With Danny Welbeck carrying an injury, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is set to lead the line for England this summer, according to The Telegraph.
The Anfield hitman has had a largely inconsistent 2011-12 campaign, but improved towards the end of the season with goals for the Merseyside club.
Welbeck is still suffering from an ankle injury that he picked up in the Manchester derby back in April, and is reported to have limped out of Three Lions training this week.
England defender Joleon Lescott has backed Carroll to start for Roy Hodgson’s men in Welbeck and Wayne Rooney’s absence, and pose a real threat to opponents this summer.
“Andy Carroll is a threat in any game,” the Manchester City centre-back told reporters.
“It’s nice to see him getting the media coverage and the high praise he deserves over the last few weeks of the season.
“I’m sure his confidence is high going into the tournament. Andy’s always a handful to play against but when his confidence is high it’s even worse.
“He has great ability, it’s not just in the air. International football is not just about that aerial threat but not many teams have that presence in the air and he brings that to the squad.
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“He’s had a good finish, been called into the squad for a major tournament so if his confidence is not high for something like this, there’s not a lot it will be high for. So you’d like to think after his last couple of games and getting called up, this is the best he’s felt about himself,” Lescott admitted.
Manchester United striker Michael Owen has come to the defence of team-mate David De Gea, stating that recent criticism of the goalkeeper has been unfair.
The young Spanish stopper has not lived up to expectations after his big-money summer move from Atletico Madrid, and has been blamed for Liverpool’s goals in The Red Devils’ 2-1 defeat at Anfield on Saturday.
However, Owen believes that goals from Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt were not De Gea’s fault, and that the goalkeeper will come good at Old Trafford.
“One comment on yesterday’s game. Don’t agree with all this negativity towards De Gea,” the veteran attacker said on Twitter.
“Admittedly he has made a couple of mistakes this season but listening to some people you would think he had a nightmare yesterday.
“I’m not having either goal was his fault. The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified. Other keepers make similar mistakes and nothing gets said.
“The ball was on the 6 yard box for the first goal. He has to go for it. He also needs to watch the flight of the ball. There is then 6 players in front of him. There is nothing he could do. The free header was the problem, not the keeper.
“He couldn’t do much with the second goal either. Is the problem not just a case of us not winning the first ball and not picking up a runner?
“In my opinion two bad goals to give away but to blame everything on the keeper is totally wrong. The lad will be a top keeper, he is only young. Harsh to blame him for everything,” he concluded.
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De Gea is currently locked in a battle with Anders Lindegaard to become Edwin van der Sar’s long-term successor.
Germany national team head coach Joachim Low has backed Michael Ballack to play on at the highest level for another two or three years, after the midfielder was released by Chelsea.
The 33-year-old has not been offered a new contract by the Blues and will leave Stamford Bridge after scoring 25 goals in 167 appearances in a four-year stay.
Ballack will miss the upcoming World Cup finals due to an ankle injury, but has joined the rest of the squad at a training base in Italy.
From there, Low commented:"I am certain that Ballack will play two or three more years at the top level, so he will certainly not be thinking of ending his career.
"He has lots of opportunities and he told me this in Sicily. He even has some concrete offers from different clubs in different leagues.
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"I think when you see what condition he was in recent months for Chelsea, then it is clear he will play at the highest level for two to three more years."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It was raining goals in the Premier League yesterday with no fewer than 36 hitting the onion bag. We can only hope that we will see much of the same at White Hart Lane and St James’ Park this afternoon, in what promises to be a feast of football.
