Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has sung the praises of 20-year-old Thiago Alcantara after his double against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.The Italian-born Spaniard bagged a double in Barca’s 2-0 Audi Cup final win, with his second goal particularly catching the eye.
His stellar performance at Munich’s Allianz Arena led to some kind words from Guardiola, who feels Barcelona are ‘lucky’ to have him.
“He is an extraordinary guy, he is very competitive and as you have seen he plays very good football,” Guardiola said.
“For this reason we decided to take him out of the juniors and play him in the first team.”
“He’s a kid that loves to play and wants to have a career in this sport and we are fortunate to have another player from our juniors. He was brilliant not only for the goals but also for his defensive play. We are very lucky to have this player.”
Guardiola was pleased to have won the pre-season tournament as the Catalan giants claimed another trophy to add to an already packed cabinet.
“We have won a prestigious tournament against a great Brazilian team (Internacional) as well as two of the best teams in the world and Europe – Milan and Bayern Munich,” he said.
“Basically we competed very well. We did everything – we maintained a good level, we competed well and everyone gave a helping hand to the youth players.”
But Guardiola refused to be drawn into discussions on how good his side would be if they signed Cesc Fabregas, insisting that he was not involved in the negotiations.
“Fabregas is a player of Arsenal. Many clubs would like to have him since he is a very good player, but he is an Arsenal player. This is a task for the people dealing with negotiations, it is not up to me. I only know he is a player of Arsenal, nothing else.”
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has revealed that Sunderland have made an approach for Jamaican forward Ricardo Fuller.
Fuller, 31, has been with Stoke since 2006, and has three goals to his name this term. He is expected to depart Britannia Stadium following the arrival of John Carew on loan from Stoke’s Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Sunderland are in the market for a striker after selling Darren Bent to Villa last week, despite manager Steve Bruce initial saying that he was in no hurry to find a replacement for the England international.
But Pulis confirmed a bid from Sunderland, while also indicating that other clubs are interested in acquiring Fuller.
“Sunderland have made an offer and both clubs are talking. But it is not just Sunderland – other clubs are interested,” Pulis said.
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While admitting to enquiring about Fuller’s availability during the current transfer window, Sunderland have denied making a formal offer for the striker.
What exactly is the objective for Manchester United this summer? With their Premier League crown now in the clutches of bitter rivals City the aim will surely be to rebuild, reshape and prepare for the battle that lies ahead next season. Losing out to the noisy neighbours on goal difference will have irked Sir Alex Ferguson and he’ll now be intent on bringing the trophy back to Old Trafford. The 70-year-old has already begun the process of clearing out the deadwood from his squad as he closes in on a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese international must be viewed as a long-term replacement for Scholes who also signed on for another year with the Red Devils. The signing of Kagawa is a real statement of intent from Ferguson who has sought an attacking midfielder of his ilk for the past 12-months. Widely regarded as one of Europe’s hottest talents he’ll surely blossom under the tutelage of the United boss as he signals yet another era of change at the club he’s spent 25-years rehabilitating over and over again.
This week on FFC why isn’t a certain United midfielder on the England plane heading to Euro 2012 and which Spaniard is Ferguson reportedly chasing?
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Best of FFC
The Carrick Mystery
Can Neville Stay Neutral for the cause?
City Domination or United Transition?
Why scrapping this football ruling would make little difference
Football’s Tweeters Have Lost Their Credibility
Fergie faces transfer battle in his Spanish pursuit
Blues looking to hijack Man United’s £6m move
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Best of WEB
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Five Things We Learned – Manchester United’s Season – Red Flag Flying High
Silly Conservatism? – 7Cantonas
Reshaping United – United Rant
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The Real Reason Sir Alex Won’t Buy Big In Europe – Red Flag Flying High
How would you deal with this Rooney situation? – The Busby Way
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Quote of the Week
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As the months and years have gone by I think I have come round to the idea of doing some sort of coaching or being a manager.”Obviously I love football and all the tactics but I also think I would like the day-to-day responsibility of cajoling players and bringing the best out of them. Man-management is so important these days. I think I would love that side of it.” Rio Ferdinand admits he is keen on going into management once his playing days are over
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Manchester United are the best supported club on the planet
It looks like the long-running Cesc Fabregas transfer saga may about to be coming to an end, with the Spaniard finally set to sign for Barcelona, and Samir Nasri could be following his out of the Arsenal exit door in two deals that could bring in £55m for the Gunners.
