West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson still believes in Fernando Torres as a top-class striker.Hodgson says the Spanish finishers will prove value for money despite not scoring since his 50 million pound move to Chelsea from Liverpool last January.
Hodgson, speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Chelsea on Saturday, admitted that Torres’ current poor form does not come as a surprise to him.
But the former Fulham and Liverpool manager, who managed Torres at Anfield this season, believes the 27-year-old striker will prove a bargain when he rediscovers his confidence.
“(Torres’ current form) doesn’t surprise me because he didn’t have a good time at Liverpool from the start of the season,” Hodgson said.
“He has moved to Chelsea and everybody was hoping it was going to be night and day in terms of how he performed and it’s not.”
“Fernando is working hard, like he did for Liverpool, and it’s not working for him.”
Hodgson is hoping the Spaniard does not hit a vein of form on Saturday as Chelsea look to bounce back from their Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester United.
“Chelsea will get a lot of value from Fernando Torres and I think, even between now and the end of the season, you will see him scoring goals and doing a great job for the team,” he added.
“But I would rather he had scored a few goals before Saturday because it’s sod’s law that his first goal will come against me.”
The 63-year-old, meanwhile, has praised his home fans for their raucous support in recent weeks and called on them to continue making the Hawthorns a difficult place for visiting teams.
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“We have great respect for Chelsea and know to beat them is going to be a massive task,” he said.
“With that type of support behind us, we might be able to pull off another surprise result.”
Cameroon midfielder Somen Tchoyi is expected to return for West Brom after missing two games to be with his sick wife while Scottish midfielder Graham Dorrans is still missing with an ankle injury, although he is hopeful of returning before the end of the season.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has suggested that Fabio Capello showed David Beckham a lack of respect in effectively ending his international career.
Capello suggested that Beckham was "probably too old" to continue playing competitive international football in a television interview before Wednesday's friendly victory over Hungary.
The 35-year-old former captain immediately issued a statement claiming he was not ready to retire from international football despite missing the World Cup finals with an Achilles injury.
Capello's decision to effectively end Beckham's 115-cap England career without informing the former captain has been widely condemned and now Eriksson has added his voice to those criticising the Italian.
When asked whether he would have spoken personally to Beckham, Eriksson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme:"If it's a player with 20 to 50 caps or more, then yes, absolutely.
"I did it many times. David Seaman was one of them.
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"From my point of view, I would do it because I want to show respect to the players – especially those who have done a lot of good things for England in the past.
"David Beckham deserves all the respect you can give to him."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has stated that the side’s defensive efforts are the platform for the club’s renowned attacking abilities.
With the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Luka Modric supporting main striker Emmanuel Adebayor, the North London outfit have won 10 out of their last 11 games and sit in third place in the Premier League standings.
Bale has scored five league goals this season and created a number of others, but he was quick to hail the efforts of his backline as the reason the attacking players are given free reign to play.
“I just think we’ve got the balance right,” the wideman told the club’s official website.
“We’ve Scott Parker in the team now and he covers every blade of grass, closes everyone down and gives us that security in midfield.
“Younes [Kaboul] and Ledley [King] have been great, Brad and the full-backs have been playing well and that gives us front five the licence to attack as much as we can and that has got us the goals.
“We’re all playing with so much confidence at the moment.
“Even if we’re on the back foot or teams are attacking us, we’ve got the pace to hit them on the counter-attack. It’s good to have that in our armoury,” he concluded.
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Spurs take on Stoke on Sunday, with their defensive qualities set to be put under pressure by the direct nature of Tony Pulis’ men.
LDU Quito’s up-and-down Copa Libertadores campaign took a turn for the better, while Estudiantes had their own big win on Thursday.Ecuadorian side LDU Quito strengthened their spot at the top of the Group 8 table after trouncing Uruguayan outfit Penarol 5-0 at home, in a game that lacked for nothing.The 2008 Copa winners – who have now won two and lost two in their group games – took at 22nd-minute lead through Carlos Luna, though the Argentine striker had to be substituted through injury two minutes after breaking the deadlock.It mattered little for the 29-year-old’s side, however, with replacement Walter Calderon doubling LDU Quito’s advantage in first-half extra time.On-loan Reggina defender Carlos Valdez then put through his own net to compound Penarol’s woes, with a Hernan Barcos penalty and another strike from veteran striker Calderon making the scoreline complete.The only negative for LDU was the straight red card handed to substitute midfielder Fernando Hidalgo, but it did little to stop his team-mates running out comprehensive winners.Penarol sink to third on the table due to a poor goal difference, though they are level with both LDU Quito and Argentine club Godoy Cruz on six points.Not to be outdone, Estudiantes put five goals of their own past Paraguayans Guarani to move to second on the Group 7 table.The Argentinians had a hat-trick from much-travelled Uruguayan frontman Hernan Lopez as the highlight, with strike partner Leandro Gonzalez weighing in with a brace.Boca Juniors loanee Facundo Roncaglia was sent off for the winners, while Julian Benitez scored a consolation goal for the away side to ensure the match finished 5-1.Colombian club Junior sealed their progression from the group stage courtesy of a come-from-behind 2-1 win at home over Bolivian outfit Oriente Petrolero, making it four wins from as many games in Group 2.Oriente are pointless and appear doomed, with Gremio’s 1-1 draw at Peruvian club Leon de Huanuco helping the Brazilian club more than their opponents in Thursday’s other group game.