In the papers this morning we have seen a mixed bag of stories including an exclusive interview with Gareth Bale; Michael Carrick wants a contract for life at Old Trafford, while Andy Carroll wants to make the headlines for all the right reasons and much more…
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Ivanovic admits Wilkins shock – Sky Sports
Harry Redknapp’s strength is to let his players enjoy themselves – Guardian
Newcastle’s Carroll wants to make headlines for the right reasons – Daily Mail
Gareth Bale Exclusive Interview – Mirror
Michael Carrick desperate to stay at Manchester United – IM Scouting
Liverpool line up swoop for Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano – IM Scouting
Roy Hodgson deserves better than this – Guardian
England 2018’s late bid for votes – Daily Telegraph
Hiddink sheds some light on the monkey business at Chelsea – Mirror
Arsenal to make £10m bid for Bolton’s Gary Cahill – IM Scouting
Grant opens door for Di Canio – Sky Sports
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Arnesen’s departure will leave Ancelotti isolated – Daily Telegraph
The manner in which Tony Pulis’ Stoke have established themselves in the Premier League hasn’t been to everybody’s taste, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be lauded for what is undoubtedly an impressive achievement. After his reappointment in 2006, Pulis and Stoke earned automatic promotion to England’s top flight on the final day of the 2007/08 season.
Despite initially being favourites for relegation the following season, Stoke surprised many in the first year back at the top. Victories against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Spurs and Man City would be indicative of the force that Stoke would come to represent – not necessarily feared but always respected.
Pulis’ finest achievement would come in the 2010/11 season as he guided Stoke to a place in the Europa League, courtesy of their place in that season’s FA Cup final (Man City, the winners, had already qualified for the Champions League).
In order to facilitate their European ambitions they signed, among others, Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios, Jonathan Woodgate, and Matthew Upson. In fact Stoke’s current squad boasts a selection of players who have played for some of the top teams in English football including: Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Stoke’s ambition should not be doubted. Over the last five years Stoke have spent over £68m on transfers despite having only sold players to the effect f £8m over the same period. The only teams to have a higher net spend during this time were Chelsea and Manchester City.
However, having made such investments are Stoke in serious danger of regressing next season? Last season Stoke finished 14th with 45 points. – their lowest position and points tally since they rejoined the Premier League.
Clearly the burden of European football will have affected their performances yet this is also the strongest squad Stoke have had in decades. Stoke may have established themselves in the league, and may have clawed their way up to European football but as many a Premier League manager will testify: establishing yourself as a European club is considerably harder than doing it on a domestic level.
Without a change in direction for next season Stoke’s hopes of continuing to rise through the table could be severely hampered. Regardless of the extra games they had to play, Stoke were a far less effective side than they had been in previous seasons. They conceded more goals than in the previous two seasons and their record at The Britannia was also considerably worse than the two previous years.
Stoke may be in possession of players with a higher level of technical ability but until Pulis manages to use them with the same level of efficiency that he did with his previous, more rugged, players Stoke will continue to struggle.
After such a defined, effective strategy of physical football have sacrificed tried and tested tactics in search of club progression. A season in to this semi-transformation and the club has regressed domestically.
Next season could be pivotal, established Premier League sides can always go down, just ask Leeds, Newcastle of West Ham, and money doesn’t buy security.
Moreover, having already spent considerable sums of money it seems unlikely that Peter Coates would be willing to invest similar funds again.
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In Pulis Stoke have an astute manager who has proven his worth both tactically and in the transfer market but another season like 2011/12 and Stoke could find themselves fearing relegation once more. They’ve come a long way since 2008 but if things don’t change at The Britannia it could be a short journey back to where they came from.
Chief football administer Brian Marwood has admitted Manchester City are unlikely to repeat the massive spending spree they embarked upon during the summer.
City spent an estimated £120million on a host of big-name players before, during and after the World Cup finals.
Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner and Mario Balotelli all arrived at Eastlands during a busy summer transfer window.
But on the same day that the club's Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour returned to the top of English football's rich list, Marwood has suggested that the days of big spending at Eastlands are over.
"Now the intensity of signing players is levelling off, allowing this group to build and develop – they haven't gelled yet," he told The Guardian.
"We have fast-tracked a lot. We need to put the structure in place. We talk about elite development, the academy, because that is the foundation. That is the future for Manchester City."
Meanwhile, Marwood has rejected criticism of City's transfer policy since Sheikh Mansour began his ambitious reign two years ago.
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"You have to chuckle to yourself," he continued.
