Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp wants to keep star striker Robert Lewandowski at the club, despite interest from Manchester United.
The Polish international has been strongly linked with a switch to the Premier League, with the Red Devils believed to be leading the chase.
With his contract set to expire in 2014, a move sooner rather than later appears to be on the cards, with the German outfit aware that they could lose him for free.
United are thought to be lining up a summer raid for the 24-year-old, but Klopp hasn’t given up hope of keeping the striker at the club:
“We will offer Robert a good contract but we have to see what the players wants,” he is quoted by talkSPORT.
“We must respect the decision of the player and, in some cases, wait.
“Right now there are signs that suggest we may be heading for a divorce but we will see what we can do.”
United chief Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful that successful negotiations for Shinji Kagawa, who moved to Old Trafford from Dortmund last summer, may aid his pursuit of Lewandowski.
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Despite having the likes of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck available to him as centre-forward options, the Scot is thought to be keen to add the former Lech Poznan man to his armoury.
Jose Mourinho is reportedly planning a Manchester United clearout in the summer and one man who looks set for the exit door is Matteo Darmian.
The Italian full-back was signed by Louis van Gaal and, initially, his steady style at right-back made some United fans think that the club had finally found the long-term successor to Gary Neville.
He is the kind of safety-first defender that Mourinho usually loves, but while he was often fielded at left-back last season and largely did the job professionally, this season, he has not had anywhere near the same level of gametime.
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Therefore, it is no surprise that the Italian looks set for the exit door and one side who have struggled at full-back this season are Everton.
While many observers may expect Darmian to return to Italy, it might be worth the Toffees making an enquiry. He would be more reliable left-back back-up than Cuco Martina and Allardyce had to rely on youngster Jonjoe Kenny largely in the absence of Seamus Coleman.
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That’s why we’re asking you; should Everton make a summer bid for Darmian – valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt? Let us know by voting in the poll below…
Every England fan knows, without Wayne Rooney, the national team would be plunged into the depths of despair. At the age of 29, the Manchester United forward made his 101st cap against the ‘Auld Enemy’ Scotland this week, while also netting a brace in a 3-1 win at Celtic Park. Not only is Rooney on course to smash Peter Shilton’s appearance record, but he’s also within two goals of beating Sir Bobby Charlton’s record.
Now putting on the armband for the Three Lions and despite enjoying a glittering career for both club and country, Rooney has received heavy criticism in the past. This has not deterred him however, and for the striker to come out and say ‘he will never retire from international football’, just shows how much he is committed to the England set up. However, another question remains, when he does eventually call it quits, who will be the next Wayne Rooney to step up to the plate and rescue a country in dire need of a major tournament scalp?
If you’re looking for a player that is capable of replicating what Rooney has achieved, then the player has to be showing great potential now, and play on a regular basis in a domestic league. This player doesn’t have to be a forward, but must show similar attacking exploits as the Red Devils superstar. Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley are the frontrunners to even be considered as England’s next poster boy, but there are also some going under the radar.
One such player is Middlesbrough forward Patrick Bamford. The promising talent has been prolific while on loan at the likes of Derby County, MK Dons and Middlesbrough. The Chelsea starlet’s best season came while he was on loan at the Stadium MK, where he bagged 18 goals in 37 games for Karl Robinson’s men. Even when he started his career at Nottingham Forest, Bamford scored five goals and made three assists in an ecstatic 9-1 victory over Wigan Athletic in a FA Youth Cup tie, while the following week, he scored four in a 5-1 rout over Southampton.
Two other strikers that are currently plying their trade in the Premier League, unlike Bamford, are West Brom’s Saido Berahino and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. Berahino earned his first call up to the England side in the last two fixtures against Slovenia and Scotland. The lightening quick forward is currently on seven goals in 11 games for his club, the highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League so far. While Spurs forward Kane has a different playing style to Berahino. The North London lad plays the game with a touch of class, like Rooney, and he is always comfortable on the ball. Much to Spurs fans’ dismay, Kane has not been used regularly in the league, but his goal-scoring form in the Europa League is something to consider.
England will be sad to see Rooney inevitably retire, so the search and development of a player that can produce similar results to Rooney must start now in order for this little island to remain an international force.
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manager Sam Allardyce is seeking a winning performance in the New Year to bounce back from defeat last weekend and cast 2012 into oblivion.
