Hugo Lloris made his Premier League debut for Tottenham at the weekend, ending Brad Friedel’s 310 consecutive games in the starting XI.
The French keeper managed to secure Spurs’ first clean sheet of the season, but was still told by coach Andre Villas-Boas that he will not be the permanent first choice.
The Les Blue’s captain impressed White Hart Lane fans with his anticipation and impressive saves during the 2-0 win against Aston Villa. However he gave Villa a great chance, giving the ball away recklessly, but Christian Benteke couldn’t capitalise.
After the game Villas-Boas indicated that he still had a decision to make on who will be between the sticks for their next clash.
“We decided it would be logical to play Hugo to get him acquainted with the Premier League,” he told the Telegraph.
“Nothing tipped the balance. We are fortunate that we can do this rotation. Brad was disappointed but accepted it as a good professional. We respect his performances. He will be back as soon as possible,” the coach added.
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Lloris joined Spurs on the last day of the transfer window for a fee of £12 million, and his first Premier League inclusion meant that 41-year-old Friedel sat on the bench for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
If you can’t earn a statue after 26 years of managerial service to a football club, then when can you? Indeed, as Manchester United immortalized the achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign this past week, it’s offered English football a timely reminder, if one possible even needed it, of the Scot’s unworldly achievements over the past quarter century and counting.
12 league titles, five FA Cups, two Champions League victory’s, one Cup Winner’s Cup, three doubles and a treble. It is a trophy haul that needs no words and his legacy upon the game is one that needs no introduction. Ferguson earned his place amongst the pantheon of greats long ago and with every passing season; he is seemingly only galvanizing himself as one of the greatest managers of all time.
Although as the 70-year-old enters what must surely now be the autumn of his long, distinguished and glorious managerial career, is there one last dragon yet to be slayed?
It might seem macabre to start talking about epitaphs, but if you were to conjure one up for Fergie, the knocking of Liverpool off their perch, would be amongst the hot picks. Having masterminded 12 of United’s 19 league triumph’s, the Scot has done his part in overhauling the 18 that the old enemy in Liverpool bestow.
But although Ferguson has certainly done all he could and so much more, to knock the Liver Bird off its domestic perch, it’s still crowing loud and proud upon it’s European one. Manchester United have of course won the European Cup three times, compared to the five triumphs of Liverpool in the continent.
It’s an emotive statistic that will never fail to catalyze the most fervent of debate. Some will suggest that winning in Europe was an easier feat in the 1970’s than it was within today’s footballing climate.
Others will retort that under the old European Cup regulations, United wouldn’t have been playing in Europe the year they famously beat Bayern Munich 2-1 to lift it in Barcelona (they finished runners up in the league the season previous – not enough to grant you European competition in the 1970’s).
But regardless of how both sets of supporters frame it, for Ferguson, it is something that eats away at him.
Speaking after United’s 3-1 away win at Braga earlier this month, Ferguson suggested that the club’s stature demanded more European titles:
“I think in terms of history of our clubs, we should have one more and I want to win it again and get into the bracket of winners like Liverpool, our biggest rivals, Bayern Munich and Ajax,” he said.
Although it was his personal sentiments, which felt even more poignant, when reflecting upon United’s fortuned in Europe under his tenure.
“That definitely drives me on a bit [winning another European Cup].
“I get really frustrated when I think about the opportunities we have had to win it, but you can’t be greedy you look at my career and I have won two European Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup and I am proud of that.”
Perhaps it is testament to his staggering achievements within the game, that we should be talking about Ferguson ‘only’ lifting two European Cup’s. Furthermore, if anything, you can make a case that the gap between his 1999 and 2008 triumph, does in fact strengthen his legacy. Rebuilding and cultivating a new team, only to take them to the pinnacle of European club glory as he did with his 1999 set of players, is a remarkable feat.
Although you can’t escape the feeling that, as Ferguson said himself, given the opportunities both he and his team have had to lift the trophy, his European Cup tally still stands at just the two.