Everton captain Phil Neville is pleased with his progress following summer surgery on a knee problem.
Neville will miss the first match on the club's pre-season tour to Australia against Sydney FC on Saturday as he is still recovering from surgery back in May.
However, he is hoping to feature during the tour in order to prove hit fitness ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.
"It has actually been fantastic. It's been nine weeks now and at eight weeks I was allowed to start running," he explained.
"This week has been more of me slowly settling back into training.
"I have been doing one session a day with the team and another session in the gym to keep the strength up in the knee.
"As pre-season gets closer to the full season I will step up my training.
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"I feel really fit, really strong, and for the first time in months I am running without pain in my knee, which is a great sign.
"There are three games this week and it would be great to take part in some of them and get some minutes under my belt."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The Premier League is littered with talent everywhere you look, though of course it is and has always been defined by its star names. Where would we be without Rooney, Gerrard, Terry, and the rest who light up the stage week in, week out. These are the players we read about every day, and who get all the limelight and plaudits for their efforts on the football field.
In this era of Premier League mega-stars it is easy to forget about the other few hundred players in the league (excluding David Bentley), who work just as hard and make vital contributions to their sides. There is a load of unsung heroes out there on the field every week who put in just as much effort-if not more-as the top names yet don’t get anywhere near the same amount of recognition. Why these players don’t get the recognition they deserve is a mystery. Some probably don’t get the credit they deserve as their vital contributions are within unglamorous sides who aren’t in the big four. Other players simply shun the media limelight and mega stardom, as they are only interested in playing football and putting the team before themselves.
These players are the type who would be the first on the team sheet every week, yet they don’t get the plaudits like a Drogba or a Fabregas. They are just as critical and most are the heartbeats of their sides, who would be much poorer without them. Some have made vital contributions that have saved their sides from dropping out of the division, others have propelled their sides to achieve greater things than expected, yet they barely get mentioned in the same breath as the big stars of the league. It’s time to pay tribute to the Premier League players who don’t get enough recognition.
Click on the image below to see the top ten
[divider]
Compiled by Lauren Rutter
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You have probably woken up this morning to a torrent of Manchester United fans raving about their U18 starlet, Ravel Morrison.
Dubbed ‘the new Ashley Young’, Morrison may promise to have a bright future and he hit headlines recently with a fantastic double to book United’s youth team a place in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals in a 3-2 win over Liverpool.
However, Morrison’s off the pitch exploits had previously surrounded him in controversy after he narrowly avoided a prison sentence in 2009 following an alleged mugging incident. He was promised that he would certainly face jail time if he was to appear in court again any time in the near future.
The youngster has made one appearance for the first team as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung in a League Cup tie against Wolves and should he keep up his good form, you may be seeing him strutting his stuff around Old Trafford once again in the near future.
So what are you waiting for? Check out Ravel’s best bits in the video below.
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West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has revealed that he had agreed to sign Germany hot-shot Miroslav Klose prior to this summer's World Cup finals.
The Hammers chief insists that a free transfer move was on the cards for the 32-year-old after he endured a torrid campaign in his homeland with Bayern Munich.
But he has excelled on the international stage by scoring four goals and helping his side to the semi-finals in South Africa.
Sullivan now thinks he could join a more illustrious club on the continent.
Speaking to Soccernet, he said:"We had a deal in place before the World Cup, after he had a bad season in Germany.
"However, as a result of what he has done at the World Cup, it's unlikely to happen."
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Meanwhile, West Ham's hopes of signing Frederic Piquionne from French club Lyon also appear to be hitting a snag.
Piquionne, who enjoyed a loan spell at Portsmouth last season, is believed to still have a future with the French giants as coach Claude Puel considers his pre-season plans.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Celtic FC have once again joined forces with Football Aid, allowing football fans the opportunity to play on the hallowed turf at Celtic Park 2012, while raising vital funds for charity at the same time.
Football Aid offers fans the opportunity to Live the Dream of an authentic match day experience; to gain exclusive access to the pitch and tunnel areas, pull on their own personalised shirt in the official changing rooms, walk down the tunnel to the sound of a cheering crowd and ultimately to step out onto their Field of Dreams and represent their club in a never to be forgotten 90 minute match.
The matches have also been supported by a host of Celtic legends down the years, with the likes of Danny McGrain (Football Aid’s Vice-Patron), Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon all lending their valuable experience in recent years, by playing alongside supporters in the hugely enjoyable matches at Celtic Park.
