James Ward-Prowse is blessed with all the technical talent a young English player could ask for. Yet, aged 23 and now 154 games into his Premier League career, you have to wonder whether the Southampton midfielder will find a way to consistently convert it into match-winning prowess.
Saints’ FA Cup clash with Fulham on Saturday gave us a snippet of a world where the one-cap England international realises something close to the full extremities of his powers, netting the only goal in a 1-0 win by anticipating a loose ball in the home side’s box and pouncing accordingly.
In addition, Ward-Prowse produced the most efforts at goal and created the most scoring chances of any Southampton player, as Mauricio Pochettino’s side claimed a confidence-boosting win against Championship opposition.
While Saints fans will be pleased to see the young midfielder produce good form, especially amid their struggles in the Premier League, Ward-Prowse’s performance was as frustrating as enjoyable – that irritation being his failure to use his obvious talent to prove the difference on a more consistent basis.
More than anything else, it appears a question of game intelligence, having the nous to get into the positions where his technical talent truly becomes evident.
That goal could well prove to be a turning point for the midfielder, who has struggled for game-time in the Premier League this season. But one thing is for certain; at the age of 23, Ward-Prowse needs to start producing to the levels he’s capable of, like he did against Fulham. Being a tidy footballer alone won’t suffice for too much longer.
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The departure of Yohan Cabaye was always going to be a huge loss for Newcastle, but such is the talent and quality of the midfielder, it was always a case of when, not if.
The Newcastle board, those working above Alan Pardew, will have to strengthen this month if the club are to continue in their pursuit of European football. Mistakes have been made past windows, but losing an influential player of Cabaye’s calibre simply can’t be dealt with internally.
France has proven to be a good market for the club in the past and they may very well revisit the French league this month, with rumours suggesting a number of France-based midfielders are being lined up.
With only a few days left of the January window, these are six players who would be good replacements for Cabaye.
Click on the departing Frenchman to see the full list
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Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle with Anzhi Makhachkala striker Lacina Traore, according to reports from Izvestia.
Scouts from the Premier League club are believed to have been watching the 6ft. 8” forward for some time and were impressed with his match winning display during clubs’ Europa League clash last week.
The Ivorian has been in good form for the Dagestan-based outfit this term and is reportedly open to a move despite only signing for them during the summer from domestic rivals FC Kuban.
His agent Dmitry Selyuk hinted to the the Russian newspaper that his client could be on his way to England with a deal close to being agreed:
“Aside from Liverpool, Udinese are another on the list of clubs to have made contact about the purchase of Traore,
“I’m afraid the Italian side won’t be able to meet the player’s valuation.”
He also stated that his client will not be rushed into a decision:
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“At the moment Lacina is happy with his situation at Anzhi. Not long ago he signed a contract until June 2016. There’s no reason for Traore to rush.”
With his current employers having shelled out just under £15m for his services not long ago it’s likely that they would be looking to make a profit, which would go against Liverpool’s current transfer ethos.
The pantomime season may have only recently just kicked into gear, but at the BBC’s Match of the Day headquarters, it seems to have been in full swing for what feels like, well, an eternity.
Indeed, while the shirt offerings on MOTD might have always had a touch of the Widow Twankey about them, for many supporters indulging in English football’s flagship highlights show, that mock panto feeling is beginning to apply to the punditry on offer, too.
While no medium of broadcasting is safe from critique – none more so than within the cutthroat opinions cultivated in the beautiful game – the grievances that supporters air in regards to Match of the Day feel a lot more toxic and a lot more frequent than simply a moody old groan.
Archaic, uninformative and out of touch are just three of the politer terms that are regularly wheeled out on Twitter and the like to depict the now 48-year-old highlights show. It’s the BBC’s finest sporting relic – yet it’s the other three relics sitting in the pundit’s chair every Saturday, which appear to be jeopardizing its place in supporters’ affections.
The Premier League has of course changed immeasurably since its formation in 1992 and perhaps none more so than within the last couple of years. The rise of social media has seen the likes of Michael Cox’s superb Zonal Marking site rise in prominence and supporters have access to a whole raft of analysis, dissection and opinion like never before.
Furthermore, Gary Neville’s meteoric ascent from recent retirement to the king of Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football format, has seen the ex-Manchester Untied defender become something of a media darling in punditry terms.
Richard Keys and Andy Gray often resembled a couple of Dads trying to put up flat packed furniture with a claw hammer when it came to using Sky’s cutting edge technology. Neville has utilized it to educate the viewer and the plaudits he’s currently receiving is testament to the respect that supporters place upon that.
