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It is often easy to sensationalise games as ‘must win’ or ‘season defining’, but looking ahead to Sunday’s titanic clash between Arsenal and Manchester United and it is difficult to argue that any come much bigger or much more important than this. Indeed with Arsenal eight points clear of the defending Premier League champions, this game could even at such an early stage shape the months to follow for both clubs.

Arsenal are a club riding the crest of a wave and flying high in the league, the game on Sunday is another important stepping stone towards their ultimate goals, but for me it won’t be pivotal. By contrast, Sunday’s clash represents the most crucial of moments in David Moyes’ short tenure at Manchester United, a win could galvanise the recovery whilst a defeat could well spend the beginning of the end for the Scotsman in Manchester.

After early season disappointment United have undergone something of a revival of late. A comeback against Stoke and a more comfortable victory over Fulham has seen a return to stability at the club, with Moyes keen now to impress further by laying down a marker against a title rival.

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This is the point about Sunday; it is much too early to worry about points because even at this stage no lead is insurmountable. However, momentum is everything in football and if United are to have any chance this season then they must show themselves able to de-rail the Arsenal title charge. It is all well and good being able to overcome the best of the rest, but if United want to reassert themselves then they must beat the best, and Sunday is the perfect opportunity to do that.

Gary Pallister whilst speaking to Sky Sports emphasised the enormity of the game for United:

“It’s certainly more important for United,” he told Sky Sports News. “Arsenal are eight points clear at the moment and if they were to go 11 points clear, it’s a huge gap to try and catch up.”

“Arsenal can come with a bit of a luxury, they can afford to lose it maybe and still be top of the table at the end of the day.”

“United are desperate to win the game, they’ve got a bit of form back. They had a late comeback against Stoke, the Sociedad game and the Fulham game looks like they’re finally finding their feet. It’s up to be another titanic clash, reminiscent of the years gone by.”

Moyes may still be grappling with an inadequate midfield and the problem of asserting himself on the club, but the reality is that the Premier League doesn’t stop for anyone. Defeat on Sunday won’t mean inevitable sacking, that would be an unbelievable knee-jerk, but what it will do is continue to push United on this downward slope towards failure that even the best managers would struggle to rewrite. A loss of faith in the project and the manager can be fatal to the hopes of a club even at such an early stage and that is why I believe that a defeat at the hands of Arsenal could be good enough to end the clubs chances of achieving anything in the league this season.

Yet it works both ways, United may be standing on edge of the footballing mire but at the same time Sunday affords them the opportunity to re-invent their fortunes. Arsenal are playing well but squad for squad both sides are pretty even, there hasn’t been much change from last season when United finished well clear of the North Londoners so in that sense the advantage should be in Moyes’ favour. If Moyes can get his team prepared mentally for the game and instil some belief in his players then there is no reason why he cannot overcome his opposite number.

It will be interesting to see how brave the Scot is, will he give the exciting young Januzaj a chance or will he look to adopt a more rigid approach? My fear is that the dour traits of the man may well be his undoing; this is a game that needs an assertive approach to really get at Arsenal. If United allow Arsenal to come and play at Old Trafford it may well be to their detriment and I hope for their sakes they choose to show a little bit of bravery.

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Sunday will be a defining game in United’s season. The opportunity to rebuild the fortress and carve out a new dynasty at United. Defeat could well spell the beginning of the end for Moyes at United, whereas victory will re-ignite the title challenge that has appeared so non-existent in recent months.

Is Sunday’s game season defining for United?

Join the debate below

Tottenham centre back William Gallas has dismissed claims that 4th place is success and insists silverware is what every footballer wants.

The Spurs defender is aware that his current side have not won a trophy since winning the League Cup in 2008, and that Tottenham have been challenging for a Champions League place in recent seasons.

Gallas maintains the satisfaction of reaching Europe’s elite competition does not compare to winning trophies, as it something that does not come along very often so they are moments to be cherished.

“For me, a trophy is something you lift at the end of the season and I know it’s a fantastic feeling.

“It doesn’t happen many times through your career, so for me to finish second or fourth isn’t the same as finishing top, as champions. It’s completely different.