Elsewhere, Tottenham are lining up a swoop for Spanish striker Llorente, but are thought to have had a bid for Lassana Diarra rejected. Chelsea’s Fernando Torres is a doubt for the Premier League season opener at the weekend, and Newcastle’s controversial midfielder Joey Barton could be on his way to Russia.
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£55m double exit for Arsenal – Guardian
Tottenham swoop for Llorente – Telegraph
Barton on his way to Russia? – Daily Mail
Torres a doubt for season opener – Telegraph
Everton’s Barkley tipped for big future – Guardian
Tottenham’s £15m bid rejected – Daily Mail
Man City line up move for Cerci – The Sun
Bolton prepared to stump up £4m for Ngog – Mirror
Bruce ready to make Tottenham midfielder his 11th signing – The Sun
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Neville: Arsenal fans should lay off Wenger – Mirror
Villa legend on why it will be a struggle this season – Independent
In light of Darren Bent’s transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa for a fee of £18 million, possibly rising to a whopping £24 million, I thought it would be apt to have a look at the transfers that have shocked the football world over the years.
It is a rare occasion when a transfer makes you stand up and take notice these days given the amount of money that Premier League clubs spend every season, but it does happen every now and then and when it does it comes as even more of a shock.
There are occasions when players sign for one of their club’s fierce rivals, when great players go to so-called small clubs and when the game’s giants plump for a little-known player. All of these are featured in our list of the TOP TEN transfers that shocked football…
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After all the build up and optimism surrounding the clubs announcement that talks were talking place over investment in regards to the clubs long term future, Leeds fans have been left feeling frustrated once again with the lack of communication from the club.
If the rumours had been true, Leeds would have held a press conference almost every day last week and Neil Warnock would have walked out around fifteen times.
Luckily, Warnock is still very much the manager, although one of those press conferences wouldn’t have gone a miss.
They say that ‘no news is good news’ which is hopefully the case here, though it’s hard to imagine anything other than Ken Bates trying his hardest to ensure he squeezes every last penny out of the club before he makes way, assuming he does of course.
The latest rumour from a source apparently ‘in the know’ is that the investment will be secured by the end of play on Monday, with an announcement on Wednesday – the joys of Twitter!
This will be to confirm that a small investment has taken place for the time being, allowing Warnock to push through a few transfer deals. This will then lead us up to a full takeover at a later stage.
How credible this information proves to be is anyone’s guess, but until the club enlighten us with the latest developments we’re all sadly left refreshing twitter and the news pages looking for any scraps of information we can positively read in to.
One revelation this week came via the supporters trust, L.U.S.T, who had been contacted by several players who wanted to let the fans know that they are as disillusioned with the current board as everybody else. This came as quite a surprise, as in the past the players have seemingly preferred to keep quiet rather than speak out over the Bates regime.
The news was of course welcomed by all those looking for change at Leeds and it really could not have come at a better time. The pressure has been mounting on Bates for months now, so it is refreshing to see the players and the fans united.
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On the transfer front it would appear that the rumour creators have been busy elsewhere this week (probably informing us that Neil Warnock was set to walk out, again) with almost nobody at all linked to Elland Road.
Let’s hope the next week is a little more exciting than the last.
The saddest sight of the month had to be that of Owen Hargreaves trying to prove his fitness by posting videos of his training sessions on the internet. It was proof of what most footballers know – that the greatest asset they can possess is not pace, vision, skill or intelligence, but luck. You can have all of those other attributes but if you’re unlucky with injuries, they are worthless. Every time any footballer goes on to the pitch, he is rolling a dice and risking an injury which can cost him his career.
Hargreaves was at the peak of his powers when he joined Manchester United in 2007. Aged 26, he’d been England’s outstanding player at the 2006 World Cup and was one of the best holding midfield players in the world. Yet within months, a knee injury had wrecked his United and England careers.We would all love to see Hargreaves find a decent club and prove himself again as a first-team player, but the odds have to be against it and the best years of his career have been lost.
