Paul Scharner has warned the Baggies that they must hold on to their star names next month, or risk being relegated.
The versatile Austrian has helped the club bounce back from a poor run to record back-to-back Premier League wins against Everton and Newcastle, which has moved Albion into the top-half of the table.
Roberto Di Matteo’s men have done a lot better than many outsiders anticipated in the summer following their promotion and Scharner feels the sale of any key players could lead to their downfall in the New Year.
Scharner said:“It’s true we have exceeded expectations but I am very happy that we surprised everybody.
“Hopefully we can continue what we are doing.
“Hopefully we won’t stop when we reach our target (of staying up) and we will keep on going until the end of the season.
“It looks like we can stay up. I never got relegated with Wigan and that’s why I came to West Bromwich, to help them survive.
“That’s the main target and we’re on course at the moment.
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“But, if we want to reach our targets, it is important that we all stay together until the end of the season.”
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QPR midfielder Joey Barton has stated that his men will be motivated to beat Manchester City on the last day of the season, and that his former club should not celebrate lifting the Premier League title just yet.
Roberto Mancini’s men just need to beat relegation-threatened Rangers to lift their first top-flight crown since 1968, but the Loftus Road outfit need a point to ensure they avoid the drop.
Barton has warned City that they will face a motivated team, who they should not underestimate.
“I can’t wait for the game – I can’t wait to go to Man City,” he told Mirror Football.
“They expect us to turn up and them to probably stuff us and go on and win the league.
“If that is their attitude, they will get a reality check. It’s 11 men against 11 men, there is a lot of pressure out there – I can’t wait for it.
“We have one game to go and we are masters of our own destiny,” he concluded.
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One person was killed and 16 were injured after a section of FC Twente’s Grolsch Veste stadium collapsed during renovations on Thursday.Work was underway to upgrade the stadium in Enschede, the Netherlands, when the roof of one stand collapsed after two support beams buckled.
Rescue workers rushed to the scene to attempt to free the construction workers who were trapped in the collapse, with a local government spokeswoman for the city of Enschede confirming there had been on fatality.
”There are 14 people injured and unfortunately there is one fatal injury, in addition to the 14 injuries,” the spokesman said.
“Ten people were treated in hospital and two of those people were severely injured. The exact nature of the injuries I cannot tell you at the moment.”
”Everyone is out to our knowledge. People are still searching with dogs and specialist camera teams, but that is as an extra precaution, a double-check.”
It was later confirmed that two further people who were injured in the collapse had taken themselves to hospital suffering bone, taking the total known number of injured to 16.
The Grolsch Veste stadium, which currently holds 24,000 people, is being expanded to a capacity of 32,000.
Twente won the Eredivisie title in 2010 and finished second last season, beating champions Ajax to win the Dutch Cup.
There can be no underestimating exactly how important Cesc Fabregas is for the Gunners. When he’s on song, he controls the flow of their game, he is their engine, their anchor and their forward thrust. The Spanish midfielder is without doubt one of the world’s best footballers and if Arsenal are to have any success over the next season or two, it will likely be thanks to him. The worry with a player taking up such an important role in a squad is that the team may find themselves lacking direction and ability without him. Perhaps this is why the “Fabregas is off to Barcelona” stories caused such a stir last summer. How exactly would the Gunners cope without their best player?
Admittedly, the Gunners have already had a taste of what a world without Fabregas would be like. Their captain has suffered with a niggling hamstring problem this season which has seen him ruled out of a number of games and lacking match fitness for a number more. Fabregas’ absence has had a positive knock-on affect for Arsenal: the rise to prominence of a certain young Jack Wilshere.
The talented 18-year-old midfielder is in the throes of his breakthrough season at the Emirates Stadium. He’s had a number of opportunities to impress and has really left his mark. It’s clear that he looks up to Fabregas. When asked about his relationship to the current Arsenal captain, Wilshere responded, “He’s a great leader and I want to be like that when I’m older. It’s always been part of my game, and that’s my aim really, to be Arsenal captain one day.”
Wilshere has all the qualities necessary to make a good Arsenal captain in the future. He’s talented, he can pass and he can get stuck in. He’s capable of leading by example and is not without a feisty and competitive side that will aid him in spurring his troops towards victory. He is without doubt a vital part of Arsenal’s future.
Cesc Fabregas’ Arsenal future, on the other hand, is littered with question marks. Despite his fondness for the club, its fans and Arsene Wenger, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll stay an Arsenal player for the rest of his career. He will at some stage make a move back to Barcelona. The question is not whether it will happen, but when it will happen.
