England manager Roy Hodgson has announced his England squad for Euro 2012, with no real surprises in the new head coach’s selection.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is joined by Norwich’s John Ruddy and West Ham’s Robert Green in the 23-man contingent.
As rumoured in the press over the last 24 hours Rio Ferdinand has been left out at the expense of controversial Chelsea centre back John Terry, whilst Kyle Walker also misses out through injury.
Glen Johnson has been included as an option for right-back, with Phil Jones seemingly as backup, but there is no place for Micah Richards.
In midfield, seasoned campaigners Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are included, as is Scott Parker despite an injury scare. However Paul Scholes has not been selected, despite reports linking the Manchester United man to be interested in coming out of international retirement.
Stewart Downing is included on the flanks, as are Arsenal duo Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but there is no place for Aaron Lennon.
In attack, Hodgson has only decided to take four strikers despite Wayne Rooney being suspended for the first two games, with Jermain Defoe, Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck also travelling to Ukraine and Poland.
In reserve, five players including Phil Jagielka and Daniel Sturridge have been name in a stand-by list.
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Butland, Jagielka, Henderson, Adam Johnson, Sturridge.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed the club has completed a deal to sign striker Gervinho from French club Lille.The Ivory Coast international, who scored 15 goals and contributed 10 assists to help the French side to their first league title in 57 years last season, arrives at the Emirates Stadium for a fee believed to be 10.6 million pounds.
Wenger revealed the news about Gervinho as his side arrived in Malaysia ahead of their lucrative pre-season tour of Asia.
The 24-year-old has not joined his new club on the tour, but Wenger will be keen to give him plenty of time on the pitch with his new team-mates prior to the start of the season.
The Gunners reportedly agreed personal terms with the striker last month, but have spent the intervening period in talks with Lille over his price.
Gervinho becomes the second off-season arrival at the Emirates Stadium after the signing of full-back Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic, as Wenger looks to revamp his squad in a bid to end the club’s six-year trophy drought.
The Frenchman has also vowed to keep star duo Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri at the club.
There has been much speculation around the future of the pair, with both rumoured to be keen on a move away from London.
But Wenger insists he will be doing his best to keep the duo.
“Our position is always the same, we want to keep Cesc and I will fight as hard as I can to keep him,” Wenger said.
“Samir Nasri is exactly the same. We will do everything we can to keep him.”
Three days from now we’ll know whether England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup has been successful. Let’s hope that our campaign team have done all the right deals and agreed to play the right amount of prestige friendlies to win the day. If we do get the nod, though, let’s forget any pretence that the FA have succeeded because England have the best stadia, the best infrastructure and the most passionate fans. I reckon we do have all of those things (give or take the M25) but the whole bidding process seems questionable and has little to do with which nation is capable of staging the best football tournament.
By the time 2018 comes round, it will be 52 years since England last hosted a World Cup. And the main reason I hope we get it again, is that it will be the only chance we’ll ever have of winning it again in my lifetime. It’s no coincidence that England’s only major trophy was earned on home soil, or that our only other excellent tournament performance, possibly even better than ‘66, came at Euro 96. Home advantage makes a massive difference.
In 1966, we were helped by playing every match at Wembley, a stadium we all knew so well. But the main reason home advantage is so crucial is the refereeing. Had England played Argentina in Buenos Aires in the 1966 quarter-final, I certainly don’t think their skipper, Antonio Rattin, would have been sent off. And if the final had been in Germany, does anyone really believe Geoff Hurst’s second goal would have been given?
Maybe I’m just a natural sceptic. I mean, I didn’t even believe the story that Pickles the dog found the Jules Rimet Trophy when it was stolen before the 1966 tournament. They reckon he discovered it hidden in some bushes, but when I take my dog for a walk, he never goes into bushes even for the call of nature. Pickles, for me, was a fraud. He’d taken a bung of a few dog biscuits and provided an alibi, when the whole situation seemed thoroughly fishy. Yet it’s all part of the 1966 folklore which is still with us today.
That was the first commercial World Cup. The previous one, in 1962, was a complete shambles in Chile. With the World Cup Willy mascot, and matches televised live, the modern tournament was born in England – just as the game itself was born here a century earlier. The tournament is so much bigger now and next week’s announcement will have an even more major impact if it goes our way.
