Barcelona midfielder Alex Song is believed to be considering leaving the Nou Camp in search of regular first-team football, according to reports from The Mirror.
The Cameroonian left Arsenal last year to join the Catalan giants, but has struggled to force his way into the starting XI on a regular basis.
Midfield trio Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Inesta are seen as the club’s first choice trio and are backed up by the likes of Cesc Fabregas.
This has seen Song spending most of his time at the club on the bench, leading to speculation of a Premier League return.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been linked with the enforcer, and could make winter moves if his situation is still bleak at the turn of the year.
Song has made just one start during Barca’s opening seven games of the 2013/14 campaign, which was forced due to an injury suffered by Busquets.
He is desperate to get his career back on track, with a move away from Spain thought to be the best option.
United and Arsenal are said to be very keen, with both sides looking at adding a deep lying midfielder to their ranks.
Spurs are also watching the situation, and could move to beat their rivals to his signature.
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Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has agreed a new deal with the club which will keep him at Old Trafford till at least June 2016.
The 24-year-old Northern Irish defender has become an increasingly important figure at United in recent seasons and the new deal will come as positive news for manager Sir Alex Ferguson as well as the Old Trafford faithful.
“Jonny has risen through the ranks to become an integral part of the first team squad. He has developed into a top player for us and has scored a couple of important goals this season too. I am delighted he has signed a new contract,” the United boss told the clubs official website.
Evans made his United debut in the League Cup against Coventry City in 2007 and has gone on to make 141 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring four goals.
He spoke of his delight at the new deal saying, “I’m delighted to sign my new contract. I am so proud to play for such a great club, and there’s no better feeling than playing football in this team and winning games.”
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Players like Evans along with the likes of Chris Smalling, 23, and Phil Jones, 20, will be seen as the future of the club, with Rio Ferdinand and recently returned club captain Nemanja Vidic both now into their 30’s.
Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen believes his team can take a lot of confidence from last night’s difficult 3-1 win against Olympiakos in the UEFA Champions League.
Their second consecutive win in Europe leaves the Gunners top of Group B, and has also lifted the team after their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last Saturday in the Premier League.
The scoring was opened by Gervinho, however Arsenal’s grip on the game quickly faded and Kostas Mitroglou equalised for the Greek champions just before half time.
Arsenal controlled the second half and goals from Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey secured the win for Arsene Wenger – watching from the stands due to a touchline ban.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Vermaelen said: “I think it gives us a lot of confidence, six out of six [points] and that’s really important.”
The Belgium international was eager to address his side’s conceded goal.
“In the first half we were sloppy sometimes with passing, we lost a lot of balls.
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“We started with a high tempo and that was great but then we dropped a little,” he said.
However, the Arsenal defender was pleased with his team’s result. “The most important thing is to win your home games in the Champions League. We want to keep it going.” he added.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has endured a strained relationship ever since taking over the club in the summer with midfielder Stewart Downing, but after the player’s recent confession that he’s been told that he can look elsewhere for a new club in January is simply latest example in a whole line of bundled communicative measures which could prove the last straw in extending his time on Merseyside.
Back in September, the 39-year-old boss challenged both Downing and Jose Enrique to up their game otherwise the exit door loomed large for them at Anfield, explaining: “What is important is that you have good communication. I don’t waste time waiting until January to tell both players what I know now. We will give them everything to help them to be better, but if they don’t want to show that self-motivation – and if they haven’t got that desire and hunger to succeed – then it can be very difficult. Stewart is a good guy but it hasn’t quite worked out for him as he would want it. The big challenge for him now is that commitment to the cause – to fight – because he has the qualities. Talent alone is not enough. You have to work hard; you have to fight for the shirt. I will keep private the discussions Stewart and I have had but he is under no illusion that he has to fight.”
Quite aside from the fact that this wasn’t keeping the conversations between the pair private by any stretch, openly calling out a player in public and slamming him for his past form is a bold move to take as it leaves little wriggle room if things don’t improve, while also souring relations to an alarming extent, creating needless tension for the media to thrive on.
