QPR chairman Tony Fernandes insists he has “complete faith” in under-fire manager Mark Hughes.
The London club currently occupy 19th spot in the Premier League and are only above Southampton on goal difference.
Despite managing just one win from their opening ten games, Fernandes believes that it would be a mistake to sack Hughes and has given him his vote of confidence:
“I have complete faith in Mark Hughes and we have a great squad, we just need to hold out for that stability and I’m sure things are going to go right,
“It’s been one of those frustrating seasons for us but I’m keeping the faith and keeping calm. It’s not a time to panic.
“I am 100 per cent committed, and we won’t be detracted by fans or media. We’re confident in our approach, and changing a manager now would be suicidal in my point.
“Mark’s a good guy, he’s got good records before him. He needs a bit of luck, but also you’ve got to make your luck.
“But I say cream always rises to the top, you can’t keep a good man down. He has our backing.”
The Malaysian also believes that a sense of security is needed at Loftus Road:
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“I think fans who are true fans know that stability is needed.
“QPR doesn’t need another four-year plan of chopping and changing every few weeks, and Mark has done it before.”
The Champions League is normally seen as the crown jewel of a dominant team’s period of success. Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United in recent years have proven that, coming out victorious in domestic competition and accentuating that success with victory in Europe. But should domestic titles always outweigh Champions League glory, especially as the first step to the building of a dynasty?
Europe’s most prestigious tournament is the richest prize in club football, but it’s still very much a cup competition with an incredible amount of luck pushing the eventual winner to glory. On many occasions, it certainly doesn’t give a realistic indication as to who was the best team in Europe or even in their domestic league.
Chelsea’s Champions League win last season was off the back of a set of tactics and approaches that would never work in a 38 game league campaign. They rode their luck in some stages, benefited from the shortcomings of their opponents in others, but very much came to highlight the famous cup run of an English underdog. They didn’t have a prayer of finishing in the top four of the league as last season wound down, but as the Champions League participants started dropping off en route to Munich, it became increasingly likely that they would lift the trophy.
The parallels between them and Liverpool’s win in Turkey in 2005 are obvious: neither team were anywhere close to being the best in England and arguably not in Europe either, but the Champions League acted as a getaway from the troubles of competition at home.
A league title is more often than not a better indication of how good a team were. Take Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid last season, both of whom dominated on their way to lifting their league titles, showing the necessary consistency against equally or more powerful opposition and etching their names into the books as the best team of that season. It was always a mammoth task for a club like Dortmund to replicate that season, and teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City are proving that the follow-up year can prove to be incredibly difficult to push on again in the same manner.
But Dortmund have built on their first title success under Jurgen Klopp and that disappointing campaign in Europe last year, and even if they don’t retain their title again this season, they are certain to be among the favourites for the Bundesliga crown next year. The idea of three titles in four years or Klopp’s Dortmund side would be the work and creation of a dynasty in domestic competition, especially if the squad is largely the same year on year. Their improvement in Europe this season has also been noticeable and they are good enough to go far in the competition.
A Champions League win for Dortmund this season may be a step too far in predicting the outcome, but so much luck can go into who claims the trophy that a good set of draws and the wind against their backs could see the German champions make a surprise appearance at Wembley.
It won’t matter to them if they don’t make it, and a club like Ajax will also not feel too disheartened if the best they can do this season is qualify for the Europa League via their Champions League group. The Dutch champions are battling a much more realistic and achievable storm at home, for which Frank de Boer was heavily praised for finally reclaiming the Eredivisie title for the Amsterdam-based club. That is where their priorities lie, along with teams like the Greek champions and those from the east; they don’t have the resources to create their own luck in the way the bigger teams can, and they certainly don’t have the players to combat the very best of the top three or four leagues. However, as we’ve seen recently, Shakhtar Donetsk may be one of the few exceptions to that thought.
Those clubs build their reputation at home and through their dominance of domestic competition. Even with Liverpool’s success in Europe and the domestic cups that have come their way in subsequent years, the Premier League title, which continues to elude them, is seen as the biggest prize.
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The Champions League isn’t always the most accurate way of measuring the best in Europe. But by winning consistently in the Premier League, for example, clubs establish or re-establish themselves as the finest their country has to offer. It’s also an idea that in many cases domestic form will spill over into Europe and help to create a winning mentality that can equal that of European competition.
While every major club wants to get their hands on the European Cup, almost all fan bases will be united in the view that domestic dominance is the greatest priority and the necessary first step to building for something greater on the continent.