Manchester United did of course rack up three Champions League final appearances in four seasons within recent times and let’s not forget how close that team was to entering the real pantheon of greats.
Following their 2008 triumph in Moscow, had they come out on top in Rome against Barcelona, they would have become the first team of the Champions League era to rack up back to back titles – a feat achieved by a very select few, including the great Real Madrid team of the 50’s, the Ajax team of the early 70’s and of course, Liverpool, in ’77 and ’78, amongst others. But they didn’t. Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona dismantled Ferguson’s side not once, but twice in recent European finals, extending the Scot’s search for a third continental triumph.
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Because while Ferguson is already one of the managerial greats, that elusive third European Cup, would potentially propel him into the realms of indisputability.
Would a third win arguably make Ferguson peerless within managerial history? Symbolically, it would place him alongside Liverpool’s Bob Paisley within the European trophy list, not behind him. There is nowhere else to go past there.
No manager would have won more European Cups or reached as many European finals as Ferguson. He’s already the most successful British manager in history with 48 titles. Winning a third European title wouldn’t take a question mark away from his legacy; such a thing doesn’t exist. But it would add a hell of a lot more than just a bit of added gloss. It would make him untouchable.
Some may suggest that Ferguson’s failure to produce a back-to-back European Cup winning side, a la Paisley and Brian Clough, may put a slight dent in his continental standing. But no team has done that since Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan side over 22 years ago. It’s a feat that’s evaded a Barcelona team described as one of the greatest club sides of all time. While you shouldn’t compare eras, should Ferguson win a third European Cup, it would in no way be superseded by Paisley’s trio on the basis of timing.
That is of course an argument that for the moment, remains purely hypothetical. Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements within the game may never be matched and even if he doesn’t win another European Cup, his legacy remains as powerful as anything we have ever seen. Yet if he did, that legacy suddenly takes on a whole life of its own.
forward John Guidetti has signed a new three-year deal with the club.
The Swedish attacker impressed last season whilst out on loan at Dutch club Feyenoord, netting 20 times in 23 games for the Eredivisie giants.
Despite not playing a single minute of Premier League action for Roberto Mancini’s men this term, Guidetti has been rewarded for his exploits last term with a new deal.
The Scandinavian striker has stated that he is happy to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium, and has thanked the club for helping him mature as a player.
“I feel really happy of course, it’s a fantastic football club and to sign a new deal is really, really good,” he told the club’s official website.
“I’ve been here for a long time and Manchester City are the ones who have helped me grow and develop to the player I am today, so I am very grateful for that and I’ve seen how the club has turned into one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is great to be a part of that.”
Guidetti is still recuperating from an illness that has kept him on the sidelines, but has stated that he is almost back to full fitness.
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“It’s going well – I can run, I can shoot, I can pass, so I am definitely getting there, but we have to be a bit more patient and of course I want to get out there every day, it’s what I long for,” he concluded.
Alan Pardew has reportedly been told he has the next two league games to prove that he is the right man for the job.
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has grown impatient in waiting for the Magpies’ form to return to that of the first part of last season, but is now the right time to call time on The Englishman’s reign at St. James’ Park?
Newcastle are still without their first win in the Premier League so far this season and although the only game they’ve lost was versus Manchester City, The Toon failed to take the full points from Hull City and also Crystal Palace – where they took the lead in the 88th minute. Ashley was angered with Pardew’s decision to play five first-team players in the Capital One Cup game against Gillingham days before the Crystal Palace clash, as he felt this was to blame for them conceding a late equaliser.
There’s no doubting that in an ideal world for Pardew his side would have comfortably put The Tigers and The Eagles away, but if his side fail to win either of their next two fixtures, Pardew will have some explaining to do. I certainly understand Mike Ashley’s frustration as he must have been licking his lips when the fixture list was announced. Apart from the opening day clash with City, The Toon don’t have another tie against a top six side (from last season) until late October.
