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.
Real Madrid attacker Lucas Vazquez has told Liverpool that he will not be joining the club this summer following their Champions League final defeat, according to Don Balon.
What’s the story?
The Spanish publication reports that Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has been keen on Vazquez moving to Anfield to provide competition for Roberto Firmino.
However, the Spaniard – valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – reportedly decided on Saturday night that he does not want to join the Merseyside outfit following their Champions League misery.
The Reds were beaten 3-1 by Madrid in Kiev, and the collapse began after Mohamed Salah was forced off the pitch 31 minutes into the clash with a dislocated shoulder.
Loris Karius made two big blunders in goal, allowing Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale to strike, while the latter hit a stunning bicycle kick to take the headlines.
Vazquez has struggled for game time at the Bernabeu, and made just 16 starts in La Liga last season.
However, Don Balon reports that the attacker now wants to fight for his position in Madrid.
Will Liverpool struggle to sign stars?
If the Merseyside outfit had won the Champions League, then their position in the transfer market would have been boosted.
Financially, the club would have pocketed a tidy sum, and their reputation would have strengthened.
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It was not meant to be, though, which may cause some players to second guess whether joining Liverpool is the right option.
Klopp’s side have shown throughout the campaign that they are moving in the right direction, but they are not quite at the level to challenge the Real Madrids of the world.
Players that fit the manager’s mould should be excited by the prospect of competing at Anfield, but the club may need to work a little harder to get deals over the line.
West Ham United will have to endure an FA Cup Third Round replay after failing to beat League One outfit Shrewsbury Town on Sunday.
The underdog home side actually dominated large portions of the game and were unlucky not to secure a massive cup upset, but David Moyes managed to hold out to bring the tie back to the London Stadium.
The Hammers failed to create much on the afternoon despite a strong side being named, with only four changes from Thursday’s draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Fans were disappointed with the result and performance, with plenty of criticism aimed at striker Javier Hernandez in particular.
The Mexican international looked far below his best and now hasn’t scored since October, a run of nine matches without hitting the back of the net.
Supporters are looking for more from the striker but some have lost patience completely, believing he should move on to a new club this month.
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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
While Manchester City continue to wipe the floor with anyone who visits the Etihad, their away form in any competition remains a worry for Manuel Pellegrini.
The Chilean manager will be aware of the pressure he faces to win a trophy in his debut season at City and he will have noted the Capital One Cup as one piece of silverware he has every chance of lifting.
But he his players face an in-form and high-flying Championship side in Leicester City who will have already dispatched Premier League Fulham, and they’ll be confident of an upset at the King Power Stadium.
But where will the key battles be on the field between a team desperate to prove themselves against top-flight opposition ahead of a possible promotion and a City side struggling on their travels?
Kasper Schmeichel v Costel Pantilimon
The former Manchester City keeper failed to impress the management during his time at the Etihad and, after five loan spells, was sold to Notts County in 2009. Since then the 27-year-old Dane has proven to be one of the best shot stoppers in the Football League, and he’ll be eager to prove City that it was a mistake to allow him to leave the club.
Pantilimon has had his first sniff of first team football for City in recent weeks, after Pellegrini dropped Joe Hart, and he won’t want to give his first team spot up easily.
It’ll be a battle between a former Manchester City understudy and a current one, which should prove interesting. Either way, with Leicester looking good for promotion to the Premier League, Schmeichel will have plenty more chances to prove a point.
Anthony Knockaert v Jack Rodwell
Jack Rodwell’s time at City has been a frustrating one, plagued with injury and having to compete with some of Europe’s best midfielders for game time.
But the Capital One Cup gives him the perfect opportunity to show manager Pellegrini that he can be an important asset, although he will have to deal with a French attacking midfielder who is improving with every game at Leicester.
Knockaert is becoming an influential member of Nigel Pearson’s side as they chase promotion back to the top-flight and could provide Rodwell and City with a number of problems if he is given the time and space in front of the defence, with his ability to hit the target from long range a real threat.
Lloyd Dyer v Gael Clichy
Dyer’s pace on the wing has led to him being an important fixture in Leicester’s side since 2008. He’s netted five goals so far this season – two in the Capital One Cup – and can be a thorn in the side of any defender he runs at.
Clichy likes to get forward at any given opportunity but, if Dyer sees a lot of the ball, he could spend a lot of the game defending.
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Dyer’s impact on the wing doesn’t just get him goals, but he regularly turns provider and, if Clichy can keep him quiet all game, Leicester’s attacking threat will take a hit.
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Roberto Mancini and Mario Balotelli are said to have had another bust-up after Manchester City relinquished their lead to draw 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday.