Neil Warnock is reportedly lining up a shock move to bring St Etienne winger Max Gradel back to Leeds United, the Sun reports.
The Leeds chief is interested in making the loan deal for Jerome Thomas a permanent one from West Brom, but if that fails he wants to bring Gradel back to Elland Road.
Despite being a regular in the St Etienne team and featuring in all of their league games so far this season, the 25-year-old is understood to be open to offers for a return to England.
The Ivory Coast international scored 24 goals in 74 appearances for Leeds after joining from Leicester, before completing a switch to French side St Etienne for £1.5million in August 2011.
He won the player of the year award in Leeds first season in the Championship, netting 18 goals in the process in a campaign which saw his side just miss out on the play-offs.
Leeds currently sit 14th in the Championship table after a mixed start to the season, but they are only four points off Watford in the play-off places and will hope January additions can help them move up the table.
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It has been a frustrating time for the club, losing key players such as Jonny Howson and Robert Snodgrass to Norwich City over the course of the two 2012 transfer windows and they have had to regroup.
Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp is unsure over the future of Adel Taarabt at Loftus Road.
The Moroccan midfielder has been a key player for Rangers since Redknapp took over, scoring twice in their first win of the season last week against Fulham.
The 23-year-old is notoriously tough to manage but Redknapp seems to be getting the best out of him and won’t want to lose a key player in January.
Taarabt is in line for a call up to the Moroccan squad for the forthcoming African Cup of Nations in late January and so could miss several key games for the Premier League strugglers.
High profile European clubs have been linked with a big money move for the talented player who joined the Hoops permanently from Tottenham Hotspur in 2010 for £1million.
Redknapp has revealed that no club has yet approached them about Taarabt and he wants to focus on the busy Christmas period first.
“I’ve got no idea what the situation is with Adel,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.
“We haven’t discussed it anymore.
“I’m just concentrating on the next couple of game.
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“No one has made us an offer for Adel. There’s always going to be speculation but we don’t want to sell him.”
Redknapp added in regards to the African Cup of Nations: “I hope he doesn’t get picked but we can’t do anything about it. That’s the African Nations Cup for you.
“I think more and more managers will look at this when they’re signing African players now.”
Tottenham have certainly been active in the January transfer window so far, not only clinching the hugely promising signing of Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby, but also the sealing the controversial switch of former Manchester United youngster Zeki Fryers from Standard Liege, but with Sir Alex Ferguson calling for the move to be blocked after a ‘blatant manipulation’ of the rules, has this potentially opened a can of worms with regards to deals of this sort being conducted in the future?
It has to be said that Ferguson’s main bone of contention above all else appears to be at having been quite so clearly out-manoeuvred by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over the deal. When the north London club were interested in taking Fryers in the summer, given his status in the England U-19 side and worth to United, had the deal gone to tribunal, then the move was likely to cost them around £5-6m. Instead, Fryers moved abroad to Belgium with Standard Liege for £250,000 and Tottenham forked out the best part of £900,000 for his services this month, which is significantly less. In short, everyone has benefited hugely from the deal apart from United.
This isn’t the first time that United have been stung in such a manner either, with Juventus poaching midfielder Paul Pogba in the summer and the compensation that you are awarded is much lower if the youngster goes abroad for some reason than if he stays in England. It all dates back to pre-season when Fryers trained with Tottenham ahead of a permanent move, but with the two clubs unable to agree a fee, under league rules for players under the age of 23 who have rejected the offer of a new contract, compensating United is the logical, if expensive next step, but there’s also a second option available; you can move abroad for a smaller compensatory fee under Fifa rules.
This led Ferguson to go on the offensive, telling reporters: “I am disappointed in Tottenham, I really am. I think it has been a blatant manipulation of the situation. They tried to buy him from us at the end of last season but we couldn’t agree terms. They then took him on trial and took him to Portugal with the squad and came back and said that they couldn’t afford him. And then all of a sudden he signed for Standard Liège and at that moment in time, when I heard that, I expected him to go to Tottenham in the January window. I’m disappointed in Tottenham. The Premier League should look into it and I think they should stop the registration until they examine it. There will be a trail, mobile phone [records] or something. It is obvious to me [what has happened].”
He went even further later on within the comforts of his own domain, telling MUTV: “It’s a Daniel Levy deal. You know, it’s his fingerprints all over it. It’s the kind of thing we expected he was going to do.” To be fair to the 71-year-old boss, he does have a point, there’s something very odd about this deal and while technically not illegal, or at the moment it hasn’t been declared as such anyway, it does seem an underhand, even sneaky way of doing business.
