Lee Cattermole is back available for Sunderland selection, as the combative midfielder has completed a four-match ban.
The club captain was dismissed in the recent Tyne-Wear derby, but may well start for his side in their next fixture.
The Black Cats host Everton in an FA Cup quarter-finals replay on Tuesday night, and Martin O’Neill has admitted that there is real competition for places in the Stadium of Light starting XI.
“Probably for the first time with Lee coming back, with the exception of John O’Shea, we will have some genuine competition for places and that can only be good,” the Northern Irishman told The Telegraph.
“Someone will be disappointed, but there is no need for any general disappointment at this club. We didn’t play Phil Bardsley and Seb Larsson with Tuesday in mind and this win sets us up nicely. We’re going into the game full of confidence. We’ve kept the momentum going.
“Lee certainly comes back into contention. He’s the captain of the team and he has been a major player for us when he has played.”
The winner of Tuesday’s game will take on Liverpool in the semi-finals.
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When news broke on Friday night of an alleged tug of war taking place between an Arab Group, and an American Consortium to buy Nottingham Forest, it was met with cautious optimism by the majority of Forest fans, and rightly so.
The optimism, because something appears to be developing, with the feeling of caution put down to the fact the story was published by a tabloid, who are of course known to get one or two things wrong. What people don’t sometimes realise initially however, is that there’s a lot more things to be cautious about.
First of all, the main things people look at in a potential takeover is the money, and to what extent the backers are able to fund a club. Whilst I agree that is one of the most crucial factors in a takeover, it’s been proved nationwide, that in the midst of a takeover process, fans have a tendency to get carried away, which can often lead them to avoiding a vital point.
How much do the new backers give a damn about a club, and what is their motive to make such a big step?
In Nigel Doughty, we had an owner who cared. Fans may have argued some of his decisions were questionable, but nobody could doubt his passion for Forest. That level of care can’t be matched by our next owners, whoever they are.
The one aspect that concerns me, as well as the financial support, would be their commitment. If they come out in the media and state they’re fully behind the Forest project, that’s not good enough. If they go out and spend £10 million in their first 10 days at the club, then it could be a case that they’re in it for the quick-fix. Spending so much doesn’t necessarily indicate commitment, as much as fans may like to believe it. Look at Leicester; for example; they spent £15+ million, and yet they still find themselves outside of the playoffs in the Championship, and on a seasonly basis coming out with statements such as, “maybe next year”. How long realistically, will it take until their Thai owners get restless, withdraw from the project, and move on to their next toy.
Unfortunately, I move on to our biggest rivals for my next example, Derby County. We’ve laughed at them over the years, but since their owners have come in, they seem to have a calculated plan. The one word that can be tagged with Derby at the moment, is ‘stability’. They’re not going up, and unfortunately, they’re not going down. They’re slowly progressing, having remained patient with Nigel Clough, during their dark times.
When new owners do come in, I don’t want promises, I want aims. Additionally, I want people at the club who aren’t looking to pick the club up like a toy, and drop it back down again, in floods of debt, when they get bored. I want clear signs of longevity, not only with the club, but with Steve Cotterill, and what he believes in. After an unstable season, the club needs stablity, and Cotterill needs the tools to be able to provide that.
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Stan Collymore, a hero to some, has often talked about how Forest are a club that needs ‘Forest people’, at the very top, and the very bottom, hence the paramount importance of keeping Frank Clark as chairman. He has given us that element of stability this season, when it was needed most. If he remains in his position as Chairman under new owners, it’ll provide that little bit of security that fans would look for.
Brian McDermott always preaches about keeping focussed and never looking past the next game. Whilst it does not make for a very exciting interview, it does create a very strong winning mentality; a winning mentality which will prove vital over the next six games. Even Brian could not hold himself from letting out a weary smile of excitement after the win at West Ham on Saturday.