“You feel different because you are the best team – the best player. You are so happy to lift a trophy – it’s the real thing to do.”

The Spurs ace emphasized that this competition was important to the club and that his teammates will be doing all they can to win the Capital One Cup.

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In football from time to time you are forced into actions that in hindsight could prove highly regrettable as well as costly.

When first choice targets go astray and Premier League chairman go on holiday, transfer business can often be left till the dying moments. And in the heat of the moment, it seems that anything is possible within this league.

So to celebrate QPR dedicating the entirety of the last transfer window to the art of panic buying, we’ve accumulated 15 of our favourite scattergun deals. From deals so short sighted that players had to be paid to leave, strikers signed on a two year goal drought to switches so absurd, they make no sense at all, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Click on Gregorz Rasiak below to unveil the top 15

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The French international goalkeeper arrived at White Hart Lane at the end of this summer’s transfer window in what many thought it was a strange move. A lot of Tottenham fans didn’t see a whole lot wrong with what they already had in Brad Friedel.

They are now being turned round to this move as being a little masterstroke, whether AVB wanted the player in the first place or not. The reason for this is he is part of the way goalkeeping is moving in the Premier League. A transition is going away from the goalkeeper being isolated for the rest of the team and simply there to save shots. A keeper is a very much active member of the team and is seen as the start of a lot of the counter attacking football that goes on.

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Hugo Lloris is a prime example of how attention to detail in a goalkeepers play is so pivotal to the functioning of a team. The difference between Friedel and Lloris when they have the ball in their hands is the American chooses to bounce the ball a few times before he finds his man, whereas the Frenchman throws the ball out with accuracy to the wings on distributes to the wings with his feet with precision. I do not mean these aimless throws like Heurelho Gomes used to often deliver that looked impressive but often did not find the target. The distribution of a modern keeper is an aspect of a game that is so underrated. Despite the stereotype of footballers, they have to be smarter and Hugo Lloris illustrates an ability to know his team’s strengths. The keepers are meant to act as a calming influence and that is delivering the ball to a player’s feet. Lloris is aware that Bale and Lennon is the fulcrum of Tottenham’s attacking play and if they are released early with the ball on the floor they can easily wreak havoc.

It is for this very reason that I favour David De Gea to win the battle of wills at Old Trafford with Lindegaard to gain the permanent starting position, and why he commanded a fee of £18 million. There is a large aspect of a keeper’s play that is focussed around the ability to stop shots and have an instinctive nature to be able to stop the trouble. This is not a new commodity; there are several goalkeepers who can shot stop well. Bogdan was a prime example of this at Bolton last season, but you didn’t see a rush for Tottenham to sign him.

The reason for this is his distribution is not on the same level as Lloris. As the Premier League becomes more intricate too it is the goalkeeper’s responsibility to notice this too. Manchester United has been a team that have flourished because of their ability to devastatingly pick teams apart within moments due to incisive passing.  The distribution of the Spaniard is stunning and it is clearly irresponsible for a keeper these days to boot it long and hope his team mates can work from there.  The need to be skilful with their feet is often a talent that is forgotten in the discussion of what keeper’s need. They are footballers after all.

When your team is under pressure and shots are raining down and your number one receives a goal kick it is senseless to pump a long ball to the left, unless you have a play which is functioned around this. Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul could take note of the distribution of other keepers in the league, as his is piling pressure upon his teammates. I have never seen Demba Ba’s face light up with glee as a long ball happens to come into his airspace and he has to desperately challenge for the ball.

He has to take what he is given, but this doesn’t exactly encourage him to not panic when he does receive the ball on the floor. Especially when a team is struggling like Newcastle are at the minute you need a keeper who can be there to pass the ball back to and he will simply deliver it to his nearest full back rather than hitting it long and hoping for the best.

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It may have been difficult for Tottenham fans to justify wanting Lloris ahead of Friedel when the 41 year old was making such great reflex saves. Now they have had a chance to see Lloris have a longer stint as number one they may be able to see why they have taken a step ahead of other clubs. The same appreciation I expect to occur when David De Gea fully comes of age. The distribution of keeper’s will be become an ever-growing influence in the Premier League.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HGy950E2ts&list=UUKu98HLF5fkdLOlns9VE96w&index=2

Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful that Manchester United can make it to the next international break without any more injuries, as their defensive crisis worsened with Nemanja Vidic undergoing knee surgery. The Independent reports.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are already out of action, although Smalling could return to training within a couple of weeks.

Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand are United’s two fit remaining centre-backs, but Scott Wooton looks set to be in tomorrow’s squad to face Tottenham after impressing Sir Alex in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup win over Newcastle.

After facing Tottenham tomorrow, the Reds travel to Romania to play CFR Cluj in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to Newcastle next Sunday.

“Everyone knows the situation with our defenders,” said Ferguson.

“We just hope if we can get through the next two league games it will give us a little breather and we can start to get one or two of them back.”

But there is better news upfront for United, with Wayne Rooney fully recovered from a gashed thigh and Tom Cleverley finally adding goals to his game by breaking his duck against Newcastle.

“I have always scored goals when I have gone on loan, so it was bugging me that I had not been doing it for my club or my country”, said Cleverley.

“I have got the first one out of the way now. Hopefully they will all come at once.”

Former Burnley striker Charlie Austin has been in excellent form so far this season for Queens Park Rangers, scoring eight goals to take him up to third in the Premier League’s scoring chart.

The importance of having a goalscorer when you are struggling at the wrong end of the table is hugely significant. However, QPR cannot afford to rely solely on the 25-year-old’s ability to find the back of the net. Harry Redknapp will have to adjust his side when QPR play Everton away from home due to the fact that Austin was sent off against Burnley. The manager has an alarming shortage of attackers if he loses Austin to injury, as Bobby Zamora and Eduardo Vargas are the only recognisable forwards remaining.

Austin has been pivotal in gaining points for QPR this season, his eight goals mean that he has contributed half of the overall amount of Premier League goals scored by the entire QPR team. Although Austin is finding the back of the net, the biggest problems for Harry Redknapp lie in defence. They have conceded the most amount of goals in the Premier League so far this campaign. An ageing defence that consists of players such as Rio Ferdinand (36) and Richard Dunne (35) is not enough to keep QPR defensively sound this season. Also, Steven Caulker has not lived up to expectations since arriving at Loftus Road from Cardiff City and Harry Redknapp will be desperate to see more from a defender he paid £7m for in the summer.

The real problem for QPR is on the road this season. An ‘elderly’ starting XI can work effectively on the more compact pitch at Loftus Road, however, they are soon found out when they are stretched by the opposition. In seven away games so far, QPR have only managed to find the net twice. They are still waiting for their first point away from home, meaning that they have the worst away record in the Premier League. These are alarming statistics considering the amount of goals Charlie Austin has been scoring to help the side. In fact, Austin remains the only player to actually score for QPR on the road this season. If anything happens to the young English striker, the R’s will find it very difficult to reach the fabled 40-point mark at the end of the campaign. Talk of veteran striker Robbie Keane joining the club in January will hardly get QPR fans’ pulses racing but at least it shows that Redknapp is aware of his lack of squad depth, especially in the attacking areas. A key transfer could be Jermain Defoe, who looked odds on to join QPR in the winter window. However, if he decides to join Leicester City, it could become a major blow to Redknapp’s side with the Foxes another team who are also fighting for their lives.

Another alarming problem for QPR is the player’s lack of motivation. Make no mistake about it; Redknapp is a fantastic man manager, who is famous for getting the best out of his players. Therefore, it seems strange that not all of the squad was entirely fit for the first few fixtures of the season. The issue the manager has had with Adel Taarabt seems to sum up the motivational problems behind Redknapp’s crop of players. Although the squad will have shining lights such as Charlie Austin, his goals may not save an ageing QPR side that look destined for a relegation battle this season.

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The most exposure Jack Wilshere has received in recent times is the snap taken of him smoking on holiday; maybe not the best idea for the Arsenal midfielder considering his somewhat colourful past, but far from warranting the drama it spawned in the media. Oh, and he’s been linked with a move to Juventus, which – and it doesn’t really take much thought – is a no-goer.