Having read varying accounts of Fryers time in Belgium, reports range claiming that the 20-year-old was average to disinterested, yet Standard released a statement on the matter denying any wrongdoing: “The young defender felt homesick and had difficulty acclimating to life away from home and family. So when the London club became interested we understood the situation and were not opposed to the return of the player in England.”
Tottenham have also denied any impropriety with their own statement: “Zeki enjoyed his time at Standard – however, when Standard sacked their manager in November Zeki wasn’t part of the new manager’s plans which he accepts and understands happens in football. Unfortunately, a combination of this and the fact he had become homesick meant he wanted to return to England.His representatives made contact with clubs in England. This afforded us a second opportunity to sign the player and as per Fifa’s solidarity contribution mechanism, Manchester United will receive 5% of the transfer fee we have paid.” That 5% should see United pocket just £45,000, hardly the £6m windfall they were hoping for just six months ago.
With United still unsure as to whether any actual laws have been broken, they seem reluctant to make a formal complaint, instead using Ferguson to have a pop in the media but it all smacks of the deal that took Robert Jarni from Real Betis to Real Madrid back in 1998 by detour of Coventry.
Having impressed at full-back on his way to helping Croatia finish third at World Cup 98′, Jarni moved to Highfield Road for £2.6m, but without even making a single appearance for the Sky Blues, he moved within a month to Real Madrid for £3.4m. Coventry had made a tidy profit as a sort of go-between in the deal, with Real Betis refusing to do business with Real Madrid at the time. The deal that saw Clive Allen and Kenny Samson switch between Crystal Palace and Arsenal in 1980 also serves to highlight that there’s precedence over this sort of behind-closed-doors, cloak and dagger deal, with the Gunners only agreeing to take Allen as go-betweens in a deal involving QPR and Palace, with the Tottenham legend lasting just two months at Highbury as a result.
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Fryers hinted in an interview with the Manchester Evening News after completing his move to Standard that he didn’t foresee that he would be enjoying a long stay in Belgium: “My first goal is to grow as a player, not to get international recognition directly. In football, everything changes very quickly. Today I’m at Standard in the first year of my contract (having signed a two-year deal) and I want it to be as good as possible. Maybe after that I can go one step higher.”
It could just be as simple as Fryers wanting to test himself in a different country, a different league and environment and finding it not to his liking, but the way that United have been played over this will certainly leave a sour taste in the mouth. As ever, Daniel Levy looks ahead of the curve and finding a way around potentially expensive compensation packages to other English clubs could be common practice in the years to come. Just so long as there is a way to work around the rules and even bend them to suit a particular club’s needs, there will always be those that will continue to exploit them and that above all else is the true lesson here.
Barcelona are preparing a surprise move for Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm, according to reports from talkSPORT.
The Dutchman has been a huge success for the Swans since his 2011 arrival, slotting seamlessly into the first-team and helping the South Wales-based outfit maintain Premier League status.
This form has alerted Barca, who are keen to find an adequate replacement for current number one Victor Valdes.
It has been revealed recently that the La Liga giants will not be extending the Spaniard’s contract, which expires in 2014, and are looking for a replacement.
Vorm’s sound technical ability and shot-stopping prowess have alerted them, and they are thought to preparing a move.
Swansea will be reluctant to allow the stopper to leave, but the lure of Champions League football with one of the biggest club’s in the world may tempt the 29-year-old.
Barcelona have been linked with both Pepe Reina of Liverpool and Manchester United’s David de Gea, but the pair would likely cost In the region of £15-£20m.
Having arrived for a bargain fee of just £1.5m, it’s likely that the Swans would accept a reasonable sum should they be forced to sell.
Vorm arrived at the Liberty Stadium from Utrecht, where he had spent the majority of his senior career.
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Although he has been missing through injury for the majority of the current season, he is still regarded as a key first-team player by manager Michael Laudrup.
There’s a bit of right and wrong in all this and how you believe football clubs should be run.
For those who aren’t familiar with the inner workings of Arsenal, and on-pitch performances aside, the club looks imperious. Wealthier than most, a state-of-the-art stadium and plenty more to mask the very real fact that the ship is without a captain.
Why would anyone want a man like Alisher Usmanov on the Arsenal board? After all, don’t most Arsenal fans take a sense of pride that the club isn’t just another Chelsea, Manchester City or PSG? With a man like Usmanov running the show, who’s to say the values and traditions of the club won’t be washed away in an instant?