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After another bleak night at Wembley against France on Wednesday, it would give our national team the shot in the arm it is crying out for and something to aspire to. The one thing a 2018 World Cup would not have is the mystique of 1966. North Korea, in particular, were cherished by English fans – complete unknowns and rank outsiders, they beat Italy and were 3-0 up against Portugal in the quarter-final before they blew it. But we were so in the dark about them that some of us simply couldn’t believe that there was such a thing as a 6ft Korean bloke. We assumed they would all be 5ft at the most.
I’d love to see the magic of the World Cup return to England, even though the tournament has grown too large for its own good, with 32 teams in the finals. And yet you only have to watch the voting in the Eurovision Song Contest every year to realise that we are not a popular nation. I’ll be accused of being unpatriotic for saying it, but I’ll be tuning in to the 2018 decision with blind hope rather than expectation.
Neil Warnock finally got to taste victory at Elland Road as the Leeds United manager on Saturday as the Whites brushed aside Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough United.
While the victory was welcome, it was against a very poor side that are not yet mathematically safe from relegation back to League One. Whilst it would take a minor miracle for the Posh to return to the third tier, Darren Ferguson will be worried at how easily his side collapsed against a Leeds side that were there for the taking.
Warnock though will be delighted just to see his team back to winning ways after probably one of the most harrowing periods of his managerial career. His decision not only to change some personnel but also to vary the way Leeds played was vindicated by an attacking display which saw United overrun their opponents in the second half.
It could have been all so different had Leeds not gone in level at the break. The Whites who had recalled forgotten man Billy Paynter up front in place of Luciano Becchio, also introduced 18 year left back Charlie Taylor and veteran Leigh Bromby into a remodelled back four. US international Robbie Rodgers was given a start in an advanced central midfield role, and the changes seemed to lift the Leeds team who started very brightly. Unfortunately, Rogers lasted only 12 minutes as he was forced off with an ankle injury and his departure saw Peterborough gain the upper hand. Leeds defensive frailties re-emerged and a horrific blunder by Taylor on the edge of his own box gifted possession to Joe Newell who waltzed through to fire past Lonergen eight minutes before the break.
Had Posh hung on to that lead until the break, the demons in the heads of the Leeds players at home may have returned. As it was not only did they gift Leeds an equaliser, they also possibly reignited the career of Billy Paynter. The 27 year old striker has endured a torrid time since his arrival from Swindon Town in the summer of 2010. Injured in his first pre-season, Paynter found it difficult to regain his place in the side, and then missed chances when he did finally make the team. Prior to Saturday he had one competitive goal, at Preston last season, to his name and had only ever scored for Leeds at Elland Road in the pre-season victory over Newcastle United.
With the first half entering stoppage time at on Saturday, Leeds floated a free kick in from the right, which should have been held by Paul Taylor in the Peterborough goal. However the keeper let the ball slip out of his hands, and via the backside of a defender it fell at the feet of Paynter who gleefully tucked the ball into the net, a just reward for a first half performance as good as anything he had produced in the previous two years.
The sides were level heading into the dressing rooms, but Leeds were out of sight three minutes after the teams re-emerged for the second half. With United on the front foot right from the off, Ross McCormack bundled United in front from close range, before he finished off a sweeping move down the left hand side two minutes later to put Leeds 3-1 up.
The Whites looked a different side from that which had produced such a pitiful performance five days earlier against Derby County. Gone was the desperate hoof ball tactics which had blighted United’s displays of late, and back was some neat passing football from back to front, even drawing some Ole’s from the crowd midway through the half. The improved football was rewarded with a fourth goal, and on a day where Andy Carroll had redeemed himself in the eyes of Liverpool’s fans with a semi-final winning goal, Paynter earned himself a modicum of redemption with a second goal, doubling his tally of last season. It was a fine strike, one borne of confidence, as he drove home from 12 yards to settle the match.
He left the field to a standing ovation, the previously ironic chants of “Come on Billy” replaced by a genuine outpouring of gratitude. Whilst it’s just one game, Paynter has at least signalled his capabilities to Warnock as the manager takes stock of his squad before what promises to be a turbulent summer at Elland Road.
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It is to be hoped that the confidence gained by finally winning a game will be carried forward to United’s last three matches, all against sides with a lot to play for. Whilst the team’s aspirations for the season may have gone, there are still players who need to impress over the closing weeks, if they are to remain at Elland Road next season.
Australian captain Lucas Neill sees his decision on which direction to take his club career as crucial to his prospects of representing his country at the 2014 World Cup.At 33 and with the tournament in Brazil still three years away, it would appear time is against Neill playing in a third World Cup.