The result was emphatic, the performance not so much, but all that counts is the four point cushion. It truly was the perfect weekend for the Royals, not only did they smack West Ham’s promotion hopes in the face, but Southampton taking a hammering at Blackpool suggests that we have the scent to chase the leaders to the very wire. However, in true Brian fashion, let’s pump the brakes slightly, and remind ourselves of the six games still to be played. There are still a host of potential banana skins waiting, and with Allardyce laying down the gauntlet, suggesting his team need to win all six remaining games, there is pressure on Reading to win at least five of those remaining six in order to guarantee promotion. No easy feat when you consider Southampton and Brighton are two of the fixtures. On our current form though, I would not bet against us going unbeaten till the end of the season, but that is not the ‘McDermott’ in me talking. It would be easy to pin point our tie at St Marys as the crucial game in our run in, but it is Brighton that I fear the most.
Whilst we deserved our Boxing Day win against them, 3-0 was very generous, and they will be looking to make amends in what has to be said was a very poor display on their behalf. Vicente’s return to fitness seems to have revived the team, and is the sort of player that Reading in the past has struggled to contain. Currently holding sixth place (just), Brighton will have everything to play for and everything to lose. Safe to say, running away from with a point in the bag will be a very good result. Our game against Leeds on Friday also poses issues. Not because of the strength of the opposition, Leeds seem to have resigned their playoff push, but because Reading never like to make things easy for themselves. It would be typical of Reading to come away with a victory at Upton Park, in the manner we did so, and then lose to a team which only recently lost 7-3 to Forrest! The game at St Marys will be huge no matter what happens prior to the clash. Both teams will be secretly hoping it will be a showcase of two of the Championship’s best; two teams who virtually have promotion sewn up.
However I feel West Ham will still be hot on the heels of both teams, and the pressure of keeping noses ahead will still be the case. That said, I am confident in beating Southampton. We are so much stronger than when we played them in October, and even then we deserved the victory having outplayed them for large periods of the game.
We have showed all season that we have a very solid temperament for the big games, and will not let pressure phase us. Something that may stem from our defeat to Swansea last year. I don’t know if Southampton can truly say they have the same steel needed to hold their nerves? The way Reading have performed over the past three months suggest we have reason to start dreaming of the Premiership, but in reality we should turn our heads to Leeds, and expect a bumpy ride to the end. It is this mentality that McDermott has instilled into the team that I believe we have such a good chance of not only securing promotion, but securing promotion as champions.
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For as many precocious and fledgling talents coming through in the Premier League this term, there is as many wily old heads of experience and those battling competitors that continue to struggle on despite being written off in several quarters as calamitous, past it and playing beyond their sell by date. Let’s be honest; football is a relatively short career and who can blame the elder pros for sticking around a little while longer, earning a decent wage and engaging in the game they love.
Nevertheless, this is where the rose tinted picture stops for the following fifteen pros. Maintaining their playing days yes, but in terms of performances, it has been a downward spiral for some, with tired legs, lacklustre performances and consistency seen a far rarer basis than more prosperous times in their career.
Injury has curtailed some careers, but the willingness to remain contracted despite a cynical essence of embracement from the supporter’s shows some players might be hanging on just too long.
Whilst Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and even Kevin Phillips down in the Championship continue to roll back the years with their ever-consistent displays, for these guys they might be better sitting up with a cup of tea spectating Match of the Day rather than watching themselves back from the afternoons action. So without further ado, here are the top 15 ‘past it’ Premier League pros.
Click on the Man United duo below to see the Top 15
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Who’s had it at your club? Is it time to show them the door? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
In an age where transfer market prices are inflated to levels not seen since the Weimar Republic, most clubs can forget about signing truly world class players in the peak of their careers. A far more feasible possibility is to develop your own stars through the academy system.
However, with such a plan comes undeserved hype and promises that can’t be fulfilled. How many times have rave reviews been handed out like 1920s Deutschmarks only to leave us disappointed when the subjects of such praise fade into to the oblivion of lower league football?
