Goalkeeper Joe Hart has been ruled out of England's friendly against France due to a back injury sustained during training on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old Manchester City player had been expected to win his eighth cap against Les Bleus at Wembley, but he has now returned to his club after being assessed by the England medical staff.
Watford's Scott Loach has joined up with the senior squad as cover, having played for the Under-21s in their 2-0 defeat by Germany on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, Citizens back-up keeper Shay Given has hinted that he will seek to leave the club in the January transfer window after losing his first-team spot to Hart.
He told the club's official website:"My own personal situation isn't ideal. We'll see what happens over the next couple of months.
"You try and work hard in training, but obviously it's difficult to try and re-enact a match situation.
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Back in the summer, Charlton boss Chris Powell set down a huge statement of intent for the coming season by signing 21 new faces.
This large recruitment drive made some people question his ambition with many feeling that it may take some time for the team to gel. A rather average pre-season cemented this overall opinion.
However they were quickly proven wrong and instead the Addicks hit the ground running, never looking back after their victory on the opening day of the season against Bournemouth.
A strong start meant they found themselves in the top three after the first month and on the 17th September they moved to the top of league after a 3-2 victory over Rochdale. This was a position where they have remained for the rest of the season and after last week’s 1-0 win over Carlisle United, Charlton will be officially be playing in a higher league from next season. It has been a real domination of the league by Powell’s men and to be promoted with a few games remaining demonstrates this.
So what has made this Charlton team so strong this season? Well you definitely cannot look beyond the amazing defence, which for most the season has been the strongest defence in England and with just 31 goals conceded in 43 games, is there any wonder they lead Sheffield United by six points? Along with an impressive 20 clean sheets. They always say the best teams start from the back and if you get those fundamentals right you’re going to go a long way.
Chris Powell has successfully managed the loan market this season. Just when there appeared a panic as we suffered back to back defeats at home he ventured in to the market to bring in Dany N’Guessan and Lee Cook. N’Guessan has helped scoring three goals in six appearances, whilst Lee Cook got a vital assist in a 2-0 win over Orient.
So not only has he brought in the right players over the summer but even when they are getting exhausted with the long campaign, he has been able to recruit to give us the extra boost when we most needed it. He certainly has the eye for talent and only quality managers see this talent throughout the whole season.
In the summer I would have settled for a top six place with us giving the top two a run for their money. But never in a million years, after the last two seasons, would I have predicted seeing my Charlton remain top of the league from September to April. It’s been a season to be a proud Addick and there is no doubt this team, with Powell in charge, can go a long way.
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So come on Charlton lets get the four points needed to see us crowned as Champions and then see us build a team next season that can compete in the top half of the Championship. Up the Addicks.
So last night, I renewed my season ticket for next year’s Premier League campaign.
It hurts to see your side crash and burn in such a devastating manner, but it’s even more difficult to accept that the club have decided to boost ticket prices, again, despite such another disappointing season, in terms of silverware and league position.
Despite being such a dedicated supporter of The Arsenal, it’s always hard paying such a big chunk of cash right here, right now. Unfortunately, it’s a drug and I’m addicted to it. And is there a cure? Definitely not for me!
Anyway, it’s done. It’s paid for. I would moan, but my complaints would only be echoes of what every Gooner on the planet is saying at the moment. Certainly, it’s a topic that doesn’t need any explanation or opinion from me.
Moans and groans aside, we can now turn our heads to next season and begin to start looking forward to “an active transfer window” – those are the words of Arsene Wenger.
A few of my Arsenal friends have suggested to me that we could drop towards mid-table, IF we don’t have a successful transfer window.
I agree with this, to an extent.
I understand that we need to buy a number of quality players that will deliver for us when we need them to, at both ends of the pitch.
Alternatively, I also appreciate that we need to flog a few of our under-achieving individuals. Players who we’ve held onto for a number of years now, should be encouraged to find a new club.