So in light of the wealth of articulate opinion that’s currently out there for football supporters to soak up, it’s perhaps no surprise that Match of the Day currently finds itself in the firing line.
After the best part of two decades uttering the word diabolical, it seems that Alan Hansen’s black book of defensive adjectives is running low. Alan Shearer’s credibility as a pundit all but went out the window after claiming that Hatem Ben Arfa, who’d long been regarded as one of European football’s brightest prodigies, was something of an unknown quantity before his move to Newcastle United.
If Mark Lawrenson could stop the perpetual moaning and actually explain what was going on, then maybe he’d be considered the best of a perceived bad bunch. As of yet, that’s not happened for several years now.
Yet while there will be many who have always held a lingering disdain for the aforementioned trio (as presenter, Gary Lineker is being left somewhat exempt from critique, for now) there certainly feels like there’s something of a bandwagon developing in terms of the anti-MOTD sentiment. The show’s never been critique-free, although it’s difficult to remember a time in its history it’s faced such a massive backlash from the general public.
The License Fee-shaped elephant in the room here, is of course the fact that Match of the Day is publicly funded and given the extortionate salaries that messrs Hansen et al are currently receiving, viewers undoubtedly entitled to demand the very pinnacle of punditry. Even after a pay cut this year, Alan Hansen still rakes in an estimated £1million per annum.
And on the balance of opinion we’re currently being offered, especially given the wealth of informative analysis available both online and with rival broadcasters, it’s hard to see how the public are really getting their money’s worth with the current set-up. But where as many are calling for a drastic overhaul, a new lick of paint could be a more fitting solution.
Even if Hansen and Lawrenson were continuing to churn out world class punditry, nothing lasts forever and after being in the job since 1992 and 1997 respectively, the BBC simply need a change of face as much as anything else. Everyone has a shelf life and even though Gary Neville may well be a superior pundit, if he’s still on our screens in 15 years time, it’s a safe bet he might not be quite as popular as he is today.
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The show needs some fresh perspective and something resembling a new outlook, but there has to be more thought put into it than simply cherry picking an ex-player in the assumption he’ll make a good pundit. The programme’s flirtations with Michael Owen in recent weeks would have given the neutrals some real cause for concern.
Ex-Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi famously once said, “I never realized that in order to become a jockey, you have to be a horse first,” and it couldn’t be truer in terms of punditry. The likes of Michael Cox and Guardian contributor Jonathan Wilson have proven you don’t have to have played the game to be able to understand it and explain it with both thought and clarity.
And that’s what the audience are crying out for – they want a pundit to dissect the events and tell them something they didn’t already know. Because more than anything, Match of the Day seems to offer little more to us at the moment than passing observations and tired clichés.
The glitzy iPad chic of Monday Night Football or the tactical theses of Zonal Marking won’t work for Match of the Day. It’s a publicly funded programme that will always have to cater to a far larger spectrum of tastes and overloading it with a 10 minute package on the false nine simply isn’t going to be viable. But all fans are asking for is a little more considered punditry and a bit of knowledgeable information. The current chummy old boys club falls some way short of that.
Liverpool have been heavily involved in the football rumours already this transfer window. After signing Manchester City defender Kolo Toure on a free transfer, Brendan Rodgers has been strongly linked with moves for Henrikh Mkitaryan and Simon Mignolet. The duo are expected to cost a total of £30million, as the Northern Irishman aims to get his business done as early as possible.
The Reds are keen to strengthen their squad this summer, after finishing 7th in the Premier League this season, just two points behind neighbours Everton. But with their £20million transfer kitty set to be overspent on the duo, Rodgers will not only need to sell some players, but will also need to find some bargains across Europe if he wants to continue adding to his squad.
With that in mind, here are 10 transfer bargains Rodgers should consider before the new season starts.
Click on Jermain Defoe to see 10 players Liverpool could pick up on the (relatively) cheap
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Love or hate, possess and interest or cannot be bothered, politics is really on the agenda right now. The United Kingdom’s General Election is looming large, with the future of our nation set to be decided for the immediate future. Conservative ‘rule’ – albeit with a Lib Dem coalition – has been the way for some time now, but Labour are battling, while other parties such as UKIP and the SNP have emerged.
Football in itself bears many similarities with politics, so it comes as little surprise that many players, both past and present, have taken an interest in what’s going on in parliament… and here are SIX examples.