I was lucky with injuries on the whole – until it came to the 1966 World Cup. Seven months before the tournament, on Bonfire Night 1965, I started feeling ill and thought I had flu. The next day my mate came over with a couple of pints of medicinal Guinnesses, but this was the worst thing for me because I was soon diagnosed with hepatitis, meaning my liver was in a bad way. I was actually only out for six weeks or so, the longest lay-off of my professional career, but I experienced after effects all season and, in truth, I don’t think I was ever the same player again.
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Then, after the final group game of the World Cup against France, I came into the dressing room and found my left sock was full of blood and my shin badly gashed. I don’t know how the injury occurred. I didn’t even feel it happen, but I’ve still got the scar. I was ruled out of the quarter-final and semi-final, and then I missed the final, too. But despite such a huge blow, I have to say I was lucky compared to Hargreaves and many others.
Ken Shellito, who joined Chelsea the same day as me, had just made his England debut as an excellent attacking right-back when he suffered a serious knee injury that meant he ended up as a one-cap wonder. Brian Clough was only capped twice when his playing days were ended at the age of 27. His knee injury would not have been career-ending with the advances in medical science of a few decades later. But back in my playing days it was not rare at all for players to be finished at an early age.
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John Lyall and Malcolm Allison were two others I knew whose playing days were over by their early 20s – Big Mal contracted TB and had to have a lung removed. Going back a few more years, Derek Dooley, a centre-forward as strong as an ox, had to have an infected leg amputated at the age of 24. And, in more recent times, Steve Coppell, Kevin Beattie and Manchester City’s Paul Lake were among those who were cut off in their prime.
And these are only the ones we know about, because they had already made names for themselves or went on to be successful managers and coaches. There are hundreds who fall by the wayside because of injury, kids who could have been world-beaters but never got to play professionally. Kids who had it all, except for the phone number of Lady Luck.
The papers are reporting that Sam Allardyce is ready to quit his role as Blackburn manager should the club fail to provide him with the resources to pursue his two dream transfers. Allardyce has been keen to underline the importance of adding to The Riversider’s frontline, which hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season. Too many of Blackburn’s goals have come from midfield, and Sam is seeking to add balance to his squad.
Sam’s solution: moves for out of favour Man City striker Roque Santa Cruz and Spur’s forward Robbie Keane. Both players are seeking new clubs and may just be persuaded by the promise of first team football at Ewood Park.
Roque Santa Cruz was a Blackburn player before his move to Manchester City. Given that he’s hardly had a sniff of Premier League action in recent times; it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he was interested in a move back to his old club.
Use your FREE £20 Bet – Blackburn are 11/4 to beat Bolton
Robbie Keane is an interesting case. He’s currently on loan at Celtic where he’s banging in the goals like there’s no tomorrow. Despite this, there’s genuinely no room for him in the Spur’s squad and he’s certainly seeking a move to another club. Just yesterday it was reported that Wolves were considering a move for the 30 year-old striker. However, if Blackburn can rustle up the funds, I’m sure Keane would be willing to make the move.
These transfers rest not upon the availability of the players themselves, but on Blackburn’s willingness to shell out the cash. Personally, I can see one of these transfers going through (probably Roque Santa Cruz) which should be enough to placate Allardyce for the time being. It’s highly unlikely that Sam will get both players, as he will face competition from a number of Premier League clubs.
What’s your take? Can Blackburn complete their double swoop?
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I sat in my seat with a hollow feeling the like of which I had never experienced before. This was worse than a derby defeat, this was worse than a relegation. Manchester City had managed to let me down again, they had managed to snatch away all my hope and expectancy, to leave me wondering for the millionth time why I put myself through this year after year. All the football insecurities I had carried around with me like a drenched duffel coat since David Pleat skipped across the Maine Road turf had returned. Why always me?
There was little anger around me in the ground, just shock and dejection. A stunned silence, haunted looks aplenty. The man in front of me stood throughout, but at times I didn’t even bother peering past him to watch the match, rooted in my seat as another aimless cross sailed behind the hoardings. THe clock sped towards 90, and it was all over, that much was clear. Then, a goal. A clenched fist, but it changed little. Maybe Sunderland could grab a late equalizer, and similarly, maybe Cameron Diaz would drop by the next day and ask me out on a date.
The final whistle was moments away. Almost time to slink home in silence, to sit alone with the television off and ponder how this day that I had built up to all my life could have ended like this. Then I’d have to wake up the next day and instantly be reminded that they were champions once more, and I would never be allowed to forget it.
