John Barnes has warned Raheem Sterling that he faces the prospect of making the same mistakes the likes of Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair have made if he ops to leave Liverpool this summer.
The 20-year-old attacker has emerged as one of English football’s top talents over the course of the past two years, slotting into Brendan Rodgers’ first XI while earning recognition on the international stage.
However, despite Sterling having another two seasons on his Anfield contract, his future has become the subject of much doubt of late, with the player himself stalling on penning an extension.
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A £90,000-per-week offer is thought to be on the table, but the player himself is holding out for a massive salary of around £150,000-per-week.
The likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City have been aligned with moves for him, but Barnes believes that Sterling must stay where he is to avoid becoming a big money flop:
“Raheem Sterling should absolutely sign the contract and stay at Liverpool,” he told talkSPORT.
“I would advise any young player who has just been in the game for a year or so to stay and learn his trade. Show a level of consistently over a four or five year period before you make a big move. You will then be judged as a £50m player.
“We’ve seen it with Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell at Manchester City. Where are they now?
“Sterling is not ready for a move to Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester City. He needs another two or three years at Liverpool. Then, if he decides he wants to move on, fine. He has to be very careful though.
“Sometimes the bad advice is not only the most lucrative but also sounds like the best advice. He’s not been playing consistently well over a number of years though. Maybe his form has suffered because of all the speculation about his future.
“For any young player, similar to Harry Kane [and Sterling], I would advise you to show a level of consistently where you’re happy and people accept you.
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“Then, if you want to put yourself under pressure by making a big money move, do that because it could all go wrong.”
Rumours about Everton manager David Moyes’ future at Goodison Park have surfaced after their 3-0 defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup, The Telegraph reports.
The Latics beat Moyes’ side in a game decided in the first-half in which Roberto Martinez’s men booked a spot at Wembley with three goals in as many minutes.
Fingers have been pointed at the Scot, whose contract runs out in June, and many are suggesting it is time for a change at the Merseyside club.
While a sector of the fans believe the Everton hierarchy have been lenient with Moyes, making the club settle with their current status, others suggest his work has not been given enough credit.
The Scotsman, who has led the team for the last 11 years, eluded to the debate by saying his enthusiasm at the club is there for all to see.
“I still have the same appetite for that job,” Moyes insisted.
Although he admitted the cup defeat against the Premier League strugglers cannot be excused by the lack of signings.
“It had nothing to do with those issues, or anything else, it was just a poor performance.”
Moyes still suggested he knows where the squad could be improved, hinting that the club’s performance could have been boosted had he been given the funds to strengthen the starting XI.
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“I’ve always known what I need to do to move it forward here but a lot of those things aren’t apparent to people viewing from the outside,” he added.
Aaron Ramsey’s Arsenal contract runs into its final year next season but the Daily Mail report that talks have begun over an extension and that Arsene Wenger is confident that the Welshman will sign an extension.
That is exciting news for Gunners supporters, who have seen a long line of players leave the club after contract situations went unresolved for too long, the most recent of whom was Alexis Sanchez.
What’s the story, then?
The report claims that Ramsey currently earns £110,000 per week at the Emirates and Arsenal are desperate to keep him at the club and avoid another debacle like the Sanchez one that saw him join Manchester United in January.
The arrivals of high-earners Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could reportedly leave Ramsey demanding a substantial increase to his current pay packet and that could cause a stumbling block.
Nevertheless, Wenger reportedly remains confident that the Welshman will extend his deal, just as Mesut Ozil did when he signed a new £350,000 per week deal in January.
Why is it so important that he signs?
As we’ve touched on, there have been no shortage of Arsenal players who have let their contract run down and then left, which substantially undermines the club’s ambitions.
While it is understandable to let Jack Wilshere leave, because of his injury problems, Ramsey has been slightly more reliable and is a rare midfielder in the Arsenal ranks who can chip in with goals.
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Wenger does have to be careful that he hasn’t smashed his wage structure with the bumper deals for Ozil, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan but Ramsey has earned an improved deal.