After losing 1-0 to Reading the Hammers have won only a single game in their last eight Premier League encounters.
Speaking to Sky Sports Big Sam stated, “We need to bounce back.”
“We’ve got to make sure we become better at creating and taking our chances, otherwise it’s going to be tough,” he continued.
Commenting on the manner in which the Irons have failed to win, and the defensive nature of Christmas football, he noted that, “The balls into the box haven’t been given enough quality to open up a defence as everybody starts tightening up at this stage of the season.”
With a number of injuries to key players the Hammers boss has been limited in personnel. Most notably Allardyce has a huge gap to fill in central midfield since Mohamed Diame’s injury.
“We haven’t had our best team out for ages and since we beat Chelsea, our points total has diminished rather than kicked on from there,” he said.
“Normally when you get a result as big as that one you kick on and get more and more results as the euphoria keeps you going.
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“The injuries have unfortunately kicked in and we’ve not been able to pick up the results we wanted to.
“It’s about getting the players back fit and then keeping them fit, and then we’ll be OK but that’s got to happen very quickly now.”
Most retired footballers want their former clubs to succeed, but ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed that he would like to see the North-East outfit relegated from the Premier League.
The comment would initially come as a surprise to most fans, but the 49-year-old has claimed that dropping into the second tier would force Mike Ashley into selling the club.
The Sports Direct tycoon, who has been regularly bashed by fans on social media, put Newcastle United up for sale in October, but he is yet to strike a concrete deal with any potential buyers.
While carrying out punditry duties for ESPN, Hislop said:
“I’ve picked Newcastle, and I’ll tell you why – because that would force Mike Ashley to sell. And I think you will not see the best of Newcastle until Ashley sells. In case you haven’t gathered, I’m not much of an Ashley fan.”
Newcastle spent last season in the Championship after Rafael Benitez failed to keep the Magpies in the top flight.
Having a full season ahead of him, the Spaniard was able to comfortably guide the club back into the elite, but they are in danger of falling right back into the second tier.
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As it stands, the club are just two points above the bottom three with nine games left to play.
The Premier League is taking a weekend off to make way for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, and while this may come as bad news for those football fans who find the international break a tedious affair, the pause at least gives us the opportunity to fully scrutinise last weekend’s domestic action.
The 2014/15 season is almost a third of the way through, and while the most recent round of fixtures largely conformed to the general narrative of the campaign so far – a runaway leader looking invincible, continued struggles for the established order, and the remarkable rise of the underdogs – there was still plenty to garner from the action. Here are four things we learnt…
Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton were all involved in European competition in midweek; all bar Chelsea failed to win in the Premier League this weekend. The belief that participation in the Europa League is more of a hindrance than an honour is long-standing given the fact that its Thursday night schedule leaves teams with precious time to recover and prepare for domestic duty, however the debilitating effects of continental football seem to have extended to Champions League participants as well. Manchester City and Arsenal were still clearly suffering from damaging results in Europe with the Citizens snatching a draw against relegation candidates QPR and the Gunners losing at Swansea, while Brendan Rodgers’ bold decision to rest key players against Real Madrid on Tuesday was not vindicated as his Liverpool side suffered a third straight defeat in all competitions against Chelsea. The Reds seem to be adhering to some absurd logic whereby mere qualification to the Champions League is more important than actual participation in it. For Rodgers, the ideal is sweeter than the reality, which hints towards a sad truth concerning world football’s elite club competition, namely that only a handful of sides can realistically hope to win the whole thing. Chelsea are the only English side who possess the quality and strength in depth to seriously challenge domestically and continentally; most other sides seem to find great difficulty in managing the demands of both. Why, then, are the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal even bothering to compete in the Champions League in the first place? The answer is simple: money.
Questioning the point of qualifying for the Champions League should not take anything away from Southampton’s incredible season. It is hard not to like the Saints and their attractive brand of winning football under the brilliant Ronald Koeman, and while they gained many plaudits for their impressive start to the campaign, it is about time that we stopped viewing the side as a flash in the pan that will eventually fade and settle in mid-table. The South Coast club should be considered as genuine contenders to last the whole season and finish in the top four – they are already 11 points ahead of last year’s runners-up Liverpool, and presently one can only see that gap widening. For all their attacking verve, Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City highlighted the importance of a solid defence for the Saints, and if their back four continue to impress for the remainder of the season – they have conceded just five goals, a league best by a considerable distance – then it is difficult to see how they can possibly slip up.
