Jamie Carragher believes that Dejan Lovren has all of the characteristics to be a future captain at Liverpool.
The Reds recently tied up their long-awaited £20m move for the Croatian centre-back, who was impressive at Southampton last term.
Lovren was celebrated for his positive style of defending, but his leadership qualities were also praised as he controlled the Saints’ backline – which was often impressive.
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The 25-year-old is expected to slot straight into the Merseysiders’ first XI next season, with he and Mamadou Sakho – a big money arrival from 2013 – being hailed as the future of the club’s rear-guard as they look to put their 50 goals conceded record which cost them the title behind them.
Carragher – Liverpool’s former vice-captain – believes that the newbie will become a major figure at Anfield, and he even believes he could be in the running to succeed Steven Gerrard as skipper:
“Centre-backs normally make great captains.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.
“If Lovren establishes himself in the team became a top player by showing the same form he has at Southampton for Liverpool, then in the next few years when Stevie does decide to call it day he will be in contention.
“You look at him and he has the potential to make a big powerful impact at the back and that’s what Liverpool need.
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“Jordan Henderson is another who could possibly be in contention and there will be more who arrive in that time that could be up for it as well.
“But if Lovren can come in and produce that sort of form then I am sure he will be in the running for it.”
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Points in August count just as much as points in May, no matter what position or league you are in. So far this season, Nottingham Forest has been grabbing all the points they can.
Forest has collected 13 points from five games this season in the Championship and is one of only two undefeated teams left in the league. Some of their more impressive results have been an away win of 2-1 at Bournemouth, and an impressive 4-0 home victory against Reading. These results have placed the Reds as an early contender for promotion this season as they sit at the top of the league.
This start to the season is a complete turnaround to what happened to Forest between 8th February and the end of the season last season. Forest played 19 games and only managed to win three games, draw six, and they lost the other 10 meaning they only achieved 15 points out of a possible 57, finishing 11th in the Championship.
Forest has nearly achieved in five games what they couldn’t achieve in 19. Manager Stuart Pearce believes his side can win promotion as in a recent interview, he said: “I think that – with the ability we have in the squad and, on top of that, if we have the hard-nosed professionalism needed to put into place everything that we ask of them – we do have a chance.”
Pearce has to take some credit for Forest’s great start to the season thanks to his activity during the transfer window, probably the best business out of all the Championship sides this summer. Some of Forest’s signings which have had an immediate impact to the squad include Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga.
The majority of teams who get promoted from the Championship to the Premier League have a striker who scores on a consistent basis. Last season, Forest did not have a consistent goal scorer and that is one of the reasons why they couldn’t achieve promotion. Forest’s top goal scorer in the league was Andy Reid with just nine goals.
This appears to be a different story so far this season, with Assombalonga finding the net four times in five games and Antonio scoring three. There is now a lot of threat up front for opposition defences to be wary of.
Assombalonga has a proven track record of goal scoring, scored 23 goals in 43 appearances for Peterborough United last season in League One during their unsuccessful promotion push. So far this campaign, it looks like he is going to replicate this goal scoring tally at Forest.
Pearce and Forest know how unforgiving the Championship can be as the team clearly discovered this last season when they only managed to achieve three wins in 19 games. He said: “We have to keep getting better. It is such a long season and it is such an unforgiving league. Myself and the coaching staff are under no illusions, when it comes to what we have to do, to get out of this league.”
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“You know well that it will be a tough league and you cannot take your foot off the gas for one moment. But the exciting thing for me is that I believe I have got a squad that will evolve and get better. We can still get stronger.”
There will be times like there was last season where the road to promotion will get a bit bumpy, but I believe this a great squad that can help Nottingham Forest achieve promotion back to the Premier League.
While Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa having been hogging the limelight and Graziano Pelle has been picking up praise for his adaptation, Saido Berahino has been quietly plugging away in the background. The 21-year-old has now notched six Premier League goals and looks set to fulfil the obvious potential he’s had for some time.
Naturally, with West Brom being one of the division’s smaller clubs, the big teams are circling the young striker, with Spurs particularly keen. Talk of a big money January bid has been doing the rounds, and here are FIVE reasons it would make sense for the White Hart Lane side.