Even though Manchester United spent over £150m during the summer – the largest sum in a single transfer window ever – there is still work to be done at Old Trafford. Victor Valdes has now arrived on a free transfer to ease the burden on David de Gea, yet Louis van Gaal has plenty of other issues, with the legendary power of Sir Alex Ferguson having masked problems that really came to the fore last season under David Moyes.
It seems that money is in place for the ‘right deals’ this month, and there are a few players on the Red Devils’ radar. To sign they may, however, have to sell, so with that in mind here are four to come in, and four to go…
IN – Mats Hummels / Joao Miranda
Without doubt the one area United must strengthen this month is the centre of their defence. A series of injury blows have exposed a lack of depth at the heart of Louis van Gaal’s rearguard, and the presence of youngster such as Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair has served to increase the scrutiny on ‘senior’ players Phil Jones, Jonny Evens and Chris Smalling, which in turn has led to realisations that they’re not quite up to scratch.
Hummels and Miranda are two of the players to have been closely linked with United for this month, with the German and Brazilian both stars Van Gaal is thought to be keen on. As the stats show, neither can match Smalling in terms of intercepts, clearances and pass accuracy – which may be boosted due to him having played at right-back – but there’s no doubt that their skills would suit the Red Devils’ XI. Of the two, Hummels is the standout, but with a fee of around £35m potentially not enough to convince Dortmund to sell, Miranda may be the realistic option.
OUT – Juan Mata
//www.youtube.com/embed/Vs1qWdhTLSQ
Juan Mata has not been a poor player this season, as the stats below show, but his presence at United is not strictly needed anymore, with LVG having to crowbar his wealth of attack-minded midfielders into an XI.
Of the quartet of the Red Devils’ ‘No. 10’ suited players, Herrera included, Mata’s numbers certainly tally with his competitors, but away from statistics, he seems the least likely to stay long term. The Spaniard lacks the pace to function in a counter attacking team, will not get picked ahead of captain Rooney, will not be in front of record signing Di Maria and is not as effective from deep as Herrera. Interest from clubs in Spain is thought to be genuine, and this month presents a good chance to get a respectable fee for him.
IN – Seamus Coleman
//www.youtube.com/embed/6URMIvfAyss
With Rafael United’s only orthodox right-back, Van Gaal clearly needs to add to his options. Antonio Valencia is well-suited to a wing-back position, but being an attack-minded player, the Ecuadorian is not the most dependable when in his own box. Everton’s Coleman appears to be a good balance between the two disciplines, and is available for a rumoured figure of £20m.
The Irishman well and truly shone last season in an effective Toffees side, but the downturn in fortunes at Goodison Park has coincided with some less than impressive showings from him. Despite this, if surrounded by better players, the 26-year-old is sure to find his feet again, and his forward-thinking ability could add to United’s armoury.
OUT – Chris Smalling
Although he has been the pick of United’s defenders this season, not exactly a glowing slice of praise, Smalling could be one to be sacrificed this month, particularly if LVG is successful in his quest to get another centre-back in. Arsenal are thought to be long-term admirers of the England international, and with Arsene Wenger desperate to get in new defenders, the Red Devils could negotiate a good deal for their man.
IN – Radamel Falcao
It will cost around £43m on top of the rumoured £6m loan fee to keep Falcao permanently, but doing the deal this month may have its advantages. United are able to make use of the clause in his temporary switch from Monaco at any time, yet David de Gea’s future is understood to be hinging on a deal for the Colombian, with the players both represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, who is keen to resolve the striker’s future first
Falcao’s fitness no longer seems to be a major issue now he’s back in the first-team squad on a permanent basis, and there are indications his troublesome knee injury is not set to be a recurring problem. Getting a deal done soon would prevent De Gea’s deal from edging towards expiry, keeping Real Madrid at bay.
OUT – Anderson
Yep, Anderson is still at United. The troubled Brazilian arrived with such high hopes in 2007, but he’s struggled to convert the promise he showed with Porto into performances on the Old Trafford turf. A short-term loan with Fiorentina last season was not enough to rectify his ailing career, and it looks like that a free transfer will be granted… if the 26-year-old can find an interested club – which could be tricky due to his wages at United.
