Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn has stated that the current Gunners rear-guard lacks the organisation and commitment to lead the club to success.
Back-to-back defeats against Fulham and Swansea have dented Arsenal’s chances of a top four finish, with defensive errors in both games costing Arsene Wenger’s men.
Winterburn has little confidence in the side’s defenders, and feels their attitude is wrong.
“I feel that the players technically are very good, but sometimes they don’t sense danger or show a ruthlessness in certain situations to win games,” Winterburn told talkSPORT.
“When Arsenal lose control of the game, it just goes disastrously wrong for them.
“It’s great to see Thierry Henry back for six or eight weeks, but it’s a short-term fix. They need another quality centre forward to help Robin van Persie. If Henry wants to come back and help, anyone given that opportunity should take him up on it.
“I still look at the squad. They’ve got a lot of midfield players and a lot of them are very, very similar. You can’t keep looking back to your Patrick Vieira’s and Emmanuel Petit’s.
“They haven’t got that real type of character who can boss a game and then you can have your more technical players around them who can try and express themselves.
“You could see at times they were being over-run. When you get over-run, you need good organisation from back into midfield and it didn’t look like that.
“I always expect Arsenal to concede goals and it disappoints me to say that.
“The worrying thing was the way they collapsed against Fulham. They were leading 1-0, we can debate the Djourou sending off, but then the way they conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes was a team that didn’t show any composure or any real desire to hold onto the game.
“Again at Swansea, at times, I think Arsenal took unnecessary risks in and around their own area. I’m sure people even when they go 1-0 up, people are always saying, ‘This is not the end of the game.’ They’re always likely to make a mistake,” he concluded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Arsenal take on Manchester United next, with the crunch tie in London a test to see how far the side have come since their 8-2 mauling by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men earlier in the campaign.
More Premier League footballers are joining Twitter all the time. Just this morning Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere tweeted that fellow England U21 international and Aston Villa star Marc Albrighton has setup an account. So it appears that their lives aren’t busy enough, seeing as they have plenty of time to tell us what they’re doing!
I for one am not complaining, though, as it gives us a great insight into what they’re up to and how professional footballers feel at any given time. It isn’t just players that football fans should follow on Twitter either, there are plenty of great accounts that give you analysis, intruiging stats and plenty of laughs (check out the spoof accounts for that). So we thought we’d identify the TEN Twitter accounts that all footy fans should follow…
[divider]
Click on Rio below to see the Top TEN
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Much to Arsenal’s fans relief over the summer, Arsene Wenger brought in two centre backs in the hope of strengthening what has been a problematic position for the Gunners in recent seasons. The first signing was Laurent Koscielny, a little known French defender who played for unfashionable Ligue One outfit Lorient. Understandably Arsenal fans were not entirely sure what to make of the transfer, but most trusted Wenger’s judgement and in the early stages of the season, it looked like that trust was well founded.
Sebastien Squillaci, another Frenchman, is a far more experienced player than Koscielny, and with the departure of William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre in the summer, Wenger obviously deemed it necessary to bring in a centre back with experience in an otherwise youthful backline. Again the early signs were good, but it was this new pairing in central defence that was torn apart by unfancied West Brom at the weekend, so will Gunners fans be reviewing the wisdom of these signings? And will it turn out to be money well spent?
If you’d asked Premier League supporters who Laurent Koscielny was before he came to England, none but the most avid of Football Manager fans would have been able to give you an answer. But when he was brought to the club, the familiar mantra of ‘Arsene Knows’, was seen in full effect as the transfer was largely welcomed by the club’s fans. Indeed early signs were good; Koscielny looked calm and composed after being thrown in at the deep end at Anfield, and had the pace needed to deal with Fernando Torres. His career at Arsenal is still in its infancy, but in the game against West Brom he did look suspect. This match could well prove to be an aberration for the squad however, and I think that the £8.5 million spent on Koscielny will prove to be a good deal in the long run.