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He’s in razor-sharp form
Monday’s cool finish against Manchester United took Berahino’s Premier League tally this term to a whopping SIX. Alongside Southampton new boy Graziano Pelle, the Burundi-born forward only trails Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero in the scoring charts – with the duo having cost their clubs over £30m. In his central striking role, Berahino’s energy and pace make him a headache for defenders, and it’s a virtual guarantee that he will get even more goals over the course of the season. Spurs may want to snap him up to ensure that those goals come in the white shirt of theirs, rather than West Brom’s.
He’s young
Only just 21, Berahino’s form is all the more impressive. The pacey front-man only got the ‘key to the door’ a couple of months ago, and it’s fair to say that he’s been unlocking defences with much more regularity this term. At such an age, Berahino has the potential to do what he’s doing now for at least another ten years, making him a sound long-term investment for Spurs should they offer up the cash.
Spurs have NO QUALITY up top
Roberto Soldado’s missed penalty over the weekend really summed up his awful Spurs career. The Spaniard was dubbed the answer to Tottenham’s attacking ambitions last summer when he cost them £26m, yet his spell at White Hart Lane has been a disaster. Emmanuel Adebayor also fails to provide consistency, albeit his goal return is far superior, while Harry Kane is, arguably, not quite ready to be a week in, week out Premier League forward just yet.
Berahino could be first choice at Spurs, where he would, potentially, get better service than he does now at West Brom.
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Statement of intent
With Spurs some way off of looking like a genuine top four force, a big signing could provide the boost needed and make rivals really begin to fear the Lilywhites. The Baggies are understood to be looking for around £30m for their man, which slots him into the ‘marquee’ sector of the transfer market. Nabbing Berahino could really announce Spurs’ ambitions.
Re-sale value
As much as some Spurs fans won’t want to admit it, the white half of north London has become a shop window in recent years. The likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale have passed through on their way to bigger things, but that’s certainly not a major negative for Spurs. The Lilywhites have made massive profits on their big players, and if Berahino develops and the transfer market continues to inflate, there’s no reason that they should not make a tidy sum on potential the deal in a few years.
While Arsenal’s victory away to West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday may have offered Gunners boss Arsene Wenger some respite following his side’s unconvincing start to the season, there are still murmurings of discontent among the Arsenal fanbase. Many now feel that a change of manager is needed if Arsenal are to progress as a football club and an ominous banner was unfurled by disgruntled Gunners fans at the Hawthorns which read ‘Arsene – thanks for the memories, but it’s time to say goodbye’.
Major Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov also expressed his concerns regarding Wenger’s leadership, stating recently that his stubborn approach is holding the club back. Wenger has been at the Emirates long enough to understand the demands of the Arsenal fanbase, and he must surely acknowledge the fact that lingering issues need to be addressed if his side is to have a successful season. Here are five things in particular the Gunners boss needs to sort out:
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1. Defensive issues
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The most pressing worry for Arsenal is the thinness of their options in the backline.
Four defenders left the club in the summer, with only two coming in as replacements. A spate of injuries in defence – including a long-term lay-off for new recruit Mathieu Debuchy – has meant that Wenger has for most of the season been unable to field his strongest back four, and their poor start could in part be attributed to a lack of familiarity.
He must target a central defender at the very least in the January transfer window to make sure that this problem does not persist for the remainder of the campaign.
2. Where to play Welbeck
Danny Welbeck has made no secret of his desire to be played in his favoured position as a centre forward since his £16 million arrival from Manchester United on transfer deadline day. One of the reasons why the England international decided to leave his boyhood club was his frustration at being played out of position, which, he argued, was to blame for his unremarkable goals return.
Although Welbeck grabbed the decisive winning goal against West Brom over the weekend, he was deployed out wide in the game to accommodate for Olivier Giroud. With the 24-year-old so determined to make his mark as an out-and-out striker, Wenger has a tough decision to make: does he continue to play him occasionally on the wing, therefore running the risk of making the player unhappy, or does he try to fit him in as a second striker alongside Giroud?