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IN – William Carvalho
A defensive midfielder is another missing cog at Old Trafford, with United’s side extremely top heavy. An all-out enforcer like Nigel de Jong is not entirely what’s needed in a Van Gaal side, but a player able to do the dirty work while offering inventiveness going forward is. Carvalho fits the bill – just check out his assist in the above clip – with the powerful Portugal international just the latest midfielder to be dubbed the ‘new Patrick Vieira’.
Kevin Strootman is considered to be the club’s major target, but the Roma man will not be available until at least the end of the season, while offers of £20m – £25m are likely to be accepted by Sporting Lisbon over the coming weeks.
OUT – Adnan Januzaj
//www.youtube.com/embed/VBq9PHIwq3I
Not one to be sold, but Januzaj needs to leave Old Trafford this month to play football regularly. The Belgian was on a par with Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling last season during his breakthrough campaign, but a lack of playing time has severely hindered his progress, and getting ahead of Di Maria, Mata, Rooney and others looks unlikely in the short-term.
Former manager David Moyes wants to take the youngster to Real Sociedad on a temporary deal, while there’s unlikely to be a shortage of interest from Premier League sides.
Tottenham winger Gareth Bale became the first player in Premier League history to have earned himself a one-game suspension after picking up five yellow cards this season, three of them for going down easily, but is he being victimised or does he need to cut out this sort of behaviour from his game for good?
Firstly, the often used cliche by pundits and ex-pros when discussing the issue of diving is that they always argue ‘he’s going to get himself a reputation’. Well that horse has well and truly bolted. Bale undoubtedly has a reputation as a diver, earned for his quite awful fall at work incurred during the 5-2 defeat to Arsenal last season in winning a penalty for his side and he has picked up five cautions for diving since the start of last season.
I feel comfortable calling Bale a diver, just as I would Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney. These are repeat offenders. These are not more examples of Johnny Foreigner over here sullying our good and honest game. These are British players, darn good ones at that, who use the rules and pace of the game to their advantage. It’s cheating, there’s no other word for it.
Bale stated after the Sunderland win where he earned his fifth booking of the season: “That’s three times now I’ve been clipped and booked for no reason. People keep saying I’m diving, but if there’s contact it’s not diving. Referees need to look more closely.” Presumably then, the other two times were indeed actual dives by his own admission.
An excuse has began to fester away at the footballing establishment and has gradually been accepted as a reason for a player going down so easy; namely that Bale travels at such speed that even the slightest touch knocks him off course and brings him down. Alan Hansen even used it when trying to claim that his dive against Sunderland was indeed a penalty. It’s laughable really and it’s only used because Bale is actually an exceptional footballer when he’s not trying to con the referee. Would Emerson Boyce have been given such a ridiculous benefit of the doubt had he gone over? Or Titus Bramble for that matter? No, of course they wouldn’t, because they don’t happen to be very good or play for big, fashionable clubs.
To quote from The Laws of the Game: “A player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour if (he)…attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury or pretending to be fouled.” The Sunderland foul serves as a case in point, Bale has glided past Craig Gardner at pace and beaten him, driving into the left-hand side of the box before he inexplicably tumbles at the slightest glance of an arm against his rib cage. It’s a tricky one to ponder, for he has not feigned injury as such, but with his man beaten, he is most certainly pretending to be fouled. Would he have gone over so easily anywhere else on the pitch if the reward of a penalty was not on offer? Probably not.
Sometimes players can get penalised for staying on their feet after being knocked off balance by a rough challenge or two, but that didn’t appear to be the case with Bale here; his path didn’t deviate and while surging past Gardner, neither of his feet were clipped nor did they change angle, they just appeared to collapse under the weight of expectation that was the pressure placed on the referee to make a decision. Aaron Lennon on the opposite flank is just as fast but seems to shrug off these sorts of challenges because guess what? He’s not a diver. The tag has stuck, but there’s a reason for that and being defended by David Ginola of all people will not help his cause much. Next up, Robert Pires.
