Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has refused to rule out a return to the Premier League with Aston Villa.
Houllier, who left Anfield in 2004 following six seasons in England, has been linked with a director of football role at Villa Park.
The Frenchman would reportedly oversee a new-look coaching system at the Midlands club which would include current caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald remaining in charge of first-team affairs.
MacDonald has been in interim control since Martin O'Neill resigned on the eve of the new season.
Houllier was back in England on Saturday after helping manage the Reds during Jamie Carragher's testimonial game against an Everton XI at Anfield.
Speaking afterwards, the current technical director for the French Football Federation refused to rule out a possible move to Villa Park.
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.
"Never and always are two words you can't use in football," he said.
During Houllier's six-year reign on Merseyside, Liverpool won a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
For someone who has, in the past, always been so careful with their money in terms of transfers, this season it seems that something has come over Arsene Wenger, and he is indulging in what the rest of us call panic buying.
Firstly there was the mass buying spree right at the death of the summer transfer window after high profile departures, and now comes the January transfer window, where Wenger says he will buy if ‘something comes up.’
For a man normally so careful and frugal with the money he has, just why has Wenger’s approach to spending changed so much?
The first explanation is clearly the fact he needed both cover for the players who had left in the summer and also to show fans that he was willing to buy and take Arsenal forward, and as the January window approaches, it seems that in order to convince their star man to sign a new contract, Arsenal need a big signing to show RVP that they really mean business and can fulfil his ambitions both in terms of taking the club forward and winning trophies.
It cannot be denied that the Londoner’s are in dire need of cover for RVP, if not only to lighten the burden on the player, also as a back-up should he succumb to injury problems yet again. The players they currently have, such as Chamakh are nowhere near the level they need, and Wenger is fully aware of this.
The drive and urgency to succeed may also be playing a hefty part in Wenger’s dip into the transfer market, with the gap between the top couple of teams and Arsenal only growing, and Wenger knows that should the club fail to convince Van Persie to sign a new contract, they will have virtually no hope of competing with the likes of City, and may struggle to fund a replacement in the same league as the Dutch man.
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 and Wenger are in a difficult position, they clearly need a second striker who can actually score goals, and will lose players when the African Cup of nations starts, yet is panic buying the answer? Only Arteta of the summer signings has made any real impact, and the history of silly money flop transfers in January is one that grows every year.
Arsenal have never really been ones to enter into panic buying and waste money – yet the urgency to both succeed and keep hold of their main man may well see them major players this window. How far this will help them however is another matter entirely, and for a man who in seasons gone by would criticise other managers for doing exactly what he is now, how times have changed for Wenger.
LDU Quito booked their place in the Copa Libertadores last 16 with a 2-0 win over Godoy Cruz on Tuesday, while Independiente fell short.Quito, the reigning Ecuadorian champions, finished on top of Group Eight with 10 points courtesy of second-half goals to Luis Bolanos and Hernan Barcos.
Bolanos struck two minutes after half-time on a swift counter-attack, the former Internacional striker making no mistake after being picked out at the far post.
Barcos, who scored 22 goals in his 32 appearances in his first campaign with Quito last season, made it 2-0 with a bit of individual brilliance 11 minutes later.
The Argentinean collected the ball at midfield, sprinted up the left flank and somehow bullied his way around two defenders before firing into the roof of the net on a tight angle.
Godoy Cruz midfielder Carlos Sanchez saw a straight red for his tackle on Ezequiel Gonzalez in the 62nd minute, leaving the Argentinean club with no hope of claiming the win they needed to advance to the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Argentine giants Independiente saw their slim hopes of progressing in the South American tournament fade despite a 1-0 win at Uruguayan side Penarol.
Striker Facundo Parra nabbed the lone goal in the 33rd minute for the visitors and then spent a nervous seven minutes in goal after Independiente goalkeeper Fabian Assmann was dismissed for pushing Penarol striker Juan Manuel Olivera.
Assmann’s foul was prompted by Olivera head-butting Ivan Velez, for which the striker was also sent off.