For every Wayne Rooney or Cesc Fabregas there are plenty of Quincy Owusu- Abeyies who disappeared in to the void of footballing anonymity. And I know what you’re thinking, ‘with so many unreasonably over-hyped, over-priced and under skilled stars to choose from how can you decide on ten?’ And you’d be right; but needs must, so here they are.
Click on Michael Johnson to unveil the top 10
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Follow Hamish on Twitter @H_Mackay
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Former England striker Mark Hateley believes that Andy Carroll should leave Liverpool, according to reports at talksport.
The son of current AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, Pier Silvio – president of the holding company that own the Rossoneri, admitted recently that he would love to bring Andy Carroll to the club.In an interview with The Sun, Silvio stated “As a future target I’d like to bring Carroll to the club. I must admit that for his body build, and after seeing his header in the Euros, I would like to have Carroll at the club”.Mark Hateley, who played for Milan for 3 years in the mid-eighties believes that a move to Italy would be perfect for the former Newcastle frontman.“It would be breath of fresh air for Andy Carroll,” he told talksport hosts Hawksbee and Goldstein. “It would be great to go away and test himself in a new environment, a new culture and a different way of living.”.He continued, “That was key for my development when I was so young”.“They teach you the game inside and out, that’s what they do in these countries, especially Italy. Big strikers have always been a handful. It would be great for Andy and…it’ll be great for England. At his age you’re still very young and very raw. He’s got great strengths in his game already but he still has a lot of weaknesses. They (Milan) can deconstruct his game and build it back up again to the way a European centre-forward should be.”There has been no offer from Milan for Carroll at this time and it is thought that new manager Brendan Rodgers will want to hold onto all of his current strikers.[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]
Thierry Henry has admitted he wants to return to Arsenal for a third stint in North London but he doesn’t yet know in what capacity manager Arsene Wenger will need his services. As the the club’s record goal scorer the French striker is adored by the Gunners faithful and he has openly admitted his love for the side but the reality is his career has ebbed into its twilight years and he no longer provides the same impact that once terrorized Premier League defences.
While his pace and prolific goal scoring may be a thing of past, his knowledge and experience was most welcome during a brief loan spell last season and despite being nearly 35, he still knows where the back of the net is. Given his desire to return to the club he holds most dear, should Arsenal accept that his presence offers guidance to their young stars and attempt to accommodate him in any way possible or does part three of his Arsenal story make for an unneeded trilogy after such a romantic sequel?
After all Henry’s homecoming was so emotional that it would be extremely difficult to repeat such dramatic heroics. His initial spell where he scored 226 goals in 369 appearances in all competitions was so impressive that many felt he would struggle to live to expectation last season but in typical Henry fashion he wrote his own headlines and scored winning goals against Leeds United and Sunderland to reiterate his place in Arsenal hearts. Sentimental supporters would love a repeat performance but the likelihood is he would only play a bit part role to compliment the current first team and expectant fans would anticipate him turning games around every time he comes off the bench. While the current New York Red Bulls forward has never shirked away from a challenge he will naturally find it increasingly difficult to influence games in the same way and it would be a shame if a man whose statue is pride of place outside the Emirates Stadium tarnished his glowing reputation with an underwhelming swansong.
Despite some guarded pessimism there is actually some evidence to suggest his return could be worthwhile for the club, especially if it’s in a coaching capacity. Arsenal’s development team has a family like structure and many former players have earned their coaching badges so under Wenger’s tutelage, Henry could impart some of his wisdom onto the younger players. It’s a trick the club missed when they failed to resign Patrick Vieira before their once tough tackling talisman joined Manchester City. The French midfielder had been training with the side after being released by Inter Milan but Wenger’s insistence on youth meant he favoured the progression of Alex Song and chose not to pursue his former captain. It seemed a sensible decision at the time but Vieira’s influence at City was vitally important as he offered experience to their newly formed squad of stars. Such was his importance to the team that upon retiring he became their Football Development Executive and as such successfully transitioned himself from player to coach with relative ease. If Henry can follow Vieira’s example then he could play an important role in the club’s future and could even be a player/coach for year or two while learning a new trade.