In this respect, the Gunners should attempt to hold onto Cesc Fabregas for as long as possible. Not only is he a fantastic footballer, but he’s also a great role model for the Gunners’ younger players, including Wilshere. If the rumours of Barcelona making a £10 million bid for Arsenal midfielder Denilson are true, it could be that the Gunners midfield is about to become a little thinner. This will make Wenger even keener to keep hold of the assets that he has.
Whilst Wilshere represents the future of Arsenal football club, Fabregas represents the chance for success in the present. In this respect, Wilshere’s rise to prominence will not have Wenger pondering whether or not he can afford to let Fabregas head to Barcelona. My hope is that Wilshere stays a one-club man, who becomes an Arsenal great and that Fabregas remains with the Gunners for a long time.
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The thing about obituaries is that it is better to publish them after the subject has died. Two weeks ago, Manchester United were the champions in all but name. T-shirts had been printed to celebrate their 20th title, a United-supporting bookmakers had paid out on them, endless articles were being written about Roberto Mancini’s future, and the season was fizzling out, as City blew their unassailable five-point lead (eight if you write for a tabloid, ten if you’re Mark Lawrenson on Football Focus. Five if you like to deal in facts). There were rumours that when the two teams met on 30th April, City players would have to form a guard of honour for the United team. At the very least, United could clinch the title at their neighbour’s ground.
Not any more. United have wobbled twice over the past fortnight, and a door has opened. The lead is down to three points, and if City win the Manchester Derby next week, they will go top of the table. As will be mentioned later, that is only half the story, but it certainly a surprising turn of events.
Elsewhere, Everton’s wholly unexpected comeback against United on Sunday was the greatest news Sky Sports have ever had. Their spring blue riband event, stupidly positioned on a Monday night, had seemingly turned into a damp squib. Now, it’s all systems go. Advertising space will be at a premium, the dollars will roll in, the hype machine has had new batteries put in, and will have seriously overheated by this time next week.
And already Sky have hyped the game beyond comprehension. Think the last days of Rome, couple that with a World Cup Final, mix with the Rumble in the Jungle, add a dash of the last day of the Ryder Cup and garnish with a selection of the greatest penalty shoot outs. Magic Mega Manchester Mash-up Monday is only days away. Or Mancini Meltdown Monday if City lose their nerve, or he waves an imaginary yellow card. New montages are being prepared as we speak, moody images of both managers aligned to a bombastic soundtrack, as two gladiators go to war, to the death, winner takes all, there can be no prisoners, it’s the clash of the titans, the biggest game in Premiership history, the dawning of a new era, it’s a……sorry about that.
A hundred players will be wheeled out to vomit forth endless banalities about the upcoming match. The buzzwords will be experience, pressure, and history. The United players have been gagged (but not the ex-players, sadly), the focus is intense. The announcement of the match referee is headline news. Desperate attempts are made via social media sites to get Yaya Toure banned because he may have raised two fingers at some opposition fans 80 yards away. Either way, I’ve bought some Immodium (Plus), and picked up my beta blockers. It’s going to be a nervy week, and a nerve-shredding night.
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In reality, not THAT much has changed. City are 2/1 for the league now, having been 12/1 just a couple of weeks ago. A couple of weeks before that, they were 1/2. United are still favourites, and rightly so. Whilst many a City fan may now proclaim that the title is now in City’s hands, it is also in United’s, so it’s a pointless cliché. If City should win next Monday, they then have to do it all again, beating Newcastle away, unless United slip up against Swansea or Sunderland, which despite the last fortnight, seems unlikely. City may well have to win two cup finals, and then meet a team fighting for its premiership life, led by their ex-manager, on the last day of the season. At least United will play two teams with little to play for, their summer holidays already booked, their minds already on that lovely beach in Antigua.
Normally, it would be correct to talk now about swings in momentum, in confidence, and balances of power. We were assured that United had the experience, had been there and done it, and would cruise over the finishing line. That’s what I thought too. But there have already been too many swings to know what lies ahead. It only takes a mis-timed tackle or a bad refereeing decision to cause another seismic swing. It becomes harder to call when you consider City’s lengthy troubles away from home, and the fact that even as United accumulated win after win, their performances were distinctly average (at times). Who is in better form now? It’s a grey area.