Independiente needed to score eight goals in Uruguay and hope that LDU Quito and Godoy Cruz drew in order to reach the next round.
Instead, Penarol will progress after finishing second in Group Eight with nine points.
Finally, Chilean outfit Colo Colo moved to the top of Group Five with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Deportivo Tachira.
Edgar Perez-Greco put the visitors ahead with a goal on four minutes, but a brace to 17-year-old striker Diego Rubio ensured Colo Colo would move within a point of clinching their last-16 berth.
Rubio has scored five goals in his past three appearances for Colo Colo.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the "kamikaze" spending which has occurred in the Premier League in recent years.
Ferguson has revealed his amazement at the transfer market following a summer where neighbours Manchester City are poised to take their spending past the £125million mark.
England midfielder James Milner is poised to join from Aston Villa for a fee of around £30million.
City have already landed Mario Balotelli, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng during a record-breaking summer.
"It's amazing the amount of money that is being bandied about," said Ferguson, who declined to mention the clubs in question by name.
"Over the last two or three years we have seen very wealthy owners become part of football clubs and therefore go on this kamikaze effort to spend their money.
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.
"Some people may think it could be dangerous and I don't see it abating. The kind of spending we are seeing at the moment will be here for two or three years, until such time as they understand you can't necessarily achieve all the time by spending."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Artificial pitches could be on their way back, more than 20 years since they were banned. Wycombe Wanderers and Accrington Stanley have raised the idea in an attempt to reduce costs and it seems that many others would be happy to follow suit.
They were a major feature of football in the 80’s with QPR and Luton using them as well as Oldham and Preston, but they were banned in 1988 after complaints that they were causing injuries because they were solid and it was affecting the quality of football on show.
Pitches were set on top of concrete which made it very difficult to move about in comparison to traditional grass but thanks to the advancements in technology the current plastic pitches have padding underneath which makes the experience similar to grass, offering a softer experience under foot and in the tackle as well as a smooth surface that is not guaranteed outside of the country’s top grounds. Rubber pellets are also on the pitch to act like mud and increase movement.
Accrington owner John Heys said that it will cost about £500,000 to install but the savings on maintenance will make it worthwhile. He added: “There is an income to be gained from hiring the pitch out and money to be saved in maintenance costs and the fact that you can train on it.
“The community benefit is that you can get people down to the ground seven days a week rather than just 23 times a season for home fixtures.”
Opinion is divided on the issue, with people saying that it is unnatural and will cause injuries and others favouring the idea of having smooth, all-weather pitches and there is no reason why the game should not bring them back.
Admittedly it would take a while to get used to. Players might not be too keen to make the sliding tackle because of the surface but that is part of the settling in process. It would not cut the skin like they did before and after training on the pitch players would become more comfortable with it and be able to play their natural game. The fear that they may get injured turning or by getting their foot stuck in the ground is still the same as it is on grass and is an unfortunate part of football whatever surface is used.
Mick Rathborne, who played on the plastic pitch at Preston and worked as Everton physio after retiring said: “The new third generation pitches are light years away from the old plastic pitches.
“The new pitches with the millions of rubber balls are soft to run on, you can stop and turn very easily so there could be implications with preventing those types of injuries.”
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]
Introducing artificial surfaces is necessary to football because although clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea have an abundance of cash, many clubs in the lower leagues are struggling for funds and an opportunity to make savings should be welcomed. Wycombe owner Steve Hayes said that to maintain the grass pitch currently installed at Adams Park costs around £75,000 a year and although clubs would have to shell out to make the change, it would see a huge chunk of that money stay in the kitty. Rather than heating the pitch to prevent it being icy or covered in snow, a blanket would be all that is required and instead of cutting the grass it would only require sweeping every so often to get rid of some of the rubber. And take away the cost of replacing the turf once it gets cut up beyond repair and your team is already onto a winner.
And after the problems last winter with games being called off for frozen and snow covered pitches, a plastic surface would put an end to that so no longer would fans be travelling to the match only to hear it has been cancelled.