Arsenal’s failure to ensure they kept some old heads to channel their youngsters has left them trophyless with a generation of players looking for guidance but with no one to look up to. Their mentality is admirable and their football philosophy is at times breathtaking but fans have grown weary with top players seeking pastures new and the club never truly realising it’s potential so they must attempt to strike a better balance between youth and experience. Henry’s va va voom confidence has made him the player he is today but it remains to be seen if his character is suitable for a coaching role where mature individuals are supposed to discipline and mould often wayward and erratic talents. The club certainly need experienced players to help the next generation but a reliance on Henry may not be the best the decision given his more showman like approach to the game and if he is to find a place at Arsenal for the foreseeable future then his celebrity lifestyle must be curbed and the responsibilities he learned as club captain must take a more prominent role.
As a general rule the ex-professionals that succeed in management tend to have progressed from a more defensive role during their playing days. This is related more to their mentality than their technical ability as it’s understandable the more level headed workmanlike players have a better grasp of the team ethics required than their more attack minded team mates. Of course there are examples of attacking players making a name for themselves as coaches and if Henry can harness a mature tactical understanding then he could easily follow in the footsteps of Jurgen Klinsmann and Marco van Basten.
Such career strides are still a long way off and the last thing Arsenal need is for Henry to tarnish his reputation with an under par spell before accepting he’s not cut out for coaching. It’s a risky decision that will boil down to how the Frenchman adapts to a new role but if he does return his position will likely be tailored toward an eventual coaching role. If he provides another impactful spell before giving something back to the next crop of talent then he can further imprint himself into the history of his beloved club while helping Arsene Wenger take the team forward.
Should Henry return to Arsenal once more? Can the striker be a successful coach or will his reputation be affected?
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Swansea boss Michael Laudrup has stated that he will sit down with Joe Allen in the near future to resolve the player’s future.
The Wales international has been the subject of a number of transfer bids from Liverpool, as former manager Brendan Rodgers wants to bring the talented midfielder to Anfield.
However, after Allen is settled back at the Liberty Stadium after competing for Team GB this summer at the Olympics the Dane intends to speak with his star player.
“Joe Allen showed up today at the training ground, he did not train but I had a small chat with him, but we did not touch the subject right now,” Laudrup is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“I did not think it was the proper moment, but we will have to talk about that with the player to see what he wants so we can say something official, otherwise the rumours will go on until August 31, which is not in anyone’s interest.
“On Wednesday he will be back in training with the other two guys who have been at the Olympics and then we will have some talks so it does not go on until the last day of the transfer window,” he concluded.
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In case you hadn’t heard, there is a former Premier League golden boot winner who happens to be one of the most gifted technicians in the entire land up for sale. He’s getting on a bit, but he can still offer pure quality to any team who could accommodate him. Unfortunately though, nobody seems that keen. What’s so wrong about Dimitar Berbatov?
As we look to burst into the final days of August, we’re now reaching the real business end of the transfer window this summer. There will always be chancers willing to leave their business till deadline day, but most teams will be looking to get their team ready and settled before the first game of the season. It would appear as of yet though, that no one particularly fancies bedding in the mercurial Berbatov into their side.
It’s been well documented that the Bulgarian is free to depart Old Trafford this summer. The presence of both Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck has seemingly relegated Berbatov into the role of fourth choice striker. As he said himself: “I love this club, but I am not going to be useful to anyone if I am not playing.” It’s a refreshingly honest statement and one that can’t really be argued with.