But the versatile defender, who is looking for a new club after completing his contract with Turkish outfit Galatasaray, is weighing up his options and will talk to Socceroos manager Holger Osieck about where he thinks Neill’s best interests lie in terms of his prospects with the national side.
“I’ll discuss it with the manager, talk about the options and which ones he may be able to give me some opinions on,” said Neill ahead of Tuesday’s international friendly against Serbia.
“I see this as new challenge for myself again.”
“I need to pick the right one because my goal is to be fit and playing well for the World Cup.”
“Some of you might think I might be too old, but I want to be part of that plan.”
“If the manager can assist me with that, then great.”
Neill, recently linked to promoted English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers, still believes he has what it takes to play in a major European league.
“I hope so. I still feel I have a lot to offer there and I want to be playing at the highest level possible for me to reward myself and my country with more opportunities,” he said.
Neill, who played English Premier League football with Blackburn, West Ham and Everton before moving to Turkey, expects his club future to be sorted sooner rather than later.
“I’m there or thereabouts. But I’m here with Australia now, so this week has been purely focused on that,” he said.
“I’m trying to get my fitness back up to where it was and when it is all said and done, I’ll have two weeks and that’s when I will start thinking about it.”
Neill has been battling a groin injury which kept him out of Sunday’s 3-0 win over New Zealand, but he is likely to regain the captain’s armband against Serbia, the only team Australia beat at last year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has failed to clear up continuing rumours of him heading home to Italy at the end of the season.
The 20-year-old former Internazionale frontman is rumoured to be a target for AC Milan and Balotelli is clearly uncertain of his long-term future, despite having only joined City this summer.
He told Italian reporters:"Until June I am certainly at Manchester City. I have a five-year contract and can't say anything.
"It's true that I had dinner with (vice-president) Adriano Galliani after the Milan derby, but what does that mean?
"If I had dinner with Massimo Moratti would you say I was returning to Inter?"
Galliani had similarly failed to make his club's intentions crystal clear, telling Il Corriere dello Sport:"Balotelli? I don't like talking about other team's players, but he is 20 and so there is time for him.
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Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has stated that the experience in the west London club’s squad will be key in their battle for a top four finish this year.
The Stamford Bridge club are currently in fifth place in the Premier League, but have improved since the sacking of Andre Villas Boas a fortnight ago.
Chelsea travel to take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, before hosting top four rivals Tottenham on Saturday.
The Czech Republic international feels that his men need to draw on all their experience, which could be key for the remainder of the season.
“We have been together through so many situations in eight years and a lot of people here remember those, so we have the benefit of the experience of that,” he is quoted as saying by Mirror Football.
“We seem to cope with the difficult situations quite well so, hopefully, this experience we’ve got throughout the years will help us reach our targets.
“We are approaching these next two games with confidence now.
“We know that this could be a fantastic two weeks of the season for us – last week and this week. We have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, we’re now in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and, after these two League games, we could be third,” he stated.
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I have always enjoyed watching Liverpool ’s Glen Johnson as a footballer. Although you sometimes want to close your eyes when he is backing away onto his own goal defending against a tricky winger, the England international is tremendously gifted when the ball is at his feet.
A precocious dribbler of the ball, Johnson can cause nightmares for many opposition full backs, always ready and waiting to provide an overlap for a winger so he can either force his way into the opposition box or unleash a shot on goal with either foot. The 26 year old has certainly added an extra dimension to the Reds attack since joining from Portsmouth a couple of years ago.
Still, you would be hard pressed to find a Reds fan who feels Johnson merited the £17million fee which Rafa Benitez paid in the summer of 2009. It could be said to be the going rate for an England full back, but like Andy Carroll, you always seem to have to pay a premium for an Englishman.
Although he may not have been worth the fee paid, it must be said that when fit, Glen has managed some very good performances in the last half of the season under Kenny Dalglish . Under previous manager Roy Hodgson , he was a shadow of his former self, and no doubt it was unwise of Roy to criticise the player in public for his poor displays. It was one of the many mistakes during the former Fulham boss’s ill fated 6 month reign, and it was speculated that Johnson was so unhappy about the remarks that he was considering leaving Liverpool in January.
Since the arrival of King Kenny however, along with the team’s performances, Johnson’s form has also picked up markedly. On many occasions Dalglish has asked Glen to fill in at left back due to injuries and the loan move away for Paul Konchesky . Rather than being uncomfortable in the position however, Johnson has looked quite at home. Although his attacking instincts have been curtailed due to the fact he is on his weaker side, the defensive aspects of his game have benefited as he is not caught out of position as often and is more focused on positioning, rather than getting forward.