The temperamental Italian forward was left on the bench for the crunch fixture, with Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero starting for the Premier League champions.
Balotelli did get a chance to enter the play after 85 minutes, replacing Aguero towards the end of the game.
The pair have had clashes before, with Balotelli getting sent off against Arsenal last season at the Emirates Stadium and feeling the anger of Mancini after the dismissal.
It is believed that Balotelli confronted his trainer after the game on Sunday, and Mancini pushed the striker in the tunnel, but the City manager has refused to exaggerate the incident.
“I don’t remember what happened after the game,” Mancini is quoted as saying by Mirror Football.
“I don’t know if he was asking me something. That’s not important. Mario thinks it was important, probably. I don’t know. Tomorrow I’ll ask him.”
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Balotelli has recently returned to action after laser surgery on his eye, but is by no means guaranteed a place in City’s line-up due to the strength in depth the squad have in attack.
Sir Alex Ferguson stunned Manchester United with his plans to retire at the end of the 2012/13 season and attempted to soften the blow by appointing his own successor.
It was almost an incredibly scaled-up version of an employee telling their boss that they need that day off that they were told they absolutely could not have but it’s fine because they’ve already organised cover.
Suddenly, two enormous decisions in the club’s history had been taken out of their hands; David Moyes wasn’t so much appointed by the club but anointed by Fergie.
As dire as times have become at Arsenal in recent years, they at least had a template on how not to replace a legendary manager which should have helped them avoid the same problems that United encountered.
Arsene Wenger’s departure from Arsenal has been as telegraphed as Ferguson’s was unexpected. The Gunners were only moving in one direction and it was just a case of when and not if the stagnation, the voices of discontent from Arsenal FanTV, the lack of a Premier League title challenge, the empty seats and the failure to make the Champions League became too much.
The club – one of the country’s best run off the pitch in terms of professionalism and slickness – had years to prepare for Wenger to leave and draw up a suitable succession plan.
Yet, it would seem that one was not put in place. Wenger has effectively revealed that he did not choose the timing of his departure from the Emirates but the Arsenal have reacted in the aftermath of the news with all the poise, composure and direction of a club who have had the decision sprung on them.
There is no uniformity among the managers who have been linked to the club as the leading candidates to replace Wenger.
Max Allegri, Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira, Theirry Henry and Luis Enrique are characters with vastly different levels of experience, playing styles and personalities. Arsenal have jettisoned Wenger without a clear idea of who – or even what type of manager – they want in.
Enrique was approached before Arsenal were put off by his eye-watering wage demands; surely the Gunners could have sounded out the former Barcelona boss at an earlier stage and procured this information sooner?
Arsenal look like a club without any clear idea of where to go after Wenger. Do they want Allegri or is he just appealing because he contrasts to sharply with Wenger’s style as a disciplined, defensively-focused manager?
Do they want a safe pair of hands to absorb the loss of Wenger before passing the reigns to a younger man to start a new dynasty?
Targeting untried managers like Arteta, Henry, Vieira or even Rui Faria or Zeljko Buvac would indicate a commitment – potentially misguided given the way that the United job swallowed even an experienced like Moyes whole – to developing a younger coach but those men have a spectrum of managerial influences.
There is not a playing style that connects them or suggests that Arsenal know the way they want to approach the post-Wenger era tactically.
Allegri has now committed his future to Juventus, which appears to have left the Gunners scrambling around somewhat; they may well have expected him to leave Turin but were either misinformed or unable to convince the Italian that the club would be competitive under his stewardship.
The prominence of Arteta and Henry in the race to succeed Wenger hints that a sentimental appointment could be made.
In the absence of an outstanding candidate, a sense of direction or a clear sense of identity in terms of playing style, the Arsenal board are moving towards simply appointing a man that the fans like.
In the Arsenal FanTV generation, there may well be a hope that appointing a former club captain or icon eases the instant pressure that comes with succeeding Wenger, especially in the absence of a clear blueprint for success in the Frenchman’s absence.
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The issue with #WengerOut – and the fact it lasted so many years – was the lack of clarity over who it was that the club’s fans actually wanted in charge. The frontrunner to take over from Wenger became secondary to the desire for him to leave.
It is not the fans’ role to choose, but the board’s decision to remove Wenger was taken with a similar lack of foresight. Choosing a former Arsenal man would be a transparent attempt to ease the scrutiny on a decision that looks increasingly likely to be taken in haste.
The post-Wenger era at Arsenal is off to a shambolic start.