Because in truth, Berbatov is simply far too good to be playing fourth fiddle up in Manchester. He seems to have taken some unfair ridicule since his £30million move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. His relaxed demeanour hasn’t suited all at Old Trafford, but his scoring record isn’t anywhere near as bad as some seem to portray it. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen man has scored 48 in 108 league appearances for the Red Devils. A strike rate of near-on one in two is hardly child’s play. His exploits in the 2010-11 season saw him share the Barclays Premier League golden boot with Carlos Tevez in a 20-goal haul.
But to focus solely on his goal scoring exploits, which have been consistently good since his early days at CSKA Sofia, is doing Berbatov a massive disservice. Potential suitors wouldn’t just be getting someone who can score goals.
Berbatov’s link up play is just as prolific as his ability in front of the goal. Fire the ball in high or hit the ball in low; in fact, it doesn’t really matter how the midfield or defence decide to knock it up to Berbatov, such is his ability, nine times out of ten he will always keep possession. He can set up goals as well as bury them and his versatility is testament to his outlandish ability.
You could play him front as a lone striker or alongside a partner, as he did with Robbie Keane at Tottenham Hotspur. He could even be deployed as a target man with a difference and he will always bring others into play. Some have pointed to his perceived lack of pace as a potential issue, and although the cliché so often rings hollow, Berbatov’s game doesn’t rely on pace.
He is all about touch, technique and finesse and when you’re as gifted as he is, you don’t need to worry about not having the legs. Hence why his game as a striker means his career at the top flight could be set to last a few more years longer, than say a Darren Bent like figure.
Although at the risk of upetting several animal rights groups and Berbatov fan clubs, are we flogging something of a dead horse though, as we list the Bulgarian’s selling points? The thing is, no one is exactly unaware of Berbatov’s attributes. He has been one of the more high profile footballers of the Barclays Premier League since his arrival in England in 2006. You can’t really not be high profile after a £30million record transfer. Premier League managers no what he’s all about, so where’s all the interest?
If you were to pick one negative in Berbatov’s game, you could make a good case for a suspect work ethic. Berbatov has something of a stigma, which in many cases is warranted, of not really pulling his weight and putting a shift in for the team. Needless to say, he doesn’t like dirty work. And to a vast majority of Premier League teams, this could be a real sticking point. Pragmatism is favoured over flair by many in this league. The stakes are high and there’s a certain breed of British manager who prefer the workhorse to the artist. Even when the artist is as skilful as the Berbatov’s of this world.
But even then, surely Berbatov is simply too talented to ignore. Even though he will in all likeliness have to take a wage cut to stay in the Premier League, he is still going to demand a fair whack. But if, as the man himself has claimed, he is available for a paltry £5million, then surely he’s worth a punt. It just seems too good not to.
Dimitar Berbatov isn’t necessarily everybody’s cup of tea. But it seems startling that no one has made any solid attempts to sign him yet. There may have been some tentative enquiries but as of yet, it seems only Galatasaray have made any real move for the 31-year-old. But he’s still got so much more to offer in the Premier League.
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They say fortune favours the brave. Even then, it seems bizzare that we should be denoting any club looking to sign a player that once cost £30million as courageous. But this is the era that we live in. Dimitar Berbatov must be worth a gamble by another Premier League team.
Can you think of a decent reason why Berbatov’s not been snapped up? Or do you think I’m simply on the books of the Berbatov fan club? Tell me what you think, follow @samuel_antrobus on Twitter and bat me your views.
Referees, you either loathe or hate them. Their very presence on the football pitch fills you with rage, safe in the knowledge that they’re just moments away from a complete lapse in judgement or inexplicably getting in the way of a sweeping counter-attack.