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Paolo Di Canio
Where better – perhaps ‘better’ is the wrong word – to start than West Ham hero Di Canio. The Italian is known for his right wing views, and is a self-declared admirer of former dictator Benito Mussolini and landed himself in hot water with a fascist salute to Lazio fans.
“I am a fascist, not a racist. I made the Roman salute because it’s a salute from a comrade to his comrades and was meant for my people.”
Okay then, Paolo.
Karl Henry
QPR’s midfield… erm… just midfielder Henry barely made headlines or attracted attention at all. However, some recent frank views displayed on Twitter have revealed his Tory leanings on the political spectrum:
His views are strong, but are they perhaps born from a desire to keep his hard earned cash? Maybe, which certainly riled many fans on Twitter. Last week he also confirmed where the cross on his piece of paper will be going…
Sol Campbell
Controversial in his playing days, and even more so now he’s out of the game, Campbell is a staunch Conservative supporter. Politically active and forthright in his views, there is plenty to respect about the former England international’s eagerness to make a difference, and he has even hinted that he could run for the seat in Kensington.
Frank Lampard
“Frank has got some very strong opinions on the way the country should be run. People tend to think of footballers as being a bit one-dimensional but Frank takes pleasure in talking about big social issues when he has guests round to dinner. “
Well, these are the words of a friend of ‘Lamps’ who appears to be as blue as the famous shirt he once donned for Chelsea on a regular basis. He’s also met David Cameron and, whom he had a “good chat” with back in 2007.
Cristiano Lucarelli
While Paolo Di Canio may give the impression that Italian footballers are right leaning, Lucarelli couldn’t be much further left in terms of his views. The big forward once declared his team, at the time, Livorno to be “Communists”, while he spent a large chunk of a big signing on fee at Shakhtar Donetsk in 2007 on funding a left-wing newspaper and helping with causes back in his home nation.
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Roman Pavlyuchenko
From the bench at Spurs to the bench in Russia (of a different kind), ‘Pav’ won a seat on the Russian regional council in 2008, running as a part of Vladamir Putin’s United Russia party.
“Roman Pavlyuchenko is a source of pride to Stavropol [the region he represented],” said Dmitriy Edelev, Stavropol parliament’s United Russia leader. “He leads a specialist Olympic Reserve School project in the region which is headed up by Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov, so the party representatives in the city decided to include him on the candidate list.”
Sir Alex Ferguson
As red as his nose, ‘Fergie’ is a Labour enthusiast. Prior to his days of footballing fame, Sir Alex became a shop steward in the union when working in the shipyards of Clydeside and also led an unofficial walkout over pay.
If there’s a problem or an imbalance in this Tottenham squad, it’s not at all obvious.
This is the first year in three that Spurs haven’t been considered to be in title contention after Christmas, but perhaps like the rest of the current top six, they can point to the fact that they wouldn’t be quite so far behind in a normal season – that Manchester City are simply doing something extraordinary so far this campaign.
But for the side who finished last season with both the most goals scored and the fewest conceded, to find themselves doing nothing special on either account so far this year clearly shows that the momentum has been curtailed somewhat. There are numerous reasons why – the Wembley situation at the start of the season and their impressive improvement in Europe, for example.
Indeed, there’s been improvement in the Premier League, too, since the final group game of the Champions League in December, even if it didn’t come straight away.
Since losing to Manchester City in mid-December, there’s been a marked change in Spurs’ defensive solidity. They’ve conceded just three goals since then, though two came in a game against Southampton and were consolations as Mauricio Pochettino’s side ran out 5-2 winners on Boxing Day. Getting Davinson Sanchez back was a boost after the City game, whilst the return of Toby Alderweireld will help strengthen even more at that end.
At the other end, meanwhile, it would be ridiculous to say that Spurs lack goals with Harry Kane breaking records left, right and centre. Beyond that, too, it would be churlish to point to a lack of support with some other fabulous players in the team.
And yet, that’s the place where Spurs should look to strengthen this January.
Attacking play is all about options and doing something out of the ordinary, especially for a manager like Pochettino, whose attacking systems can sometimes be a little rigid – and when it’s not working, it’s hard to force it.
That’s perhaps why Fernando Llorente found his way to Wembley this season. His height and aerial ability gives Spurs something than what they had last year, whilst the ability of the likes of Kieran Trippier when it comes to crossing or Christian Eriksen on free kicks seemed to make that a viable option. It hasn’t worked out that way, though there’s still time for the Spaniard to settle into becoming an important player for his club.