I’m not for this idea that clubs need huge outside investment to be competitive. On the whole, you just need to have direction and an extremely clever and meticulous approach to gaining success. Some might view the new money clubs as speeding down the road to success and accelerating the need to build over, say, twenty years and condensing it down to two or three. That may be so, and it’s some of the worries that are sure to arise with someone like Usmanov in the foreground.
The problem is he’s the only alternative Arsenal have. He’s done well to align himself with people like Thierry Henry and seemingly gain their support. He’s also been clever in using the club’s shortcomings on the pitch to his advantage to gain greater levels of support, and there’s nothing really wrong with that.
Usmanov promises glory and everything that goes with it. In all honesty, it’s worth thinking long and hard on this one and whether a different regime will offer more than what is currently on offer – and I’m not just talking about trophies.
I don’t believe Arsenal fans are desperate for the club to win at all costs. As mentioned, success can be achieved by being smarter than others, even those with a bottomless pit of cash. But the issue at the moment is that Arsenal do not look to be moving forward. The best players are leaving, the board have put a worryingly large amount of hope into Financial Fair Play –which they don’t control themselves – and seem unable to conjure up an alternative.
If Arsenal finished second this season after the third-placed finish last year then that would be seen as moving forward. It would be even better if the best players were retained or only let go on the word of the club, and even greater progress was made next year and so on.
But that’s not what Arsenal currently have. The majority shareholder has infuriated many with his lack of decisiveness and general lack of interest in talking, and a cruising ship can often be viewed as one in a storm and headed for the rocks.
With all the negatives that could come with Usmanov’s arrival onto the board – and some of them are perhaps blown out of proportion – he would bring a better and needed sense of direction. He may not be a ‘football man’ and what fans would want, but we don’t really know too much about him other than quotes lifted now and again. Stan Kroenke, however, is definitely not a football man. He’s in it for the brighter financial tomorrow that Arsenal might see, and it comes at the expense of what fans see on the pitch.
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But again, it’s one or the other. The best scenario is that there were a third party who would come in and offer plenty of direction while retaining the values of the club, yet who were also not afraid to spend when it was necessary. The promises Usmanov is making is one that could see millions of pounds flying around aimlessly, potentially damaging the club – and no one wants that. But it’s that middle ground between both the current board and what could be on offer that is likely to be most desired.
Spending heavily isn’t the sure way to success, but direction and an obvious sense of direction is what Arsenal are lacking. If Usmanov provides that then so be it.
Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia is concerned that Manchester City could still come back and win the title from under the Red Devil’s noses, the Independent report.
City won the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Monday night and moved 12 points behind their rivals to put themselves in a similar position to the one they were in last season.
The Champions came from eight points adrift to secure their first Premier League title in stunning fashion on the last day of the season and it will take similar heroics to even make United sweat this time around.
United can pull further clear this weekend as they travel to Stoke City on Sunday and City have their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at the same time.
Valencia has admitted that United are worried about repeating what happened last season and they want to wrap up the title as soon as possible.
“We’re a little worried,” Valencia told Ecuadorian radio station Sonorama.
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“Last year, we were eight points with six games to go and we lost the league. Now it is 12 points and seven games, and we don’t want it to happen again.”
Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes will join David Moyes’ new Old Trafford backroom team when the Scot is confirmed as the next United boss.
The veteran United duo, 39 and 38 respectively, are set to stay on in coaching capacities when Moyes takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of the season.
The news of Moyes’ appointment is yet to be officially confirmed by the club, but United ambassador Peter Schmeichel added his voice to the widely-held belief that the Everton manager is the board’s choice to come in.
Several other newspaper and media outlets are in agreement that Moyes is the man to replace 13-time Premier League and double European Champions League winner Ferguson, 71.
Moyes, 50, left Everton’s Finch Farm training ground shortly after midday today and was said to be in transit to London ahead of a spying mission at tonight’s Tottenham v Chelsea game.
Everton, however, are publicly stating their lack of knowledge of any such appointment.
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As well as getting a new manager, Bill Kenwright will be looking to bring in some new players this summer too. Everton had a terrific season, and were at one point being tipped for a Champions League spot. They eventually finished in 6th, but importantly, ahead of Liverpool once more.
But transfer windows aren’t about big money signings at Goodison Park. The club have finished above their Merseyside neighbours in the Premier League for the second consecutive season, on a much smaller budget. Often signing cheap bargains or unknown stars, Everton’s chairman Kenwright is always looking for a bargain. So here are 10 free transfers he could sign this summer, after their contracts expired at the end of the season.
Click on Vladimir Weiss to unveil the 10 Bosman signings
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