This prompted Downing to, sadly again, publicly lash out at Rodgers’ confrontational style and respond to claims that some of the players were ‘lazy’ during their 3-2 defeat at home to Udinese in the Europa League: “I was obviously upset. I always try to give my best. You’ll have to ask the manager what he meant by his quotes. I would have preferred it obviously if it was private. Bravery is a lot of things, if you want tackling, running around bustling, that obviously is not my game. But bravery is also taking the ball when you are losing a game and creating things, which I try to do. We’ve had a few conversations. You can sit in offices for hours and talk about my game, but the only way I can prove it is out on the field. When I’m given that chance I have to take it. I thought I did OK against Udinese. I’ve three years left on my contract so I’m going nowhere. I will fight.”
All is clearly not well between the pair, and while Rodgers praised Downing’s display and winning goal during the 1-0 win over Anzhi Makhachkala at home in his post-match press conference, his actions in walking onto the pitch and pointing to Downing for the applause of the crowd, while well-intentioned, only served to come across as deeply patronising.
The latest step comes after Downing revealed in a frank interview with Liverpool’s match-day programme before their game against Aston Villa last weekend: “The manager has said I can leave if I want to. But then all of a sudden I’ve come back into the team, it’s a strange situation. I’ve played for a long time and there are spells when you can be in and out of the side. At the minute I’m trying to play as many games as possible. If that doesn’t happen I’m at an age where I can’t be sat around. I need to play and the manager understands that. That’s how the situation is and we’ll have to see what happens in January or the summer.”
Putting aside quite how the club can ever hope to receive any sort of return on their £20m investment on such a clear flop, one who has frequently been played out of position at left-back and is known to have a fractious relationship with his manager, why the club deemed it intelligent to place that in the programme truly beggars belief. The club used to be known as one which kept matters such as this in-house; they were private and sorted between the two parties amicably, but this soap opera is being played out in the public arena and neither side is helping as they air their dirty linen in public.
You can hardly blame Downing for feeling marginalised, after all, he is the club’s fourth-most expensive player ever, yet he has been routinely humiliated and made to feel small by a manager who appears to think that getting right up in someone’s face is the correct approach for every single player, but each player responds differently; some prefer the arm around the shoulder, others being barked orders at.
It’s bizarre to say the least and this whole situation has been created by Rodgers ostracising of Downing in public, leading the player to try and get his own version of events across. You could comfortably attribute blame to both, but the conditions for this situation were first created by the manager back in September.
The 28-year-old has never played to the best of his somewhat limited ability during his time at the club and they would be well within their rights to try and move him on as he’s been granted numerous opportunities to impress. The truth of the matter is that Liverpool grossly overpaid for a one-dimensional winger with very little pace, so his failure should come as no surprise, for he’s been a divisive figure for years and was purchased off the back of his first truly exceptional season at club level which has proven to be the exception rather than the rule.
Despite all of this, though, Rodgers desire to create news where none exists and keep the media in the loop with his brutal honesty has only served to backfire and will surely only weaken the club’s negotiating position when they do come to sell. There’s nothing that has been said in public by either Rodgers or Downing that would not have had the same impact in private and by making this falling-out visible to everyone, while it may be honesty, in this case it has certainly proved not to be the best policy for the reaction it has caused, the tense environment it has created and the needless attention it has attracted.
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Everton’s draw dropping last gasp win against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park came with a hint of reality, as Kevin Mirallas suffered a setback with a recurring hamstring injury.
Sunday’s game marked a return to action for the Belgium international who had previously missed Everton’s last four games through injury to the very same hamstring.
David Moyes is awaiting further information on the extent of the injury after taking the player off at half-time. He’s hoping that this won’t be a long-term problem for the Toffees.
Moyes himself is sanguine about the latest injury complaint, stating that “We don’t think he has done his hamstring, he just felt it had tightened up.”
