All posts by h79snht.top

For once, the rumours linking Cesc Fabregas with a move back to England (or away from Barcelona) look to have legs.

This has been a terrible season for Barcelona. Had they won the league title on Saturday over Atletico Madrid, it would have been the most underserved title win in recent memory across any of the major leagues.

It wasn’t just that the team played poorly under Tata Martino, it’s a long-running list of errors from top to bottom. The treatment of Eric Abidal; the signing of Neymar and the intimation by then-president Sandro Rosell that the Brazilian was to usurp Lionel Messi as the club’s top dog; the subsequent investigation into Neymar’s transfer fee that led to Rosell’s resignation; the constant overlooking of a centre-back addition in favour of a forward who wasn’t actually needed; the negligence at allowing Thiago Alcantara to leave for Bayern Munich; the hiring of a manager who had little to no understanding of Barcelona as a whole and took too far a leap from the style of football on display at the Camp Nou over the past decade.

It’s natural, then, that changes are to take place. Cesc Fabregas, Alexis, Pedro, and Dani Alves have been the major names touted as departures from the club this summer.

Alves has been poor by his standards and you have to believe that he is now on the decline as a player. Alexis had a surprisingly good season, and it’s therefore odd that the club wouldn’t want to keep him, or least one of him or Pedro. And Fabregas has never looked at home at the Camp Nou. His return to Catalonia was described as a homecoming for the former Arsenal captain, but in truth Spain has just looked like an extended holiday, a familiar environment with all the necessary comforts but no match for the real thing.

A return to Arsenal doesn’t make sense for the club – at least on face value. Aaron Ramsey is a player reborn, and provided he can stay healthy for much of next season, he’ll be a pivotal figure in the centre of midfield. Jack Wilshere still has promise and could also turn a corner in the near future. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been tipped by Arsene Wenger to eventually end up in the middle of the park as opposed to on the flank. And the club have two fantastic No.10s in Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. Not to mention the fact the team are in desperate need for a high-end holding midfielder.

The only thing fuelling a discussion of Cesc back to Arsenal is sentimentality and romance.

But that’s wrong. There is a real need for someone like Fabregas. Laid out plainly, in sports if the opportunity comes up to land a player of that quality – and Fabregas was the best midfielder in the Premier League for much of his time in this country – you take it. It’s comparable to the draft system in the US: if you’re given the number one pick, you take the best player, rather than the guy who will fill your most obvious void. Worry about that void later.

Of course, it’s not exactly the same in football. Money is involved. You would end up paying twice as much on the star player (Fabregas) and the player to fill the gap (in Arsenal’s case, a holding midfielder).

Yet people are taking on far too much of a simplistic view in the event Arsenal land Fabregas by asking where he’d play. Arsenal compete on four fronts, there’s a potential to total around 60 games over the course of the season, and last year’s title challenge was derailed by yet another injury crisis. At the time, fans bemoaned the lack of quality behind Ramsey, Ozil and Walcott. Why not cover your back by buying quality players if they become available? There’s no way it can be argued that buying a player like Fabregas would hurt Arsenal’s chances of silverware next season.

Bayern Munich have the strongest squad in Europe, quite comfortably. Their midfield consists of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Toni Kroos, Thiago Alcantara, Mario Goetze, Thomas Muller, and Philipp Lahm – and that’s excluding the natural wide players. There’s a reason they steamrolled the Bundesliga in record time and recently added the German Cup to this season’s haul. Arsenal aren’t a patch on that kind of squad, so why is there so much hesitation about building a team as good as that?

Fabregas, provided he arrives, wouldn’t play every game. Ramsey wouldn’t play every game. Nor would Wilshere or Oxlade-Chamberlain, and that’s exactly what’s needed at this club. Bayern Munich didn’t falter in the Champions League because they were running on empty. There was a lot of criticism for Pep Guardiola and the tactics used, but at no point did the problem of fatigue come up.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

At roughly £32 million, Fabregas is a steal. Think about the kind of players who were recently bought for either similar money or more. Isco cost Real Madrid £26 million last summer; Asier Illarramendi was also in that ballpark. Think of the players PSG have bought, and those of Zenit. Lucas Moura £35 million, Javier Pastore £36 million, Hulk £48 million, Axel Witsel £35 million.