Koscielny’s defensive partner in the game against West Brom was Sebastien Squillaci, and like his compatriot he looked shaky in the match. I am hesitant to judge the duo too harshly in this game though, because it was a bad day at the office for the whole team and it might well just be a one off this season. At 30 years of age Squillaci is an experienced head in what is a young backline, and his maturity could prove crucial for the club this season. Squillaci cost around £3.5 million, and the majority of his performances so far have suggested it will be another good deal by Wenger. Like Koscielny, I am predicting that Squillaci will have a successful season and will certainly be money well spent.
In an attacking team such as Arsenal, the defence is always going to come under pressure and therefore it is no surprise when the odd goal creeps in. In the modern game it is up to virtually the whole team to defend, and instead of blaming Arsenal’s centre-backs, I would be looking at Wenger’s tactics and the set-up of the team rather than individual players. After all, many centre-backs have suffered the same fate of leaking goals at Arsenal in recent years.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Their performances over the weekend may not have been the greatest of their careers, but Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci have already looked strong in Arsenal’s backline. The game was an aberration by the whole squad, and as a result the defenders came under the spotlight, fairly or unfairly. Arsene Wenger rarely gets things wrong in the transfer market, and in my opinion, Koscielny and Squillaci will not buck this trend.
If you liked this article please follow me on Twitter. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
Everton are reportedly locked in negotiations with Rangers over the possible purchase of Nikica Jelavic.
The Croatia international has impressed at Ibrox and has been linked with a move to Liverpool and QPR also, but Sky Sports indicate that David Moyes’ men are the frontrunners to sign the attacker.
The Goodison Park club are eager to bolster their attacking options before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, and have money to spend after offloading winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to Spartak Moscow.
Jelavic missed Rangers’ 4-0 win over Hibs on Saturday through illness, and the Scottish club’s boss Ally McCoist is starting to think of life without the eastern European marksman.
“There’s not just life beyond Nikica, there’s life beyond us all,” he stated after the victory.
“There are bigger players who have left this club and the club always goes on. That’s the most important thing because the club is the most important thing.
“Nikica, if he went, would be a big loss. He’s a fantastic player and he has been a great talent here.
“I’d also like to tell you I wouldn’t like to lose him. Of course I wouldn’t because he’s a good player.
“But I understand the economics of our club and I understand the economics of football.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Sometimes they dictate and determine what happens rather than other things,” he admitted.
England is approaching the 45th anniversary of their last, and only, silverware, the 1966 World Cup, and nothing suggests this trend won’t continue for another 45 years. During the last decade, the ‘golden generation’ have persistently failed to deliver even a fraction of their hype, and even though nobody should ever have expected them to win tournaments, their lacklustre and uninterested displays are unforgivable considering the wealth of talent that has been available.
The major point of contention has always been how such an extensive pool of gifted players failed to perform to a standard capable of reaching even a semi-final of an international tournament, whilst simultaneously collecting trophies for their club sides. Of the side which started against Germany in last summer’s 4-1 knockout-round elimination in South Africa, there were a total of 13 Premier League titles and two Champions’ League trophies between the XI, which had all been accumulated over a six-year period prior to the World Cup. Had England’s captain, Rio Ferdinand, not sustained an injury on the cusp of the tournament, another four Premier League titles and a further Champions’ League medal would have been added in to the equation.
Throughout England’s decades of disappointments, Spain were also experiencing a similar level of frustration, as the likes of Fernando Hierro, Luis Enrique and Raul, amongst many others, regularly failed to exhibit their club form on the international stage. In 2006, a team with Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and David Villa won all three of their World Cup group games comfortably before losing to eventual finalists, France, in the knockout-round. Despite this, Spain had demonstrated the precocious quality that would two years later triumph in the 2008 European Championship in Vienna, before building on that success with a World Cup double in 2010.
So how have Spain, having seemingly developed parallel to England in terms of playing quality and subsequent infuriation, been able to alter a national footballing mentality so quickly and with results, whereas England remain in disarray with an arguably less able squad than previous years, a manager that barely anyone has faith in and almost no chance of achieving glory anytime soon? What is it that Spain have done differently, and what influences can England derive from their Iberian counterparts which will assist them in the pursuit of silverware?