Make no mistake about it, transfer fees have gone through the roof over the last few years. While that’s unquestionably true at the top end of the transfer market, the world-record fee being broken three times in the last four years, it’s affected those lower down the pecking order as well.
Reported West Ham target Alfie Mawson represents a fine example. The Swansea centre-back is yet to be capped by England, plies his trade with a relegation-threatened side and only has 18 months’ worth of experience in the Premier League. But according to The Sun, signing him this January would set the east London club back a whopping £40million.
That would constitute a record transfer fee for the Hammers but it appears Irons supporters have become accustomed to such extortionate deals. When we asked West Ham fans earlier this week whether they’d back a £40million swoop for Mawson, our poll revealed that almost half – 48% – would.
Would Mawson be a good signing for David Moyes’ first transfer window at the London Stadium? Let us know by commenting below…
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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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Both FIFA and UEFA have an obligation to safeguard the future of football. The European governing body’s plan to regulate the spending of its constituency members is an admirable, and necessary, step. There are other areas though where UEFA could potentially step in to regulate certain parts of the sport. For example, player transfers. It is so interlinked with the problems facing the sport at this present time that for many it seems like the next logical step for Platini to take.
Such an exercise would undoubtedly come with challenges but it could be a valuable opportunity to stamp out certain, less favourable elements of the sport. Attempting to do so would not come without opposition but providing it received the backing of the clubs it could prove worthwhile.
The primary benefit of having a UEFA regulated transfer market would be that agents would become, for the most part, redundant. There would be no need for agents to act as a mediator if that mediator was a centralised governing body.
At a time when money’s stranglehold of our sport is ever increasing so is the power that agents are able to wield over clubs and footballers. How many players have been persuaded to move from their clubs as a result of their agents? How many footballers’ dream moves have never materialised as a result of their agents’ financial demands?
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted to having cancelled transfers as a result of the demands of the agents. There is a fine line between having the best interests of your client at heart and simply trying to extort as much money out of a club as possible. The vast majority of agents in today’s world have crossed that line.
To rid our sport of agents would also, you would hope, encourage a culture whereby footballers are taught to think for themselves. The commercialisation of football has taken so much from the game that it is important that the players themselves are still able to analyse and appreciate their moral responsibilities and act accordingly.
In theory, if UEFA regulate the transfer market there will also be less of a possibility for corruption. The allegations made by the BBC towards a number of Premier League managers, coaches and agents could be a thing of the past. There would be no opportunity for corruption to go unnoticed if UEFA had an active role in every transfer.
It’s not just bungs that are the issue either. Anybody who read or watched the recent reports on the trafficking of young African footballers to Europe will understand that a more intensive focus is needed on the transfer market, especially when players have come from deprived areas where they may be manipulated and abused.
There are, however, downsides to implementing an initiative like this. The first is that, just because we allocate the responsibility to UEFA it wouldn’t necessarily mean that corruption could not take place. After the revelations of the last two years associated with FIFA, trust for football’s governing bodies are at an all time low whilst having UEFA regulate transfers could stamp out elements of lower level corruption it is far from guaranteed.
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The main issue for UEFA would be the sheer scale of the task. Would it actually be possible to closely monitor every single transfer made throughout Europe? And, even if they could do it, would it be painfully inefficient. On the whole, centralised governing bodies are always slower to act than local, devolved governing bodies. Were this pattern to be mirrored in football it could spell the end of last minute deadline day signings and transfers of this nature. Sometimes it is essential for transfers to be conducted quickly and it would appear unlikely that such transfers would ever be possible.
Lastly, while it’s important to remember that some agents do serve some sort of purpose in some cases, it is obvious that UEFA should attempt to create some extra regulating bodies to monitor the transfer market in Europe. The power of certain incredibly rich clubs is becoming dangerous, as is the influence that agents hold over their players. What those necessary next steps are, however, is up to Platini.
It is only Manchester United’s stuttering form that prevented them securing second place in the Premier League prior to their 0-0 bore draw against West Ham.
The Red Devils would have had the luxury of resting players with even more time to spare before the FA Cup final had they not contrived to lose against Brighton and West Brom in recent weeks but after their stalemate against the Hammers means that the runners-up spot is finally theirs.
That means that Mourinho can – like he did last season before the Europa League final – use the campaign’s last Premier League engagement to showcase some of the club’s best young talent.
On that occasion, United ran out 2-0 winners against Crystal Palace with youngster Josh Harrop – who is now at Preston – getting the opening goal and Reds fans want to see something similar against Watford this weekend.
They are calling on Mourinho to ring the changes again and one or two names in particular keep cropping up…