Fabregas will make Arsenal better. If the money is there – and we’ve long been told it is – Arsenal should do it.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

In recent years, it’s seemed that you should only be playing for England if you were exciting. Players must have pace, flair and the ability to repeatedly score ‘wondergoals’. Otherwise, they weren’t deemed worthy of wearing the Three Lions badge on the international stage.

Ahead of the upcoming World Cup, Hodgson must decide which midfielders he takes to Brazil, and who gets left behind. The press are handing in their suggestions, with players new to the international scene such as Ross Barkley, Jack Wilshere and Adam Lallana, all being tipped for great things in South America.

All three have had great seasons, showing their ability to skip past defenders and turn to attack their opponents’ goal. But are other candidates being overlooked, purely down to having a ‘boring’ reputation?  James Milner has been a useful utility player for Manchester City over the last four years. Able to play out wide or in the middle, the 27-year-old has committed to fighting against City’s star signings to get any sort of game time. While he has made 14 Premier League appearances this season, only five of them have been starts, with only two of his five Champions League appearances not to be from off the substitutes bench.

Milner comes under a lot of criticism on social network sites such as Twitter, often being the butt of jokes about his ability and his lack of ‘entertaining football’. But is the midfielder actually doing an undervalued, unnoticed job? The former Aston Villa midfielder has often come off the bench for star attackers such as David Silva or Samir Nasri, in an attempt to sure up City’s lead, and keep the midfield tight. Milner’s work rate means that he can go forward, while also making sure that his full-back is protected. But he also takes fewer risks. Instead of repeatedly attempting to trick his way past players, Milner’s ‘boring’ style of keeping possession and working teams down has ensured Manuel Pellegrini’s side are competing near the top of the Premier League, and have qualified from the Champions League group stage for the first time. The 27-year-old popped up at the right place to score City’s winner in their surprising comeback win at Bayern Munich last week, showing that he can still score important goals despite focusing more on defence than some of his team mates.

And he’s not the only English midfielder to take criticism despite strong performances. Gareth Barry has entered his last contracted season at Manchester City, and has spent it on loan at Everton, where he has converted many of his critics in just a few months. A ‘new’ Barry has appeared at Goodison Park, helping the Toffees to have the joint best defensive record in the league. Everton have kept 8 clean sheets, two before Barry made his move to Merseyside. The former Villa midfielder has played the full 90 minutes in the other six, playing a key role.

Barry’s happiness to sit back and defend the Everton back line has worked wonders for Robert Martinez. The Englishman has consistently stopped opposition counter attacks, broken up the play and in return fed fellow midfielder Ross Barkley, who has been on sensational form for the Toffees. Barkley has danced forward searching for goals, in the knowledge that Barry will sit back and protect Jagielka and Distin. This system for Martinez has led to the Blues sitting just 4 points off the top of the table, with only one loss on their record.

He was a hit at Everton from the first minute of his debut, being the star performer in Everton’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in September. The Englishman was a step ahead of the game, repeatedly intercepting the play and launching Everton on the front foot. His goal-line block from a Samuel Eto’o shot guaranteed the 3 points for Martinez, and Barry has been replicating these performances all season long.

Both Milner and Barry have been somewhat forgotten when it comes to England’s World Cup Squad. On the Daily Telegraph website, only Michael Own and Paul Hayward selected Milner, whilst Alan Smith, Alan Hansen and Henry Winter all left the pair at home for flair players such as Barkley, Ravel Morrison or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But could they do a job for Hodgson? Both provide security and defensive balance. Whilst Walcott, Townsend, or whoever Hodgson starts, is attacking, Milner and Barry would be wary of the gaps left waiting to be exposed by Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani or Mario Balotelli.

To bring either of the two might be an unpopular choice, especially considering the midfield options Hodgson has. There’s a long list of players that will be looking to get picked ahead of the two, and possibly rightly so. But there is still an argument to suggest that Barry and Milner shouldn’t be completely written off, especially after the 4 months they have had so far this season. While flair and attacking threat are exciting and entertaining, sometimes games can be won with security and defensive work rate.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

Click on the banner below to join the boys in Brazil!