There’s no doubt that they are still very good footballers. I’m confident that we’ll recieve multiple offers from clubs from all around the world. But we have got to understand that the players just aren’t good enough, if we are going to bring back the glory days.
I’ll admit that I am probably a little too generous when it comes to giving players chances. But even I will state that it’s clear to pick out the players in our side, who should be nudged towards a move away from North London – unless Denilson wants to make the short trip up the Seven Sisters to Tottenham?
Jokes aside (and hatred…. oh, and bias too!), every one of them has had a decent moment somewhere down the line. Although it’s obvious to see that the time is up for some of them, we’ll always remember them for their commitment to the cause.
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Naturally, I’ll wish them all good luck for the future. There’s no doubt about that. But I’ll always remain adamant that these kind of players moving away from Arsenal is an obvious step forward for the club.
I’ll pray that we all have an enjoyable transfer window, with many new faces coming in that will strengthen our side, in our bid to become a dominant force in world football once again.
Read more of Mike Harvey’s articles at Arsenal Insider
I’m all for players ‘letting their hair down’ but when it comes at the expense of your manager’s beliefs then where is the line drawn? Despite “Mancini’s pleas to England pair Joe Hart and Adam Johnson to behave, the pair were pictured downing shots and beers along with Gareth Barry and Shay Given at a party in Scotland.”
The story comes as a slight shock considering it isn’t that long since Joe Hart and Adam Johnson were last given a stern ticking off in relation to their off field antics. Hart was seen enjoying himself in Spain before returning to International duty for England and Johnson has received criticism from Mancini regarding a supposed poor attitude.
It has been well documented that the “Italian coach finds the English drinking culture difficult to understand, claiming it would not happen in his homeland.” However, Mancini must understand, whether right or wrong, that there is a drinking culture in the country in which he is working. It could therefore, be argued that if his players, in their down time, wish to drink who is he to prevent them from doing so.
This argument however, is a double edged sword. I can understand Mancini’s reluctance to allow his players to drink as it is his neck on the line should results not go their way. Should players hedonistic exploits off the pitch affect their on field performances then surely Mancini has a point. It would also seem immensely unfair if the Italian was to lose his job due his player’s lack of responsibility.
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Some might feel that Mancini is making a mountain out of a molehill, “in a country where drink is a rite of passage for most teenagers why should we expect our young footballers to be any different?” Ryan Giggs serves as an example of a young gifted footballer who enjoyed a party here and a few drinks there, yet the former Welsh International is still playing at the age of 36.
In the modern game the Italian is not alone in his views adding weight to his stance on alcohol. Arsene Wenger once said that if “he had to pick one of the two, he would rather his players smoked than drank such was its debilitating effect.” This seems rather extreme considering the fact. Usain Bolt admits to a taste for Guinness, suggesting that, in moderation, drink does not have an entirely negative physical effect on professional athletes’ performance.
Having looked at the pros and cons of the modern footballer enjoying a drink, I personally do not have a problem with footballers enjoying a few drinks. I do however, alter my opinion when ‘these few drinks’ have an adverse affect on their professional and personal lives. You wouldn’t need to rack your brains to come up with an incident, or six, when a footballer’s irresponsible attitude towards alcohol has had disastrous consequences.
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Fulham’s Moussa Dembele has emerged as a potential transfer target for a growing number of high-profile Premier League clubs. Tottenham had been strongly linked with a move in January but it appears that they now face strong competition from both Arsenal and Liverpool, according to talkSPORT.
Dembele has excelled in his new role as an attacking midfielder this season and with this contract set to expire next year, speculation has begun to intensify surrounding his future in southwest London.
Fulham are hoping a £15m price tag will scare off potential suitors this summer for a player who maintains he is content at Craven Cottage for the time being, although has expressed an interest to play at a higher level in the future.
Dembele told The People: “I’m not concerned about losing time here, but it’s clear that I’d like to play at a higher level.”
