Home Blog Page 2170

Strike against Oldham will give Iago more confidence

0

Aspas steered a pin-point Raheem Sterling cross into the corner of Mark Oxley’s net to open the scoring in the FA Cup third-round clash on Sunday evening.

It was his first competitive strike for the Reds, having notched four times for the club in pre-season after arriving from Celta Vigo in the summer.

Rodgers’ side put the game beyond the Latics when James Tarkowski scored an own-goal in the 82nd minute – and will now travel to either AFC Bournemouth or Burton Albion in the fourth round.

The manager told reporters: “The goal was important for Iago’s confidence. It has been difficult for him.

“You’ve got a world-class striker [Luis Suarez] playing week-in, week-out, getting goals, and then you’ve got Daniel Sturridge supporting.

“So he’s been the cover player a lot of this season, apart from the opening period. It was good for him to get his goal in front of the Kop and hopefully that will give him a lot of confidence.

“[The whole squad] has to contribute; you can’t rely on 11 or 12 players. Brad Jones coming in was excellent – he has been a really loyal No.2. He didn’t have much to do today, but in what he did do his hands were clean and his distribution was very good.”

The manager altered his side at the interval, withdrawing Luis Alberto and Victor Moses, who were replaced by Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian duo started on the bench, having featured heavily for the Reds over the gruelling festive period – and Rodgers admitted he would have preferred to have given them a rest.

“We needed to be better,” he said. “We needed to have more speed in our game and have a bit more intensity to our game. You don’t want to do it, but the last thing I wanted was the game to go into extra-time.

“You hope in a game like this to rest a number of players and give them that recovery period. Lucas and young Coutinho, and a few others, have played hard games all over the Christmas period. The ideal scenario was to let them recover, but we also wanted to win the game.

“We didn’t want a replay, we wanted to get through into the next round. The second half was better, we were more lively in our game and ended up with a good victory.

“I think you learn as a manger as you get more experience – you can’t wait for it to happen. You’ve got to create it and sometimes you have to change the momentum.

“And with Coutinho and Lucas coming on, we had that bit of intensity and purpose to our game. That allowed us to get better control.”

If the 82nd minute brought relief for Rodgers, with Tarkowski deflecting home the Reds’ second, two minutes later came a moment of immense pride for the Northern Irishman as his son Anton took to the Anfield turf.

The 20-year-old was greeted by applause from all corners of the stadium as he jogged on to replace David Mellor, and afterwards his dad reflected on the moment.

“It was brilliant,” said Rodgers. “I’ve seen Anton’s life from when he was young. To see him run out there was a bit surreal, really. He’s a great kid and we’re very proud of him as his mother and father.

“He’s having a career and Oldham is a brilliant club for him. They really look after him well. They have an outstanding young manager, who will go on and do very well in the game and they have a young team there.

“They’ve got a great spirit. I’ve seen them a number of times and Anton is playing a part in that. It was a great moment for his career and as a father it’s even more special that he gets a nice round of applause from the Liverpool supporters as well.”

Oldham arrived at Anfield having failed to win any of their last six matches in the league; however, Lee Johnson’s side belied their position, five points from bottom of League One, as they matched Liverpool for long periods.

“I thought it would be a difficult game,” said Rodgers. “You have got to give Oldham a lot of credit – they came here and made it very difficult.

“They are a very enthusiastic, young side that have got quality. We were nowhere near the speed of our game in the first half; our tempo was too slow and we didn’t create enough. In the second half we were a little bit better, but it was always in the balance.”

Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂

Napoli look to the Premier League for Reina replacement

0

Current Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina is on loan from Liverpool and will either move to Barcelona, who are reportedly interested, or return to Liverpool when the loan deal ends. In this event, Napoli are preparing to sign a replacement, and are looking to the big European stars to get one.

Some players under manager Rafa Benitez’s radar are Newcastle’s Tim Krul, Stoke’s Asmir Begovic and Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois.

