Jermain Defoe regrets leaving West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur striker has revealed in an interview that he regrets leaving West Ham United back in 2003 after their relegation from the Premier League.
The Englishman signed for The Hammers as a 16-year-old and went on to be one of the favourites with the fans at the club and even declared his intentions to stay despite their relegation from top-flight.
However, just 24-hours later, he handed in a formal transfer request and went on to join London rivals Tottenham.
Now a hated figure with the West Ham fans, Defoe has tried to make amends by claiming he regrets leaving the club and still has a strong bond with the historic side.
‘It was a massive mistake (to leave West Ham) – I didn’t really want to do it,’ Defoe told ITV4’s Sport Life Stories, which is due to air on November 5.
‘The person who represented me at the time said, “You need to hand in a transfer request and get in early because all the lads are going to leave”.
‘I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was [then-West Ham chief executive] Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, “What’s this?” And I said, “It’s a transfer request”. He looked at me as if to say, “Are you kidding?”
‘The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me.
‘To this day I can imagine West Ham fans look at me and think, “Who does he think he is? How can you do that? You’re a Judas”. And it’s quite sad really because I can honestly say I still love that club.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
Jose Mourinho weighs in on concussion injuries
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes players and coaches need to be more careful when it comes to concussion injuries after Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris carried on during his side’s 0-0 draw with Everton despite being knocked out by Romelu Lukaku earlier on.
The Blues boss speaks with experience after he first-hand saw his goalkeeper Petr Cech get knocked out back in 2006 after a collision with Stephen Hunt and that certain incident has left the goalkeeper with permanent damage, which is why he now wears a skull-cap during games.
‘Petr Cech was dying on the pitch, clearly,’ said Mourinho. ‘We all know at that moment that he was dying. So there is no space for doubt, no space for question marks, no space for communication or lack of communication between player, doc, manager. There was no space.’
Tottenham and Andre Villas-Boas got a lot of stick for their actions on Sunday, but the North London club have defended their actions claiming that Lloris was medically fit to carry on.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
Arsene Wenger hails ‘humble’ Mesut Ozil
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed the reasons behind why he believes Mesut Ozil is such a raw-talent in world football, and the Frenchman has put it down to the German being such a humble human being.
The Gunners boss spoke ahead of his side’s clash with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night and he admitted that he believes the fact Ozil has no ego makes him such a talent around the world.
In his 11 games in England, Ozil has scored three times and also grabbed himself five assists and Wenger is full of praise for his record-transfer signing.
“[He has brought] technical quality, vision and his absolute desire to play collectively in a very strong way,” the manager said.
“He is a player who has only one master, that is football. He does what the game demands, his ego does not stand in the way of his game, all the great players have that.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
MANCHESTER CITY AND CSKA MOSCOW TEAMS
Man City: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Nastasic, Clichy, Nasri, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva, Aguero, Negredo.
Subs: Hart, Richards, Lescott, Milner, Dzeko, Kolarov, Jesus Navas.
CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Nababkin, Alexei Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Shchennikov, Milanov, Wernbloom, Musa, Honda, Tosic, Doumbia.
Subs: Chepchugov, Vasin, Zuber, Elm, Rahimic, Vitinho, Bazelyuk.
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
REAL SOCIEDAD VS MANCHESTER UNITED
Real Sociedad: Bravo, Carlos Martinez, Mikel Gonzalez, Martinez, De la Bella, Pardo, Markel, Zurutuza, Vela, Agirretxe, Griezmann.
Subs: Zubikarai, Elustondo, Seferovic, Prieto, Ansotegui, Castro, Cadamuro.
Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fellaini, Giggs, Kagawa, Rooney, Hernandez.
Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Anderson, Nani, Young, van Persie, Buttner.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Simon Mignolet wants Liverpool responce
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has urged his team-mates to move on from their weekend defeat to Arsenal and thinks the best way to bounce back is to beat struggling Fulham at home next weekend.
The Belgium shot-stopper was beaten on two occasions on Saturday after two neatly-taken goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey gave The Gunners all three-points, which extended their lead at the top to five points.
However, Arsenal travel to Old Trafford next weekend as Liverpool host Fulham and that gives The Reds a perfect chance to cut the gap back to two points, and Mignolet knows that they need to bounce back in a positive manner.
“Everybody wanted to do well. We were motivated and confident going into the game because it was a good opportunity for us to go top of the table.
“Unfortunately, we came across a good Arsenal side. They put us under pressure and scored an early goal. Afterwards, you’re chasing the game a bit.
“At half-time we changed things and managed to create some chances, but we couldn’t score a goal. Then Aaron Ramsey killed the game off, really.
“Arsenal are doing really well at the moment and they are a good side.
“That doesn’t mean we’re not disappointed, but the most important thing is that we can’t drop our heads after this performance.
“We must look forward and make sure we put things right against Fulham.
“It’s always important to respond after a defeat. I’m sure everybody will be prepared to work hard from Monday onwards for the preparation against Fulham.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
Jose Mourinho given green-light to sign striker in January
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been given the backing of club-owner Roman Abramovich to spend big in the Winter in order to sign a top-class striker.