There’s therefore no reason why Ashley shouldn’t have expected that his side would be in the top six themselves come late October. Of course they still could be but they’ve already dropped four winnable points from two games. The owner is well within his rights to expect this level of performance after giving a generous £37m transfer budget for Pardew to use – the eighth largest budget in the Premier League.
The Magpies’ decline has come since the turn of the year and since 2014 began they’ve picked up only 18 points from a possible 66, so this is no rash decision to give an ultimatum to Pardew. I do however wonder why he was allowed to continue through pre-season and spend the large transfer budget if he was only going to be given a short period of time to get it right again? After all it’s only two years since the ex-West Ham boss signed an eight year contract with the club. Last year’s biggest overachievers Everton actually failed to pick up a victory in any of their opening three Premier League fixtures last year and of all those sides finished inside the bottom four! The Toffees still managed to finish fifth and that opening blip was a distant memory for supporters. Just a little bit of evidence that a disappointing start isn’t season defining.
I think that Mike Ashley really missed his chance to offload Pardew when things were on the downfall when he was involved in the head-butt incident with Hull City’s David Meyler. The owner stuck with him and now he has seemingly decided that he HAS had enough. Ashely doesn’t strike me as an owner who will hesitate to do what he thinks is right but now doesn’t seem the right time to do so. It’s both too late and too early to sack Pardew – the obvious time to end his reign of the Geordies was either post-head-butt or after the season was over, but now that he’s spent all of the club’s budget and after just three league matches, which Everton proved last season isn’t decisive, is a bizarre time to realise you now don’t want him.
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Derek Boateng has confirmed that he will join Fulham on a two-year contract after his current deal expired with Ukrainian side Dnipro.
The 30-year-old Ghana international midfielder had looked set to join the Cottagers in the January transfer window but the move fell through when Dnipro pulled the plug just before the deadline.
However, despite looking like Boateng would then move to Greek giants Olympiakos when his contract expired this summer, the player has opted for a move to the Premier League with Martin Jol’s Cottagers.
“I have signed a two-year deal with Fulham and will be training with them for the first time today [Tuesday’,” Boateng told Accra-based local radio station Happy FM.
“I believe it’s a good move and I’m finally happy to see this deal concretised.”
The news will come as a big boost to Jol who has been chasing Boateng for some time with the player, who has been capped 46 times by Ghana, set to bring a big work-rate and plenty of energy into the Cottagers’ midfield next season.
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Last season was one of doom and gloom for Iron fans as Scunthorpe United only just managed to consolidate in League One.
I gave manager Alan Knill the benefit of the doubt, as he needed time to stamp his own mark on the club. He also had a disproportional squad, some of the players’ wages was deemed far too much for the small budget the club possesses.
Fast forward this season, in a summer of upheaval and new acquisitions to the side, I believed this season would be a more positive one. How wrong could I be?
The worst start to a season since 1966, Scunthorpe United were beaten once again last Saturday, losing 2-0 away at Hartlepool United. Played 4 lost 4, a goal difference of -10 and anchored to the foot of the League One table.
The season is still very young, and it would be pressing the panic button if Alan Knill was to be sacked so prematurely into the new campaign. But Knill has to justify the events that unfolded on the final day of the August transfer window.
Bobby Grant was sold to Rochdale for an undisclosed fee. The striker was a regular in the claret and blues starting XI. Despite finishing top goal-scorer for the club with 12 goals last season, the Liverpudlian struggled to build a rapport with the Iron fans, last season he was farmed out on loan to Accrington Stanley.
The start of this season appeared to be a revitalised Bobby Grant. Scorer of two goals in the historic 5-5 draw with Derby County, which ended with the Iron triumphing on penalties. However, in the 4-0 home defeat to Yeovil Town, Grant’s lacklustre display saw him substituted, cue cheers from the Scunthorpe fans, he showed his frustration by shaking his head as he trudged off the pitch.