Napoli currently sit third in Serie A having conceeded 20 goals, which is considerably more than Roma’s 7 and Juventus’ 11, who sit above them. So a talented keeper is needed for Benitez’s side if they are to push for the title. 

Tim Krul of Newcastle is currently the most likely candidate for a move as there is fierce competition for Courtois and Begovic, and with Krul keeping clean sheets against Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United, the Dutchman would be welcomed into the Stadio San Paolo.

 

By Phil Wellbrook

United set to sign Bulgarian youngster

0

Manchester United are reportedly close to buying highly rated Bulgarian defender Stefan Velkov. 

Velkov, who only turned 17 last December, is rated very highly in Bulgaria and has made 5 appearances for the U21 national side and scored 1 goal. And the youngster is currently training with the United U21 squad so he can be examined more closely.

However United will face competition from Milan and Juventus, who are also reportedly keen to sign the young defender. It is no surprise why as Velkov has already played 17 games this season for his club Slavia Sofia and has already been called up to the full national squad.

Velkov is a strong centre back who is good in the air and could be a future star, capable of keeping United’s defence solid.

 

By Phil Wellbrook 

Bayern Munich dismiss David Luiz interest

0

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed that his club are not interested in signing Chelsea defender David Luiz this transfer window, despite being continously linked with the Brazilian.

It was reported in the Summer that the European champions were interested in bringing in the centre-back, as well as Spanish giants FC Barcelona, and it was also reported recently that the two giants may renew their interest in the Premier League star.

However, Rummenigge has today confirmed that Luiz is not one of their transfer targets for January.

‘There’s always lots of speculation and it’s extreme in England, but I can say for certain that he is not an issue for us,’ said Rummenigge.

‘I personally hope that Holger Badstuber comes back (from injury). That would be a new arrival who would do Bayern a lot of good.

‘He’s a great lad and an important player for us.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Theo Walcott set for four weeks out!

0

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott could be set to miss four weeks of action after suffering strained ligaments in his knee during the side’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday in the FA Cup.

The Englishman took a few knocks on his knee in the second-half before he was finally stretchered off, and despite Arsene Wenger saying the injury isn’t too bad, he is now fearing that the forward could miss a month’s worth of action.

Arsenal will send Walcott for an official scan tomorrow, but early signs show that it is likely that he will miss at least a month.

This will come as yet another blow for Wenger, who had only just welcomed back the speedy-forward, and it may make the Frenchman dive into the transfer market this month.

Walcott has already missed two months of the season due to a stomach injury, and now he looks set to miss yet another four weeks.

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

FA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW

0

The draw for the FA Cup fourth round was made today, and below you can see the full draw!

FA Cup fourth-round draw

Sunderland v Kidderminster or Peterborough

Bolton v Cardiff

Southampton v Yeovil

Huddersfield v Charlton or Oxford

Port Vale or Plymouth v Brighton

Nottingham Forest v Ipswich or Preston

Southend v Hull

Rochdale v Macclesfield or Sheffield Wednesday

Arsenal v Coventry

Stevenage v Everton

Wigan or MK Dons v Crystal Palace

Chelsea v Stoke

Blackburn or Manchester City v Bristol City or Watford

Bournemouth or Burton v Liverpool 

Birmingham, Bristol Rovers or Crawley v Swansea

Sheffield United v Norwich or Fulham

Nottingham Forest 5 West Ham United 0

0

A superb team performance from Nottingham Forest dumped a youthful inexperienced West Ham United side 5-0 at the City Ground, as Forest advance to the fourth round of the competition. 

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce selected a young side , with four members of the starting 11 under the age of 21, as Allardyce looked to experiment in the Cup competition. 

But Forest were ruthless from the off, and Hammers stopper Adrian had to be at his best to keep Andy Reid’s pile driver out, as Forest took the game to the Hammers at a packed out City Ground. 

