A local radio pundit for Southampton slammed the display of Toffees midfielder Andre Gomes as his team beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Lowdown: Relegation possible
If nobody was convinced that the Goodison Park faithful could find themselves relegated by the end of the season, now should ring some big alarm bells after their latest defeat in the top flight.
With Newcastle United, Burnley and Watford all picking up points as well, the Merseyside club find themselves just four points above the dreaded drop zone.
The Latest: Gomes slammed
After coming on for Allan in the second half, a local Saints radio pundit (via Paul Brown) slammed the performance of Gomes, with the Toffees then going on to concede two goals which ultimately lost them the game:
“He’s costing his team the game. He wasn’t ready to come on. His performance has been poor. He couldn’t get any worse.”
The Verdict: Poor showing
As echoed by the St. Mayr’s pundit, Gomes was nothing short of poor for Everton when he came on.
The Portugal international lost out on four of his duels, and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, clearance, interception or key pass, while also losing possession of the ball 12 times (SofaScore).
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Nonetheless, he simply did not do enough to convince Frank Lampard that he should be giving a starting place on his team from now until the end of the campaign.
In other news, find out who the Blues’ three worst performers were here!
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGrant Elliot collected 4 for 15 to rip through Karachi Kings’ top order•PSL
Grant Elliott picked up his second consecutive Man-of-the-Match award, helping Quetta Gladiators become the first team to seal a spot in PSL playoffs following their five-wicket win against Karachi Kings in Sharjah.Elliott followed up his 3 for 25 against Islamabad United on Thursday with a career-best 4 for 15, carving through Karachi’s top order and restricting the team to a below-par 126 for 9. Karachi’s captain Shoaib Malik top-scored with 45, but nobody else made more than 23, as Elliott struck at regular intervals to thwart any momentum Karachi hoped of building. Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Nabi snared a scalp apiece, as Quetta were left needing just over six an over in their chase.Ahmed Shehzad ensured Quetta aced the small chase without any major worry, as his 27-ball 41 guided the team home inside 19 overs. Karachi kept striking blows at various points, but did not have enough left to defend with, as handy knocks from Kevin Pietersen (26) and Sarfraz Ahmed (29) lifted Quetta to their fifth win of the season.
Liverpool's Spain striker Fernando Torres believes he is approaching the World Cup in fresh condition following a recent injury lay-off.
Torres missed the closing two months of the domestic season following knee surgery.
The 26-year-old made his first competitive appearance since April 8 as a second-half substitute during Spain's 6-0 rout of Poland in Murcia on Tuesday evening.
Torres was a 66th minute replacement for David Villa and found the net late on before confirming at full-time that he feels fit and ready to make an impact in South Africa.
"I am very happy because now it is nearly two months after the surgery and I haven't noticed any problems," he declared.
"This was a very important day to me because to play in the World Cup is most important.
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"The minutes I played were useful to gain rhythm and to confirm that my knee is good.
"It was perfect and to get a goal as well, I'm very happy."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole isn’t the most popular footballer around as he is hated by Arsenal fans, loathed by all neutrals, even some non-football fans dislike him for being unfaithful to his ex Cheryl Cole, but the guy is arguably the best left-back in the world.
Fellow professional Phil Neville seems to think so as he has recently lavished praise on the Blues and England left-back as he believes Cole typifies everything the modern fullback should be.
Neville told the Liverpool Echo:
“I’ve never seen him have a game where the winger he’s against has dominated him – because he is impossible to play against.
“He’ll make a 60-yard run and as an opponent you have to follow that and you quickly find yourself back on the edge of your own area. So you then have to make another 60-yard run to get back into the attacking third where you want to be. By the time you are there, you’re no longer fresh because you’ve just run 120 yards.”
Some of Cole’s most impressive displays have been against some of the world’s best players, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo as the pair came up against each other a few times at both club and international level. The Three Lions’ man has had the better of the former Manchester United player in their individual mini battles. Sir Alex Ferguson moved Ronaldo out onto the left flank in the 2008 Champions League final to try to take advantage of an out of position Michael Essien, but avoiding Cole on the opposite flank could also have been a factor in the Manchester United boss’ thinking.
The Chelsea fullback has managed to reach such a level and continue to perform at that level despite being hated by pretty much everyone, which makes it all the more impressive. Like his club team-mate John Terry he had a lot of negative press attention surrounding him over the season following revelations about their individual misdemeanours, but it didn’t seem to affect Cole in the same way as it did Terry who was guilty of letting it get to him at times.
However, Cole was probably fortunate to be injured during the times the scandalous stories were at their height.
It wasn’t his first taste of scandal though as the former Arsenal fullback was involved in a tapping up storm prior to his eventual move to Chelsea. He was labelled Cashley Cole after famously saying he almost crashed his car when he heard the wage package Arsenal were only offering him something like £55,000-a-week.
When Cole moved to Stamford Bridge in a swap deal involving William Gallas (2006) many thought Arsenal were getting the better deal and Chelsea were just acquiring another petulant mercenary, how wrong they were.
