico Madrid has stopped El Clasico’s oligopoly over La Liga, Bayern Munich have claimed one-in-two Bundesliga titles since the division’s incarnation in 1963 and Juventus are now on course to claim their fourth consecutive Serie A triumph, with a nine-point lead over second-place Roma.
All twenty Premier League clubs are currently in the forty richest clubs in the world, which tells all about the division’s global popularity and how fairly finances are divided. The new television deal, worth a record-breaking £5.14billion, could see the Premier League soon dominate the world’s top 30 or, even more scandalously, the top 25.
Yet, the Premier League’s vibrancy is becoming increasingly trapped in its own vacuum, as it’s high-intensity, end-to-end, basketball-paced philosophy struggles to impact on the other stages; an issue raised by only one of six English sides, Everton, winning in Europe this week.
Barring minor miracles from Arsenal and Manchester City to turn around 3-1 and 2-1 away-goal deficits to Monaco and Barcelona respectively, at least four will be eliminated upon the Champions League round of 16’s second legs in mid-March, with Liverpool and Tottenham knocked out of the Europa League yesterday evening.
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Compare that to prior seasons and there’s a worrying decline. Between 2005 and 2012, an English side reached the Champions League final seven times out of a possible eight, whilst three Premier League clubs made the semi-finals in 2008, leaving Chelsea and Manchester United to do battle in Moscow. In the last three years however, English teams have been represented in the Champions League’s last eight just thrice, whilst only five Premier League clubs have reached the Europa League or UEFA Cup final since Tottenham’s European title in 1984.
The individual honours haven’t gone the Premier League’s way either. Since its first season in 1992-93, only 10 Premier League players have made it into the top three of the Ballon d’Or, out of a possible 66 vacancies, with none making the prestigious award’s finalist shortlist since its remodelling into the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2010. And perhaps most tellingly of all in regards to how the Premier League has slumped in recent years, the last two PFA Player of the Year winners, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez, jetted off to join the La Liga giants just weeks after claiming their awards.
So is the Premier League simply not as amazing as we think it is? Is its reputation as ‘the greatest top flight in world football’ ignorantly isolating us from other divisions with seemingly superior quality? That sensational record of Champions League final involvement from 2005 to 2012, all the more incredibly coinciding with Barcelona’s unprecedented domination of the tournament, suggests otherwise, but over the last few years standards have certainly slipped – especially defensively.
Chelsea fans will note that period of CL final participation coincides with Jose Mourinho’s move the Premier League, albeit with the space of a year, and accompanying the Portuguese’s arrival was a new, more pragmatic philosophy, epitomised perfectly by the Blues’ 4-3-3 formation and most particularly, the invention of what has become fabled in England as ‘the Makelele role’- after Chelsea and France’s dominant defensive midfielder.
Those tactical notions lasted far beyond Mourinho’s initial three-and-a-bit-term reign, and only recently has the extra body in midfield changed from a man behind the centre-mids to a man in front of them – what is now labelled in most teams as the No.10. Consequentially, the Premier League has seen a resurgence of attacking play over the last few years, a trend encapsulated by two clubs scoring over 100 league goals in the same season, Liverpool and Manchester City, for the first time in the division’s history during the 2013/14 campaign, making up two of just three sides, along with Chelsea, to ever reach that centenary mark.
This new impetus on attacking flair over the defensive solidarity of yesteryear is leaving the Premier League short in Europe; Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini is one of the few managers in world football brave enough to toy with 4-4-2 in the Champions League, let alone against Barcelona, Arsene Wenger’s intent on progressive play is infamous and cost Arsenal dearly, once again, against Monaco on Wednesday evening, and Liverpool, although a somewhat more resilient outfit in recent weeks, remain a side that use possession to pepper the opponent’s goal as much as possible.
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Meanwhile, Chelsea, a team Mourinho appears to have modelled specifically to win European double-leggers through their perfect balance, compactness and organisation, recorded easily the best result of the week – a 1-1 away draw with PSG.
Such philosophical swings tend to go full-circle, and I’m certain that once again, Premier League rivals will begin emulating Chelsea’s model closer over the course of the next few years – especially if they claim this season’s English title. Until then however, the increasingly cathartic, entertaining and naively ambitious tone of the Premier League’s top sides will continue to cost them in the continent’s top competitions.
After the success of recent years, Manchester City fans might not be as accustomed as they once were to the current feeling of disappointment as the team languish fourth in the table.
A further blow could be on the way with the real possibility that James Milner could walk away from the club this summer and join a Premier League rival on a free transfer.
Milner has been with City since a big money move from Aston Villa back in 2010, but the terms he signed when joining have not been extended. Despite never letting his current employers down, it seems his time in the light blue could be coming to an end.
The player has been offered a new deal according to his manager Manuel Pellegrini, but has yet to commit. The Chilean has elected to start Milner in less than half of his side’s league games this season and perhaps this represents the crux of the problem for the man in question.
The situation surrounding the midfielder will be under close observation around the Premier League and beyond. Arsenal and Liverpool are both said to be interested and reports suggest offers from Spain and Italy already on the table. Should the former Villa, Newcastle and Leeds man elect to move on, which would be the most suitable destination?
Most midfielders would jump at the chance of joining Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and with the Gunners’ late season run propelling them well above City, it would seem like the right move at the right time for the England international.
The London side can offer an attractive attacking philosophy and almost guarantee Champions League qualification but what they cannot offer the 29-year-old is a nailed-down first-team place. The wealth of engine room competition at the Emirates Stadium would represent a significant challenge to a player who, at this stage in his career, will be looking to feature week-in, week-out. If Wenger was interested, it would be up to Milner to decide whether he could force himself into the team in North London.