“I don’t think it is bad but the last thing you want to see is the recurrence of a hamstring injury,” said Moyes.
Moyes was full of praise for the player, stating that “You can see what he offered us in the first half, something which we have probably missed.”
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Whilst Everton might have missed the sight of Mirallas in the starting line-up, his team-mates certainly saw off Spurs with a 2-1 win, albeit in a rather nail biting fashion. Nikica Jelavic bagged the injury-time winner after Steven Pienaar’s 90th minute goal levelled terms.
The Toffees boss was happy with the Croatian getting his first goal in a month, “There were signs he was getting a little bit better but he looked a bit frustrated because we weren’t getting the ball to him enough.” Moyes then stated that, “If he can keep getting the goals, and with Steven getting one, it keeps us moving along nicely.”
He’s had a terrible season at Spurs, frustrating the fans with his poor performances, yet without Emmanuel Adebayor on Wednesday night, Tottenham probably wouldn’t have got a point from their match with Chelsea. The Togolese striker scored a stunner to level the scores at 1-1, before his delicate back-heel assisted Gylfi Sigurdsson to equalise for the second and last time just minutes before the full time whistle.
A rare, superb display by the forward, scoring his seventh goal in all competitions for Spurs this season. And yet such a great performance can frustrate so many fans. Tottenham’s faithful will be asking why he doesn’t play like that every week. Often criticised for being lazy and uninterested most of the time, Adebayor looked like a man proving a point at Stamford Bridge. With AVB supposedly looking to bring in a new striker in the summer, maybe Adebayor was proving he still has what it takes at White Hart Lane, or maybe he was just desperate to get into the Champions League. For whatever reason, the former Arsenal star was on top of his game
[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”list”]
A professional performance from a man who has been completely unprofessional at Tottenham all season. The forward struggled from the off this campaign, scoring his first goal in November against Arsenal before getting sent off. After getting his third goal in all competitions by the second day of 2013, the majority of supporters weren’t too upset to see him jet off to the African Cup of Nations. Adebayor appeared four times for Togo, and although he only scored once, he played much better than when wearing the white of Tottenham.
And yet when he came back, Manu was still struggling in a Spurs shirt. He upset Tottenham fans instantly, with his delayed return from the African Cup of Nations. With Jermain Defoe out injured, Spurs needed Adebayor. But he was still in Africa, where he claimed there was no travel arranged for him to return, after he was asked to meet the Togo President with the rest of the team. Supporters may have forgiven him eventually, but they were still frustrated with his performances when he returned. Knowing he was a good player, it was difficult to give an explanation as to why Adebayor was failing to make a positive impact.
But the chant “He scores when he wants” seems to be appropriate when it comes to Adebayor. A temperamental player, the draw against Chelsea showed Spurs fans he still has the quality they saw when he first joined the club. And yet the fact the Togo forward decides not to play with the same energy or desire in all of Tottenham’s matches, let alone score goals such as on Wednesday night, has left Spurs supporters in pain.
Never looking hungry, or energetic, Adebayor has been a frustrating player to watch. Chelsea fans may suffer from seeing Torres struggle to score, but at least they see the Spaniard try hard to get on the score sheet. But with Adebayor, there appears to be a lack of drive, and just the occasional piece of magic which makes most Tottenham fans keep the faith with the former City forward, before once again letting them down with a string of goalless, effortless matches.
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After he demanded such high wages when Spurs made his loan deal permanent, you would expect the striker to work hard to remind the club why they pay him approximately £100,000-a-week. Instead, Daniel Levy watches his money trudge along the pitch, with no desire to bust a gut. And then when everyone starts to question the striker, once every one or two months, he plays closer to his 100% talent, to ease supporters’ woes. And then the cycle loops, ending disappointment with one brief, yet quality performance, before reverting back to his normal, lazy state of disinterest. He may well have been crucial in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea, but if the club are serious about becoming a Champions League team, they are best off chucking the man sucking up their wages, and bring in a hungry, energetic forward instead.