Perhaps it’s been for the best that there hasn’t been too much focus on Wilshere from an on-pitch perspective. Arsenal fans have been preoccupied by new arrivals, the performance of Joel Campbell at the Emirates Cup last weekend, and the problem position of defensive midfield.

Even Aaron Ramsey has taken on more attention, and rightly so. The Welshman will be looking to build on the fine season he had last term, with many hoping he can stay free of long-term injury over the next 10 months. He will be pivotal in Arsenal’s charge towards further silverware.

But Wilshere, to contrast Ramsey, has been flying well under the radar, certainly in terms of the reputation he holds in English football.

There was a snippet of what was potentially to come during the upcoming season, with Arsene Wenger denying interest in Sami Khedira by stating Wilshere, back to fitness, was one of many midfield options in the team. It’s well known that Wenger loves a ‘smokescreen,’ anything to create confusion as to where his genuine transfer interests lie. But the idea of Wilshere as a defensive or box-to-box player doesn’t give way to a lot of confidence.

Yes, the England international has plenty of bite to his game, but that shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a positive, thus allowing for a license to play all-action midfielder across the pitch. Wilshere simply doesn’t have the discipline for it, or the effectiveness of someone like Ramsey.

The Arsenal number 10 is just that: a player for the final third. There is plenty of evidence from last season to suggest Wilshere isn’t ready for a central midfield role. The only period in his career where he excelled over a long-term period was when Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song were playing alongside him in a midfield three. Since then, however, it has been hit and miss.

Of course, the situation hasn’t been helped with a lack of defensive solidity in the centre of the pitch. During Wilshere’s particularly poor games last season, he partnered Mikel Arteta, who is evidently declining and no longer capable of retaining a starting place for long spells over a season.

It also isn’t a comment on Wilshere’s stature. A good player is a good player, regardless of his presence and size in the middle of the pitch. And since the move to the Emirates, Wenger hasn’t been one to select his players on their physicality. Wilshere, based on talent and technical ability, could comfortably be a regular for club and country in the centre of midfield. The doubts remain, however, due to his mentality and intelligence to perform in that role.

But what is most worrying is that at 22 and having been around top flight football for so long, we’re still unable to truly identify what Wilshere’s best position or role in the Arsenal team is.

A positive obstacle for Wilshere is that if he’s going to see lots of game time this season, he’ll really need to push on from where he was last season; there are simply too many options available in the Arsenal squad for Wenger to rely on underperforming individuals.

Wilshere will also take a lot of heart from Ramsey’s turnaround, having travelled a strikingly similar path thus far in his career.

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The talent is there. The away win against Aston Villa last season saw Wilshere play a part in both goals in a 2-1 win, while his commitment to the club is undeniable. But he has to ensure he doesn’t get left behind by those in his age group at Arsenal who are regularly showing themselves to be improving.

Wenger has also gone to say that this will be an important season for Wilshere, who, the Arsenal boss says, is in excellent physical shape ahead of the new season. That injury suffered towards the end of last season, while not ideal at the time, could prove to be a blessing for the upcoming campaign.

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When Crystal Palace signed Jordan Ayew for £2.5m back in the summer, it did feel like quite an underwhelming signing.

The Ghana international had spent the previous campaign on loan at Selhurst Park, mustering up just a single Premier League goal in 20 appearances for the Eagles.

Despite that, Roy Hodgson and Steve Parish decided to bring the former Aston Villa and Swansea man to SE25 on a permanent basis – they have truly been rewarded for doing just that.

In 19 Premier League outings this term, Ayew has scored five times the amount of goals that he netted in 2018/19 with five strikes to his name – however, his goal tally alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

The 28-year-old’s goalscoring efforts have had a hugely significant bearing on Palace’s campaign so far.

His first goal of the season – a calmly taken strike against David de Gea at Old Trafford – helped the Eagles record a 2-1 win over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

After that, Ayew scored in the next Premier League outing against Aston Villa with a brilliant solo effort, in which he jinked past Tyrone Mings and Jack Grealish before slamming the ball past Tom Heaton.

Then, the Ghanaian’s next goal came against West Ham, an 87th-minute winner after Martin Kelly headed the ball into his path. Two Premier League games later, Palace’s No.9 headed past Bernd Leno to grab a point against Arsenal at the Emirates, a fixture in which Hodgson’s side were 2-0 down.