The Blues signed Samuel Eto’o in the Summer from Russian side Anzhi, but the Cameroon international has failed to set Stamford Bridge alight since the transfer and it is thought that Mourinho is also losing patience in £50million-man Fernando Torres.
Not only do Chelsea have Torres and Eto’o, they also have Demba Ba, but he hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since March and Mourinho is now putting together a list of striker’s he wants to sign in January.
Unfortunately for the former-Real Madrid manager, he cannot recall Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton because there was no return clause in the deal.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
No time for breathers, says Wenger
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told his players that they cannot afford to have breathers due to their busy schedule.
The Gunners started off their run of big games poorly, with two losses to Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, but they got back on track with a 2-0 victory against Liverpool on Saturday and for Wenger and co., the tests keep coming.
Up next is the return game against Dortmund in the Champions League and that will be followed with a trip to Old Trafford to take on English champions Manchester United.
Despite the positive atmosphere surrounding the Emirates Stadium, Wenger has warned his players not to get complacent and to keep their minds on the job at hand.
‘We passed (the test against Liverpool) in a convincing way, Wenger told Arsenal Player.
‘The focus of the team and the togetherness you could feel from the outside.
‘Let’s enjoy it, take a lot of encouragement from it and continue to develop as a team.
‘But as well we must be cautious and be on our toes because we changed it (season) in an emphatic way so let’s make sure we continue to grow and do not think ‘okay let’s have a little breather’.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
Sascha Riether stamps on Adnan Januzaj
The incident took place during Fulham’s 3-1 home defeat to Man United. It has been said that the incident was not seen by the match officials.
However because it was caught on video, the FA have now decided to charge Sascha Riether, and have given the defender the chance to appeal the decision, until 6pm 5 november.
Riether is the first player to be charged retrospectively by the FA under a new pilot project. David Moyes made comments before the FA’s decision to charge Riether by saying that his team needs to give Adnan Januzaj more protection. “Adnan is going to need a little bit of protection or we are going to find that he is getting kicked up and down”
Steven Rout – @Steven_Rout13
West Ham want Demba Ba
Sam Allardyce will look to bring in Chelsea centre forward Demba Ba , to ease the club’s worrying lack of goals and the hammers are also without a recognised target man , with Andy Carroll out for several months yet with an injury he sustained in the summer.
The East Londoners, who used a 4-6-0 formation again, ended a run of three home League defeats after a dull 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, in an even game at Upton Park, a result which leaves Allardyce’s men in a mid-table position.
But they have now failed to score in six of their 10 Premier League games this season and the lack of a cutting edge is costing them points in an ever tight Barclays Premier League table, as we approach the busy hectic fixture pile up over the next coming week’s and month’s.The Hammers have relied on the inconsistant Modibo Maiga, and have even been forced into signing former veteran striker Carlton Cole, who left the club in the summer.
The Upton Park club also signed croat Mdlan Petric on a free transfer from Fulham earlier this summer.
However, after failing with deadline day moves for Romelu Lukaku, and Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner from London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal respectivly. Following his sides recent struggles Allardyce has stated that former West Ham favourite Demba Ba, who spent a spell at the club in 2011, and scored seven goals with his time at the east London club in their relegation campaign, before swiftly moving onto Newcastle United in the summer of that year.
“We tried to get three top loan strikers who play in this country but we failed to get all three. They went elsewhere and played for another club and one stayed where he was.
“We will have to try again depending how Carlton and Mladen go before the end of January. If they come good and Andy gets back there will be no need for another striker.”
Ba, who only moved to Chelsea in January this year, has struggled to settle in at the west London outfit after a big money move.
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1
Jose Mourinho questions Liverpool’s title credentials
Liverpool don’t have the depth to be geniune title challengers, according to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
The Reds came unstuck at the Emirates Stadium as they lost 2-0 to Arsenal and Mourinho believes their lack of depth could hurt their title pursuit.
However, the Chelsea boss does believe London-rivals Tottenham Hotspur could be up their come May due to their strong squad and the Portuguese-man believes Spurs have enough talent to field two top-class teams.
‘I think City has the most incredible squad,’ Mourinho said. ‘I think United is United, and history makes them contenders, too.
‘Tottenham is the big spender of the summer and, because of that, they have a fantastic squad with two teams of equal players.’
‘At Arsenal, the manager is building a team step by step – the club is stable and buying a player like Mesut Ozil makes a difference.
‘Liverpool are probably the club with least resources because, while their team looks as strong as the others, their squad doesn’t look quite so strong.
‘At the same time, they don’t play in European competition, so they only play one match a week, so they are training, preparing and resting for the weekend match while the rest of us are playing in Europe.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
Arsene Wenger says tough month has only just begun
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the club’s big month has only just begun as he prepares to take his players to Germany.
The Gunners beat Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday thanks to great goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey, but Wenger knows that the tricky games keep on coming.
His side will take on Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Wednesday before going to Old Trafford at the weekend to take on champions, Manchester United.
“It’s very, very important now to continue our run and respond well against Dortmund because everybody will look at that game.