Alan Knill said the fans reaction had a massive influence in Grant deciding his time had come to leave Glanford Park. The news of his transfer was announced lunchtime on deadline day. Many Iron fans began predicting which striker would be replacing Grant on a permanent or loan deal. Some fans began dreaming of previous loan star Ramon Nunez returning. As it turned out, the Iron fans were rewarded with nobody.
This sparked anger amongst the fans before the Hartlepool result. The question is did Knill allow Grant to leave thinking that he could bring in another striker on deadline day? One thing is for sure, the majority of Scunthorpe fans are voting on their feet, attendances are sinking rapidly, the voices calling the sack of Alan Knill continue to get louder and louder.
Knill had a difficult job on his hands as it is operating on a shoestring budget at the Iron. However he did the same at Bury and laid the foundations for The Shakers to get promoted to League One, before leaving for Glanford Park in March 2011.
As one of the media assistants at the club, I have to say I do feel for Alan Knill as he strikes me as a true footballing man who wants the best for the supporters and the club. The style of football that Knill has got the players doing is pleasing on the eye as they try and replicate Barcelona’s ‘ticki taka’ football. However, Scunthorpe have not been clinical enough with the ball.
Chairman Steve Wharton has publicly said he is searching for someone to take over the reins as an investor for the club. Gainsborough Trinity Chairman Pete Swann has announced he is stepping down at the end of this season, maybe he could be the new man that will inject some much needed money into the club?
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Next Saturday sees Scunthorpe United back on home soil as they face play-off placed Sheffield United. A win could spark a turnaround in the clubs fortunes, silencing the boo-boys and easing the mounting pressure off Knill. However, a fifth defeat on the bounce could see Alan Knill edge even closer to the exit door.
Many fans will choose to stay away, it is a decision they are entitled to as they spend their hard earned wages on watching their hometown team. But it is important that the fans that still go and watch Scunthorpe United remain loyal through this hard period and get behind the players and the manager. I know it’s a cliché, but with the pitch so close to the turnstiles, the fans really can be a 12th man for the club.
Let me know your thought and follow me on Twitter for even more Scunthorpe debate.
Arsene Wenger hasn’t just bought a world-class forward in Alexis Sanchez, as well as addressing a number of gaps in his squad through the signings of Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and David Ospina.
There isn’t any doubt about the club’s willingness to spend. Last summer, the spending, as big and influential as it may have been, came extremely late in the day. The following window in January, where Arsenal were crying out for a striker, or just some form of inspiration, a loan deal for Spartak Moscow’s Kim Kallstrom was completed, in spite of the reported cash reserves at the Emirates.
Going into this summer’s window, Wenger made it quite clear that a holding midfielder was needed. Mikel Arteta has performed courageously in that role since arriving from Everton in 2011, and Mathieu Flamini performed well in bursts last season, despite the negative reaction that surrounded his signing.
But unlike transfer windows of the past, there is little pressure on Wenger to get that area of the team sorted out, largely because everyone expects him to do so eventually.
That expectation wasn’t present in the past. It was a glimmer of hope struggling to the surface in a sea of resignation that the manager will stick rather than twist.
In terms of targets, Sami Khedira has been playing hardball over his wages, and Sporting’s William Carvalho won’t move unless the Portuguese club get their valuation of the player paid in full.
On both fronts, each club, Real Madrid and Sporting, know they’ll have to sell their player eventually. The European Cup winners are in danger of losing Khedira on a free next summer – and having just spent £63million on James Rodriguez and £24 million on Toni Kroos, that really shouldn’t be an option.
WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news
As for Sporting, Carvalho is too good to be limited to the Portuguese Liga; he’ll follow other highly-rated talents in moving to major clubs around Europe.
It’s for that reason that Wenger has every right to wait and see how things pan out. In fact, the best thing to do is to look to Real’s signings of this summer. Prior to the World Cup, it seemed unthinkable that Bayern Munich would allow Kroos to leave, and again ahead of the tournament in Brazil, no one was really talking about James as a big mover in this window, certainly not Real’s blockbuster signing.