His most recent goal was arguably the best of the lot, in which he performed a roulette past a handful of West Ham defenders, switched the ball between both feet to take a few more of the Hammers’ players out of the game before chipping the ball over Roberto in the 90th-minute – it was a real Goal of the Season contender.

So, if you were to tally up the amount of points that Ayew’s goals have won Palace, you would be amazed.

Four of them have been winning goals, while another stole a point, meaning that Ayew has won the Eagles 13 points almost single-handedly.

Take away those goals and subsequent points, and Palace would be languishing in 19th place on 14 points – just one point above 20th-placed Norwich.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

Ayew may not score in every game, although when he does, it more often than not wins a point or three for the south Londoners. 

In other news, these Crystal Palace fans have reacted to a January transfer report from Sky Sports, outlining what the Eagles could do in the market this month…

حسم الحكم الإسباني الشهير السابق، إيتورالدي جونزاليس، الجدل بشأن مدى صحة هدف الإسماعيلي الملغي أمام الأهلي في المباراة التي أقيمت في الجولة الثامنة عشر من بطولة الدوري المصري.

وانتهت المباراة بفوز الأهلي بهدف نظيف أحرزه الجناح، بيرسي تاو، في الدقيقة 50، إلا أن كانت هناك حالة من الجدل صاحبت هدف التعادل الملغي للدراويش بعد 5 دقائق.

وسجل محمد حسن هدفًا لصالح الإسماعيلي في شباك الأهلي والحارس، محمد الشناوي، في الدقيقة 55 إلا أن الحكم أحمد الغندور ألغاه بعد مراجعة تقنية الـVAR بسبب لمسة يد على اللاعب وسط اعتراضات من لاعبي الدراويش وجهازهم الفني بقيادة، حمزة الجمل.

بعد نهاية المباراة، كانت هناك حالة من الغضب انتابت نادي الإسماعيلي الذي أعلن عن تقديمه شكوى ضد طاقم التحكيم وطالب بالتحقيق.

بينما حلل الحكم الدولي السابق، جهاد جريشة، الحالة وأكد على صحة الهدف لأن اللقطة التي شاهدها الغندور عبر تقنية الفيديو خادعة.

اقرأ أيضًا | مرتضى منصور: لن نواجه الأهلي إلا بحكام أجانب.. والإسماعيلي استحق ركلتي جزاء وهدف هدف الإسماعيلي الملغي المثير للجدل في مباراة الأهلي

وتواصل “btolat.com” مع الحكم إيتورالدي جونزاليس المحلل التحكيمي لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية لتحليل الحالة بعد إرسال الفيديو بجميع زوايا التصوير، وقال: “من خلال ما شاهدته، أرى أن قرار الحكم صحيح طالما لمست الكرة يد اللاعب حتى ولو كانت بدون قصد قبل دخولها الشباك”.

وتابع: “اللقطة من خلال التصوير تظهر لمسة يد على اللاعب صاحب القميص الأصفر، لكن يجب أن تضع كاميرات التصوير في أماكن أفضل من ذلك، إذا كانت هناك كاميرا خلف اللاعب ستكون أفضل، ولهذا كانت هناك شكوك بين الحكم الرئيسي وحكم الفيديو لذلك استدعاه”.

وأضاف: “ولكن إذا كانت الكرة قد اصطدمت بيد اللاعب كما ظهرت من تلك الزاوية، فقرار الحكم صحيح بنسبة 100%”.

وعند إخباره بتصريحات أحمد العجوز مدير الكرة بالنادي الإسماعيلي بأن اللاعب قد اعترف له بلمس الكرة بقدمه ثم ارتدت إلى يده قبل دخولها المرمى.

وأكد العجوز أن المسافة بين القدم واليد كانت صغيرة ولابد وأن يحتسب الحكم الكرة هدفًا صحيحًا.

رد إيتورالدي على الأمر، وقال: “هذا يسهل الأمر قليلًا علي بالفعل، في القانون الجديد يجب أن يُلغى الهدف سواء كان اللاعب قاصدًا لمس الكرة بيده أو بشكل لا إرادي وإذا اعترف اللاعب بذلك فقرار الحكم كما قلت صحيحًا”.