Comfortably perched at the Premier League’s apex with progression to the knock-out stages of the Champions League. Yet the Red Devils’ start to the season is still being described as mediocre. Sir Alex Ferguson won’t mind in the slightest now that his side have seized control at the top and avoided the humiliation of dropping out of Europe at the group stage like they did last term. The final two months of the year are usually when Manchester United shift up through the gears and barricaded themselves at the top-flight summit. Crucial to achieving that objective before entering 2013 will be Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie continuing to fire on all cylinders. Rooney has taken his time to find form, but he has looked back to his best in the last few weeks playing just off the shoulder of Van Persie and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
This week on FFC is Nani routinely victimised at Old Trafford and which United defender is reportedly a January target for one of the top clubs in Spain?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Does he receive a bad press at Manchester United?
Time for him to make a position his own at Old Trafford?
Was Ferguson wrong to have his say?
Have Manchester United ruthlessly exposed the downfall?
Manchester United’s win told us nothing of their worth
Diamonds aren’t forever at Old Trafford
Manchester United given transfer greenlight…should they want him
Manchester United to test Celtic’s resolve with £12m bid
Manchester United star rules out transfer exit
[divider]
Best of WEB
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Has Midfield Legend Become ‘Too Good’ For Manchester United? – Red Flag Flying High
The Greenhoff Column : A Crucial Run – 7Cantonas
Frustrated Fergie challenges Reds on van Persie’s special day – United Rant
“It Is Clear In January He Will Leave” – The Busby Way
Is Wayne Rooney On The Same Path As Paul Scholes? – Red Flag Flying High
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Quote of the Week
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“No, not at all. Obviously I was disappointed at the weekend, not only to miss but to miss the target. I said after the game it wasn’t good enough and (against Braga) I was a bit fortunate; I slipped but thankfully it’s gone in so I’m happy with that. At the time it happened so quick, but obviously I’ve seen it going towards the goal and the keeper going the other way. I was happy with it going in but obviously I’ve been quite lucky with that.” Wayne Rooney confesses his relief at scoring from the spot against Braga after missing from 12-yards against Arsenal
Liverpool Football Club have welcomed the announcement of a fresh investigation into police conduct surrounding the Hillsborough disaster.
The new enquiry has been described as a ‘significant step forward’ in the campaign for justice for the families and survivors of the tragic events that occurred on April 15, 1989.
It will study any possible crimes committed by South Yorkshire police and others in relation to the disaster.
The club’s managing director Ian Ayre, said:”We welcome today’s announcement by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions. This is another significant step forward in the campaign for justice for Hillsborough families and survivors.” (Guardian)
The Independent Police Complaints Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions revealed on Friday that they would review the evidence looking at the circumstances in which the 96 fans died. They will then decide if they should bring any charges for manslaughter, perjury or perverting the course of justice to the courts.
The commission will also reassess if there was a cover-up by the police officers who were in charge of the original investigation of the Hillsborough disaster. While an investigation to find out if any officers perverted the course of justice by providing wrong information to journalists, leading to misleading and incorrect newspaper stories being published about Liverpool fans, will also be carried out.
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Mr Ayre added: “We will follow the progress of this investigation and remain resolute in our support of the families and survivors as they continue with their battle to bring those responsible for the tragedy to justice.”
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has dismissed rumours that he is set to return to Spain in the January transfer window, as reported by The Sun.
De Gea is happy at United, despite Sir Alex Ferguson regularly chopping and changing his goalkeepers, leaving nobody 100% sure who his current number one is.
De Gea arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid last year and it is rumoured that the other big club from the Spanish capital are interested in him becoming the long term successor of legend Iker Casillas.
However, the United stopper has put to bed those rumours and is keen to rise to the challenge that Sir Alex has laid down for him.
“I am happy at United and not thinking about a return to Spain,
“I’ve accepted the challenge to learn and improve as a professional.
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“And fighting for my place gives me a bigger incentive to play well.”