Booking your position couldn’t be easier, just visit www.footballaid.com and choose your club, then you’ll have two ways to secure your Fixed Price position: Option 1: ‘Buy Now’ – Our quickest and most popular option, or Option 2: ‘Sponsored to Play’ – Pay a non-refundable £100 deposit to secure your position and then simply pay off the remaining balance anytime before 13th December.
So if you’re keen to secure your place on your Field of Dreams early this season, why not visit www.footballaid.com today to make sure you’re ahead of the crowd! Alternatively if you’d like any additional information, you can call Football Aid on 0131 220 5999 or email [email protected].
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Football Aid celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2010 and have allowed over 12,225 football fans the chance to Live the Dream in more than 460 matches. They are a groundbreaking organisation which generates funds annually by hosting charity football matches at iconic stadiums all over the UK. The unique concept was the brainchild of businessman and Football Aid Chairman Craig Paterson and funds raised from the event will benefit the work of a charitable project nominated by the club, as well as projects nominated by Football Aid’s parent charity Field of Dreams.
I have long been of the belief that the success or failure of a coach at international level is dependent on fortune. Would Sven-Goran Eriksson have been so derided by the press and general public had his England side won either of the two penalty shoot-outs against Portugal in 2004 or 2006? Would Terry Venables be so acclaimed had Spain been accredited with either of the legitimate ‘offside’ goals during their Euro 1996 quarter-final?
The FA’s process for deciding on the most prestigious job in English football appears to engage in a bizarre game of trial and error. After employing Eriksson for six years, it was decided that the Swede lacked passion and tactical flexibility, and that putting the ship in the hands of Steve McClaren, an Englishman with some limited domestic success, would be the best option.
For all the reasons that McClaren was appointed to the top job in 2006, Redknapp looks set match the same criteria in 2012. There is no doubt that Fabio Capello’s tenure as England coach has been underwhelming at best, and the desire for a top English replacement is understandable. But is the answer really a man with one piece of major silverware to his name across 35 years in management and no prior experience of international football?
If McClaren had a squeaky clean, annoyingly uncharismatic public image, Redknapp’s rough and ready reputation is not one that would normally be associated with such an important position. However, since the FA nailed their patriotic colours to the mast, the current Tottenham boss is odds on favourite to be leading England into World Cup qualifiers in the autumn of 2012.
On a superficial level, the appointment makes a reasonable amount of sense. From a man management point of view, Redknapp is as likely to succeed as any other candidate. Whilst he has been known to alienate players he does not have an instant rapport with, there will considerable respect from many of the squad’s established leading lights and the general public will respond well to his everyman charm. In recent seasons he has dropped the prickly persona that made him sometimes unpopular during his tenure in charge at Upton Park – all positive thus far.
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However, the nation demands an x-factor from their managers, and if Redknapp fails to make an instant impression his lack of top level experience will be hammered in the press. Both Fabio Capello and Eriksson were granted a great deal of goodwill as a result of their achievements at club level – the former Bournemouth coach does not have that to fall back on.
The silverware won as a manager need not be a defining factor in his appointment, yet his cabinet is particularly bare. Admittedly his chances to win any substantial glory have been limited but he has rarely done enough to deserve a top level appointment. His achievements with Portsmouth came at the cost of the club’s financial future, the FA Cup triumph the ultimate false dawn.
Gaining his current post as Tottenham head coach was only a possibility once Juande Ramos had dragged the club deep into the relegation zone, and again everyone’s favourite cockney was afforded funds that did not match the club’s level of prior achievement – a pre-requisite for Redknapp to gain any tangible success.
Even now, Redknapp is unable to do anything but play the underdog card. The current Spurs squad is arguably the deepest in the division, yet the man who has spent phenomenal amounts of money on his Champions League dream insists that his team need a miracle just to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition next term.
This underplaying of his club’s hopes is standard Redknapp, but with so much expected of the national team, could the former Portsmouth manager realistically say when England lose in the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup that he’s done “Not bad, considering we made the last 16 last time.” Probably not.
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Redknapp himself knows the fickle nature of the football world. His elevation from an unspectacular manager at domestic level to red hot favourite for the England manager’s post has been dramatic, and has undoubtedly fed off the back of the comparative failure of current incumbent, Capello. Were Tottenham to actually meet their manager’s doomsday prediction and miss out on Champions League qualification, questions may be asked again about the suitability of Redknapp to lead his country, however accidents aside he looks set for the England dugout.
Redknapp has said periodically that his managerial career is drawing to a close. In 2005, he went so far as to earmark his one campaign with Southampton as being his last, only when the club were relegated did he change his mind. It would be remarkable to think that seven years on from an earmarked retirement date, that Redknapp could be looking at embarking on a first job in international management. This is the starkest picture of the decision the FA are about to make.
Think Steve McClaren should be given another pop as England coach? Reckon Nigel Clough has done enough to throw his hat into the ring? Let me know on Twitter. Happy to change my opinion on Harry if he can get me a portion of David Beckham’s pie and mash.