It would also mean that the team could train and play at the stadium rather than finding a traditional training pitch which again saves money and when the club are not using it other groups could get involved, creating possible opportunities for community groups and sport centres which could in turn lead to more people coming to the ground, meaning more money.
And for the traditionalist, who wants sexy football from one side and tough tackling from the opponent. The new surface would not have patches that cause the ball to bobble or bounce differently so that in itself will encourage passing football rather than the long-ball game that everybody loves to hate. Players will be more comfortable playing the ball along the ground because they know there is less chance for an unlucky break and slide tackles will still be possible on the natural-feeling pitch, so a non-contact game is not on the horizon.
Top-flight clubs in Italy, France, Switzerland and Russia use them without major problems and there is not a noticeably higher rate of major injuries in their leagues. Our players have experienced them in Europe and World Cup qualifying. Do not think of the old plastic pitches because they are as ancient as the Romans, plastic is the affordable and effective way forward.
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.
Do you want a plastic pitch at your club? Comment below or follow me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.
After Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles’s goal scoring exploits in January and February, there was justifiable praise for the Portuguese international’s performances. He scored some important goals in the Merseyside Derby against Everton as well as the winning goal against Chelsea away from home. After not scoring at all since his arrival from Porto in the summer, his goal against our Merseyside rivals was a start of a hot streak in front of goal which got many praising his contribution to the team.
Since then however, many Reds fans have noticed that the Portuguese star has gone off the boil slightly. Considering Meireles has never been a prolific goalscorer in his career, he was never going to become a 15 goal a season man overnight despite his good form in front of goal, but it has led some to ask what else does he contribute to the team other than goals?
I have heard suggestions that as he doesn’t tackle as well as the best defensive midfielders, or pass as well as Xabi Alonso used tp, he might not be as useful as some have stated over the past couple of months. I disagree with this assessment though as Raul has one fantastic attribute which will hold him in good stead for his entire Anfield career: his ability to make forward runs.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]
You may say, well doesn’t every midfielder make forward runs? Well, no. Although there are many midfielders who like distributing the ball from deep with their passing range, or to run at opposition defenders with the ball, the ability to make a perfectly timed run from deep to carve open an opposition defence is a fine art, and Raul just has that knack. He will never control the midfield area with his passing range or go in with crunching tackles but he will always be a threat around the opposition penalty box.
Useful one-two passes, runs late into the box, venomous long range shots; he is in many ways similar to Steven Gerrard and it has caused a problem all season in my opinion as to where to play the pair. It hasn’t always been a problem this campaign as both have had injuries but when both are fit, Dalglish has tended to play Gerrard deeper while Meireles has played more advanced. Of course, this is when both players have played centrally as Meireles has invariably been moved wide right, and even wide left against Sunderland to ensure the midfield has enough midfield bite.
Especially with the return to fitness of both Suarez and Carroll, the temptation will be to play them as a pairing, leaving one less place in midfield. Against Sunderland, Meireles was moved wide left so he could be accommodated into a 4 man midfield, but he was noticeably less effective. The question in the long run will certainly be how to fit Gerrard, Suarez, Carroll and Meireles into the team without sacrificing their best attributes. The problem may become especially apparent if, as expected, Kenny Dalglish looks for wingers in the summer
I am big fan of Meireles and believe he will only get better with every game as he slowly adapts to the Premier League in his first year. We may begin to see the best of him next season, but the question remains that if he doesn’t play in the position that bests suits him, as an attacking central midfielder, will we actually see him at his best?
Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool
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.
Stand-in England captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he would be booing if he was a spectator at the friendly international against Hungary on Wednesday evening.
The Liverpool midfielder accepts that he and his colleagues will kop some flak after their dismal displays at the World Cup finals and Gerrard is prepared to face the music.
He told reporters:"I'm expecting a mixed reaction. I'm sure there'll be boos, but we have to take it on the chin. We deserve it, we let them down.
