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First things first, is it Goetze or Gotze? There seems to be no real answer online, but one thing that is certain is that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Goetze is the real deal and looks like a real top talent. The 19 year old German has been tipped by many to be a real star and with that tag is many propertied moves to some of the biggest clubs in Europe and in this case it is no different.

The creative midfielder is held in high regard because of his pace, supreme technical ability and his creative flair, the German football system is really cranking out some fantastic talents of late. He made his debut during the 2009-2010 campaign but it wasn’t until last year that he became a mainstay of the team and the lynchpin of the side. He helped the side to the Bundesliga title last season and managed an impressive return of 8 goals and 15 assists. It was widely rumoured that he would move on this Summer with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger paying particular interest, it was even reported that Arsenal made an offer for the player towards the end of the most recent transfer window amounting to £35million however it was rejected out of hand.

The player and his agent have moved to deny any possibility of a move in the near future, talking to Goal.com he said:

“Mario will stay at Dortmund, for sure, the next two years….There is no chance of him going to another club this window….This is because he is so young and it is too early in his career for him. The club, the player and his family, we are all of one mind that it is better for him to stay there because he is happy at Dortmund.”.

It is pretty understandable that the player would want to stay for this season at least, the opportunity to represent the club he joined when he was 8 in the Champions League will be a highly attractive proposition. Whether however he will remain for 2 years as his agent predicts remains to be seen I would imagine there be lots of intense speculation over his future next summer. With Bayern Munich also supposedly really interested in his future there could be a three way tussle ready to unfold.

It really isn’t overly surprising either, Goetze is a quality player and for my mind a better player than his compatriot Mesut Ozil who is also a supremely talented footballer. The German FA’s technical director and former legend in his own right Matthias Sammer has claimed that the youngster is one of the best talents the country has ever had. The plaudits don’t stop there Franz Beckenbauer has compared the German with a certain Argentine winger:

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“It is not possible to stop Mario Goetze….He has the same assets as Messi…There is no one playing better than him….He runs through opponents as though they aren’t there….He is an instinctive footballer, just like Messi.”.

Clearly with such high praise comes a high price tag, when you consider that Ozil cost Real Madrid €15million it seems highly likely that any deal for Goetze will cost an awful lot more with a particularly intense transfer battle to go with it. Clearly he is just the sort of player that both sides would find extremely useful, Arsenal may have splashed the cash on Mikel Arteta and wrapped up a loan deal for Yossi Benayoun, but long term they need to replace Nasri and Fabregas and Goetze would go a long way to sorting out those problems.

United too have made no secret this Summer of their quest to sign some creative midfield talent, they have looked to sign Samir Nasri, there were murmurings that they were interested in Luka Modric but their primary target was clearly Wesley Sneijder and now that any move for the Dutchman appears to be dead in the water it is very conceivable that they might switch their attention to the German that they supposedly offered £1.5million to Dortmund just to have first refusal on the player.

Personally I would love to see the midfielder in the Premier League, he is a tremendous talent and the more we have in this country the better, he is destined to be a star not only at domestic level, but also on the world stage, he may have remained put so far, but next summer could be a different story.

Article courtesy of Joe T from This is Futbol

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Two own goals in the second half from Arsenal saw Blackburn pick up their first win of the new season to lift the pressure off boss Steve Kean.

The Gunners actually led 2-1 at half time with goals from Gervinho and Mikel Arteta sandwiched between a debut strike from Yakubu.

All seemed lost for Rovers until Alex Song bundled the ball into his own net before Yakubu grabbed his second of the day and Laurent Koscielny scored another own goal.

Substitute Marouane Chamakh scored a late third for the visitors but it was in vain as the Gunners continued their stuttering start to the new campaign.

It was another shambolic defensive performance and boss Arsene Wenger now has a real task on his hands to lift a back four which has conceded 12 goals in the last two away matches.

For Kean it will be sweet relief to finally get three points on the board and he’ll be hoping this result will silence his critics for this week at least.