The 29-year-old was arguably one of the better performers of England’s dire 2010 World Cup campaign (although it’s not saying much) and managed to play the left flank pretty much alone as Steven Gerrard often drifted into the middle.
Last season Cole won an historic Premier League and FA Cup double with Chelsea and has been linked with Real Madrid (arguably biggest club in the world) following his best season in a blue shirt. Also, his England record is quite astonishing as he has made around 80 appearances country all of when he has been names in the starting XI, he has never appeared off of the bench.
Many may argue their individual cases for the likes of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and Bayern Munich’s Philipp Lahm, but love him or hate him surely Ashley Cole is the best fullback in the world and has shown it over an extended period of time?
Follow me on Twitter: ajwilliams1987
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Click on image below to see the BRAZILIAN babes at the World Cup
There are few shirts in British football that are as prestigious as that of the number nine at Newcastle. From Hughie Gallacher, to Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald and of course Alan Shearer, the list of Newcastle number nines is a fearsome one. Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has now given the exalted shirt to local lad Andy Carroll for the 2010/11 Premier League season, a decision that will make Carroll nervous, proud and excited all at the same time. The 21-year-old now has the opportunity to put his name in the history books, and Carroll has all the credentials needed to do just that.
Andy Carroll is a traditional British centre forward, something that there’s a dire shortage of at the moment. The 6ft 3in striker has a physical presence and boy does he use it! He’s not afraid to throw his weight around (just ask Steven Taylor), but it’s on the pitch that matters and this is where Carroll is making a name for himself. He gave Championship defences a torrid time last season, as they attempted to play Carroll at his own game, coming off second best, with a duel with Sheffield United’s Chris Morgan a particular highlight. This season is a new test though, as Premier League defences will be cleverer and play with more intelligence on the whole, forcing Carroll to draw on his other assets.
While physicality is Carroll’s major weapon, ultimately it will be his goal scoring record on which he’s judged. Last season he netted 17 goals in 39 Championship appearances – not bad when you add in his assists as well. This season anything above ten league goals will probably be regarded as a success, given his all round contribution to the team. It’s unlikely that Carroll will ever bang in the amount of goals previous illustrious Newcastle number nines have done and it would be wrong to expect him to. Although every striker has to be a goal scorer, Carroll is more than that and football is not just about numbers.
Carroll himself has had this to say on being handed the number nine shirt: “It’s every young Geordie lads’ dream to be a Newcastle United number nine and I’m so lucky to be given that chance. It’s an opportunity I relish and intend doing my upmost to do the shirt proud.” (Official Website). The importance of being a local lad and buying into the meaning of the shirt should not be underestimated. Just wearing the shirt should give him all the motivation required every time he walks onto the pitch, but more significantly being given the shirt should give him all the confidence he needs.
Andy Carroll is just at the beginning of what could prove to be a long and illustrious career at Newcastle. This campaign will be the first full Premier League season in which Carroll will be a first-choice striker at St James’ Park and thus the local lad will have to deal with the pressure and expectation that comes with that. One thing’s for sure, he can count on the support of the Toon Army and every goal he scores this season will be cheered to the rafters. Let’s just hope there’s plenty of them and that Andy Carroll shows why he’s up to what many see as a daunting task.
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Fulham manager Mark Hughes has again insisted that he will not allow veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to leave Craven Cottage unless it is in the club's best interests to do so.
The 37-year-old Australia international is reportedly keen to join Arsenal, but Hughes is well aware that he would be left with little time to secure a replacement.
He said after the goalless draw at Bolton Wanderers:"Nothing has moved on.
"Myself and Mark have had conversations and I fully understand the reasoning behind the fact that he maybe wants to take up the opportunity (to join Arsenal).
"But I think he also understands that we have to protect our position as well and that is what we are doing.
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"We are not going to put Fulham's position or reputation at risk by making promises we can't fulfil, so at the moment it's very much the status quo and nothing has moved on."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Three uncapped players have been named in Fabio Capello's 23-man England squad for the friendly international against Hungary at Wembley on Wednesday.
Arsenal duo Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs are both included, as is Fulham striker Bobby Zamora.
Among those to be left out are West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green and fellow custodian David James, now with Bristol City, with both Ben Foster and Paul Robinson back in the fold.
Everton defender Phil Jagielka is given an opportunity to impress, as are Bolton centre-half Gary Cahill, Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, Ashley Young of Aston Villa and Sunderland striker Darren Bent.
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Squad: Foster (Birmingham), Hart (Manchester City), Robinson (Blackburn); Brown (Manchester United), Cahill (Bolton), A Cole (Chelsea), Dawson (Tottenham), Gibbs (Arsenal), Jagielka (Everton), G Johnson (Liverpool), Terry (Chelsea); Barry (Manchester City), Gerrard (Liverpool), A Johnson (Manchester City), Lampard (Chelsea), Milner (Aston Villa), Young (Aston Villa), Walcott (Arsenal), Wilshere (Arsenal); Bent (Sunderland), C Cole (West Ham), Rooney (Manchester United), Zamora (Fulham).Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
England international David Beckham hopes to return to action with Los Angeles Galaxy next weekend.