Then there were two other links last summer, neither of which came off. Ross Barkley was a player whose name kept cropping up in the Tottenham pages of newspapers, whilst Wilfried Zaha was said to have been another target, though that one was put to bed fairly early in the transfer window.
But now it’s January. Barkley is no longer and option and Llorente isn’t quite as effective as he might have been. That means you have to question what the link was between the now-Chelsea midfielder and the Crystal Palace winger: you wouldn’t think they’d be similar players, but clearly there was a reason Spurs turned their interest to Barkley when Zaha wasn’t available.
It might be to do with the fact that both players aren’t just adept at taking the game to their opposition directly, but they revel in it. Zaha with his pace and trickery, Barkley with his balance and poise, and his uncanny ability to play one-twos to take his team up the pitch.
This matters to Spurs. They don’t have a player who they can rely on to beat a man in order to break a press. They have to work their way around teams and hope that their systems and passing angles do the trick.
In January, Pochettino might have his sights on Zaha once again, but failing that, it’s Nabil Fekir who Spurs should be targeting.
A similar sort of tricky player, Fekir is a man who’s known bad luck and rebuilt. Seemingly on the verge of great things and a big money move from his current club Lyon a few years ago, the Frenchman ruptured his cruciate ligament and has only just come back to top form again this season.
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But now he’s back, orchestrating attacks behind the forward line and showing his skill, directness and flair for a key pass. Those are traits which will allow him to fit into this Spurs side well enough, but something else is impressive about Fekir this season: he’s scoring goals.
14 in 17 Ligue 1 games is a wonderful tally for an attacking midfielder, and a further two in Europe shows his pedigree. Indeed, he’s currently on a run of four goals in four games, which might suggest a January move would suit him, as he can hit the ground running and carry over his form.
Spurs aren’t in dire need of an attacking threat. They arguably have the foremost attacking threat in the world at present. But they do need a spark to ignite those game where they just can’t seem to break the deadlock. They tried in the summer with Llorente, but there’s certainly no harm in bringing a player in with a different profile to his teammates, and who can bring something new to the table.
If Zaha is still off-limits, then Fekir should be that man.
There aren’t too many Premier League sides who can match Arsenal’s technically-demanding tiki-taka-inspired style, but Swansea City are definitely one of them.
That set up tonight’s clash at The Emirates as a potential classic in the making; one side doing a pretty decent Barcelona impression, the other doing a slightly less decent Barcelona impression. But hey, we all like Lionel Messi right?
Unfortunately, however, Swansea’s visit to Arsenal hasn’t exactly panned out like that – in fact, quite the opposite. Swansea City have been more like Stoke City in the first half, and the Gunners are yet to find a way through, managing just five attempts at goal and none on target despite claiming 70% possession.
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To call it one for the purists would be an overstatement. This is one for the insomniacs, trying to find a way to bore themselves to sleep. Needless to say, Arsenal and Swansea fans on Twitter aren’t too impressed. Here’s some of the best responses:
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Every Premier League season there always seems to be one side that initially takes everyone by surprise with a series of impressive performances to lift them to unprecedented heights in the league, before inevitably fading into mid-table mediocrity – or worse – once the top flight settles into its regular rhythm.
In the 2011/12 campaign Wolverhampton Wanderers were third and unbeaten at the start of September, but were bottom and relegated by the time the last whistle was blown in May, while three seasons previously Hull City managed to survive by the skin of their teeth in 17th place on the final day despite being joint-top of the league as late as October.
Before last weekend’s fixtures, West Ham United were considered to be prime candidates for the role of ‘early-season surprise package who eventually hit a terrible run of form and end up forgotten in mid-table’. After their victory against Manchester City at Upton Park took them to fourth place at the end of October – just one point off the league champions in third – the Hammers went on a three-match winless run. Their defeat to Everton on November 22nd saw them slip to sixth place, and many observers could have been forgiven for thinking that the London side’s heady days were over, with a gradual slide further down the table to be expected.
With this in mind, Sam Allardyce’s side’s 1-0 triumph over Newcastle United on Saturday could be the most important win of their season. Not only was it a hard-fought victory over a side who had themselves been enjoying something of a resurgence of late, it also crucially ensured that their winless streak was nothing but a mini-slump. A defeat would have seen the Hammers drop to ninth; by securing a deserved three points instead, they remain in fifth – above Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool – and just one point behind Manchester United in the final Champions League spot.