He must have feared the worst after Gervinho opened the scoring on 10 minutes slamming the ball past Paul Robinson for his first goal in Arsenal colours.

Yakubu then got the first of his brace deftly turning the ball past Wojciech Szczesny to bring the game level mid-way through the half only for Arteta to restore the visitors lead turning in Aaron Ramsey’s intelligent cutback.

No one could have foreseen what would transpire in the second half as Arsenal capitulated and Rovers went full steam head in search of all three points.

Their cause was helped when Song turned Ruben Rochina’s free kick into his own net to bring the game level before Yakubu scored his second turning in Steven N’Zonzi’s cross.

Rovers were in dreamland and it got better with 20 minutes to go as Koscielny bundled the ball in Martin Olsson’s whipped delivery to make it 4-2 to the hosts.

Chamakh came off the bench to nod home Robin Van Persies cross with five minutes to go but it wasn’t enough to save Wenger’s side from another humiliating defeat. For Kean it could be the result to kick start his side’s season and his managerial career.

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The goals are flying in around the Football League today and it took no fewer than 10 minutes for the six Goaldash numbers to come flying in.

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Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has backed Arsene Wenger despite the club’s slow start to the season, and has stated that the French coach will be in charge at the Emirates for however long he wants to be.

With defeats against Liverpool, Manchester United and Blackburn in their first five games of the season, pressure has been mounting on Wenger, with some figures in the press suggesting it may be time for a change in North London.

However, the Premier League club’s owner has revealed his admiration and backing of his man in charge.

“You know something, Arsene is one of my favourite people I have met in the last 20 years. He is a great person and I love the way he handles himself,” the American told The Telegraph.

“I love his focus. He is a very intelligent guy. You can talk to him about anything and, when he starts talking to people, I really love to listen to him. He should hold seminars he is so good at it. I have tremendous confidence in him. He is one of the great managers in the world,” he continued.

Wenger will have been in charge at Arsenal for 15 years on Friday, and asked whether he could make 25 years like Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Kroenke kept an open mind.

“With Arsene, it’s his decision and only he will know that. He still maintains himself in tremendous physical shape. You have to have stamina and energy. It’s an energy business. You are coaching, training, travelling and in stadiums packed with pressure.

“It’s almost like you are training like an athlete. Arsene has great energy and that will always be his decision,” he concluded.

With the North London derby at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Arsenal can ease the pressure with a win, but will be questioned as contenders if they are defeated.

Written By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong has stated that his side have overtaken Manchester United as the number one side in the league going into Sunday’s derby fixture.

Roberto Mancini’s side have matched the Premier League champions’ quick start to the campaign, and are two points clear at the top of the division going into this weekend’s fixtures.

With the big spending Etihad Stadium outfit impressing so far, they will face their toughest test yet at Old Trafford on Sunday, but the Netherlands international is confident of a win.

“We’re going there [to Old Trafford] as No 1 and the aim is to stay No 1,” the midfield battler told Mirror Football.

“The pressure is still the same as it was last year, but what has changed is that we’re now No 1 going into this derby.

“That brings pressure, but the pressure is always there because of how this Manchester City team is growing.

“We proved last season that we could beat them, so we don’t have anything to prove. We’ve shown our quality throughout the season. We don’t need a game against United to show how good we are.

“We’re on top of the league, so going into this game we just have to be confident and play our game as well as we have been doing,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he is weighing up a loan move for Chelsea star Josh McEachran, and that he will try to convince Andre Villas Boas to let his starlet come to Wales in January.

The promising midfielder has broken into the Stamford Bridge first-team squad, but with the strength The Blues have int he middle of the park, the England under-21 star fails to get regular football.

The Liberty Stadium side will be in the market for new players in the new year, and McEachran is one that Rodgers admires.

“I need to have a conversation at length (with Chelsea). Josh is not playing at the moment, he is on the bench, although he played against Everton,” he told Sky Sports.

“He is a wonderful talent and the positive thing is that clubs see Swansea as a club that can develop such talents.

“He has a big future, he played in the same team as my son right through the system at Chelsea and has kicked on since he turned 14.