And then…..the noise. Pandemonium. Unbridled joy, never before witnessed on quite this scale. Bouncing off endless people, hugging strangers, utter chaos, thanking a god I don’t believe in, shock, a few tears (high pollen count), and the greatest feeling of relief that I will experience in my time on this planet. Someone punched me in the mouth (accidentally I presume). A quick dental check, no blood. Suddenly, life seemed a whole lot better. Had this really happened? If so, how?
Only City would have done it this way, only they could have made life so ridiculously difficult when a routine victory was expected from the team with the best home record in the division against the team with the worst away record. But because this is how City tend to operate, it gave every City fan a moment that will never be forgotten, which will never be matched.
Moments like yesterday remind us why we love football. Could you imagine life without it? It has so much to answer for. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks, I have had bouts of nausea lasting days, and have thought of little else apart from a title race that I had given up for dead only a few weeks ago. Oh to be rubbish again.
Last season’s FA Cup triumph and this season’s title is payback for suffering spread over three decades, the moment I’ve waited for since 1982, but many fans never get the chance of such rewards, so I am grateful. However, a promotion, beating your bitter rivals or even a last-minute winner is often enough to keep our faith, to keep us believing. Popular belief over the past few years has led me to believe that City were a universally hated club now, the oil money having hoovered up a merry band of mercenaries in a vain attempt to buy the league. Imagine then my surprise at the many messages of congratulations that I received post-match from fans of all clubs. City won fans yesterday because the day presented football at its most compelling, it showed why it is the greatest sport, perhaps why the Premier League is the most entertaining league. Every neutral would have reacted to what happened in some form or other. And as for United, well we always like to see the most successful side knocked off its perch, it’s part of our national identity, and just means they have been rather successful in the past.
Now, every monkey has been removed from City’s once-massive back. The first Premiership title is always the hardest to win, just like the first trophy was so hard to achieve before last season. In one respect the pressure is lifted slightly now, but it will be just as hard to retain the title now, and Mancini will be expected to make an impact in Europe too.
The celebrating went on late into the night. Heaving, clammy bars were stripped dry, songs were sung throughout, and the fans staggered home content and exhausted in the pouring rain, for this is Manchester. The neighbours were very nosiy indeed.
I woke up today with a sunburnt forehead and a bruise on my shin the size of a melon. I watched Match of the Day three times, I watched Aguero’s goal at least ten times (with commentary in three different languages). I bought every newspaper. I devoured Twitter and Facebook, and the football message boards. I laughed at Paul Merson’s meltdown on Soccer Sunday, and, because football is a cruel world sometimes, took a guilty pleasure in watching the United fans at Sunderland react to our winning goal. I watched Sky sports, I watched Match of the Day again, I wrote this blog.
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The smile will remain for days, even a six-hour training course tomorrow can’t stop that, but the smile is mostly for others too – the great friends that any football fan gets to share such days with, and the lasting memories that go with that. It’s for the great ambassadors at the club who have truly earned this trophy, such as Mancini, Silva, Aguero, Richards and Aguero, and the backroom staff too, like Life President Bernard Halford, who has served the club for over 50 years.
The sun is shining once more, and it’s time to go into the centre of Manchester and watch the best City team I’ve had the pleasure to follow parade the Premiership trophy round the streets of the city. Manchester City, 2011/12 Premier League Champions. Blimey. This is how it feels to be City.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has maintained that he will spend the club owner’s money sensibly and not break the bank chasing transfer targets.
The Merseyside club have had a busy summer so far, with the additions of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam expected to be complemented by Roma goalkeeper Doni in the near future. Despite this, the Scotsman has told Anfield fans not to expect the side to land all the players they are linked with in the transfer window.
“We won’t get everyone we are after this summer but other clubs won’t always get who they have enquired about,” the 60-year-old told Sky Sports.
“That’s just the way it is. We’ve done some business already and we’ll continue to do what we are doing in a responsible manner. The owners know what they are doing and we have had great support from them. They know not to bankrupt the club and are running Liverpool in the right way.
“John (Henry) and Tom (Werner) will give us whatever they can afford. We have to use that responsibly,” he concluded.
The Reds are hot on the heels of Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing, but are believed to have been put off by the Birmingham outfit’s £20 million valuation of the England international.
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