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]
Clearly there is not an issue in terms of playing or coaching quality, but a mentality that is embedded in to not just English football in general, but the national side as well. Carles Folguero, who is the director at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, explained that Spain’s World Cup victory, “wasn’t so much the victory of a team, but the victory of an idea.” The England team of the post-Terry Venables era has not had an identifiable personality or characteristic that has remained constant throughout.
This is further rationalized by Pep Segura, who was technical director at La Masia before joining Liverpool’s academy two years ago: “The great thing about La Masia – the concept that I’d like to try and bring to Liverpool – is this. Barcelona’s La Masia represents the club’s policy. It’s a symbol of the club’s philosophy. When your policies keep changing when one day you say black, the next day white, then there will always be a problem in trying to establish a clearly defined concept of player development.” It is not as easy as the FA would have us believe that replacing a foreign coach who ‘doesn’t understand the English game’ with an English coach who ‘does,’ encompasses an idea or an identity that translates on to the pitch.
The fact is, Spain’s triumphant squad developed their technical skills in line with a philosophy they had learned from such a young age. Eight members of the Spanish squad graduated from La Masia and a further seven Barcelona youngsters recently represented the country’s under-19s at tournament level. English football used to have a recognizable culture that is no longer evident, and even though England are yet to return from foreign fields with any trophies, they reached two semi-finals between 1990 and 1996, which at the time indicated an encouraging future which for several reasons was wasted by Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham et al throughout the 2000s.
The most frustrating aspect of it all is that England have not, and will not, produce an assemblage of players anywhere near the standard of the ‘golden generation.’ In my view, it isn’t that Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole haven’t been bothered to ‘respect the Three Lions shirt,’ but that they had no formal instruction on how to play. Italians are renowned for playing defensive, counter-attacking football which is a concept implanted on each and every generation of Italian footballers. They don’t play attractive football that I enjoy watching but their philosophy has proved successful over time and is what won them the 2006 World Cup. Similarly, Germany haven’t been blessed with the greatest collection of players at any one time in the last ten years, but have continued an idea that has existed within the country for decades, even today when their squad consists of a number of foreign immigrants. They didn’t have to win anything for their supporters to be satisfied, but just perform at a consistent level which embraces their national ideology.
Pako Ayestaran, Rafael Benitez’s long-serving assistant at Valencia and Liverpool, alludes to this problem: “Every success story leaves clues behind, but as well as identifying them, you also have to be able to adapt them to your own philosophy and culture. So right now, English football needs to be faithful to its own culture, whilst recognising that there are different ways of playing football.” This quite literally hammers the nail on the head. Spain had no footballing individuality for a number of years, but discovered a personality in conjunction with a particular style of play. Even if they hadn’t supplemented such hard work with their recent trophy haul, the process would have been deemed a success for at least attempting to force a certain philosophy based on the country’s footballing traditions.
This is something England must look to achieve as soon as possible in order to remove the shackles of false promises and on-pitch indifference, because this country had a footballing ideology and character which was acknowledged universally, but was abandoned at the most recent time the playing staff endured a period of transition. The FA must of course shoulder the majority of the blame and should now make sure the emerging generation determine a fixed philosophy which they can approach future tournaments with. This has been the most significant obstruction to English football’s development over the last decade, and its repair will be the most important catalyst for a successful future. Even though the next set of English youngsters don’t possess enough overall quality to win an international tournament, they will play a substantial role in providing succeeding generations a thoroughly English blueprint to learn from and implement.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
If you think England need to rediscover an English identity, follow me on Twitter
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson dispensed with the services of three of his fringe first-team players on transfer deadline day.
Emiliano Insua joined Galatasaray on loan for the rest of the season, Damien Plessis moved to Panathinaikos for an undisclosed fee and Nabil El Zhar sealed a loan switch to PAOK.
Argentina international Insua moved to Anfield from Boca Juniors three years ago. The 21-year-old, who was on the verge of joining Fiorentina earlier in the summer, has made 62 appearances for the club, scoring one goal.
Frenchman Plessis was signed by former boss Rafa Benitez from Lyon in the summer of 2007 but scored just one goal in eight appearances for the first team.