The 35-year-old is hoping to play earlier than expected after recovering from the Achilles tendon injury he sustained while playing for AC Milan in March.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was forced to miss the World Cup finals in South Africa but, after taking part in a tough rehabilitation programme, hopes to feature in next Saturday's game against Columbus Crew.
He told lagalaxy.com:"The doctors' original (return) date was October 1, but I always kind of said I want to be ready before then.
"I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will play in part of the game here against Columbus. I'll be on the bench and hopefully I'll get on the field for 15-20 minutes. That's what I'm looking at.
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"When you first have an injury like this and realise how serious an injury it is, you worry that you're not going to get back to playing top-flight soccer. But that probably was in my head for only about ten seconds."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Hold on to your hats, it coming again. If you have enough time and reserve to contain your excitement, make sure you are prepared for ‘The Battle of Britain’!! Dun dun duhhh!!
Straight off the bat, I can totally understand that this is a big deal for Rangers, in the same way that Celtic playing at Anfield was a big deal for those concerned. But I can’t be the only person who thinks these ‘battles’ are more one-sided than we are made to believe.
The gulf in class between the Scottish league and the Premier League is as big as it has ever been. In the fourteen Anglo-Scottish meetings in Europe’s Premier competition, Scottish teams have triumphed on only five, four of which were against the same club, Leeds. Maybe when Celtic had Henrik Larsson and John Hartson up front, and boasted an impressive home record in European competition, the matches bore a closer resemblance to a battle. With all the fans that Rangers will bring this week to Old Trafford, there may be a bit extra spice, but I am fully expecting Rangers to be turned over, in a big way. United may have thrown away a two goal lead at Goodison on Saturday, but only hours before Rangers had only just mamnaged to squeak past Hamilton Academicals (all due respect of course) and really did not deserve to take home three points.
Walter Smith has done sterling work considering the financial restrictions that he is limited to concerning transfer fees, but any eleven he can field this week will be far weaker than the opponents they are up against. Both Celtic and Rangers have consistently struggled in Europe and getting beyond the group stage will this year, as with every year, be incredibly unlikely. If this game was at Ibrox I might soften my stance, but even then, I can’t see 40-year-old David Weir handling Rooney, Berbatov, Giggs etc. In the same way I can’t picture James Beattie – who has struggled to hold down a first team place in any Premeir League team since leaving Southampton – giving Nemanja Vidic a big test.
This matchup is another example of hyperbole; every game has to try and be sold as something. Super Sunday, Judgement Day, Relegation Rumble, Sixteenth place Showdown, Mid-table Meeting, and on and on. Particularly if other fixtures don’t throw up any better connections; Chelsea’s trip to MSK Zilina is not going to create the same hype, that is a given. But I’d like to think that most football fans are intelligent enough not to have to be patronised into believing that we are set for a contest between two closely matched teams, in which the result could go either way. If United don’t win the game, it should be seen as a huge failure.
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Both in the long term, and the short, there has been a gradual decline in the standard of the Scottish domestic game. The places awarded for European competitions have diminished, the best players have moved on, and the ability to attract players to join on long-term contracts is harder than ever. Celtic and Rangers are still massive clubs, steeped in history, but their fans will be the first to admit that they are not the forces they once were. I hope I am proved wrong, and what we see at Old Trafford is indeed a ‘battle’ in the greatest sense of the word, somehow though, I can’t see it materialising.
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A quiet week at the Emirates where the only news to report is that Robert Pires has returned to train with Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey is making good progress in his return to fitness, following his horrific leg break last season.
This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include…Arsenal’s hopes fading fast? Time for Wenger to rethink strategy and Arsenal fans should appreciate what they have got.
Plus we have taken a look at the best Arsenal stories on the Web this week.
Arsene Wenger’s Greatest Arsenal XI
Arsenal’s ‘WORST XI of all time?
The 10 Ugliest Footballers of their time
Arsenal fans should appreciate what they have got
Are Arsenal’s hopes fading fast?
Time for a rethink for Arsene Wenger?
Arsenal fans have FINALLY seen substance behind Wenger’s belief
Is Wenger’s obsession costing Arsenal?
FIVE things we learnt about Arsenal this weekend
Are NEW transfer rules a step in the right direction?
‘Shuda, Wuda, Cuda’ – Top FIVE transfers deals that got away
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Best of Web
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We are getting closer to the return of the fab four. Then watch us go! – Le Grove
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Pearce & Capello Need To Work Out What Is Best For Wilshere – A Cultured Left Foot
Another rant at the Doomers – Online Gooner
Arsenal Fan or Arsenal Foe? – Highbury House
Why we must savour the rare English delicacy that is Jack Wilshere – Guardian
How do you prevent an Arsenal disaster similar to United/Liverpool? – Le Grove