Nevertheless, the flip side of that coin shows you that while the Sunderland one was a dive, not every single booking that Bale has picked up has been the correct decision, with referees obviously mindful of his reputation. Match officials are not supposed to let the media or external influences effect their decision-making, but that’s both naive and unavoidable and in some ways, the Tottenham man has become a victim of past indiscrections.
The validity of a foul is no longer the only barometer by which they are judged it seems when Bale is concerned, external influences are playing a part and all the opposition has to do now is throw their arms up in the air in mock outrage and harangue the referee to see the decision go in their favour. Plenty of careers have been ruined by the sort of filthy challenges that players like Bale have suffered in the past, and there’s something to be said for him trying to dive out of the way of them, such as the yellow he picked up against Reading. The terrible Charlie Adam challenge from last season and in pre-season this term have clearly left more mental scars than physical ones.
Bale is fast by footballing standards, but he does not run at 25mph; he is not a professional sprinter and he can’t be expected to find a way around every cynical challenge that comes his way, but the theatrical nature of his tumbles leaves a lot to be desired and distorts how we view what at times is a genuine foul on him, like the one he was booked for against Fulham.
Moreover, he has left himself in an increasingly difficult position now, does he continue to flail his limbs and arch his back at the slightest contact in the future or does he now simply take the hit? There’s a legitimate case to be made that he could get seriously hurt and his suspension has served as little more than a green light for some of the league’s nastier players to have a free-for-all.
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Much like Luis Suarez and his relationship with Liverpool fans, Tottenham supporters will be delighted to have a player of the quality of Bale in their squad but embarrassed by his artful mastery of the game’s darker arts. The Welshman has the potential to be a world-class player, he’s not quite there yet, but in a year or two’s time he wouldn’t look out of place in a side like Real Madrid’s.
With manager Andre Villas-Boas going as far as to call him ‘persecuted’ in recent weeks, while there may be an element of truth to that assertion, the player hasn’t helped himself at any point this past year either and the reputation he’s garnered is entirely fair, even if the suspension itself wasn’t – straddling some sort of middle ground between avoiding contact and diving is a tricky one to quantify, and all boils down to one question – does all simulation count as diving? Only retrospective action, both awarding and rescinding cards, is the fairest future path to take.
18-year-old Netherlands international Matthijs de Ligt impressed in his nation’s 3-0 friendly win against Portugal on Monday night, and Manchester United fans have demanded their club signs the talented teenager.
The Ajax centre-back started in a back three alongside Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake against the Euro 2016 winners, and while he looked comfortable defensively, in possession and had former Red Devil Cristiano Ronaldo in his back pocket for much of the game, he also popped up with two assists at the other end of the pitch, too.
Jose Mourinho looks likely to strengthen his defensive options this summer – the Old Trafford faithful also want him to sign Leicester City and England’s Harry Maguire – and the central defender may have now come on to his radar.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the youngster’s display via social media, and while one said “pay whatever it takes and get us De Ligt”, another simply said “sign him now”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Only a decade old, now is the time for MK Dons to really kick-on. Everything seems in place for them to do so; a state of the art stadium, ambitious chairman, talented manager and a squad more than capable of promotion to the Championship this season.
Since promotion to League One in 2008, the Dons have secured a play-off place three times without making the final. Their first season back in England’s third tier was the closest they got, finishing just two points outside an automatic promotion spot before losing to Scunthorpe over two legs.
The greatest day in the club’s history until the start of this season was winning the Football League Trophy in 2008. A 2-0 victory of Grimsby at Wembley gave the club it’s first ever bit of silverware. Fast forward six or so years and the club are well on course for Championship promotion for the first time.
It has been a season to remember for MK Dons, and we’re not even half way through it. Their 4-0 victory over Man Utd in August was a day many of the MK faithful will never forget. Although it wasn’t the strongest United side, they still scored four goals against one of the Premier League’s best keepers in David de Gea.
Their league form has been impressive as well, as they currently sit in third position, only two points off top spot with a game in hand. The 1-0 win at Sheffield United in the club’s last league game stretched their unbeaten run to nine League One matches, and manager Karl Robinson looks to have finally assembled a squad full of quality at this level with the right mixture of youth and experience.