Swansea City gained promotion to the Premier League a season before Southampton managed the feat, with many identifying the stable, responsible leadership of Huw Jenkins in his capacity as chairman of the club as a key factor in the Swans’ success. However, this stability came under threat last season as things began to turn sour during Michael Laudrup’s second year in the dugout. There were talks of a schism in the dressing room with Chico Flores being a particularly disruptive influence, and this internal turmoil was clearly having an effect on the field as the Swans struggled against being dragged into a relegation battle for most of the season. Change was clearly needed, yet the sacking of Laudrup in February and the appointment of Garry Monk as his successor did not initially inspire much hope – Monk was still registered as a player at the time and had no prior experience of managing a club. Nevertheless, the 35 year-old led the Swans to safety and the way in which his side has started the current campaign shows that the decision to name him as manager was an inspired one by Jenkins. Monk has been at Swansea for more than ten years – he has seen them rise from League Two to the Premier League and has a greater understanding of the workings of the club, its ethos and its footballing philosophy than any other potential managerial candidate could ever have possessed. His steadying influence is precisely what the Swans needed after a trying season under Laudrup, and Sunday’s superb victory over Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium served only to strengthen Monk’s reputation.
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4. Burnley are not dead and buried just yet
While Swansea City and Southampton may be examples of recently-promoted sides relishing life in the top flight, Burnley cannot be considered in this category. After ten games of the season, there was talk of the Clarets being dead-certs for relegation and even finishing the campaign with the lowest-ever points total. Sean Dyche’s men had amassed just four points – none of which came from winning a game – and a glaring lack of attacking potency was expected to be their downfall. Though this issue is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, not even in the January transfer window where the Clarets will find it difficult to lure a proven, Premier League-standard goalscorer to Turf Moor, they did at least manage to record a first victory at the eleventh time of asking on Saturday. The tight 1-0 defeat of Hull City is exactly the type of result that Burnley will need to register on a more regular basis if they are to stand any chance of staying in the league; goals will always be hard to come by, so snatching one in the hope that the defence remains impregnable could see them gain just enough points to survive. The Lancashire outfit are now just two points from safety; there is hope yet that they can confound all expectations.
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Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful that Manchester United midfielder Nani will remain at the club and sign a new deal this season.
The Portuguese winger is yet to sign the offered contract extension and with his current deal expiring in 18 months time, clubs are preparing to snap him up.
Arsenal and Juventus were expected to make a January move for the injured midfielder but Ferguson’s desire to keep him will be a huge obstacle for the pair.
Nani is rated at £10million by other clubs and if he continues his refusal to sign a new deal at Old Trafford, Sir Alex may have no option but to cash in.
The 26 year old seemed to be a forgotten man in the red half of Manchester as Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia continue to impress but Ferguson has given the winger a chance to return after injury and become a key player once again at Old Trafford.
“Nani’s contract isn’t up until the end of next season – and we need him,” Ferguson told the Daily Mirror.
“He offers something different from the other players we have. He’s got an incredible talent, but, unfortunately, he’s been injured.
“We have sent Nani over to Dubai for a break in the hope that it will help him with his recovery.
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“I don’t think we will have him back until the middle of January. He’s never had a hamstring injury before and this is a bad one.
“But Nani has got a future here. Why would I want to let him go?”
Manchester United will be on a mission this summer to add quality players to their ranks as they look to claw back the gap created between rivals City and themselves.
Manager Jose Mourinho has already acted early, bringing in the likes of Fred and Diogo Dalot already, and there is a growing feeling here in the Tavern that more and more players could be set to walk through the door at Old Trafford.
Our landlord tends to agree, and he thinks that only players of real world class ability will cut the mustard in terms of improving the first eleven.
Those players are out there, and one man our landlord thinks would be a superb addition for the Red Devils is Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, who has once again been showing his talents over in Russia this summer.
Valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, the impressive form Spurs man often looks a cut above most other players on the field, and he has been a key man for Real Madrid ever since making the move to the Spanish capital from Spurs.
Classy with the ball, able to create out of nothing, and someone who can win a game with a piece of magic on his own, Modric would be a superb addition at Old Trafford if a deal could be struck.