“He has got great vision, he is a terrific footballer and he needs to play in a certain system.

“I think Andre (Villas-Boas) and (sporting director) Michael Emenalo understand he will need to get some games and when that moment comes he is certainly a player who would do terrific here,” he stated.

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Swansea need all the help they can get, as they have found the going tough in the top flight, and sit in 15th place ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

By Gareth McKnight

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High flying Tottenham will be hoping to make it six Premier League wins in a row against lowly Bolton at White Hart Lane on Saturday and close the gap on second placed Manchester United.

Spurs have been in blistering form since losing their opening two games of the season winning eight of their last nine league games and rising to third in the table ahead of North London rivals Arsenal. Harry Redknapp’s side have been simply brilliant over the last month sweeping all that dare to step in their way as they home in on a title challenge with Manchester City. With a game in hand and sitting only two points behind the Champions it seems that Spurs should now be considered real candidates to challenge for the Premier League crown going into a relatively easy festive period. Games against Bolton, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea and Norwich are all forthcoming in December and whilst they aren’t exactly easy fixtures the mood Redknapp’s side are in at the moment should see them come away victorious in all four. Their last two wins against West Brom and Aston Villa have seen Emmanuel Adebayor get back on the goals trail after a six game drought with his last strike coming in mid-September. The on loan Manchester City striker has proved to be a shrewd signing by Redknapp with his strength in the final third making him the perfect Spurs target man. His link up with Rafael Van Der Vaart and Gareth Bale has proved to be a key aspect of their recent winning streak. He won the game against Villa with two goals before scoring another double last weekend to put West Brom to the sword. More of the same will be expected to push Bolton further into the relegation mire.

The Trotters have suffered an awful start to the season winning just three of their 13 games which has seen them slide down the table and into the drop zone. It was thought Owen Coyle’s side had turned a corner after beating Stoke 5-0 at home earlier in November but two defeats in a row since then has seen the confidence levels rapidly decrease once again. It’s been a hard start to the season for Bolton and although they have played a majority of last season’s top six in their opening 13 games it’s defeats at the hands of teams like Norwich and Swansea that have alarmed supporters. At this stage last season there was talk of European qualification with the Trotters riding high under Coyle in the top half of the table but 12 months on and it’s a totally different story. Their form at home is becoming a major worry with that win against the Potters their only success in seven attempts at the Reebok. It was the same old story last time out against Everton with sub-standard defending and a glut of missed chances costing the Trotters the chance to edge themselves away from trouble. Both of the Toffee’s goals could have been avoided but that lack of concentration and cohesion at the back is proving to be damaging. They’ve kept only two clean sheets in the league this season and if they continue to defend like they are then it’s going to be a very tough winter. Coyle needs his experienced players like captain Kevin Davies, Gary Cahill, Nigel Reo-Coker and Jussi Jaaskelainen to stand up and be counted in the dressing room and on the field if Bolton are to fight their way out of this slump.

Tottenham – 3rd

Last Five: Won 3-1 v West Brom, Won 2-0 v Aston Villa (A), Won 3-1 v Fulham (A), Won 3-1 v QPR (H), Won 2-1 v Blackburn (A)

Potential Starting X11: 24. B. Friedel 28. K. Walker 26. L. King [C] 4. Y. Kaboul 32. B. Assou Ekotto 7. A. Lennon 14. L. Modric 8. S. Parker 3. G. Bale 18. J. Defoe 10. E. Adebayor*

Injury News: Redknapp will be missing Rafael Van Der Vaart who has a hamstring injury with the Dutchman joining William Gallas, Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone in the treatment room.

Key Player: Emmanuel Adebayor

Four goals in a week and two match winning performances up front underline the role of importance Adebayor holds in Tottenham’s attack. The on loan striker has filled Redknapp’s requirement for a target man with aplomb since his temporary move from Manchester City and he scored twice in each of the last to games against Aston Villa and Fulham. Will be expected to continue his hot streak against Bolton on Saturday.