"We were criticised for supposedly ruining English football by bringing foreign players in, then when the England team finished the last game against Switzerland, six City players were in it. That was a big jolt to a lot of people."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It seems like Avram Grant’s time as West Ham manager may well be up. It was reported in The Guardian yesterday that Grant has two games against Barnsley in the FA Cup and Birmingham in the Carling Cup to save his job and time is most certainly ticking on his West Ham tenure. This comes after Wednesday’s 5-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle and former West Ham manager Alan Pardew at St James’ Park, an embarrassing result that brought an abrupt end to the Hammers’ improved form in the Premier League. West Ham are now rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and the chairmen aren’t happy. Here’s West Ham chairman David Gold looking at his watch, but what is he thinking?
Leave your suggestions below…
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This week you can win a copy of FIFA 11!
FIFA 11 reinvents player authenticity – on and off the ball – for every player and at every position on the pitch with Personality+, an all-new feature that sees individual abilities reflected in game, enabling clear differentiation for every player.
For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here
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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Paul McConnell – click here to see all entries
West Ham welcome Sunderland to Upton Park on Saturday hoping to maintain their 100% home record.
Martin O’Neil brings his side to East London in search of their first three points having drawn all three of their opening Premier League fixtures.
Whilst unbeaten, Sunderland know their creativity needs to improve, having averaged just five shots per game this season, the lowest in the division.
Allardyce see’s his side currently sitting in eighth, and knows a victory could see them leapfrog into the top four ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.
Carlton Cole is set to continue deputising for the injured Andy Carroll, although the on loan Liverpool striker has returned to light training. Jack Collison also remains sidelined with a knee injury, whilst Matt Jarvis could make his first start for his new club after finding himself on the bench for last weekends trip to Norwich.
Sunderland remain without the injured trio of Carlos Cueller (hamstring), Phil Bardsley (ankle) and Wes Brown (knee).
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A late decision is expected to be made on Adam Johnson, after the winger was forced to withdraw from the England squad a fortnight ago with a thigh problem.
We’ve now enjoyed a wonderful 20 years of Premier League football since it’s inception in 1992/93. In that time we’ve seen wonderful foreign players ranging from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to Thierry Henry, not to mention the English stalwarts of the division like Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney. Manchester United have inevitably dominated during the modern era, overhauling rivals Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles and Arsenal have been their main rivals from an early stage.
However, we’ve seen challenges from certain money rich clubs to the dominance of those two sides, with Blackburn initially spending Jack Walker’s millions to land the title before Roman’s Russian revolution of Chelsea saw them catapult their way into the upper echelons of English football. However, Manchester City have now joined the elite, winning their first Premier League title thanks to their oil rich owners. In two decades, England’s top flights has seen tons of goals, assists, bookings, saves, corners and all the rest and to celebrate 20 years of Premier League football, we bring you the best 20 Premier League stats.
Click on Alan Shearer to unveil the top 20 stats from the Premier League
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It feels quite difficult not to be blinded be all the razzmatazz that’s surrounding Manchester United at the moment. A Marouane Fellaini induced defeat at Goodison Park last night may have brought supporters back down to earth, but the summer additions of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa have certainly brought a bit of glitz and glamour back to Old Trafford.
The Hollywood high profile feel of these sorts of acquisition always create a nice sense of pre-season belief, but it’s important not to forget the components of an already successful team. Because there is one player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side who may not necessarily bestow the flair and high profile of some of his colleagues, but he isn’t half crucial to the team’s future prospects. Antonio Valencia is more industry than ingenious; but he must start games for United.
It was a refreshing sight to see that amongst the influx of talent at Manchester United this summer, there was still room for Antonio Valencia in the starting line-up at Everton last night. It did however, soon become very clear that the Ecuadorian was in the team more as emergency cover than essential winger, as his stint at right back suggested. But whilst he suffered a difficult evening at the hands of the marauding Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar, his first-team prospects may strangely have been handed a boost.
Because for all United’s crisp passing and pretty patterns across the midfield, they failed to really create anything in the way of clear-cut chances. Now, before the sirens come out for media stirring and overreaction, you can’t read too much into the first game of the season; especially against a team as dogged and competitive as David Moyes’ Everton. But they were craving a more direct outlet last night or at least something a little more effective.
