United set to sign Bulgarian youngster
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
Theo Walcott set for four weeks out!
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
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
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
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
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
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
United goalkeeper David de Gea pleased with his contribution
The 23-year-old Spaniard has arguably been the most consistent performer in David Moyes’ debut campaign as manager which has seen United win only 10 of their Premier League matches.
There were concerns raised over De Gea’s ability to handle the physical side of the English game in his first two seasons after moving from Atletico Madrid but he has now put those behind him.
“I am pleased with my contribution so far,” said De Gea. “I feel very settled here and I am happy with the way I am playing.
“I am still learning and improving all the time. That is important. I hope to carry on doing that and keep my spot in the team.”
The New Year’s Day home defeat to Tottenham halted United’s six-match winning run but De Gea feels there are still enough encouraging signs for the club to be optimistic for the future.
“We have picked up plenty of momentum as the season has developed,” he said.
“It was a real shame we couldn’t get three points against Tottenham but we are playing well now.
“We need to keep performing and win as many games as we possibly can.”
Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta believes Manchester City have the title edge
Arsenal are currently at the summit of the top flight but Manchester City are hot on their heels, just one point behind, while London rivals Chelsea are only two adrift in third.
However, Gunners midfielder Arteta believes manager Arsene Wenger should be on the look-out for a striker in the January transfer window, claiming an over-reliance on Olivier Giroud could cost them the title.
Arsenal have netted 39 goals so far this term, with Frenchman Giroud joint top scorer with eight – level with midfielder Aaron Ramsey, while title-chasers City have found the back of the net some 57 times.
“There have been moments where we lacked finishing and sometimes you pay the price for that,” he told Spanish radio station Cope.
“The arrival of Mesut Ozil has given us a lot more punch in attack, speed and creativity.
“But we do not have the strikers Manchester City do to have more options. It is very important to create spaces, have a bigger presence in the middle and create one against ones on the wings.”
Nicklas Bendtner is one Arsenal striker under fire, with just two Premier League goals to his name this season, but Arteta believes his team-mate is crucial to the squad’s chances, especially with fellow strikers Giroud and Yaya Sanogo battling with injuries.
“His attitude has been spot on since I’ve been here and he knows that he has to wait for his time, Olivier [Giroud] has been doing really well,” he said on Arsenal’s official club website.
“The manager decided to play Lukas [Podolski] up front but when he [Bendtner] came on I think he looked really sharp and he looked dangerous.
“We need people like him to help the team when he’s needed.”
Arteta praised City strikers Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negrado, who have all reached double figures in all competitions already this term; and the Spaniard believes their prolific form gives the Manchester club an edge in the title race.
“City are the strongest squad in terms of quality,” he said.
“They have three world-class strikers that win the big games.”
Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂
Lescott hits out at ‘small group’ of City fans for verbal abuse
Lescott has criticised a section of the City fans for making comments about the defender that were not related to his football, which is why he refused to show appreciation to the travelling fans at the final whistle.
The 31-year-old was handed a rare start for the clash, but couldn’t help his side see off a spirited Blackburn outfit at Ewood Park.
Lescott tweeted: ‘Can only apologise for not showin apperception after the game but some comments I heard from a small group of our fans were unnecessary.
‘Won’t go into what was said but it was none footballer related & uncalled fore. Apart from that your support is always welcome.’
City struggled to break the deadlock despite having the likes of Alvaro Negredo, Edin Dzeko and David Silva starting the game.
After a laboured first half, Negredo gave the away side the lead on 45 minutes after Dzeko knocked down a City corner.
Blackburn were level in the 55th minute when City keeper Costel Pantilimon gifted the ball to Rovers forward Scott Dann.
Last year’s beaten FA Cup finalists were then reduced to 10 men after Dedryck Boyata was sent off.
Lescott played the full game for City, who will now have to welcome Rovers to the Etihad for the third round replay.
Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂
Chelsea unlikely to allow outcast Mata to move on loan to Napoli during January
Benitez, who managed his Spanish compatriot at Chelsea last year, would like to take Mata on loan but Chelsea are unlikely to agree to such a request.
And Napoli’s view is that if Mata were available to be sold, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Paris St Germain would all be involved in the bidding — all of whom could out-spend Napoli.
Mata looks increasingly likely to stay at Stamford Bridge during the transfer window, though the player is said to fear for his World Cup place in Spain’s squad given his inability to command a consistent starting place in the first XI.
He has seemingly lost his place to Oscar under manager Jose Mourinho this season and reacted angrily to being substituted in the 3-0 victory over Southampton on New Year’s Day.
However, the player is likely to move on in the summer with Paris St Germain ready to pay ÂŁ30million.
Written by Steve Milne – Have your say below 🙂