"Hopefully, with time, we can show them we are a good team and that we're desperate to make them happy."
"I probably would boo.
"The manager spoke on behalf of all of us yesterday. For me there are no excuses at all. The simple message is we have to show how sorry we are by our performances on the pitch.
"We have to study where we went wrong on the pitch against Germany and try to put those things right. The mental side of things will only improve by winning games.
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.
"I'm not going to lie and say it's difficult to be playing for England because it is. The results haven't gone the way we would have liked.
"But hopefully three or four games down the line we'll have given a bit of confidence back to the supporters and you guys (the press), because at the moment it is tough."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has revealed that Wigan equivalent Roberto Martinez has apologised to him over Antolin Alcaraz’s spitting incident.
The Paraguay international was sighted spitting at Molineux captain Richard Stearman in the dying moments of last Sunday’s Premier League clash, and has been handed a three-match ban by the FA.
McCarthy has criticised the South American for the act, but revealed that Martinez has apologised on behalf of the DW Stadium club.
“What happened is unacceptable. I have spoken to Roberto and he apologised on behalf of the club. I don’t think it is indicative of Wigan, of Roberto or Dave Whelan. They are lovely people, a lovely club, and I think he [Alcaraz] has just made a mistake,” McCarthy told The Guardian.
“I don’t know where it came from but he’s made a stupid mistake and got punished with a ban, and we all think that is right.
“Personally, I’d rather have a smack in the mouth than be spat upon. It’s the worst thing you can do to a fellow professional. He will be regretting it now and will have to take the consequences,” 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.
Spurs threw away a golden opportunity to close the gap on the top four after wasting chance after chance at White Hart Lane this afternoon. Jermain Defoe was the biggest culprit and Harry Redknapp will be hoping that the North Londoners don’t end up ruing these dropped points at the end of season.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Tottenham blogs that includes a stroke of transfer good fortune for Spurs; Assou Ekotto deserves great credit, while it easy to see why Harry is keen on £6m credit.
We also look at the best Tottenham articles around the web this week.
*
Is this the ‘Most Hated’ Premiership XI of all time?
Joining Tottenham would be the WORST possible move
A Champions League travel guide to Madrid for Tottenham fans
A stroke of transfer good fortune for Tottenham
Tottenham maverick deserves some credit
Would a move to Tottenham really be that unrealistic?
Easy to see why Harry’s keen on £6m Ivan
Is Gomes still a cause for concern?
Should Harry contemplate a transfer shake-up?
Why Tottenham can do without this sort of ‘attitude’
The secret behind Harry Redknapp’s success at Tottenham
Lucrative DEAL but what do Tottenham fans make of it?
Rafael van der Vaart puts his teammates to shame
How do Tottenham stand with regards to UEFA’s pending ruling
*Best of Web*
Not a bad result at all really. – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2
Grit and Glory – Tottenham On My Mind
Referendum for Spurs fans – Martin Cloake Online
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.
Now that the dust has settled… – Dear Mr Levy
Aaron Lennon In ‘Lady’s Bottom’ Shocker – Harry Hotspur
Thierry Henry has completed his expected move to Major League Soccer with New York Red Bulls.
The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Arsenal striker has agreed a 'multi-year' contract and could now make his debut against Tottenham in a pre-season friendly for the Premier League club on July 22.
Henry was released by Barcelona last month and had been heavily linked with a move to New York.
"It is without question that Thierry Henry is one of the most successful and recognisable players over the past 15 years," said the club's head of global soccer Dietmar Beiersdorfer.
"We are thrilled that Thierry has decided to come to New York to help the Red Bulls compete for championships this year and for years to come.
"His international pedigree is second to none and he is a proven winner."
Henry, who was a member of France's World Cup squad in South Africa, scored 49 goals during three seasons with Barca after arriving in Spain as Arsenal's 226-goal all-time leading scorer.
"This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life," he said.
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.
"It is an honour to play for the New York Red Bulls. I am fully aware of the team's history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship.
"Knowing Red Bull's significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email