But situations change, and there’s still plenty of time left in the window.
And in any case, Wenger does have two options to fall back on in Arteta and Flamini. Neither are good enough anymore to carry the burden for the entire campaign, but both will see minutes throughout the upcoming season, so where is the real damage in letting them partake in the season opener against Crystal Palace? If the best deal for Arsenal happens towards the back end of the window, then so be it.
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All the indications point to Khedira being the player Arsenal bring in to fill that holding midfield role, because while there is clearly interest in Carvalho, Real are under more pressure to move their player on now. But again, that situation could change over the coming days and weeks.
Defensive midfield is the most important area Arsenal need addressing. Olivier Giroud may be the team’s obvious centre-forward choice, but there is far from a shortage of goal scorers in the squad. Going the other way, however, Arsenal have been unable to stem the tide of opposition attacks, particularly against title contenders last season.
There is no doubt that Wenger will buy what the team need, but with so much positive action taken already this summer, the Arsenal boss can afford to take his time over what appear to be a set of complicated transfer targets.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming to secure at least one more Champions League trophy before he retires.
The Old Trafford boss has only won the competition twice in his 26 years in charge, reaching a two further finals.
But the Scotsman believes that his squad have enough capability to challenge Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in the latter stages of the competition this season.
Ferguson turns 71 at the end of this year and is aware that he won’t have too many European campaigns left, reiterating that securing the European hatrick is amongst his top priorities.
Sir Alex secured titles in both 1999 and 2008 and feels it is not out of the club’s grasp to add 2013 to the list.
Ferguson went on to tell the Manchester Evening News: “I think in terms of the history of our club, we should have one more and I want to win it again and get into the bracket of winners like Liverpool, our biggest rivals, Bayern Munich and Ajax.
“I think AC Milan and Real Madrid have got separated from the rest of the bunch but that definitely drives me on a bit.”
United’s manager also reflected on the club’s positive form in Europe, which has been in stark contrast to last season.
“We were careless and this year we made sure we were going to qualify and so far we have done well,” he added.
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In the process of securing their fourth straight victory in the Champions League this season, Manchester United ensured qualification for the last 16 knockout stages.
QPR striker Bobby Zamora has claimed that the majority of Fulham’s players do not get on with manager Martin Jol.
The forward left Craven Cottage for Loftus Road after the appointment of the Dutch coach, and has since revealed that the majority of the squad are not content with the outspoken coach.
“I left because I didn’t see eye to eye with Martin Jol. I think that is the case with the vast majority of players there now. A lot of the lads aren’t happy. But that’s that. There were a few bits and pieces but we just didn’t see eye to eye,” The Telegraph quote Zamora as saying.
Andrew Johnson, Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Mousse Dembele and Clint Dempsey have all left the Cottagers since Jol took over, but new signing Giorgos Karagounis has praised the under-fire trainer.
“He is a very experienced coach, who wants to play football the right way,” the experienced Greek midfielder stated.
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Steve Clarke says he would jump at the chance of taking Albion into Europe – even if it endangered the club’s Premier League safety.
The Baggies face Newcastle, who are still in the relegation scrap, this weekend, with Clarke still keen to emulate them by testing himself and his players with the added demands next season.
Newcastle played 14 matches in the competition before going out to Benfica in the quarter-finals, but Clarke remains envious of Alan Pardew’s men.
“It can be tough in Europe, but I don’t think anything should get in the way of your ambition,” he told ESPN. “If you have a chance to qualify for the Europa League then that’s what you should do, and you should take your chances like Newcastle did.
“They qualified for the quarter-finals, which was a great achievement. I’ve got some friends at Newcastle, and I know they really enjoyed their Europa League adventure.
“They enjoyed the trips, the games and the challenges against players from different countries. Being wrapped into the whole European package is great.
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“If you have the chance to do it as a coach, a player, a manager or a supporter, you have to try to do it and embrace it.”