Mario Balotelli and Dejan Lovren got important goals for themselves last night, while a number of infrequent starters got a chance to impress in the dramatic last gasp Capital One Cup win over Swansea. Plenty to be cheerful about then, right? Yes, it may not be the most glamorous trophy, but English football’s third biggest pot of silver is one that Liverpool should really be looking to take advantage of this term, and here are FIVE reason why it really matters for them…

[ffc-gallery]

CLICK ON DEJAN LOVREN TO REVEAL THE FIVE

[/ffc-gallery] [ad_pod ] [ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Realistic shot at silverware

Last season was, arguably, Liverpool’s finest in recent memory. The Reds took the title battle to the final day of the season, and had it not been for an unfortunate loss at home to Chelsea they could well be playing with the gold crest on their arm this term. After a tricky start to the new campaign another shot at the big prize looks to be off the agenda, while Champions League glory is a pipedream nowadays for clubs outside of the very elite the continent has to offer.

So, with Brendan Rodgers eager to get his first trophy at Anfield the League Cup is one that really matters. With their name in the pot for the last eight, the Merseysiders have a better shot than most and can realistically aim for the trophy.

Trip to Wembley

The fabled trip to Wembley to watch their side in cup action is a little cliché, but fans still love travelling to the national stadium for the biggest games. Since its rebuild, Liverpool have rarely made journeys to the capital’s ‘home of football’ with the League Cup success of 2012 and the semi-final / final appearance in the FA Cup a matter of months later during the Kenny Dalglish era the only trips to speak of.

For a side of Liverpool’s stature, more regular showings at Wembley are a must.

Gives youngsters a chance

Some hate the League Cup for a perceived lack of importance, with younger players often given a chance to get on the pitch as their elders are rested for ‘more meaningful’ league and European games. Yet this season has given Liverpool fans reason to get on board with the competition, with youngsters such as Jordan Rossiter having been blooded. The starlet – dubbed the ‘new Steven Gerrard’ – scored in the clash with Middlesbrough and it would appear that this taste of senior action may well be a building block for a successful career.

Suso and Jordan Williams also got a run out on the same fame, with the former scoring a late goal. Should the run continue, then the new generation may get more minutes.

Gives fringe players a chance

Much like youngsters, those dipping in and out of the team have also benefitted at Liverpool this term. Although Mario Balotelli grabbed the headlines last night for his long-awaited goal, Fabio Borini produced one of his few notable performances in the red shirt. The little Italian played well from a wide role – usually occupied by Adam Lallana or Raheem Sterling – and swung in the cross for his aforementioned compatriot to net.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Lucas also got a run out whilst Lazar Markovic was afforded more time to find his feet – which he desperately needs after a difficult opening to his Anfield career.

Guaranteed route into Europe…

Although Champions League action is the aim and the Europa League is very much the competition’s ‘runt sibling’, continental action is still a positive and something Liverpool cannot really afford to pass on. In reality the Reds should have enough about them to gain entry to the tournament through their league position if the desire to stay at the big table ends in disappointment, but in a worst-case scenario the likes of Manchester United, Everton and even Spurs could finish ahead of them also. It may not be the big one, but it’s still worth some money and can help to attract players.

It’s a shame that there was no material significance to the fixture between Wigan and Aston Villa on the final day of the season, as it would have been a gripping, all or nothing affair, between two clubs that only know how to play a positive breed of football. Yet had I written this article before last weekend, already knowing the Latics’ fate, I would have suggested that both sets of fans should stand up and applaud for a full 90 minutes.

Both clubs have been excellent value for money at the foot of the Premier League table, and apart from one team maintaning their top flight status at the expense of the other, their campaigns have been synonymous in many ways. More importantly however, there appears to have been a shared morality between the two clubs; whilst others involved in the current campaign’s relegation scrap have turned on themselves, with rumours of dressing room cliques, in-fighting and the continual sacking of head coaches, with Sunderland, QPR, Reading and Southampton all changing mangers throughout the season, Wigan and Aston Villa should be rewarded for accepting the position they found themselves in, and getting their heads down to make the best out of a bad situation rather than pointing the finger at the first opportunity to do so.

[cat_link cat=”aston-villa” type=”tower”]

Whilst Roberto Martinez’ tenure was always secured no matter what the outcome of the current season, Villains’ Chairman Randy Lerner pledged in January that Paul Lambert’s future at the club would not be in jeopardy even if he failed to steer Aston Villa clear of relegation. It begs the question as to whether the assurances and confidence from the board room was the biggest factor in the Birmingham-based club’s Premier League survival, and should it be a lesson in mind for other top-flight owners in the years to come?