The 24-year-old has acquired many admirers since his move from AZ Alkmaar in 2010 and his current manager Martin Jol is adamant he can play at the very top,
“In a few months, maybe a year, he will be like Rafa van der Vaart, Dembele will learn and go on to become one of the best players in the Premier League.”
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Moussa Dembele has scored 6 goals in 53 games since his move from Holland in the summer 2010.
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic had nothing but praise for Barcelona after they won the Champions League on Saturday.Vidic’s side were torn apart by Barcelona, who were simply on a different level to their opponents as they ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa.
“I think if you look at it we have never played a team in the past like Barcelona, they played good football and deserved to win,” Vidic told ITV after the match.
“We tried to press high and in some parts of the game we did well. The goals we lost, we didn’t do what we have to do to close their players down. When they have time on the ball they can make the final pass and that is what they did.”
Vidic’s defensive partner, Rio Ferdinand agreed with Vidic that they were outplayed and outclassed by the Spanish champions.
“We gave it a better shot this time than last time (in Rome in 2009), we had a couple of opportunities,” Ferdinand told Sky Sports.
“We got back in it at 1-1 and thought we could come back and win but it wasn’t to be, we have to give them credit.”
“A couple of the goals were preventable but you have to give credit where it’s due. They’ve got a system they work to and did it well. We had a game plan we thought could beat them, but wasn’t to be.”
The match marked the last appearance of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s career, with the 40-year-old bowing out on a sour note.
“(I played) one game too many I think, it is not nice to lose of course. They had the better chances and we made one or two mistakes and they punish you,” van der Sar told ITV.
“They are very good, you have to try and score the first goal and we didn’t do that. It is not always a given, I thank everyone for the memories.”
When it comes to football chants, every season British football fans outdo themselves with imaginative songs. At any Premier League stadium across the country on a Saturday afternoon you’ll be able to hear some classic chants, many of which are much more intelligent than ‘Glory, Glory Man United!’ The songs that focus on specific players that have become cult heroes at their clubs are particularly impressive, and while some chants, such as recent Wayne Rooney ones and songs directed at the former Liverpool owners, can’t be repeated here, it doesn’t mean that their lyrics aren’t extremely clever.
It’s not only football fans who cheer on their teams either, as cricket supporters are known to like a good sing song. The England cricket team is always well supported by the Barmy Army and just like their football counterparts, everywhere Andrew Strauss and co. go they’re followed by trumpeters to get the crowd singing and to add to the atmosphere. Somewhat surprisingly, England’s main rivals the Aussies are one of the few cricketing nations not to have an iconic cricket chant, and with the Ashes on the horizon that’s something that needs to be put right. To rectify this the Australian nation is being invited to come up with a brand new chant.
MILO is encouraging Aussies to compose and record their own cricket chant to be in with a chance of winning $10,000. In just a few weeks time the Aussies will be attempting to win back the Ashes from the Pommes and Ricky Ponting’s men need a chant that the whole crowd will know so that it will spur the team on. Without a great song the SCG will be drowned out by chants of ‘Barmy Army, Barmy Army, Barmy Army.’ That’s something no Australian cricketing fan wants!
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To be in with a chance of winning $10,000 all you need to do is record and then upload your cheer video to www.milo.com.au where you’ll also find more information about the competition. This will help the Aussie cricketing faithful to get one up on England’s Barmy Army and by cheering your boys on you can play your part in helping Australia win back the little urn. It’s about time that fans of the Australian Cricket Team had an awesome cricket chant to sing as they watch the Pommes getting hammered in the Ashes!
The return of another cliché but one that is certainly valid. What a difference a week makes. Arsenal’s victory over Tottenham at the weekend was needed more than ever and serves to appease Arsene Wenger’s judgement in the media that his Gunners side remain ‘alive’ amidst questions of their long-term staying power over the course of a campaign.