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Now it is down to the managers as much as the players. Mancini surely knows that a win is vital, and must stick with his two free-scoring Argentineans up front. But then again, a draw leaves a slim chance of title glory, a loss none at all. As for Ferguson, he’d probably be happy with a draw, leaving the title in United’s hands with a good cushion, but can you set up a team to get a draw? He’s unlikely to do that. And for the losers, the ultimate punishment – a Sky interviewer acting like a moron and asking the worst questions possible. Andy Burton thinks nothing of asking Carlos Tevez if he has dived when replays showed he had his ankle stamped on. A Sky interviewer feels no shame in trying to make Terry Connor cry. Geoff Shreeves thinks it’s acceptable to tell Ivanovic live on air he will miss the Champions League final. The stakes are high on Monday – the chance to avoid these buffoons.
Thankfully Chelsea have dug deep in the Camp Nou and out-hyped anything Monday could bring. The attention will rightly be theirs for a good couple of days. Sometimes the hype is justified, sometimes the game gives you amazing nights like Chelsea fans experienced this week. They too were written off, a team on their last legs months ago. Now they could win two trophies. A funny old game indeed. On Monday the game might well be a dour one, the hype more about the consequences of the result rather than the quality of match expected. Either way, the atmosphere will be electric, the footballing world watching on. Let’s hope it at least partly lives up to the billing.
Arsene Wenger has remained true to his policy of investing in youth, as two prospects from Europe are on the verge of joining the squad.
Kristoffer Olsson, a 16-year-old Swedish midfielder, is close to signing for the London club from IFK Norrkopings after impressing in two trial spells at the Emirates.
The news was confirmed by the teen’s current club, with sporting director Tony Martinsson happy for the starlet.
“I can confirm that the transfer is close to being sealed. I won’t comment on any sums, but of course we are happy with the deal,” he told Fotbolldirekt.se.
“We are pleased, but of course we would have preferred to have seen Kristoffer stay in Norrkoping and evolve to a first-team player. He wanted to take this chance and we will not stand in the way,” he concluded.
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Meanwhile, The Daily Mail stipulates that Wenger has offered a trial to Lokomotiv Plovdiv winger Nenad Lukic, who has starred for Serbia under-19’s. Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the 18-year-old.
Yesterday I ran through my all-time Premier League dream team. Today, it only makes sense to have a look at the worst possible Premier League XI. The Premier League team from hell! There’s lots to consider when making the worst possible team. All players must be examined to see if they show any traces of talent (in which case they are exempt from this list). Furthermore, you must consider which players would cost the most and thus provide the worst value for money. You could also go deeper and chuck in a few players that are sure to cause an awkward changing room dynamic. I’d love to see your picks for the worst possible Premier League XI, but without further ado, here are mine.
Click on image below to see the Premiership team from HELL
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Amidst some dirty tactics from Burnley (kick Vicente), and some dodgey officiating (they were allowed get away with it), there was something that annoyed me far more at Turf Moor; Casper the friendly ghost upfront. In my previous blog I pleaded for Gus to play Craig Mackail-Smith and Sam Vokes up top together, two strikers, that was what we needed. Well the truth, we only played with one at Burnley. CMS was hardly involved in the game and I for one was gutted. Even when Vicente was breaking forward from midfield I waited for CMS to dart into space and outpace the centre back… But it didn’t happen; CMS just didn’t look interested, no run, no movement, no spark.
Don’t get me wrong, CMS isn’t lazy. Not even I am that stupid. But I think it has now got to the stage that the club need to reassess the whole situation and ask themselves ‘is this working?’ Back at Leicester away I laughed in a man’s face when he screamed that CMS was ‘a complete waste of money’. Unfortunately I am starting to agree with him.
However, I refuse to apologise for laughing in his face, not only because it was a ridiculous comment to make at the time but mainly because I am as stubborn as anything! In the man’s defence CMS had just managed to spoon the ball over the bar from about a yard out. That takes some doing! But of course, at the time, CMS was ‘just going through a blip’ and he was ‘a quality striker’ and would soon find his way out of it. This is by no means an attack on CMS, I just simply feel it hasn’t worked out. I am also aware that lots of people reading this blog will say ‘yeah but he works hard’ and quite frankly that is a ridiculous argument.
If Gus wanted someone that worked hard he could have signed a Golden Retriever to close down the opposition back four! That’s not the striker Gus wanted, Gus wanted a goal scorer, we need a goal scorer. And, as I said before, for CMS it hasn’t worked out. He is by no means a bad striker, far from it; I just don’t think the club and player match. Gus has a very specific style of play, one that in my eyes he isn’t willing to adapt to fit in CMS. As much as I hate to say it, my mind is slowly starting to see CMS’s name along the same lines as those with Carroll and Torres.