Jamie Patterson also saw his shot well saved by Adrian, with the Spanish keeper replacing Jaaskelainen in goal. 

The Hammers went behind on the 12th minute, after George Moncur tripped Paterson in the area, a penalty was awarded, and Djamel Abdoun stepped up a confidently dinked the ball straight down the middle, past the diving Adrian to give Forest an early lead. 

West Ham created their first chance of the game, as central midfielder Ravel Morrison curled a dipping free kick towards the top corner, with Forest keeper Karl Darlow having to tip the ball over the bar. 

Allardyce’s decision to play a young side went badly wrong after that, as the Hammers were getting out played by their Championship counterparts, with Forest dictating most the play. 

The East London side rarely looked like threatening Karl Darlow in the Forest goal, with the only real save he had to make was a tame curling effort by Hammers striker Modibo Maiga. 

Up the other end, Forest almost added a second, as first Jamie Patterson saw his hot saved by Adrian, before Greg Halford curled just wide of the post. 

Forest looked superb, and had several chances after that, with Greg Halford heading straight at Adrian from close range, Former Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj found himself through on goal, but saw his low swerving shot saved, Henry Lansbury also crashed over the bar from long range. 

Forest’s inconsistency almost saw West Ham level, as Morrison picked out Sebastian Lletget, who turned Halford and saw his deflected shot well parried away by Darlow. 

West Ham had another chance as Maiga saw his drilled effort saved by the impressive Darlow. 

West Ham were made to pay just minutes after as Jamie Patterson drilled a low shot into the far corner past the beaten Adrian, with the second goal giving the East Midland’s side some breathing space. 

Patterson added his second of the game, after Henri Lansbury’s shot was fortunately deflected into the path of Patterson, who made no mistake and fired home to make it 3-0. 

Forest almost made it four after Simon Cox curled just past the post, as Forest were hungry for more. 

Patterson added his hat-trick after beating several Hammers defenders and smashed a powerful  shot past Adrian to make it four for Forest, Simon Cox almost added a fifth as his header was palmed away by Adrian. 

Allardyce’s men almost found a goal, as youngster Blair Turgott headed over from close range, as Ravel Morrison also saw his tame shot easily saved by Darlow. 

The final nail was hammered in the West Ham coffin as Andy Reid lashed home a superb dipping effort, to give Forest an emphatic win. 

The result will bare serious doubts over Sam Allardyce’s future. 

 

By Ben Reardon 

@BenReardon1

 

 

Before the match – Liverpool vs Oldham Athletic FA Cup Third Round Clash

0

The Liverpool vs Oldham Athletic FA Cup match will take place Sunday, January 5, 2014. It will be the ultimate David versus Goliath battle as League One side Oldham Athletic travel to Anfield to face 5-time European Champions Liverpool in what could turn out to be a classic FA Cup Third Round tie.

Amazingly, this is the third consecutive year that the two teams are set to face against each other in the competition, with the two sides sharing a victory apiece in the last two editions.

So let’s look at the teams for todays clash

Liverpool:

Brendan Rodgers may take the opportunity to give some of his fringe players a run-out on Sunday. Goalkeeper Brad Jones looks set to start in goal while the likes of Kolo Toure, Martin Kelly and Aly Cissokho may also be handed a spot in the starting lineup.

Rodgers may opt to give Steven Gerrard a start as well, as the skipper looks to return to match fitness after recently coming back from an injury. Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas have not made much of an impact since their arrival to Anfield and the duo will be hoping to make the most of the opportunity if they are awarded a first team spot.

Talismanic striker Luis Suarez looks set to lead the line for the Reds and likes of Victor Moses and Raheem Sterling will most probably be providing support to the Uruguayan. Daniel Sturridge, Jon Flanagan and Joe Allen are all ruled out of the tie due to injury.