“It’s a big game but let’s recover first and afterwards I’m sure the team will go there with a great desire.”
Since the opening day defeat to Aston Villa, Arsenal have really turned around their season, and even the manager himself is surprised at the changes.
“After the Aston Villa game, if I had told you that [this would happen] I would have to run away because you would have killed me,” said Wenger. “It shows you that things can change quickly but that should as well alert us that it can go the other way. We must keep good focus, continue to develop our team as there’s room for improvement.
“At the moment, with 10 games played, you can say 25 per cent of the season [has gone]. You see the first tendencies and trends but it’s still not settled.
“By the end of November you will have a clearer idea.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
GARTH CROOKS’ TEAM OF THE WEEK
With yet another weekend of Premier League football over and done with, Garth Crooks once again puts together his ‘Team of the Week’.
GOALKEEPER – ASMIR BEGOVIC (Stoke)
There are now five goalkeepers who have ever scored in the Premier League after Begovic’s 98-yard effort in the 1-1 draw with Southampton. The feat has also been achieved many times before the advent of the Premier League, lest we forget. Former Tottenham keeper Pat Jennings scored in the 1967 Charity Shield against Manchester United, for example, and he had no help from the wind. Nevertheless, Begovic now joins an exclusive list and has marked his career with something that some outfield players have never accomplished so it is quite an achievement.
DEFENDER – PATRICE EVRA (Man Utd)
Sometimes the suggestion that another quality player is about to join the ranks can be enough to focus the mind. The news that former Everton boss David Moyes wanted Leighton Baines to follow him to Old Trafford must have come as a hell of a shock to Patrice Evra, because he’s been playing out of his skin ever since, and he did so with an injury in the win over Fulham.
DEFENDER – PER MERTESACKER (Arsenal)
For the second consecutive week the big German makes my team of the week after a masterful display against Liverpool strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the 2-0 victory at Emirates Stadium. The only time Liverpool unlocked Arsenal was when Suarez had a golden opportunity to play a square pass to Sturridge and he thought of himself and not the team. That’s not a partnership, that’s self-preservation. Mertesacker looked shocked at Suarez’s decision but he also knew that was the end of any comeback by Liverpool.
DEFENDER – STEVEN CAULKER (Cardiff)
Well, you couldn’t have made it up. The lad who used to play for Swansea is the player who scored against them to earn Cardiff a 1-0 triumph in this first top-flight meeting between the old south Wales enemies. Steven Caulker has just become immortalised in the history of Cardiff City football club. I don’t think I’ve heard the Welsh song “Men of Harlech” sung better.
DEFENDER – MATHIEU DEBUCHY (Newcastle)
So Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho thinks he picked the wrong XI against Newcastle does he? I think he’s doing the Magpies a massive disservice. Mathieu Debuchy and his team-mates were superb in the 2-0 victory. The French international had to face the likes of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar but matched them in all areas. He was most impressive.
MIDFIELDER – YAYA TOURE (Man City)
Another imperious display by the Ivorian. He was instrumental in putting Norwich to the sword in the 7-0 mauling on Saturday. Norwich should not take this beating personally though. Remember, this is the same City side that dismantled Manchester United 4-1 without much effort and there are one or two other teams in the Premier League that may find themselves on the end of a damn good hiding this season too.
MIDFIELDER – AARON RAMSEY (Arsenal)
I can’t believe what I’m seeing at Arsenal at the moment. Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey can’t continue playing like this – it’s obscene! If the Welshman carries on in this vein of form, we must take Arsenal’s title challenge very seriously regardless of what my Match of the Day colleagues Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy are saying.
FORWARD – DAVID SILVA (Man City)
It looks like David Silva is back to his creative best. Norwich simply couldn’t get near the Spanish international. The question now is, can Silva and Toure remain fit for the remainder of the season in order for City to play in the style in which boss Manuel Pellegrini demands and still win games? Their title hopes depend on both.
FORWARD – SERGIO AGUERO (Man City)
What a difference a week makes. Last week Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was jumping into the crowd celebrating the dismantling of Sergio Aguero and his team-mates at Stamford Bridge. Not so this week. Chelsea lost at Newcastle and City crushed Norwich at home and Manuel Pellegrini’s side are starting to look like the most serious of all the title contenders in my opinion. Aguero is the difference up front. He’s better than former City striker Carlos Tevez and half the trouble.
FORWARD – WAYNE ROONEY (Man Utd)
I sat and watched Manchester United 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage and witnessed Wayne Rooney destroy Fulham in 13 minutes with endeavour, commitment and a touch of class. I keep saying he’s still the best team player in the Premier League by some distance. He made the first, scored the second and was so involved in the play he even deflected the ball past his own keeper for Fulham’s consolation goal.
FORWARD – ROBIN VAN PERSIE (Man Utd)
I said when United bought Robin van Persie that his greatest strength would be developing a solid relationship with Wayne Rooney. In United’s demolition of Fulham at the Cottage I saw for the first time what I would call a mutual respect between the two men. I expected them to be professional on the field but I sensed egos were running wild. I detect that someone at the club has now sorted that out. Whoever it is just might have put United back on course for another Premier League title.