Certainly, it will be good to see him return to right back next season once a left back is purchased in the summer, and we will again see some great marauding runs forward from the right flank. There is however a possibility that he could continue on the left side. After the emergence of both Martin Kelly and John Flanagan , it would be hard to believe that at least one of these two won’t get a great deal of game time next campaign.
I have no doubt the Reds will seek to buy a new solid left full back in the summer, but Glen Johnson can now be seen as another genuine option for the left full back role, especially if Kelly and Flanagan are given more opportunities next season by Kenny Dalglish.
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On Thursday the 18th of March thousands of Juventus fans gathered outside Craven Cottage. The reason, they’d just been thrashed 4-1 by Fulham and dumped out of the Europa League. One of many lifeless, lethargical performances of their season resulting in a 7th place finish.
This display came four years after Juventus’s relegation and five years on from their last Serie A title. Juve contained few stand out individuals at Fulham, and a large amount of veterans. Compare this with the 2005/2006 crop, and it’s not nice reading. Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Emerson, Pavel Nedved, Zlatan Ibrahinovic, David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero, and managed by Fabio Capello. All were at their peak, and would have got in any team in the world.
Only seven months on from the SW6 scenes, The Old Lady appears reignited. A change in club president, manager, and several players have sparked a positive transition. Their 2-1 victory over AC Milan on Sunday has suggested Juve are to be taken seriously again. The soul is back within the camp. Alberto Aquilani claims he has “found a home” at Juventus, and it shows. But his midfield partner Felipe Melo gave the most insightful account of the club’s resurgence. “Del Neri’s Juventus is like a family, we are all united, on and off the pitch”. Personally, music to my ears.
As a football fan, seeing a clubs off field problems dominate the back pages feels like an injustice and defeat of the sport. Especially considering the history and tradition of Juventus. Portsmouth have been in that bracket, Liverpool more recently, and Manchester United’s ongoing case. The farcical events of May 2006 saw Juventus relegated in a match fixing scandal, and was European giants darkest hour. Melo’s words portray the camp is settled and happy, characteristics that they could only dream of whilst playing in Serie B in front of miniscule crowds.
The main instigator in this seasons revival, Luigi Del Neri. The former Sampdoria boss has ditched experience for traditional Italian blood. Pavel Nedved joined the boardroom, Alberto Aquilani was loaned as a creative cog in the midfield. David Trezeguet’s aging legs were replaced by proven Serie A goalscorer Fabio Quagliarella. Add to this club legend Alessandro Del Piero’s new lease of life, and you’ve got a fine balance of experience and youth. Oh, and a number of them are Italian.
It seems that playing for Juventus is no longer a luxury. You’re not just there to see out your career. Or have the name of a big club on your chest. Del Neri has installed a grafting atmosphere, where team spirits carries you through the hard times. If you’re not up to it you’ll be out without the sympathy. Just ask David Trezeguet.
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As with any club, a transitional period takes time. Faces come and go, and there are undoubtedly successes and failures. Considering the standard of the Italian League, victory doesn’t arrive easily. Evidently Juve don’t have the talent they once did, and they probably can’t attract the talent they once could. But they’re taking positive steps to becoming a force again. It’s been a long time in coming, but I for one am delighted that this Old Lady is beginning to roll back the years.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has stated that he does not think that his job is under scrutiny and that he has Roman Abramovich’s backing.
The Stamford Bridge club are currently fifth in the Premier League standings, and face a battle to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Despite this, the Portuguese coach does not feel that he would be dismissed should his team get beat by Birmingham in the FA Cup this weekend.
“I don’t think so, but it’s a question that you will have to ask the owner,” he stated in a press conference, published on Sky Sports.
“I think the owner has full trust in me and will continue to progress with the ideas that we have.
“In the end, that is the objective of getting us the best position possible in the league, plus these two trophies, which we are fighting for.
“It will be extremely good for us if we win against Birmingham to put ourselves in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
“But we need strong progression in the league and to show our strength, so we strengthen a little bit more our contention for fourth place – as third is already 10 points ahead of us – so that we get Champions League qualification,” he admitted.
Villas Boas also revealed that he felt that all the Chelsea players did not back him fully, but that the owner’s approval was more important.
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“That is normal. They don’t have to back my project. It’s the owner who backs my project,” he concluded.