Marco Reus has often been linked with Premier League clubs but his anticipated move to the English top flight could finally materialise this summer, following reports that the Borussia Dortmund star has stalled contract talks at Westfalen.
News of the German international’s apparent £20million release clause, set to come into effect in summer 2015, was brought to light during the off-season by none other than Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. It was assumed however, Reus’s loyalty, despite his availability, remained firmly with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
But with discussions over a new deal – that would eradicate his remarkably cheap buy-out fee -reportedly hitting a sour note, potential suitors will feel their chances of signing Reus have dramatically improved. And according to the tabloids, Arsenal and Liverpool have emerged as the most interested parties.
It won’t be the clear-cut choice the British press are currently making out. After all, Reus is regarded as one of the most exciting attacking talents in European football, and at just 25 years of age, virtually every major club on the continent will look to capitalise upon the opportunity to sign the forward for his best years.
But in the interests of debate, the question must be asked; who should Marco Reus choose – the Mersey outfit or the Gunners?
Liverpool need a new hero after losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona this summer and Reus is more than capable of filling that void with a paralleled talismanic tone.
It may not be an achievement of recognised value like trophies or titles, but maintaining the tradition of world-class attacking talent at Anfield is an honour in its own right. Reus possesses the quality to rival the likes of Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Kenny Dalglish in Liverpool’s history books, and one can already envisage him in the famous No.7 jersey.
That nostalgic prestige won’t be enough on its own however, and at this moment in time, it remains to be seen just where Brendan Rodgers can take the club in terms of silverware. Following their subdued start to the season, even Liverpool’s Champions League status is currently under threat.
History tells us too that Anfield is more of a stepping stone than a final destination. Many of the aforementioned names left for huge money to the world’s top clubs. Having already more than proved his worth at Borussia Dortmund, it’s not as if Reus needs the platform Liverpool would provide to attract attention from Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Philosophically however, Liverpool’s style of play suits the Germany star well. The Anfield outfit share many characteristics with the Black-Yellows; particularly, their industriousness, desire to defend from the front and the ability to move the ball at breakneck pace going forward. In theory, Reus would transition to life on Merseyside with few teething pains.
Not that he’d be in any way alien to Arsenal’s brand of football. Reus is best famed for his electric pace but the forward’s technical qualities are equally astounding. And the level of talent on the display at the Emirates is arguably more alluring than Anfield- the prospect of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Reus operating in attacking tandem verges upon orgasmic. You could throw Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere into that equation too.
The recent plight of Mesut Ozil however should serve as a warning to Reus. Arsene Wenger spent around £80million to bring Ozil and Sanchez to the Emirates, but he’s yet to truly mould the team around either of them – something the Dortmund star would surely expect should he join the Arsenal ranks next summer.
Of course, Reus is an exceptionally versatile footballer but that same characteristic has served his countryman poorly, who now finds himself regularly lingering in an unaccommodating role on the right hand side. The core of the issue is Arsenal’s depth of quality in midfield; Wenger struggles to find room for all and, as is the case with Ozil, eventually settles on an uneasy compromise.
Comparatively, at Liverpool, Reus would be uncontested for his habitual role on the left hand side; currently, the Anfield roster is absent of established wide options. How he would fit into a strike-force that already contains two elite strikers in Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge however, or how Rodgers would balance gametime between the German, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana in the No.10 role, remain further conundrums.
Admittedly, the differences between the two clubs are rather minimal. Both will be competing for the same aims in the league this season, both will be challenging regularly for auxiliary silverware, and both employ a style of football that suits Reus’ natural strengths as a footballer.
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In terms of the starting Xi however, I feel that there would be a natural role for Reus at Liverpool, or at least, Brendan Rodgers will feel obliged to carve one for him. For Arsenal on the other hand, he’d only be exacerbating a situation that Arsene Wenger is already struggling to resolve.
That being said, a year in the world of Premier League football is a very, very long time.
[ffc-quiz ]
It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…