It was an undoubtedly calming influence on the former Norwich manager during what has been a difficult period for the club. In the summer, departing gaffer Alex McLeish left behind at Villa Park a roster of over-paid has-beens, that was not only lacking in youth, legacy and longevity, but furthermore, quality. It put Lambert in a difficult situation, and the former Borussia Dortmund defender decided early on to commit to his own convictions and principles, with little room for pragmatism and every chance that the risks would quite simply not pay off.

With the transfer budget tight and the squad thin following the departures of Emile Heskey, James Collins, Carlos Cuellar, Luke Young, Steven Warnock, Jean Makoun and Alan Hutton, in addition to Stylian Petrov being out of action due to his long-term battle with acute Leukaemia, the new Villa boss invested his trust and finances in youth, signing Jordan Bowery, aged  21, Joe Bennett, Ashley Westwood and Matthew Lowton, all  aged 23, from the lower leagues of English football, with the latter three becoming mainstays in the first team over the course of the season.

Similarly, Lambert showed faith in former bit-part youngsters and stand-ins such as Chris Herd, Andreas Weimann and Ciaran Clark, giving them the opportunity to make the step-up to becoming regular members of the starting XI.

The phrase ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ was once again bandied around throughout the course of the season, and many TV pundits were critical following a number of the Villains’ excessive defeats; losing 4-0 to Manchester United, 8-0 to Chelsea and 4-0 to Tottenham. The reliance on youth had come at the expense of £18million signing Darren Bent, veteran goalkeeper Shay Given and the once-brilliant Stephen Ireland, with scrutiny rife that Lambert’s failure to balance age and experience had lead to a lack of leadership on the pitch, with the players’ heads going down cited as the main cause of Villa’s heavy losses.

But through the course of the season, the risk paid off, with Aston Villa’s young cast picking up wins against the teams that truly mattered, recording victories over Sunderland, Reading, West Ham, QPR and Stoke in crucial six-point affairs. The important results have formed the bedrock of Villa’s survival bid, but undoubtedly could not have happened had Lambert not been able to maintain confidence and a cool-head following the his side’s poor displays and one-sided defeats, which is in no small part due to assurances from above that the futures of the players, staff and the manager were not on the line.

Another crucially integral factor to the Claret and Blues’ Premier League survival has been the form of Christian Benteke. The Belgium international has finished the season with 19 goals and four assists in 34 Premier League appearances, in addition to being shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

At this point, the decision to employ and entrust Benteke to lead the line for the starting XI would seem a no-brainer, but last summer it was yet another risk that Lambert had to undertake. The Villa forward was purchased from Genk for a fee of £7million – the club’s largest expenditure of the season, with a price-tag that exceeded double of their next highest inward transfer fee, £3million for Matthew Lowton.

The powerful 22 year old had been highly rated in the Belgian top flight, but Lambert was still taking a huge financial gamble on an unproven youngster, and took a further risk choosing him over a tried and tested Premier League striker with over 100 top flight goals to his name in Darren Bent, as Villa’s first choice striker.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Of course, all of these risks I’ve mentioned could easily have backfired, and Aston Villa would now be facing the prospect of playing second-tier football for the first time since 1987. But it is a testament to Lambert’s qualities as a manager that he’s made the right call on numerous occasions this season, and furthermore a testament to his leadership that he has maintained his principles, values, philosophy and ideology throughout the campaign, avoiding the distractions of the embarrassing defeats to the Premier League’s bigger clubs without questioning or compromising on his own beliefs.

But most importantly, praise should be heaped upon Randy Lerner. He could not promise his incoming manager a wealth of finance, a roster of talented players or a club in a healthy condition to move forward, but he did grant Paul Lambert his permanent loyalty and faith, as well as promising that relegation would not determine the length of his tenure. It has allowed the Villa boss to operate without fear, which has undoubtedly trickled down player level and spread the benefit of confidence throughout all areas of the club.

Next season, Aston Villa’s young cast will be all the better for their Premier League survival, and the story of the Birmingham-based club’s season should be considered in the future as a glowing, walking and talking example in the case against the ‘hire and fire’, big spending  and constantly short-termist nature of the English top flight.

JOIN OUR LIVE BLOG FROM THE CHAMPIONS FESTIVAL BELOW

For your chance to win great prizes follow @DiscoverFord »

Manchester United summer signing Shinji Kagawa was left frustrated after being substituted at half time of Japan’s friendly victory over the United Arab Emirates, the Independent report.