Rose tinted spectacles are all the range again for the red half of North London as bragging rights were secured on Sunday; Harry Redknapp admitted Spurs might be looking over their shoulder, Lukas Podolski reportedly ‘agreed’ a move to the club and Robin Van Persie came through unscathed against England at Wembley.
All hunky dory, no? As we all know, a week is a long time in football, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that with a win, breeds new confidence, not only in the fan base but in the squad of personnel and managerial team itself. We examine, was it ever as bad as first feared at Arsenal in recent months? Are things not that bad after all?
Indeed, Arsenal always appear to be that one game away from oblivion. At 2-0 down to Tottenham and indeed to arch-nemesis Emmanuel Adebayor in particularly, all Gunners fans wondered just when their nightmare was exactly going to end. Thankfully for all connected on Sunday, their players dug deep and produced one of the most stunning comebacks in recent Premier League history.
What was most frustrating for the watching football world was that the performance echoed the Gunners of old with slick passing, deadly accuracy in the finishing and swift link up play between the midfield and forward ranks. Something, which has been far too rare this season, failing the one-man exploits of one Dutch striker. It led everyone to question, just why can’t Arsenal produce such a performance on a regular basis and when it mattered in the recent games with Milan and Sunderland.
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It was almost the fact that Arsenal daren’t lose to their biggest rivals but it was okay to go through the motions against previous opposition. Whilst we would be foolish to surmise players don’t go out and give their all in every game (do they?), Arsenal reminded us all that they aren’t quite ‘has been’s’ just yet and haven’t subscribed to the countless editorials and cuttings writing them off for good.
But to look through the eyes of an optimist, following the announcement of a £49.5 million profit recently, Arsenal have indeed navigated the recent months with some relative success.
Still well in the hunt for fourth place and Champions League qualification next term and likely to be without the prospect of balancing two games a week, the Gunners possess a more realistic shot than their rivals at going all out to secure a European berth for the remainder of the campaign.
But in reality, Arsenal personify the most frustrating of teams to support as whilst responsible ownership and careful strategic guidance represent stability at the club in the eyes of a businessman, the clubs former on-field glories mean the club and its expectant supporters will always maintain their stance that winning trophies must be paramount in terms of what can be deemed true success.
Whilst a number of Arsenal fans may be content with finishing fourth this season under a squad described by some as the worst during Wenger’s tenure, the majority of Arsenal fans see the excruciating defeats to Milan and Sunderland as the root to the clubs underachievement, in that the club still isn’t mature and mentally strong enough to deliver consistently when it matters.
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But with reports this week claiming Lukas Podolski could be the first big name to arrive in North London this summer, Arsenal fans are enjoying one of the more happier, if not happiest seven-day periods of the season thus far. Gunners fans will just hope that the possible arrival of the prolific German striker isn’t a direct replacement for Van Persie who himself is still willing to listen to the clubs latest contract offer.
But what is sure is that Arsenal have turned a corner in terms of belief. They can produce the much-celebrated football that they have been capable of for a number of years and can give us some reason to justify that things aren’t as bad at the club after all.
Would Arsenal fans be naïve to think they have turned the corner just yet or is there some hope for the remainder of the season? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
Liverpool’s midfielder Alberto Aquilani’s future has come under some doubt according to the player’s agent. The Italian star has been on loan at Juventus this season, but the first-option that the Italian giants had to sign the 27 year old expired on Sunday. It is believed that Juve are refusing to meet the asking price set by the Reds, opening the door for other clubs to pursue him. But could a return to the Reds be on the cards?
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has previously said that he would take Aquilani back into the fold – but no decision has yet been made. It should be noted that Roy Hodgson was the manager when Aquilana made the loan switch to Juventus – so the Italian may get a new lease of life under the new manager. The player himself may also feel that he has something to prove to Liverpool fans, because after making a £20m switch to Anfield from Roma, injuries and lack of fitness severely hindered that solitary season at Liverpool.