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United fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
Newcastle face a tough trip to Anfield this weekend, where Liverpool are yet to lose in the Premier League this season, hoping for a result that will boost their chances of survival. Jurgen Klopp’s side are arguably playing the best football in the top flight after pace-setters Manchester City, but the Magpies will take comfort from their last outing against a top six side, beating Manchester United at St. James’ Park, and the fact Rafa Benitez certainly knows a thing or two about picking up points on Merseyside.
So, will Liverpool maintain their superb run of form or could Newcastle return to Tyneside with one or potentially all three points? Football FanCast’s writers have their say below…
John McGinley
If you’re a Newcastle fan you have to be worried about this one. Win, lose or draw, Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last six matches and have the tools to demolish a Magpies defence that will be fearful of the likes of Mohamed Salah before the game even kicks off. The Reds know that a win could open a massive gap on fifth place Chelsea, who visit Man City, and they’re unlikely to mess about, roared on by a proud home support.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Southampton vs Liverpool – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Britain – February 11, 2018 Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal with Roberto Firmino and Andrew Robertson REUTERS/Eddie Keogh EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publication
Christy Malyan
Liverpool all day long. Jurgen Klopp’s side have really found their groove in recent weeks and I can only imagine Newcastle being completely overawed at Anfield, as they have upon visiting big six opponents throughout this season. Perhaps Benitez can work some magic at his former stomping ground, but Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane look simply unstoppable at the moment and it’s often overlooked that Liverpool are yet to lose a home game in the Premier League this season, winning eight of 14.
James Beavis
It’s hard to look beyond Liverpool simply because of the form of the front three. Newcastle will have to do something special and something the likes of Southampton and West Ham haven’t managed in recent weeks in stopping those individuals scoring and creating goals, which seems to be an almost impossible task. Benitez will have a plan, but it won’t pay off on Saturday.
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West Ham are sitting in fourth and have occupied that elusive Champions League spot for consecutive weeks. This is not normal for West Ham, and it’s certainly not the normal under Sam Allardyce.
The criticism was as rife as ever during the summer, and after a dismal pre-season, the Big Sam moaners were out in full-force. Allardyce has put up with an incredible amount of criticism from the second he stepped into Upton Park as the West Ham manager, the majority of it being unwarranted.
In his first season he was given the simple target of gaining instant promotion – he did it.
In his second season it was all about Premier League survival – comfortably, he did it.
For his third season it was again about Premier League survival – uncomfortably, he did it.
It’s now his fourth season in charge of West Ham and things are going very well indeed. The current Hammers squad is the best for a long time and the fans are starting to dream of more than just survival. More importantly, there aren’t many sides who have stuck by their manager through the kind of incredible fan pressure that has been exerted at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham are living proof that sacking a manager isn’t always the answer.
Regardless of how well he’s doing, he is still a long way from getting the credit of the ‘Fat Sam Out’ brigade, as they find it impossible to swallow their pride and admit how wrong they were.
Although it would feel rather strange chanting ‘Big Sam’s claret and blue army!’ for the first time after he has spent three full campaigns at Upton Park, it would not be undeserved. I don’t for a second believe that Allardyce is the type of manager to listen to the crowd’s chants in the hope that he hears his name, however on this occasion it may well give him an immense amount of pride to finally feel accepted by his own supporters. It’s still unlikely to happen anytime soon.
If there is one outstanding attribute that he holds, it’s his attention to detail when it comes to preparing tactics for each and every opposition. Some managers simply rely on their way being the right way, whereas Sam is willing to try many different methods in order to combat stronger sides defensively, or to target opponent’s weaknesses i.e. Mangala vs Man City.
Allardyce should be a manager who fills the supporters with confidence due to the fact that he is always prepared. The myth of long-ball football is finally leaving him behind after supporters are realising that he plays to his sides strengths and equally avoids their weaknesses.
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The Hammers’ style has morphed drastically since last season. That’s no surprise given that two quick strikers have replaced one laboured giant, and a player of Alex Song’s quality is running things in the midfield.
Sam didn’t change things single-handedly but he certainly knew what he was doing. I don’t think he, or anyone for that matter, had envisaged it going as well as it is, but it’s about time Sam Allardyce got the credit he deserves from all West Ham fans.