And they have the asset to do just that, although emergency right-back probably isn’t the most effective way to deploy him. Antonio Valencia is the quiet man of Old Trafford and his lack of baggage and fuss is perhaps testament to a Premier League profile that is often overshadowed by the likes of Nani and Ashley Young. Valencia gets on with the job and does it effectively. No rubbish, no whining and little theatrics. Just an outstanding work ethic and one of the most wicked deliveries in the league.
It’s always been like that since day one of Valencia’s Old Trafford career. He was brought in amongst a strangely muted atmosphere at Manchester United in 2009, following the £80miilion departure of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, and expectations for the new season were somewhat mixed. Despite the gifted talent of the man that had just departed, Valencia is of course a completely different package to the Portuguese, but that didn’t necessarily stop him being labeled as a replacement.
But Valencia got his head down and stuck to his game, paying dividends for both Manchester United and Wayne Rooney in particular, during his first term in Manchester. United narrowly lost out to Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea for the Premier League title during the 2009-10 term, but Valencia played his part, contributing seven goals and 11 assists in all competitions. The biggest benefactor was Rooney, who owed Valencia more than a few drinks as the winger played a key part in helping the Englishman net 34 goals in all competitions during his real breakthrough season as a goal scorer. Valencia didn’t showcase the sort of showboating or goal scoring talents of his predecessor, but it didn’t matter- his game is about effectiveness and he proved that in abundance.
Even last season, as Sir Alex Ferguson swooped for the services of Ashley Young, some still raised question marks about Valencia’s ability to survive in a squad that boasted both Young and Nani. But the statistics speak for themselves. Valencia knocked up 13 assists in the Premier League last season, second only to David Silva’s tally of 15 for eventual champions, Manchester City. Nani may be more of a match winner, but Valencia is perhaps the more consistent outlet with his almost industrial levels of performance.
He needs to add more goals to his game, but his role is as that of the provider, not the show stealer. His game is built around selflessness- he puts in the sort of tireless shifts defensively that his rivals would baulk at; look no further than Fergie’s decision to start with him in the Champions League final against Barcelona for evidence. But it’s his delivery that is the centerpiece of his game. In a league where we so often talk about the fabled notion of end-product, Valencia has it in abundance and he has produced the goods time and time again. His explosive pace and imposing strength catalyze the wonderful craft of his right foot. No need for step overs and no need for messing around- just a truly scintillating ball into the box.
And this is what Manchester United have to ensure they keep in their starting XI. Sir Alex has a lot of options in midfield now, but he can’t become too seduced by the aesthetically pleasing passing game or creating his own ‘carousel’ as he likes to call it. They need a cutting edge to compliment the craft. Shinji Kagawa is a wonderful prospect but he’s no wide player and his success at Borussia Dortmund came in a far more central role. Balancing the team is an art but there is one man who could prosper more than any from Valencia’s presence in the team.
When you sign a 30-goal-a-season striker, you need to give him the best possible service you have available. Valencia was, as already mentioned, a crucial component in eeking goals out of Wayne Rooney when he started playing higher up the pitch. There’s no reason why he can’t repeat the trick with Van Persie. Young and Nani are both creative outlets and they offer perhaps a more dynamic option to Sir Alex on the flanks. But surely the best bet in terms of getting the best out of Robin van Persie is plumping for the Ecuadorian.
Robin van Persie harnessethe sort of firepower that can see Manchester United back as Premier League champions again. But he’s not going to be able to do it all on his own. But be it Van Persie and Rooney up front together, Rooney just behind, or even Danny Welbeck for that matter, the purest choice of winger to get the most out of your attack must be Antonio Valencia.
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Manchester United host Fulham this Saturday at Old Trafford and it’ll be interesting to see if Ferguson will maintain his faith in Valencia. Let’s just hope he’s played a little bit further up the pitch this weekend.
How do you feel about the role Valencia has to play in the United team this season? Guarenteed starter or forever in Nani & Young’s shadow? Let me know how you’d get the best out of Van Persie on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and tweet me your line-up.