3. Ramsey’s loss of form
So instrumental to Arsenal’s FA Cup-winning season last year, Aaron Ramsey has found it tough to carry over his fine form into the current campaign.
The Welshman scored 16 goals in all competitions last season – despite missing 15 league games through a lengthy injury – yet he has struggled to dominate games this time around. It has been suggested that the midfielder is simply trying too hard to make an impact and that his form will return if he plays his natural game, while others maintain that the 23-year-old still hasn’t fully recovered psychologically from the horrific leg break he suffered in 2010.
Either way, Arsenal are a much better team when Ramsey is on song, and Wenger must do his utmost to get last season’s outstanding performer back to his best.
4. Settle on a best XI
So saturated is the Arsenal midfield that Wenger very rarely settles on a preferred combination of players for an extended period of time.
The injuries of Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere may in fact be something of a blessing in disguise as the Gunners boss will at least find his options more manageable, yet when this trio returns, they will be fighting for a place in the four or five-man midfield with no fewer than eight other Arsenal players.
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Constantly chopping and changing the side surely cannot be advantageous to Arsenal’s chances; Wenger must identify his core starting eleven and stick with them as often as he possibly can.
5. Lack of consistency
The previous point goes hand-in-hand with this one: only once have Arsenal managed to secure back-to-back victories in the Premier League this season, and it is this inconsistency that has reduced them to playing catch-up already with Manchester United in fourth.
Getting anywhere near league leaders Chelsea is out of the question, yet by stringing a run of wins together – which will be helped if he allows the same starting eleven to play together week-in, week-out – Wenger can at least make a decent push for Champions League qualification for the 18th year in succession.
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It has been a strange season for Newcastle so far and with various winning and losing streaks, they find themselves in 10th place. The Toon had a poor start to the season with no win in their first seven matches, but then won five consecutive fixtures to climb into the Champions League positions- albeit briefly.
The Magpies soon after went on a four match losing streak, including a heavy defeat in the League Cup tie at Spurs, so overall, a mid-table position is where they deserve to be after such a mixed bag of results. But the defeat to Leicester in the FA Cup this weekend leaves them out of both cup competitions, sitting bang in mid-table with the season in danger of petering out in dull fashion.
Adding to that, we’re only in January and there is now no permanent manager at the helm; what can possibly lie in store for the rest of the season? After 20 matches, there is no danger of a relegation battle being 10 points away from such worries. A top four finish is out of the question, and so too looks like a dreaded Europe League spot, which might not be a bad thing considering how it hampered their season in 2012/13.
It is not exactly an appealing position for any future manager to take, with nothing really to gain from such a dead-end position. Maybe it would be best to keep John Carver in temporary charge until the end of the season, so a new man can be brought in where the club will actually have something to play for.
There also doesn’t seem to be too much ambition shown by Mike Ashley and the majority of the supporters in terms of a league finish. It seems as if the club are happy to finish mid-table or thereabouts every season, which restrains Ashley from pumping multi millions into the playing side of things.
That is not to say Ashley hasn’t spent money this season, but for a club of Newcastle’s size, ambition should be there to give the top five, six or maybe even four a go; which can only be achieved by spending two or three times more than this last summer. This is not an unrealistic point to make, with Ashley’s net worth well over £1 billion. And the fact Sir Bobby Robson showed what can be accomplished at this great club with the right backing, achieving back-to-back Champions League football for the 2002/3 and 2003/4 seasons.
Newcastle haven’t won a major trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1955 – although they won the Inter City Fairs Cup in 1969 which many don’t consider as a major honour – this is a stat which is bewildering for a club the size of the Magpies. With that in mind, the fact Newcastle made seven changes for the cup match at Leicester surely demonstrates that lack of ambition, especially when they have nothing to play for in the league. A full strength Newcastle side is capable of beating anyone on its day as they showed against Chelsea, and although there are some injuries around, this was a totally nonsensical team selection.
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The lack of ambition can also be suggested through the sales of the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy and Demba Ba in recent years. Selling your best players is not a great sign for the club and one the fans surely can’t be happy with.