That all being said it appears that the player’s first choice would be to remain in his homeland and his agent Franco Zavaglia stated “Aquilana is a Liverpool player and will possibly return to England, but it is clear, that if there was an opportunity to stay in Italy he’d stay here.”
A strange statement in a way because the player is only currently on loan – so surely as things stands he will definitely return to Liverpool. Liverpool may have initially intended the loan to be with a view to a permanent transfer – but that situation seems to have fallen through. And if Liverpool continues to demand a high price for the player then he may have little choice but to return to England. Furthermore, Kenny Dalglish may decide that Aquilani is exactly the sort of player he needs in his midfield – but will have to ensure he is suited to Premier League football bearing in mind he has so far failed to impress. So should Liverpool give Aquilani the opportunity to return and prove his ability or accept that it would be better to sell him to an Italian club?
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When foreign Premier League stars return home and engage with their native press agencies the results can be hilarious and controversial. In the bulk of cases comments are taken out of context. That seems to be in situation currently afflicting Manchester United’s Federico Macheda who was forced to clarify his Wayne Rooney ‘chav’ comments. Currently on duty with the Italian under-21 team, Macheda’s unhelpful words were reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport and perfunctorily translated by the British press. Prior to this episode numerous rumours had circulated, linking the 19-year old with a loan move to Lazio, where he was a youth player. Should Sir Alex Ferguson allow this young, exciting starlet to return to the Biancazzurri or opt to retain his services for a full season?
Rooney is a ‘chav’ were the headlines from yesterday and accredited to the England striker’s team-mate Macheda. “Rooney is a really great person, he always gives me advice, but he’s a bit of a coatto.” This Roman slang term cannot be directly translated into English but the nearest word is ‘chav.’ Whilst the term can carry negative connotations, the youngster proceeded to proclaim that Rooney was “coatto like me.” He explained, “I said coatto in a Roman way, but with no intention of offending Rooney. I respect him hugely, I wanted to say that for me he is a rough and ready character, truthful.” Nonetheless, being mindful of Rooney’s recent press attention he swiftly contacted club captain Rio Ferdinand to iron out any awkwardness.
On a different topic the forward was asked to speculate on reports associating him with a January return to Serie A side Lazio. “The rumours about Lazio please me but I don’t believe I will go.” Macheda evidently has fond memories for the club he left as a 16-year old. The club president Claudio Lotito had previously branded United shameful for taking advantage of Italy’s stricter labour laws to recruit the player. In Italy a player has to be aged 18 before a professional contract can be offered, compared to 16 in England. A loan move may heal the wounds between the two clubs but do Lazio need him? Eduardo Reja’s team are currently rolling back the years, sitting at the summit of the league after a relegation threatened season last term. Hernanes and Stefano Mauri are scoring and creating opportunities from midfield and the former Birmingham forward Mauro Zarate may have rediscovered his finishing touch.
The Eagles are unlikely to remain in their lofty perch but the interim signing of Macheda could bolster their push for a European place. Everton are allegedly interested too but Ferguson has given no indication that he would sanction such a move. Since scoring with a stunning strike to give United a last minute win at home to Aston Villa in the 2008/09 season, he has been regarded as a special player. He additionally scored another winner at Sunderland, deflecting Michael Carrick’s shot past Craig Gordon, propelling United towards a third successive league title. Since those illuminating performances he has made just 15 appearances for the team. But the talented youngster signed a new deal last December, tying him to Old Trafford until 2014. Known as a natural finisher, the confident striker has excelled for the club’s youth and reserve teams. His movement and clinical style earned him and Javier Hernandez special praise from the manager in pre-season. “To play for a club like this is not just about talent. You need something else and they’ve got something else.”
Having recognised their talent and character, the two combined well in United’s Champions League victory at the Mestalla. The Mexican coolly despatched Macheda’s assist. There is no pressure to aggressively rush his development but the Italian did get a league start at Sunderland last week. In a season where Chelsea appear rampant, a semblance of magic may need to be conjured up by Macheda at some point this term.
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