Dele Alli has been the stand out performer for the Dons, scoring nine league goals and featuring regularly at just 18-years-old. The wonderkid usually plays as a box-to-box midfielder but can also take up a more attacking role. He has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs and MK Dons will certainly have a tough time keeping hold of him.
On-loan striking duo Benik Afobe and Will Grigg have impressed up-front. Afobe, who is on-loan from Arsenal, has scored 18 goals in 25 matches, nine of which have come in the league. This is even more impressive considering nearly half his appearance have been off the bench. His strength and finishing abilities have allowed him to be a key man so far this season.
Grigg, on-loan from Brentford, has also chipped in with five goals, but is used more as a defensive forward who can hold up play well.
Perhaps Karl Robinson’s smartest buy was former Coventry captain Carl Baker on a free. The 31-year-old adds much needed experience in midfield along with his influential qualities. He recently won the League One player of the month award for November and will hope to continue his impressive performances for the rest of the season.
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With a number of players in good form and a squad full of talent, despite all the close calls in the past this season seems to be the one for MK Dons to finally reach new heights.
The signing of Robin van Persie should have given Alex Ferguson a new lease of life for the game, a new-found motivation to go and do it all again next summer. Talk of bargain signings from Spain continue to fill the air as the best moves of 2012, but no one can deny that £24 million for the best striker in England is a remarkable piece of business. Even if van Persie is pushing towards the age of 30, the Dutchman’s talent is enough to make any manager rethink the idea of retirement.
So why not go for another round next summer? Bild recently reported that Manchester United were after Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski, stating that the Polish striker was keen to move to the Premier League for a fee just over 22 million euros. And why not? The are very few strikers in Europe who are better than Lewandowski. Few have managed to create a hybrid of the traditional, tall no 9 and the dynamic modern equivalent.
Does the Dortmund striker signal a quick-fire address to van Persie’s age, or is there something else in there?
Dortmund are in a similar state to Arsenal of last year, whereby their most valuable forward is nearing the end of his contract and the club are in a position where they may need to sell. You can bet the German champions will do everything in their power to keep hold of one of their assets, and the reported wages of £5 million a year that United are willing to offer should quite easily fall into their comfort zone.
If Dortmund go all the way in the Champions League—and they’re more than good enough to do so—then it may be a case that Lewandowski opts to stay. Even if the club do not retain their Bundesliga title this season, the loyalty of their other stars would signal a more than ferocious attack on the title next season. Bayern Munich may have the financial means to outmuscle Dortmund, but Jurgen Klopp’s side won’t be put down by the reinvigorated powers in the south of the country.
So how would Lewandowski fit in at Old Trafford? How does one of the Bundesliga’s most impressive forwards fit into a group of strikers who Alex Ferguson claimed were on par with his 1999 treble-winning squad? Javier Hernandez has already spoken out about his desire to leave should first-team opportunities remain limited in the future and the signing of Shinji Kagawa last summer gives the team an option of playing just one striker in attack. Ferguson has done so a few times this season, notably when the pressure was off, but how do you leave van Persie out of your starting XI for an extended period of time—even for Lewandowski?
What about Wayne Rooney? The idea of letting Rooney go would be more of a blow to the club from a symbolic perspective rather than for football reasons. Rooney is yet to fulfil the potential he had and become one of Europe’s finest attackers, while his inconsistencies, coupled with the presence of van Persie, means it’s not all that difficult to leave him on the bench.
Regardless of form and where the level of his talents may be in two or three years time, Rooney is a name who would bring in a royal fee from any number of the growing powers around Europe. Lewandowski is younger and can only continue to get better—as mentioned, there are few strikers in Europe who play the role as well and importantly as he does—so the prospect of swapping one for the other hardly seems catastrophic from a footballing perspective.