The Newcastle fans deserve better and although 10th is a respectable position, Newcastle are a massive club. The Toon could and should be competing with the very best in this division, as Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan proved many years ago.
Arsenal have officially confirmed the signing of 17 year-old defender Krystian Bielik this afternoon, but he’s by no means the only talented teenager on the north London club’s radar.
Indeed, Arsene Wenger has an insatiable appetite for young and talented prospects, harking back to his acquisition of Patrick Vieira way back in 1996 and Theirry Henry in 1999 – two youthful signings that would go on to change the course of Gunners and Premier League history.
There’s plenty of speculation linking Arsenal with teenage prodigies from across the globe once again, so, being the lovely bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve listed FOUR of them.
So, without further ado…
JEAN KEVIN AUGUSTIN
According to the Metro, Arsenal are plotting a move for PSG prospect Jean Kevin Augustin, whose Parc de Princes contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
Those of you ITK with all things Parisian might be somewhat surprised that his contract is being allowed to wind down, having made Laurent Blanc’s bench on four occasions already and regularly represented France at U18 level. But it appears Augustin has grown so frustrated with PSG’s prolific spending blocking his path to the first team that he’s now considering offers from abroad.
The 17 year-old striker’s availability has attracted interest from Porto, Juventus, Benfica, Roma and West Ham, according to Mirrror Football, but ESPN moot the Gunners as the front-runners, claiming they’ve already made contact with Augustin’s agent.
MAX MEYER
Germany’s academy system is perhaps the healthiest in Europe at this moment in time, evident enough through their World Cup triumphs during the summer with a squad that boasted an average age of just 24, including eight players of that age or younger.
And the latest product to emerge from the Mannschaft conveyor belt is Schalke starlet Max Mayer, compared to Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze and Lionel Messi, amongst others, for his dribbling speed and technique, allegedly generated via his love for playing Futsal whilst progressing through the Miners’ academy.
Unlike the majority of the teenager showstoppers on this list, the 19 year-old has already seen plenty of action at senior level – 68 appearances-worth to be precise, amassing a return of ten goals, in addition to picking up his first cap for Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly against Poland last May.
Arsenal were strongly linked to the attacking midfielder’s services during the summer, along with Liverpool and Chelsea, as reported by The Express. Ever-increasing in his importance to Schalke however, this term claiming two goals and one assist in 11 Bundesliga starts, the Gunners would likely have to pay an arm and a leg to prize Meyer away from the Veltins Arena this month.
KEITA BALDE DIAO
Another Arsenal-linked teenager with plenty of first team football under his belt is Lazio striker Keita Balde Diao, who boasts a promising return of 15 goals in 48 Serie A appearances for the Stadio Olimpico outfit. This season, he’s netted three goals from three outings in the Coppa Italia.
The Spanish striker began his career at Barcelona’s famous La Masia set-up, but elected to leave the club in 2011 by way of a bizarre ice cube prank that resulted in him being sent out on loan to Cornella, where he racked up an incredible 47 goals for their youth team.
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He then joined Lazio for just £300k and has been attracting interest from Arsenal and Liverpool ever since, with the Daily Star reporting a £15million transfer tussle between the Premier League clubs as recently as the start of the January window.
Blessed with pace, brawn, firepower and a uniquely direct style of play, the 19 year-old certainly possesses the natural requisites to be a success in the Premier League. Whether the Gunners will make good on their interest this month however, or allow the Keita transfer saga to continue, remains to be seen.
MALCOM SILVA
As reported by The Daily Star and Talksport, Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea are fighting it out for the signature or Corinthians prodigy Malcom Silva.
The 17 year-old forward has only scored twice in 25 appearances for the Brazilian outfit thus far but, as shown in the video above, appears to be blessed with an eclectic mix of pace, power and creativity that would certainly serve him well in England.
Resultantly however, the Brazil U20 has already been slapped with a rather outrageous £20million price-tag, per The Daily Star once again, whilst other reports claim Barcelona already have a first refusal option on the young striker.
When ex-Stoke and Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis arrived, West Bromwich Albion were sat in 16th and only one point above the relegation zone.