The big question for Gus is what does he do? Does he cut his losses and get rid of CMS at the end of this season? Surely he must still hold some value. Or, does he give him another season and hope it works out? For me, it’s time for him to go. From what I have seen of CMS I can’t envisage him being our 20+ man next season and I am genuinely gutted for him that it hasn’t worked out, especially considering all the interest we fought off to sign him.
All this said, I can’t bring myself to have any sort of anger or resentment towards CMS, his hard working ethic and honest approach to the game is refreshing for any fan to see. He reminds me of a classier Gary Hart and originally seemed as if he would become a real favourite of mine. If he is to leave, which I think is best for player and club; I wish him all the best and hope he finds the success he deserves elsewhere. But, for the time being, I think Gus should get on the phone to Germany and start perusing the whereabouts of a certain Dirk Lehman.
In Gus we trust.
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Liverpool had a bid of £8 million rejected for Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, according to the Independent.
The 18-year old first shot to fame at last year’s under-17 European Championships and has often been compared to a young Alan Shearer. Despite growing up in Essex, the 6ft 3in striker is said to be a boyhood Liverpool fan.
The 2011 Football League Young Player of the Year has regularly been linked with moves to Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham but signed two contract extensions last season, first in January and then in April until 2014. However, the contract reportedly contains a £15 million release clause but whether Liverpool would meet it remains to be seen.
Since becoming the club’s youngest player in April 2009 Wickham has gone on to make 72 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals. He also made his England Under-21 debut in November of last year.
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Liverpool looked at Wickham in January but instead spent over £50 million on the signings of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, largely funded by the sale of Fernando Torres. New owners Fenway Sports Group have money to spend and are keen to invest in young talent.
Arsene Wenger has sparked the latest row in the club versus country debate over the decision by Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk to go against his wishes by selecting Robin van Persie in the Dutch squad the upcoming friendly against Turkey. As he will only be returning to full training at the end of the week after recovering from an ankle injury incurred against Blackburn which has kept him out since August. Clearly he will therefore not be back to full fitness and ready to undertake a full 90 minutes on the 17th November when the friendly is scheduled. But if he is returning to match fitness and this was an Arsenal game it is safe to say that this could be targeted as a return date. So why is it so frowned upon when the Dutch national team makes the same decision? Couldn’t it even be beneficial to Arsenal to have van Persie eased back into action with say a half in an international friendly? In order to get some match time under his belt, rather than being thrown straight into the hectic pace of the Premiership where Arsenal are obviously required to be consistently picking up points?
It is commonly perceived that club managers do not care much for the international game, seeing it as a hindrance to their club to be negotiated, an inconvenience to their preparations.
The season is set out in a way that when international breaks occur players are allowed to be called up to the national teams. So then during periods when a player is at the disposal of the national team, surely any decision regarding their injury and/or fitness should be taken by the national coaching team. Just as the national coaching team would have no input if a player were to play for their club, so it should work the other way.
The arguments from clubs appear to come from a general distrust of how the national team will handle a prized asset. Although there are obvious risks of injury when on international duty these are no greater than when playing domestically. You could even argue they are less so, as the Premiership prides itself on having the most fast paced football in the world, compared to the slower pace of the European and International game which offers players greater protection from the referees. Also it is in the interest of the international team to look after a player as much as the club. A player who is fit and playing well for his club can carry this into his national side. Where as a player who remains injured say due to the national side being too eager to rush him into the team, could take time to regain form and fitness, which would obviously be to the detriment of the national team in the long run.
There is a sense of hypocrisy in this argument as if towards the end of the season a player is injured playing for his club and say therefore misses the World Cup the following summer. There are never any arguments that the national side has been hard done by the club. Another argument offered by clubs and supporters is that the clubs should take precedence as they pay the players’ wages. In my min this places too much focus on money over football matters and forgets that national sides also pay their players for turning out for the country. Added to this it assumes a precedence of club football over international football, which I believe just isn’t there as the World Cup is still the biggest and most important competition any player can win.
Generally an atmosphere of mistrust has developed between the clubs and national teams with regard to injuries. With so many players recalled from international duty these days by their club it is hardly surprising national coaches do not trust these diagnosis and wish to have their own people look over the players before deciding whether to play them or not. However this obviously adds to the tension which is not helpful for either camp and involves endless trips back and forth to different physiotherapists and doctors for the player. These in turn are not beneficial to the player and exacerbate the whole situation. Yet with no clear solution only one thing is sure this latest chapter indicates the club versus country row will not die down any time soon.
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