Finally, Morocco international El Zhar has been with gthe Reds for the last four years following his arrival from St Etienne in 2006 but has scored just one goal in five starts and 27 substitute appearances for the club.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Hodgson has been busy culling his squad since his arrival at Anfield with Alberto Aquilani, Yossi Benayoun, Diego Cavalieri, Philipp Degen, Javier Mascherano and Albert Riera also leaving Merseyside since the end of last season.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has admitted that he may be forced to leave the club should first team opportunities not be more forthcoming in the near future.
The France international has been a fringe figure at Stamford Bridge since Andre Villas Boas was appointed as manager in the summer, and has had to make due with bit-part appearances this term.
Malouda has stated that he wants more time on the pitch, and may well have to find a new club to get this.
“I’m not getting enough playing time. It’s too limited for the ambitions I have. I can’t be happy with that. If it is necessary, I will leave,” he told The Telegraph.
Malouda has been linked with a move back to his homeland, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested, but the veteran attacker has poured cold water on rumours that he is set to sign for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala.
“I couldn’t even manage to pronounce the name of this team.
“I don’t know from where these rumours come, when they don’t have any base in reality. Me, I am someone who prefers transparency. I don’t have anything to hide, so I’m telling you the truth,” he concluded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has confirmed Thomas Sorensen will play in goal in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Bolton Wanderers.Asmir Begovic has been Stoke’s first-choice goalkeeper for much of the Premier League season but Sorensen has deputised in cup competitions.
“Thomas has lost his place but has played in the cup and been outstanding in those games,” Pulis said on Thursday.
“Thomas is a top goalkeeper, captain of Denmark and obviously he will want to play every week.”
“Asmir Begovic has come in and done smashing and that is what competition is all about.”
“We want to keep Thomas at the club and we’re currently in talks about his future.”
Pulis insisted Bolton are favourites ahead of the game.
Stoke are only in their third season as a Premier League side and Pulis said that gave Bolton a big advantage.
“To be honest, they have more experience than us in the Premier League – they’re more established than we are,” he said.
“They have more players who have played at Wembley and understand the stadium and the crowd.”
“But it’s a one-off game and you never know what might happen.”
“We will go there and give it our best shot.”
“The main thing is the players enjoy it and put on a good show.”
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere, the city is buzzing.”
This weekend’s league action could see Stoke dragged closer to the relegation zone but Pulis insisted he will not be distracted by that.
“We will just be concentrating on the FA Cup game on Sunday,” he said.
“There are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes you could think about but there is nothing we can do about the league results this weekend.”
“After that, we have a very tough Premier League game away to Aston Villa.”
“I would like to win the FA Cup and stay in the Premier League.”
Long-term injuries to defender Danny Higginbotham and striker Mamady Sidibe aside, Stoke have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash.
As it stands, there are still positions, personnel and formations to be decided. Having shifted Bale and Modric to different positions towards the back end of last season, Redknapp must decide who and how his best eleven lay out. Throughout his managerial career Redknapp has preferred to play 442, and his time at Tottenham has been little different. However, games in the Champions League, and the increase in the amount of games Spurs will play, mean that he may have to be more flexible in the system that he deploys. Despite this, it is important for any club to know their best starting team; competition for places makes this difficult for Spurs and it will take time, but ultimately it has to happen.
Give Gio a chance
As I explained yesterday, the lack of transfer activity at White Hart Lane can be eased with the re-introduction of Giovani Dos Santos. The Mexican winger has been in the wilderness since his time in England, and this may be the season to resurrect his career. Still young, having turned 21 at the end of last season, past attitude problems must be put down to inexperience and his pre-season form, plus an impressive World Cup, should be enough for him to earn at least a few starts. Should he then impress in the games he plays, Redknapp will be quick to give him a decent run in the team.
Pick a leader
While Ledley King still manages to defy modern science in churning out decent performances despite the virtual non-existence of training and conditioning, those performances are not frequent enough, for Redknapp or Spurs. When King is absent, his armband should be passed on to Michael Dawson. Robbie Keane has captained Spurs on many occasions, but I am a firm believer that a team’s captain should be guaranteed of their starting position, something the Irishman is not, and his commitment to the club is dubious. With Jonathan Woodgate struggling to even make the registered 25 such is his injury problems, Dawson is King’s partner in the back four. Dawson excelled last term and the captaincy would allow him to continue to grow into a top-class centre-back.