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Much closer to home, Liverpool to be exact, would be the easier option. Milner’s all-action style would go some way to filling the gap at Anfield left by Steven Gerrard when he finally moves on this summer.
The current heir to the throne, Jordan Henderson, possesses similar qualities but there is no reason why the two could not play together.
Milner’s versatility would also be an asset to him here, as he could occupy various roles within Brendan Rodgers’ flexible system; central midfield, wide attacker or even right wing-back, a role he has successfully filled in the past.
There is no doubt that the Leeds-born man would fit more easily into the first team at Liverpool than he would at Arsenal, but the Merseysiders look likely to miss out on the Champions League, which could prove a stumbling block.
At this stage in the season, if Liverpool miss out on entry to Europe’s top club competition it will be because City have qualified at their expense. With Milner starting a young family, perhaps rejecting all suitors and staying put could actually be his best option.
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The resolution depends on the player’s priorities, both footballing and personal. In terms of his playing career, he must evaluate if he prizes quantity over quality when it comes to game time. There is still a chance though that he might not have to.
His coach is on thin ice and perhaps the player is simply waiting to see what City do in terms of their next managerial move before making his decision.
With a new man at the helm offering some assurances, the midfielder may not need to leave Manchester after all.
Leeds United fans took to social media to voice their anger at their team’s performance against Cardiff City. The Peacocks fell to a 2-1 defeat with a lack of energy or commitment. This season has been a difficult one for the Yorkshire side. Off the field there have been constant stories about ownership and the changing managers has not helped the situation on the pitch.
Manager Neil Redfearn has told the press that he is already trying to think ahead. Leeds currently sit in 15th position, safe from relegation but fans expect a lot more for next season. Here are a few of the names that could make a good impression at the club:
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Urby Emanuelson
Leeds are in desperate need of a left-back and this could be there man. Emanuelson is currently on loan at AS Roma and could be a valuable player for the club. An accomplished defender who has proved his love to the game he could be looking at a comeback to the UK after a previous spell with Fulham. There are rumours flying around that he is in talks with the club – a superb signing if they are true.
Nicky Maynard
After a great start to his career, Maynard seems to have got stuck in a rut in recent years. Redfearn has stated he wants a reliable finisher who the team could depend on and although he hasn’t been at his best the striker could find his form again at Leeds. He is a proven Championship player after being Bristol City’s star player – just what Leeds need! Maynard is a born footballer, he just needs someone to give him a chance.
Martyn Woolford
The Leeds boss previously tried to sign Millwall winger Martyn Woolford but didn’t manage to succeed. Redfearn is keen to give this another go and with the London side looking likely to be relegated he could have more of a chance. His contract with Millwall comes to an end in the summer and the versitle player is looking to stay playing in the Championship.
Matt Mills
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Leeds defence has been a cause for concern over the year and someone with strength and experience in the back four would be a valuable asset. Mills is currently at Bolton where he has played solidly in the first-team all season being a vital member of their defence. With Sol Bamba likely to stay, the pair could bring a great partnership and make them one of the Championships strongest pairings.
Stephen Quinn
Redfearn is trying to bring in players which can improve their current squad and an attacking midfielder would bring the creativity they desire. Hull’s Stephen Quinn has been linked to the Peacocks and his work ethic and commitment is something any manager would want in his club. He can play centrally or out wide and whilst he has made 22 appearances for Hull this season, he is keen to play as many games as possible whilst not moving too far.
With the David De Gea to Real Madrid rumours blowing hot and cold, Louis Van Gaal had said he understands the pull of La Liga.
David De Gea is a Spanish native and his girlfriend Edurne is Spanish too. The goalkeeper’s other half has been almost blamed for the supposed Madrid move, which is yet to even be confirmed, should it be true. But are we too interested in footballers’ personal lives?
Footballers have been filling newspapers for the wrong reasons quite often this season. So many stories that have circulated stem from their personal lives, which always sells papers. But it is all becoming a bit too much. Their privacy is being compromised, and why is there such an interest in what they do off of the pitch? Is it really ‘entertainment?’
Look at the story that broke of Wayne Rooney’s boxing ‘match’ with Phil Bardsley. Did anyone truly care that Phil punched Wayne in the face? The footage was filmed in Rooney’s home, so if it was out of the public eye, why the interest? It’s quite sad that Rooney cannot even have a joke with a friend at home without it not only becoming public knowledge, but also being twisted into something sinister.
Even worse, it was front page news. Wayne Rooney getting punched in the face made the front page. Rooney retaliated in the only way he should have – mimicking the situation with a goal celebration.
Plenty of ‘hippy crack’ incidents have broken over the last few months too. Aside from soap stars, footballers were outed for using a nitrous oxide, which is not illegal to buy or to take. Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish made headlines for using the legal high, as was Raheem Sterling. But that was really just more damning evidence against Sterling, as the media have very clearly already made up their mind about him. It was also a clear indication that these younger Premier League players are in need of a new set of friends; their current ones are selling them out for a quick buck.
Aside from some of the non-stories, such as a footballer having another footballer in his house, and teenagers taking laughing gas, there are of course stories which are for public consumption. The court cases for the likes of Ched Evans, Adam Johnson and Clarke Carlisle are newsworthy stories.
Can we just take a step back, and let them live? Yes, footballers are considered ‘role models’, but we cannot monitor their every waking movement. I’m pretty sure David De Gea’s girlfriend has not made contact with Real Madrid herself. And if Wayne Rooney has people over, let him. If he gets knocked out, he gets knocked out.
There are more important things going on in the world.
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