Nearly three months later, the Baggies are now comfortably in 13th in the Premier League and look almost certain to have avoided relegation. So how has Pulis turned the club around?
Pulis is a highly respected manager having coached for over 20 years, where he has honed his ability to rejuvenate failing clubs on only a very small budget. This, coupled with his focus on shoring up defensive lines, made him an ideal fit for West Brom. The Welshman can be described as an old school type manager who will endeavour to make each of his players feel valued, focussing on their individual strengths rather than weaknesses.
In a short amount of time the Pulis effect is already apparent at the Hawthorns. February was particularly good for both manager and players as Albion went through the entire month unbeaten, including three clean sheets and a Manager of the Month award.
Now with only a handful of games to go, including fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester United and a final day of the season trip to Arsenal, the 57-year-old will need to keep his squad focussed, particularly in defence.
Considering Albion only just avoided relegation last season by finishing 17th, anything higher after a season of uncertainty can be deemed a success. Pulis is already said to be looking to the future, with plans to reshape the squad come summer where he’ll look to strengthen key areas. After all, it hasn’t been plan sailing recently with the Baggies being knocked out of the FA Cup and suffering a 2-1 defeat, both at the hands of bitter local rivals Aston Villa.
One of Albion’s best signings under the guidance of Tony Pulis has been the acquisition of ex-Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher. Already given the captain’s armband, Fletcher has added some stability to the heart of Albion’s midfield and his arrival has unsurprisingly coincided with their resurgence.
Another positive has been the changes seen in Brown Ideye. The striker cost the club a record fee of £10million last year, but the Nigerian had little impact until Pulis started working with him. Ideye now looks a changed man who is slowly finding the net again, and crucially scored West Brom’s winner against Stoke.
Citing lack of support in the transfer market as his reason for quitting Palace hopefully Pulis will get the money to make the signings he needs in the summer and come the 2015/16 season he can focus less on staying up and more on pushing West Brom up the table.
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If any manager has the experience to guide a club like Albion to stability it is Tony Pulis so the powers that be would do well to keep him happy if they don’t want a new manager come August.
Since joining Manchester City in 2011 Edin Dzeko has had many ups and downs. His goals helped City win their title last season but less than 12 months later he is finding it hard to even get into manager Manuel Pellegrini’s starting XI.
The Bosnian has scored just six goals this season and considering that his four and a half year contract ends this summer Dzeko hasn’t exactly performed well enough to deserve a renewal.
Manchester City enter the Easter break in second but if both Arsenal and Manchester United win their weekend fixtures then City could see themselves propping up fourth before their Monday evening game. For a club like City winning the league one year and then finishing fourth or even out of the Champions League places the following year is not considered acceptable.
Pellegrini has come under fire for much of the season and numerous reports suggest he may lose his job this summer with several top managers already named as possible replacements.
Likewise with key players like Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Dzeko all failing to perform to their typically high levels heads are soon expected to roll.
A big summer clear out has been suggested and Dzeko may well be on that list.
Dzeko has been linked with a move to Italian champions Juventus perhaps along with Steven Jovetic in a bid to lure midfielder Paul Pogba to the blue side of Manchester.
At 29 Dzeko is reaching the latter stages of a forwards career. After 30 many clubs will only commit to giving a player a year-long deal so Dzeko would be wise to pick a club where he believes he’ll get regular playing time rather than big money to sit on someone’s bench for 12 months.
Dzeko has always had to fight for the number one striker role. As soon as Sergio Aguero arrived seven months after Dzeko initially signed he had to take a back seat to a player who is arguably one of the world’s best. Since then most of the accolades have gone to the Argentine. Things have only gotten worse with the arrival of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City as Dzeko is now the Sky Blue’s third choice behind both Bony and Aguero.
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Dzeko is a very capable striker but his talent hasn’t always been obvious at the Etihad. For Bosnia at international level the forward has scored 41 times from 71 matches while for City he’s found the net 50 times from 125 appearances.
A move away from England to a less competitive but somewhat respected league like Serie A seems the best option for Dzeko rather than wasting more time trying to win over a club that would rather spend time and money hiring and firing players in their search for the perfect forward.