Match Fact: Tottenham enjoy the visits of Bolton having remained unbeaten against them at White Hart Lane in 11 Premier League meetings. Spurs have won eight times in North London since they first contested a top flight fixture way back in 1997.

Bolton – 18th

Last Five: Lost 2-0 v Everton (H), Lost 2-1 v West Brom (A), Won 5-0 v Stoke (H), Lost 3-1 v Swansea (A), Lost 2-0 v Sunderland (H)

Potential Starting X11: 22. J. Jaaskelainen 2. G. Steinsson 5. G. Cahill 12. Z. Knight 4. P. Robinson 7. C. Eagles* 6. F. Muamba 19. N. Reo Coker 19. M. Davies 17. I. Klasnic 14. K. Davies [C]

Injury News: Bolton are without youngster Joe Riley who joins six other first team players on the sidelines for the trip to North London on Saturday.

Key Player: Gary Cahill

With Bolton currently stranded deep in the relegation mire and looking genuine candidates for the drop this season the Trotters need their biggest names to step up and perform. Cahill is one of those names who needs to start performing on a consistent basis and his defensive abilities will come into play on Sunday. Cutting out the threat of Adebayor and Defoe will be a hugely difficult task but one that the England international is more than capable of handling.

Match Fact: The prospect of facing Tottenham at White Hart will leave Bolton quaking in their boots due to the fact they’ve won only two out of 11 in North London with last victory in the capital coming on 23rd October 2004. Interestingly they beat Spurs on their own patch a year earlier on 1st November 2003.

Last Time at White Hart Lane

Premier League 5 February 2011

Tottenham 2-1 Bolton

Van Der Vaart, 6 (Pen) Kranjcar, 90

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Sturridge, 55

Attendance: 36,197

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

PREDICTION

Tottenham are hot at the moment and are brushing teams aside like they aren’t there with their devastating mix of pace, power and elegance. Adebayor has finally started to score again whilst Scott Parker and Bale are looking unstoppable in midfield at the moment and those two should rule over Bolton this weekend. The Trotters have won twice on the road this season but will surely end up on the end of a beating at White Hart Lane. Coyle’s men need to get back to basics and start defending as a unit although thats easier said than done against a Spurs side who have their eyes set Manchester City at the top.

Score: 3-0

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As much as us football fans try our best to deny it, the Premier League and other major leagues around Europe have become distinctly money motivated. The foreign ownership has become concerning and the sustainability of our beloved clubs could be under threat.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp brought up the issue of foreign ownership this week and he made an alarming statement regarding the next 20 years of the Premier League:

“We’re getting more and more foreign owners into the country now,” Redknapp said. “I don’t know where it’s all going to be in 20 years time but I can see us playing Premier League games all round the world on a regular basis.

“If you’re from China or you’re from India or Russia and you own a club, you’re going to want to take your club back to where you come from. I think it’ll almost be a world Premier League.”

Redknapp is right; a power struggle could well hit our shores over the next decade or so with more and more nationalities investing in the Premier League there is a higher risk that we could be on the move. Ten of the 20 top flight clubs in England are majority owned by a foreign investor and that is set to increase in the future with clubs such as Everton, Wigan and Bolton Wanderers all looking at the prospect of a big money take over.

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The possible foreign fixture has been mentioned before but was met with a negative reaction by the majority in English football; hopefully the FA took that as a sign. But it seems that the money could talk and in Redknapp’s opinion, is now the deciding factor in most decisions made in football.

When it was rumoured a few years ago, the main incentive for the FA was that it would promote the Premier League all around the world and television rights would increase with more people in places such as India, USA and Australia taking more of an interest in the English game. However, when you see images of pre-season tours or the World Club Cup around the world, there are thousands of fans wearing Manchester United, Chelsea or Barcelona shirts, obviously showing an understanding of how big the European game is.

So the Premier League does not need much promotion around the world, which is the main non-financial reason to take the likes of Wigan, Bolton and Fulham to India or America so what is the point?