Kagawa’s £15million move to United in the summer has made him an instant celebrity in his native country but it seems the pressure may have got to him on Thursday night. Despite admitting he wasn’t at his best, Kagawa refused to blame his long distance journey for the display.

“Of course I wanted to play more minutes,” the 23-year-old told Japanese reporters.

“I always want to score but the coach makes the decisions. I’ll have to look at my performance today.”

“My body felt a little heavier than I expected, probably from the flight.”

“Fatigue is not an excuse,” Kagawa added. “I wasn’t able to run as much as I thought I would. I gradually want to focus my sights on the

Iraq game. The next game will be a completely different atmosphere.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

As Man United finally drag themselves to their feet after being knocked for six by the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, one of his most controversial legacies has had its secret revealed.

‘Fergie Time’ was the well known phrase used when it was believed extra added time was given to Fergie’s United side when they were losing – and more often than not it gave United the perfect chance to get themselves back in the game right at the death.

But Sir Alex has revealed it was all just one big trick. It was his way of tricking to get in to the minds of the opposition and the officials.

He told BT Sport: “That’s why I used to go to my watch. I never looked at my watch, I didn’t know how many minutes.

“It gets across to the opponents and the referee, which is a little trick.”

And the reason he did it? It wasn’t just to give his side a chance to get a late goal, it was also to give his players a confidence a boost and the fans something to cheer about.

“The thing about the last 10/15minutes of a game, particularly at Old Trafford, you’ve got 65k people there. At half time I always stress don’t panic, be patient, wait.

“In the last 15minutes you can do what you like. I’m a gambler, shove bodies up front, take the gamble, it didn’t always work but a lot of times it did.

“If you’re in that dressing room after the game and we’ve scored in the last minute the electricity is unbelievable, they’re jumping on top of each other, hand clapping, it’s a fantastic place to be.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Most important thing is that those fans are walking out of the stadium desperate to get down to the pub to talk about, desperate to get home to tell their wife and their kids what happened at Old Trafford in the last minute of the game. And that’s my job, to get them home happy.”

And it worked time and time again. Louis Van Gaal may want to take note…

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

We’re not even halfway through the season just yet, but Javier Hernandez has already become something of a forgotten man at the London Stadium. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United striker was arguably West Ham’s most promising summer signing, but he’s not made a start for the east London club since the very start of November.

There’s little disputing Chicharito’s talents, however, so tonight’s League Cup clash with Arsenal could be the perfect time to bring him back into the fold – a chance for the Mexico international to remind everybody of what he can do against top-quality opposition.

With that in mind, we asked West Ham fans earlier today whether the striker, who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million, should be part of the Irons’ starting XI this evening and according to our poll, a whopping 90% of those who voted think he should.

How would you line up David Moyes’ side tonight, Irons fans? Let us know by commenting below…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Gone are the days of Arsene Wenger penny-pinching, with top stars boasting experience and know-how at the very highest level now arriving at Arsenal on a yearly basis. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have made the trip to North London over the course of the past two summers, and now all the talk suggests that Arturo Vidal will be the next big name to arrive.

Reports claim that the Juventus man – who is set to start for the Old Lady in Saturday’s Champions League Final – will switch to the Emirates Stadium after representing Chile at the Copa America, which has been greeted well among Gunners fans. It’s easy to see why, too… and here are FIVE reasons Vidal would be an excellent signing for Arsenal.

[interaction id=“none”]

A proven winner

With four Serie A titles to his name – all won back-to-back – and a Champions League Final victory standing between the 27-year-old and treble winner status, Vidal certainly has all the credentials to suggest that he’s a winner.

A winning mentality is vital at the top end of sport, and Arsenal have been labelled ‘soft’ when it comes to the big games in the past. But with players such as Sanchez – A La Liga champions – Ozil – a World Cup winner – and Vidal in the same XI, Arsenal would boast a core of players who’ve done it at the very highest level.

Tenacity

If there’s one thing Vidal brings to a team it’s tenacity. The 27-year-old is very much a box-to-box midfielder, who thrives when given the freedom to get up and down the pitch, putting out fires and breaking into the penalty area to help his attacking team-mates.

Such a style lends itself to the Premier League, with the English game a little more physical that some of Europe’s other divisions.

A real statement of intent

Over the last two summers Arsenal have signed Sanchez and Ozil… and on the back of these purchases – at a cost of over £30m and £40m respectively – two FA Cups have made their way to the Emirates Stadium. It seems then that a shift in approach has brought success, so statement signings are the way forward.