After another disappointing year, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to overhaul the squad yet again.
Tottenham struggled all season, pottering along like an old Skoda with a busted transmission until finally grinding to a screeching halt at fifth place. Star Harry Kane provided some horsepower with 31 goals, but no other player put up even half that.
It’s no wonder Pochettino wants to change out some parts. Reports have already said he plans to sell up to 10 players this summer. When the new campaign begins, however, watch out, Spurs will return a well-oiled machine.
Pochettino has already set about gathering attacking support for Kane. Timo Werner, Anthony Martial, Giannelli Imbula are all rumoured to be very likely signings. None of the three are older than 22. Add that to the 21-year-old Kane, and Tottenham will have a pool of young talent to draw from for years to come.
The Lilywhites have already won the signature of defender Kevin Wimmer on a five-year deal. The Austrian, who this year helped Bundesliga side Cologne avoid relegation, is key in rejuvenating Tottenham’s back line with the potential departures of Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches. At 22 years old, Wimmer is another versatile youngster who can play either left back or centre back.
White Hart Lane will retain the services of Christian Eriksen, Ryan Mason, DeAndre Yedlin and Alex Pritchard, all young players with lots of energy and promise. Pochettino has regularly been hailed for developing youth, and it seems he’ll have a lot to work with following the summer.
So while all the attention may be lavished upon Chelsea and Arsenal, the shiny, sleek sports cars of the league, watch out for the new and improved model arriving soon on the market: Tottenham, revving their engine and waiting for the green light.
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On the 22nd May 2010, the impossible happened for Blackpool fans. After 90 minutes of sweltering heat, the team lifted the Championship play-off final trophy at Wembley to be promoted to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.
After coming from behind twice, 11 Tangerine players became heroes, but three were lucky enough to score the goals that counted.
At the Official Blackpool Supporters Trust Gala Dinner to commemorate five years since promotion, Charlie Adam, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Brett Ormerod looked back on their time as Tangerines.
FFC: What was it like at Wembley?
Adam: Wembley is a special stadium and it was a surreal atmosphere and we shouldn’t have been anywhere near it but we did because we had a fantastic group of players. It was an incredible achievement and I am just so glad I was a part of it.
Taylor-Fletcher: As soon as we had Cardiff, we knew we were going up. We had a fire in our belly and it just all came together. Everything we had worked so hard for meant we knew that no one and nothing was going to stop us.
Ormerod: I think the whole day was just one of those one-off things that as a player you don’t really think about at the time, but just seeing what it meant to the fans is something that will live with me for a very long time.
FFC: What was your favourite goal you scored for Blackpool?
Ormerod: The most important one was obviously Wembley. I was so proud to get the goal that took us into the Premier League. I was pretty pleased with all of them though!
Taylor-Fletcher: Personally family-wise it was scoring at Anfield. It was in front of my little lad and my family. It was just stunning! But then the final was just incredible.
FFC: Who was the most important man at the club while you were there?
Taylor-Fletcher: Thommo was the heart of that club. We could ring him whenever we needed anything. I mean he was the assistant manager, taxi driver, kit man, groundsman- anything else I missed off? He wasn’t given the credit he deserved!
FFC: Brett, you played for Blackpool in two occasions- how was it coming back in the second spell?
Ormerod: They’ve both been very special for me. I did have reservations coming back because I didn’t want to spoil what I had the first time around but it turned out to be the best decision I made in my career. We had such a fantastic squad, I have never been in an atmosphere like it.
FFC: The Blackpool fans celebrated with a bus parade on the Prom, how was that for the players?
Adam: I didn’t know there was that many people that lived in Blackpool. It was an amazing day and just seeing what it meant to the fans was incredible. At the end of the season awards there was actually grown men crying and seeing that really put into perspective just what it meant to everyone involved in the club.
FFC: How do you feel looking back now?
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Taylor-Fletcher: We were like a family and we all still are. What we did is now a memory but you can’t take that memory away from the fans or us.
Things may have taken a turn for the worse at the club, but for one night at the BST Gala Dinner everything was forgotten and the good times were remembered.