Balance competitions
Not just the first time in the Champions League for Spurs, but also for Redknapp. Although there is European experience at the club, the premier club competition in the world is in another class altogether. To do well in the Champions League (assuming they qualify, which I will), as well as finish in the top four again will be a mammoth task. Spurs are capable of it, but they may have to sacrifice domestic cups to achieve it. As much as teams love a cup run, and with eight wins in the competition, the FA Cup history at White Hart Lane is as good as most, it may be beneficial to put it, along with the Carling Cup, to the bottom of their agenda. Tottenham do not yet have the squad to compete in four competitions, and with the exception of Chelsea and Manchester United, and even they can struggle with it, few do. Qualification for the Champions League for a second successive season would cement Tottenham’s place amongst the top four/five in the country, and that is far more important than lifting the Carling Cup trophy.
Employ a witchdoctor
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Nothing else has worked with the perennial physio room visitors Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King. Why stop with a witchdoctor; hypnotherapists, psychics, astronomers, anything that can get those two players fit would be a colossal boost for their club – just have chanting spells, sitting somewhere behind Clive Allen and Tim Sherwood. This may contradict the Michael Dawson point from above, but if Woodgate and King are fit and playing well they are as good as any centre-back pairing in the league. King managed twenty games last season, an impressive return for someone with such chronic problems. Woodgate managed just three, and could be potentially be absent till January. Four fit centre-backs (with Dawson and Bassong) would stop Redknapp having to dip into the transfer market.
What do you think? What else does Redknapp need to do?
Get updates on my articles and follow me on twitter.
So it’s December and the countdown to Christmas is under way. For the next few weeks, you won’t be able to go anywhere without hearing Wizzard or Wham. With this though comes football in all its glory. Whilst other European leagues go into hibernation for a few weeks, we are fortunate enough to still be able to enjoy football in the festive period (even though a winter break might benefit English football, but that argument is for another day!).
As the Premier League enters its 14th round of fixtures this weekend, let’s examine who will be making the headlines come Sunday.
The Captaincy Debate
The goals dried up for Robin van Persie last weekend at the Emirates but for one former Gunner, they just seem to keep on coming. Emmanuel Adebayor may need quite a few bites at the cherry to score at the moment but the creative talents he has behind him guarantees goals. He will go up against Bolton at White Hart Lane this weekend and you’d back him to score against the Premier League’s leakiest defence.
Perhaps though, you do favour the man in the red corner of North London, Robin van Persie. One banner read at the Emirates last weekend, “Who needs Batman when we’ve got Robin?” Even though he failed to find the net against the Cottagers last weekend, expect van Persie’s superhuman powers to return soon. The Gunners travel to the DW Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Although Wigan will be buoyant after their smash-and-grab win in the North East last weekend, the Dutchman must be backing himself to bag a goal or two.
Then you look to Manchester City’s fixture though and your mind becomes all the more convoluted. The league leaders face Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium. Granted, the Canaries have not taken a beating in the Premier League this season. Then again, they’re yet to face David Silva and friends. It will be interesting to see what side Mancini puts out ahead of City’s pivotal clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. You’d assume the Spanish maestro will be on the pitch though. An assist or if you’re fortunate a goal or two might come your way should you select Silva.
However, do not discount Newcastle’s lethal hit man Demba Ba. He netted at Old Trafford last weekend, albeit in controversial circumstances. This took his tally to nine for the season. Now usually, one wouldn’t see Chelsea at home as an opportunity for goals. However, with the high line which André Villas Boas has taken to, there’ll be space in behind for Ba to exploit. The Blues have only kept two clean sheets this season and that run could well continue after their visit to the North East on Saturday.
Having backed Robin van Persie for the last few weeks, it’s time to do a Claudio Ranieri and tinker…
The Captain – Emmanuel Adebayor – The Togolese forward keeps finding the net for Spurs at the moment and it’s hard to see this run ending against Bolton on the weekend.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Vice Captain – Robin van Persie – Let’s not leave him completely out in the cold (after all its freezing). Just in case Adebayor sustains an injury, have RVP in reserve.