وواصل: “الخلاصة، إذا اصطدمت الكرة بيد اللاعب بشكل لا إرادي وانتهت على الفور بهدف، يجب إلغاؤه”.

واستمر: “إذا اصطدمت الكرة بيد اللاعب عن غير قصد وانتقلت إلى زميله بالفريق ودخلت بعد ذلك المرمى، تحتسب هدفًا”.

وأتم: “إذا اصطدمت الكرة بيد اللاعب بشكل لا إرادي واستمر في الاستحواذ عليها وبعد ذلك قام بمراوغتين أو ثلاث وأحرز هدفًا، تحتسب الحالة هدفًا”.

Graham Gooch has spelled out something that no one at Cricket Australia is prepared to publicly say – Twenty20 is “chipping away” at the skills required of Test batsmen

Daniel Brettig22-Jul-2013

Australia’s top order has struggled to put runs on the board•Associated Press

Graham Gooch has spelled out something that no one at Cricket Australia is prepared to publicly say – Twenty20 is “chipping away” at the skills required of Test batsmen, and Gooch, England’s batting coach, works every day to ensure his men are not eroded as Australia’s have been.In the aftermath of the Lord’s Test, the England captain, Alastair Cook, spoke warmly of Gooch, a figure often derided in Australia for his travails during the 1989 Ashes series but an exemplar of diligence, patience and commitment to the art of run-making. Joe Root’s pivotal 180 after Australia’s batsmen had surrendered their first innings for a paltry 128 was a 21st century facsimile of many a Gooch innings, and the mentor said multiple formats had made it ever more difficult to foster such patience among young batsmen.”There’s three formats of the game now … the basis of Test cricket is that it’s a hell of a long game, five times 90 overs is a long, long game,” Gooch said. “So it’s about skills in batting, about run-making, about the whole package of not only having the technical skills but having the attitude, the mental toughness, the discipline, and the concentration. Anyone can concentrate for 15-20 minutes, but to score Test hundreds you have to concentrate for a long period of time. Those skills I think worldwide are being chipped away at the edges by the amount of one-day cricket and T20 cricket.”If you’re a traditionalist and like Test cricket and think that’s the pinnacle and the benchmark, you know you can see with the number of competitions that are popping up and the rewards that are available in terms of finance … the possibility of it chipping away at the edges of the traditional game, and that’s the same for every country. You’ve got to work hard to try to keep your players on track and obviously try to educate them as well as you can on the skills and the mental skills that are necessary to bat long. It’s a different type of skill.”While it is clear that at the present moment England are successfully developing batsmen of the requisite obstinacy and technical purity to survive for long periods, Gooch spoke of the need for eternal vigilance to ensure that the balance was not lost. He also mentioned the ability of the best players to differentiate between conditions, using the right “tools” for the variety of surfaces offered in England, Australia and the subcontinent.”Way after I finish this issue will still be alive and kicking,” Gooch, who will turn 60 on Tuesday, said. “I’d hate to think that traditional skills get eroded and diluted because the specialist spinner, the specialist fast bowler, the skills of the batsmen are, for me, what make the game so great. Playing on a surface like here [Lord’s], or the SCG or Brisbane or Perth where it bounces. A batsman to score runs needs different skills for different wickets, and as a batsman and run-maker you have different tools in the bag, but you don’t take all the tools out every time you play.”As for the magnitude of England’s victory, earning the hosts a 2-0 series lead that has only ever been overhauled once in the history of all Ashes contests, Gooch said some of his pupils would not fully appreciate it until later years. On the topic of Australia he was taciturn, but left ample room for the results to speak for themselves.”I think we suffered quite a lot [in the past], I did manage to win the Ashes three times actually but I did suffer quite a lot,” Gooch said. “I don’t know how some of them would know the historical significance, some probably wouldn’t. I think mainly they’re interested in winning each match they come up against. Australia are giving it their best, it’s not for me to comment on their performance, that’s down to their management and their system. We try to get our players in the best possible condition to win.”