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But the real concern for United remains the other areas in the squad, notably defence and the centre of midfield. On one hand, you simply can’t pass up the opportunity to sign Lewandowski for the rumoured price, but those problem areas in the squad are unlikely to heal themselves. Maybe the manager has big plans for Nick Powell in the near future, maybe Phil Jones will convert to midfield and become the all-action defensive player the team needs. Maybe Rooney’s known versatility will mean he stays on at the club and fills a role elsewhere in the squad. He’s capable of scoring 30 goals a season, but how sure can the club be of that every year? He can play the wide positions and even in midfield, however a role on the flanks will limit the productivity he can bring from a central position.
For all the talk of where Lewandowski may fit and whether Rooney’s future at the club is certain, it may simply be that Alex Ferguson is loading the deck for one last charge on the Champions League. A Premier League and European double would undoubtedly be the grandest way to exit the game, and who can really complain when a squad has the most fearsome attack in English football?
Newcastle United fans want the anniversary of signing Rafael Benitez to be a national holiday, after his side thrashed Southampton on Saturday.
The Toon Army are now 13th in the Premier League table, five points clear of relegation. Southampton were completely outplayed and outfought on Saturday, as goals from Kenedy and Matt Ritchie secured an emphatic win for the Magpies.
Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of Rafael Benitez taking over at the club, and needless to say the fans just can’t get enough of Rafa.
Benitez has an exceptional knack of connecting with fans, and the relationship he forged with fans at Liverpool is being replicated on Tyneside.
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The Spaniard was relegated upon arrival, and brought the team back up in style at the first time of asking. Despite clashes with the board over the lack of transfer dealings, Benitez seems content on Tyneside and has shown no clear signs to ditch the club.
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Now, with another six pointer to come at the end of the month vs. Huddersfield, Newcastle could find themselves clear of the relegation scrap going into the final months of the season. In Newcastle fans’ minds, there’s only one man to thank.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
England are now gearing up for what should be a guaranteed six points in their EURO 2016 qualification campaign, with games against San Marino and Estonia on the schedule for this international break. There have been a few shock calls by Roy Hodgson in terms of his squad for the clashes, with Nathaniel Clyne set to make his Three Lions debut, while the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Fabian Delph are also present.
But, there are a number of players left at home scratching their heads, with their form having been impressive but their phone having failed to ring. We here at FFC Towers have compiled a list of FIVE Englishmen who have every right to feel aggrieved at not being in the squad…
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Curtis Davies
Despite being a key member of Hull’s impressive first XI, Davies’ England career is yet to get off of the mark. The Tigers centre-back has represented the Three Lions at U-21 level, yet his displays both last term and so far in the current campaign have, for reasons unknown, not been recognised by Hodgson.
With just two orthodox central defenders in the entire squad, surely sacrificing a midfielder for an in-form enforcer would have made sense? Davis has already confessed that he may look to pursue a late international career with Sierra Leone, and we would not blame him if he does.
Mark Noble
A hero at West Ham and a very consistent performer, it looks as Noble will never get the chance to do his thing on the international stage. The Hammers midfielder looks to be some way down the pecking order following Shelvey and Delph’s call-ups, but it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve a chance thanks to his showings in the claret and blue shirt over the course of the past few seasons.
Nathan Dyer
With Swansea having been riding high in the Premier League so far this season, it looked as if Dyer may get a long-awaited call-up to represent his nation. Alas, the impish winger was once again overlooked, despite having rattled home three goals in seven outings.
With pace, tricky and end product, now would have been a great time to test Dyer in some winnable games, but Hodgson stuck with a rather tried and tested set-up.
Stewart Downing
Rejuvenated in the ‘No. 10’ role at West Ham, Downing has been in great form in recent weeks. The former Liverpool man gave his old captain, Steven Gerrard, the run-around in a thumping 3-1 win as Hodgson was gathering names for his squad, but he was overlooked.
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With Andros Townsend in the squad despite having not performed on a consistent basis for around a year, Downing must be questioning the decision as he ponders his international future.
Saido Berahino
The promising Baggies forward has a tally of five in seven this season, yet he will be spending this international break with the U-21s instead of the senior squad. The Burundi-born forward is sure to get his chance in the not too distant future, but seeing the out-of-form Rickie Lambert ahead of him in the pecking order must be frustrating for the 21-year-old.