Oldham Athletic

With the reopening of the January transfer window, manager Lee Johnson has moved quickly to recruit three new players to the club in the form of Adam Lockwood, David Worrall and Gary Harkins. There is a possibility that the trio maybe handed a start on Sunday.

Mark Oxley will start in goal for the Latics with Connor Brown, Jonathan Grounds, Genseric Kusunga and James Tarkowski the probable back four. It will be interesting to see whether Anton Rodgers, the son of Liverpool manager Brendan, will be handed a start for the match.

Adam Rooney and Jonson Clark-Harris look set to lead the line for Oldham and with the likes of Korey Smith, David Mellor, James Dayton and Gary Harkins providing support for the pair.

Probable Lineups

Liverpool: Jones; Cissokho, Toure, Agger, Kelly; Moses, Alberto, Gerrard, Aspas, Sterling; Suarez

Oldham Athletic: Oxley; Brown, Grounds, Tarkowski, Kusunga; Smith, Mellor, Dayton, Harkins; Rooney, Clark-Harris

My Prediction?

Liverpool should be able to win this one very comfortably, keeping in mind that the Reds are in great form and that they want to exact revenge on Oldham for last season’s humiliation. An easy Liverpool 3 – 0 Oldham Athletic.

Written by Steve Milne – What are your predicions for the match – Have your say below 🙂

Oscar Pareja steps down as Colorado Rapids head coach

0

Pareja has stepped down from his position in Colorado after two seasons at the helm amid reports that FC Dallas are interested in bringing him back to Texas this season. A former player and assistant coach with FCD more for than a decade, Pareja has reportedly long been the club’s top choice to replace outgoing head coach Schellas Hyndman, who stepped down from the position in November.

Current New York Red Bulls assistant coach Robin Fraser is the top candidate to replace Pareja in Colorado, according to the Goal.com report. Former Portland Timbers head coach John Spencer – who suited up for the Rapids from 2001-04 and was a 2010 inductee into the club’s Gallery of Honor – is also a leading candidate, according to the report.

Pareja had one year remaining on his contract with the Rapids and the team picked up its one-year option on the head coach late last season, meaning he was expected to remain in Denver through 2015.

Because of his contract status, he won’t be able to coach anywhere else in MLS this year unless the Rapids reach an agreement to release him from his commitment. It’s unclear if the club has reached a deal for compensation from Dallas, but FCD appear to be a likely destination after they first came calling in November, when Rapids president Tim Hinchey denied a request for the team to speak with Pareja.

Pareja was again linked to the FCD coaching job last month after weeks of an unsuccessful search to find Hyndman’s replacement.

Pareja took over in Colorado in January 2012 and, after effectively disassembling the team left to him by deposed boss Gary Smith, led the Rapids to the Western Conference playoffs last year. A coach with a noted eye for developing young talent, Pareja monitored the promising first pro seasons of striker Deshorn Brown and midfielder Dillon Powers, who was named Rookie of the Year in November.

He also oversaw defender Chris Klute’s transition from the NASL ranks last season and Clint Irwin’s emergence from backup goalkeeper to starter, and signed defender Shane O’Neill to a Homegrown contract in June 2012. Klue and O’Neill were called into the US national team’s January camp on Friday.

Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂

Arsenal discusses striking options

0

Wenger said in a press conference today “We are short because Theo is not very tall! We still have Podolski and Ozil on the bench. Giroud was sick, he was not injured, so for the next game he should be available.

Of course if we lose Theo for a longer period, it is a problem.”

“Nicklas Bendtner will be out for one month, we expected it could have been more, but we had good news”

on transfer plans…
“I am waiting to see now who walks out there and knocks at the door, waiting to come in. Honestly, do we find better than the players that we have got?

on if the FA charges Walcott…
“My response will be simple, they have seen the pictures on television. If they judge it offensive, what can I say? I prefer they dont ban him and he is not injured I have seen the pictures after the game and it does not even look aggressive, he is smiling!.”

Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below