The NFL in the USA has come to London on more than one occasion now and English fans have flocked to Wembley to see the stars, but that is a one of game in each season, not a full fixture list which was initially announced for the Premier League. Not many supporters of English teams would want to see their home game take place in Dhaka or New York so why should we agree to it?

Soccer is becoming more acceptable in America as the likes of David Beckham, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan have shown that it can be competitive, but surely the Premier League would make it look extremely amateurish? Sending our teams over there or to India or Russia may enhance the interest in our league but could heavily damage the reputation of local teams in comparison and give mildly interested supporters a reality check.

So foreign ownership could become more powerful than first expected in the Premier League and with a group of them already failed in a bid to scrap relegation from the top flight for their clubs it appears that the selfish attitudes of all concerned could be damaging if they gain any more power than they currently have. Something has got to be done to prevent our precious game becoming infested with greedy people who are looking to make a quick buck rather than please the most important people of all – the fans.

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Would you want to see your team play abroad or even have a foreign owner – let me know below or on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

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Roberto Mancini has admitted that if Manchester City want to add any new faces to their squad come January, they must first sell a number of their fringe players.

The Etihad stadium outfit sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League, and many have anticipated that the big-spending side will look to sign new players in the new year to bolster their title ambitions.

Despite Mancini having a number of transfer targets in mind, he has stated that some players will need to leave first to free up space and funds.

“We need to sell two or three players and then we’ll see,” Mancini told The Guardian.

“We want to sell first and after that we may have time to buy someone if it’s possible. But it’s not easy. There are players that could be good for us but every time we want to buy a player their clubs ask for lots of money,” he stated.

Mancini spoke of potential transfer targets, such as ambitious moves for Lionel Messi or Daniele De Rossi, but these are unlikely to come to fruition.

“I asked the owner [Sheikh Mansour] for Lionel Messi but it’s not possible.

“I also don’t think De Rossi will happen, because he was born in Rome and it’s unlikely that he’ll leave the city,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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To become a footballer is probably near the top of every young boys dream whilst growing up. Only a lucky few make it leaving the rest of us to dream what may have been, and worship and support the chosen ones who represent our beloved clubs. In today’s world of ‘business football’, the financial rewards are ridiculously huge to the players. Of those chosen few however, there are always a select minority who take this dream profession for granted, especially as the rewards have increased tenfold over the last decade or so. They have zero (or very little) interest in playing the beautiful game and would rather languish on the substitute’s bench, collecting their cash and enjoying the status, rather than seeking to play the game we all love.

Please click on Mr. Owen below to see the list in full.

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Patrick Vieria has stated that he feels that Premier League referees are singling out Manchester City players for punishment, and believes his side are getting short shrift from the officials.

The former France midfielder is now a football development executive at the Etihad Stadium outfit, and has complained about the standard of refereeing.

“It felt like that anything that City will do will be amplified and we get punished, compared to the other teams and the other players” Vieria stated to Mirror Football.

“I don’t want to think about it because I don’t want to say everyone is against City or anything like that.

“But when you look at the last few decisions, you are asking yourself if something is wrong here, if people don’t want us to win the league,” he continued.

Vieria was also quick to point out Frank Lampard’s tackle on Adam Hammill and Peter Crouch’s eye gouging of Jonas Olsson both were punished not as severely as Vincent Kompany’s red card against Manchester United.

“Lampard’s tackle looked dangerous compared to Vincent’s. Crouch, when he put his finger in the eye of another player, looked bad as well.

“We try our best to win the league, we accept our punishment. But when you look what is happening to the other ones, that makes us as a football club really frustrated.

“It seems like if you have one referee you get one decision but if you have a different referee the decision may also be different.

“It’s difficult to understand some decisions compared to the decisions we had. I think this is what brings the confusion. The confusion is dangerous for our game.

“Players are saying that they don’t know what the rules mean and if they are likely to be sent off or not.

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“Confusion is really dangerous, especially for the referee and the refereeing body. I believe that they’re making the referee’s job more and more difficult.

“A good referee is someone who referees with his personality and with common sense, to make the decision he thinks is right at the moment, not because he’s afraid of the consequences,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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