A boost to the team’s morale is exactly what was needed before what on paper looks like a kind run of fixtures before the Boxing Day visit to Chelsea. More than a third of the season has now gone, and it is perhaps time for West Ham to be considered as a genuine threat who have what it takes to last the distance. Deeply unpopular and perilously close to the sack last season, Sam Allardyce’s transformation into the hero of Upton Park this campaign has been remarkable, and has largely been attributed to a subtle yet significant tweak in his tactical approach to the game and a number of astute signings.
While the conventional narrative regarding over-achieving underdogs in the Premier League is that their seasons are bound to fall apart at some point, West Ham’s resilience to grind out a crucial victory against Newcastle at a point when things were looking like they were about to turn sour suggests that they might be the team to tear up the script.
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With Petr Cech recently completing his much anticipated switch to the Emirates Stadium, Jose Mourinho and his formidable Chelsea outfit are currently in the market for a back-up goalkeeper for the upcoming season worthy of challenging Thibaut Courtois for the No.1 spot at Stamford Bridge throughout 2015/16.
In a subsequent turn of events for the Potters this summer, Stoke City’s reliable shot-stopper, Asmir Begovic, has seemingly become a strong candidate to replace the departed Cech at Chelsea, with Mourinho’s side reportedly willing to spend as much as £8 million on acquiring the 28-year-old’s services.
Victor Moses will supposedly be used to sweeten the deal for Stoke, yet for those among the Britannia Stadium faithful who still want Begovic to remain a Potters player ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, it seems the writing may already be on the wall for the Bosnia & Herzegovina international.
However, as Manchester United will also likely be in the hunt for a new ‘keeper with the ever coveted David de Gea expected to make his switch to Real Madrid this summer, should Asmir Begovic continue on his probable route to Stamford Bridge in the not too distant future, or would the Stoke City favourite be better served by waiting for Louis van Gaal to come a-callin’? After all, there are tentative links…
Well, if Chelsea were to land the highly respected ‘keeper in the run up to the new season, it would admittedly have to go down as a brilliant bit of business on the club’s part.
At 28-years-old, Begovic still has enough years in him to do the business at the highest level, his know-how of the Premier League remains a truly important asset and, with the former Portsmouth man having represented his nation at the 2014 World Cup last summer, experience and reliability are two traits that seemingly come naturally to the shot-stopper’s overall game.
Asmir Begovic would also represent a truly marvellous deal for the Blues from a financial perspective – £8 million seems like a good deal for a player clearly good enough to make it at Chelsea in the modern era.
The likes of Liverpool and Arsenal could have both really done with someone of Begovic’s standard operating at their respective goalmouths in the past few seasons. With all due respect to Stoke City and their loyal following, the Bosnian star certainly could have been playing for a club more prestigious and respected than the Potters if his current employers had decided to part ways with his services earlier on in his Premier League career.
With Jack Butland currently providing the Britannia Stadium faithful with a promising future in the goalkeeping department, now would seemingly be an opportune moment to sell the Chelsea target from Mark Hughes’ point of view.
Yet because the Blues can only realistically offer the 28-year-old a bit-part role on the bench throughout the next few seasons, Begovic himself would arguably find a better future at Old Trafford should Louis van Gaal genuinely be interested in landing the Bosnian this summer.
Manchester United have reportedly singled out Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris as a suitable candidate to replace the potentially outgoing David de Gea in the run up to the new season, but if Spurs manage to hold onto their highly coveted French shot-stopper, Begovic would represent the next best option for United with all things considered.
Operating on a stage as grand and significant as Old Trafford could certainly go down as a potentially defining chapter in the career of the current Stoke City ‘keeper, especially as Manchester United could offer Begovic a first-team role next season if all else fails.
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The World Cup star would most definitely be able to help fill the likely void left by David de Gea this summer – and although the Bosnian obviously doesn’t offer quite the same level of potential as his Spanish counter-part in the Old Trafford net, his overall prowess in the air, organisation of his back-line and ability to stop opponents in one-on-one situations could prove more than successful with the Red Devils should this particular transfer rumour really take off in the coming weeks.
Whilst a move to Chelsea would nevertheless represent a genuinely good opportunity for the Stoke shot-stopper ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, Manchester United would ultimately offer Asmir Begovic a much better chance to further develop his career in the Premier League, rather than just watch it fall by the wayside on the bench at Stamford Bridge.