Vidal could be just that, too, with the midfielder a genuine world-class option and one of the most feared players in his position around. His addition would be a boost to the Gunners’ current crop of stars, further breeding a mentality of success.

Chilean link

With Sanchez also hailing from the South American country of Chile, Vidal’s potential adaptation could be a lot easier. There’s a lot to be said for a strong international contingent within a club, with groups of players able to help one another settle off the pitch – after all, footballers are actually human beings.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The arrival of Vidal could also benefit Alexis, who – as a key Gunners first-team player – is of the utmost importance.

Keep him from Liverpool or Man United

Perhaps not the best foundation to build a transfer on, but signing Vidal would keep him away from, potentially, rival teams. Both Liverpool and Manchester United have been aligned with the midfielder in recent times, so there’s every chance that if the Gunners pass on the Juventus man he could end up in other red shirts, which could come back to haunt Wenger!

England manager Roy Hodgson has refused to confirm whether or not Rio Ferdinand remains in his future plans.

The Manchester United defender withdrew from the Three Lions’ squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro, citing a personal training regime as a major factor in his decision.

However, it has since emerged that the 34-year-old will be travelling to the Middle East to partake in media coverage of England’s fixture against San Marino.

Ferdinand defended his actions, stating that the arrangement will take place during pre-assigned down time, but it has been suggested that his decision has all but ended his chances of winning another international cap.

Hodgson refused to suggest that this was the case, but told Sky Sports he will “wait and see” if the centre-back will be in his future plans.

When asked about his decision to pull out of the squad, the England manager responded:

“The fact is I was disappointed when he couldn’t accept our invitation.

“What he actually does now and how he operates in the coming couple of weeks, that’s his business and his club’s business. I’m only interested in the players I’ve got here. That’s where I prefer to have my focus.”

Hodgson then went on to state that Michael Carrick will not be used as a centre-back in Ferdinand’s absence:

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“I’d be loath to start using someone like Michael Carrick, it would be enormously harsh on the four centre-halves we’ve got here.”

[cat_link cat=”england” type=”grid”]

With 20 games gone in the Premier League season, Sunderland were at the very bottom of the table after a turbulent opening half of the campaign.

Much was expected of Paolo Di Canio, who had come in and helped to drag the Black Cats kicking and screaming away from the drop zone last term, with the controversial Italian having had a full summer to draft in players more suited to his playing style.

But just a matter of weeks into the campaign another jarring turn halted their progress, as Di Canio was sacked and replaced by Gus Poyet. The Uruguayan had impressed at Brighton in the Championship, but was completely unproven at the highest level. When a new boss comes in, teams usually see a spike in fortunes, with the feel-good factor frequently yielding points.

However, Poyet’s reign began in underwhelming fashion, and it looked to all intents and purposes as if Sunderland were slowly drifting towards the trap door, and a spot in the second tier of English football.

But a heavy 4-1 away win at Fulham has proven to be the turning point in their fortunes, with a good run of results having catapulted them almost out of the drop zone with games in hand. All of this has coincided with an excellent Capital One Cup run, which now has the potential to cement a completely different atmosphere at the Stadium of Light.

Having eased into the last four, few predicted that a spot in the Final could be on the cards for the North East side as they prepared to face Manchester United over two legs. After all, despite their woes, David Moyes’ men had the edge in big tournament experience and winning silverware.

Yet, a shock 3-3 aggregate scoreline after extra time in the second encounter set up a penalty shoot-out, which the strugglers took full advantage of.

Now the problems that threated their status as a top tier side seem a distant memory for Sunderland, who face the prospect of lifting a major trophy after rising from the relegation zone. Confidence plays a big role in the game, and lifting the Capital One Cup at the home of English football could provide the springboard for Sunderland to really kick on.

Manchester City are undoubtedly favourites, but anything can happen in a one-off game, so the Wearsiders will travel to the capital in buoyant mood, and in full knowledge that their side could be about to play a season-defining game.

Who knows, if Sunderland can defy the odds and take the Capital One Cup back home with them, it could be the remedy to right the wrongs of a difficult start to the season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Sponsored by Capital One. The Credit Card that Supports the Supporters.

For exclusive content, competitions and more visit: Facebook.com/CapitalOneUK

For Capital One Credit Cards visit: www.capitalone.co.uk