I will confess to having launched a few foul-mouthed tirades in their direction, remarking about how they should have gone to Specsavers or joining in when the crowd refer to them as Wayne Kerr (whoever he is). Perhaps we are too quick to criticise those men in black, especially when their job is made impossible by the playacting antics of a select few. It’s always been my belief that referees are hampered rather than helped by Fifa’s governing directive, constantly trying to justify their mistakes with the phrase, ‘the letter of the law states…’
If you analyse the beautiful game long enough you soon discover that it’s based predominantly on opinion. Was that challenge ‘reckless’? Did that centre-forward ‘intentionally’ thrust his forearm into the face of the onrushing defender? Hopefully the advent of goal-line technology will soon be upon us but this will only solve factual circumstances like whether the ball has crossed the line. Therefore, officials must rely solely on the undervalued skill of placing themselves in the best position to accurately interpret the events that rapidly unfold around them.
Even when referees are perfectly placed mistakes can be made, human error is part and parcel of the game but their lives could be made infinitely easier if they were allowed to apply common sense in their decision making. At present, the phrase “common sense” only materialises once in the most recent edition of Fifa’s Laws of the Game, in reference to goal celebrations.
“Referees are expected to act in a preventative manner and to exercise common sense in dealing with the celebration of a goal.” (Guardian)
Most officials tend to disregard this ruling and appear only too keen to dish out cards like it’s Christmas, but referee Darren Deadman earned nationwide praise when he chose not to book Billy Sharp when he revealed a tribute to his son, who had passed away just two days after he was born. This is the kind of behaviour we should be encouraging, it’s incredible how rarely we see logic and reason applied to scenarios when it contradicts rules and regulations. There seems to be very little consistency in the decisions we view across a typical weekend, so why not effectively leave the referees to their own devices?
The dismissal of Tom Huddlestone in the recent fixture against Norwich is the perfect case in point. Technically the player entertained the tackle with both feet, but contact was quite clearly made with the ball using only one outstretched leg, before colliding with Jonny Howson. It’s also quite clear that Mark Halsey’s decision was prompted by the Norwich midfielder’s exuberant reaction, who happened to execute the tackle in exactly the same fashion.
Huddlestone and his nearby team-mates seemed baffled by the decision, with Halsey almost too embarrassed to look him in the eye as he revealed the red card. The FA’s verdict to uphold his case for wrongful dismissal will provide a small crumb of comfort for Andre Villas-Boas, but he may feel the decision ruined any hope of a late winner. Halsey’s ‘opinion’ of the tackle remains unclear but he may have avoided making this mistake had he not felt compelled by the ‘letter of the law’.
Another area that could be significantly improved surrounds the issue of handballs. How often do we see players appealing for penalties when the ball cannons off a defender a mere two yards away? In most circumstances it would be impossible to avoid any contact – unless you were playing Neo from the Matrix at left-back – and yet the rules do not allow any room for manoeuvre. The mere essence of discretion would cast such infuriating decisions into the past and allow for a much more enjoyable spectacle.
During Udinese’s recent 4-1 hounding at the hands of Juventus, chairman Giampaolo Pozzo launched a scathing attack on referee Paolo Vareli after he dismissed their goalkeeper when the game was just 14 minutes old.
“Before making a decision so severe, that ruins a game, you should have a little common sense and balance.“
“It makes me angry, ruins the game and a Sunday of fun.” (Goal.com)
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The last man rule has inspired plenty of debate with many echoing the view that awarding a penalty should be satisfactory punishment, unless of course the tackle would warrant a red card regardless. One mistake leads to one decision that leads to one dismissal, which abruptly changes the course of the match and perhaps could be avoided if referees would demonstrate an ounce of restraint.
I personally believe the game would benefit from placing the trust in referees to use their own knowledge and experience to make decisions. If the Fifa handbook allowed enough flexibility to be used as guidelines rather than strict commandments then perhaps officials could go one week without suffering ridicule from the stands or in the press. It’s certainly a better solution than having two wand carrying statues at each end of the pitch.
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I am currently reliving the Jonjo Shelvey masterclass in the England U’21s 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan