Tag Futebol

Having completed the acquisition of Thomas Hitzlsperger last month, West Ham United look set to make their second major signing of the summer in the form of Mexico international Pablo Barrera. Despite facing stiff competition from Espanyol and Premier League rivals Everton, West Ham United are expected to finalise the signing of the UNAM Pumas man later this week. Although Barrera featured three times for Mexico at the World Cup, little is known in England about the 23-year-old. What can Hammers’ fans expect to see from Barrera next season?

23-year-old Mexican Pablo Barrera is a versatile attacking player. Although he is predominantly used in his favoured right-wing position, Barrera is capable of performing on the opposite flank too. Since making his senior debut for UNAM Pumas in 2005, Barrera has appeared 85 times for the Mexico City-based side, racking up 18 goals over the course of four and a half seasons.

The winger made his international debut in 2007, but established himself as a staple of former manager Javier Aguirre’s squad in 2009, featuring in Mexico’s victorious Gold Cup campaign. So far Barrera has appeared 24 times for El Tri, scoring three goals.

Nicknamed ‘Dynamite’, Barrera’s strongest attributes include his explosive pace and close control, with his qualities typifying those of lightning-fast, touchline-hugging wingers of yore. Barrera is adept at shooting with both feet, and his record at UNAM Pumas indicates that he has a good eye for goal. Prior to the World Cup, Barrera was his club side’s top scorer, a respectable feat for a midfielder and even more impressive when considering the fact that he plays in a more withdrawn role for UNAM Pumas.

Although Barrera is a regular starter at club level, he has primarily been used as an impact sub for his country (his three appearances at the World Cup were as a substitute). Whilst this fact is attributable to former manager Aguirre’s tactical preferences, Barrera has shown glimpses of how devastating he can be when brought on from the bench. During Mexico’s recent World Cup clash with France, Barrera’s surging pace drew a foul from French left-back Eric Abidal, with the resulting penalty securing a crucial 2-0 victory for El Tri.

With Barrera’s fee rumoured to be in the region of £4m, West Ham United may have landed themselves one of the bargains of the summer.

The following clip highlights Barrera’s abilities:

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Follow all things Claret and Blue at www.twitter.com/WestHam_News

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup

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Chris Eagles and Ivan Klasnic scored twice for Bolton as they hammered Stoke 5-0 to record their first win at the Reebok Stadium this season.

The Trotters had failed to pick up a solitary point on their own patch before Tony Pulis’ men came to town. The Potters had thrashed Owen Coyle’s side 5-1 in the FA Cup Semi Final in April and this result went a long way to burying the ghost that had lingered around the North West since then. Bolton have been in free fall since their last meeting but produced a display worthy of winning the cup itself. Whilst the win didn’t move them out of the relegation zone it did give the Reebok faithful reason to finally celebrate after seeing their side lose in their last five home fixtures. They also inflicted Stokes second defeat in a row and they were outplayed once again in a similar manner to their 3-1 loss at home to Newcastle on Monday. Pulis’ me looked jaded after a long trip to and from Tel Aviv on Thursday and it showed as they appeared half asleep as the home side took an early lead that was steeped in controversy.

Kevin Davies, reinstated to the starting lineup after being dropped to the bench last week, was on hand to open the scoring tapping in to an empty net from Klasnic’s free kick. Stoke were fuming after referee Howard Webb ruled that Glenn Whelan’s swipe into the hands of Asmir Begovic was a back pass then allowing Klasnic to play in his captain immediately to put the Trotters 1-0 up. That set the tone as Stoke struggled to match their opponents in every department and found themselves two behind with Eagles lashing home superbly after Begovic’s hooked clearance found the former Burnley winger. Bolton looked a different side to the one that had lost eight out of their last 10 games and went into half time full of confidence. The wind had been knocked out the visitors sails and they failed to mount a serious comeback in the second half although they did have half a chance to half the deficit but Cameron Jerome’s header zipped narrowly wide. They almost came unstuck at the opposite end but had Begovic to thank for racing out of goal and denying Fabrice Muamba the chance to score a Bolton third.

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However it wasn’t long before the Trotters did extend their lead with Klasnic sweeping home from the edge of the area just after the hour mark following a flowing move involving Eagles and the energetic Mark Davies. It was game, set and match 12 minutes later with Eagles producing a delightful dinked finish after latching onto Klasnic’s fine pass. Stoke were going down without a whimper and they found themselves on the end of a thrashing as Bolton continued the scoring nine minutes from time to cap off arguably their best performance of the season. It was Klasnic again on the scoresheet heading home from close range for his fifth goal off the season after David Wheater had nodded on Davies’ corner to complete a remarkable revenge mission and put the Trotters firmly back on the right track.

Second-placed Rennes host fourth-placed Marseille at the Stade de la Route-de-Lorient on Friday in the pick of this weekend’s Ligue 1 fixtures.Rennes are just behind Lille on goal difference with both sides locked on 49 points apiece, and Friday’s game shapes as a crucial one in deciding the ultimate destination of this year’s title.With Marseille and third-placed Lyon both four points behind the top pair, points are like gold dust – and with 12 games remaining the competition for next season’s European spots is hotting up.Rennes are the form side of French football at the moment, riding high after five consecutive league wins, and manager Pierre Dreossi will be hoping for more good form from Colombian striker Victor Montano, who has scored in three of their last four games.To do so they will have to counter a miserly Marseille defence who have conceded just 12 goals away from home this season.League leaders Lille play on Sunday, when they welcome 13th-placed Valenciennes to the Stadium Lille Metropole.On Saturday, Lyon will look to keep the pressure on the leaders when they travel to play Sochaux, and bottom side Arles play host to Lorient at the Stade Fernaud Fournier, but appear certain to be relegated – 13 points adrift of their nearest rivals.Caen travel to Nancy and Lens will look to escape the drop zone when they play host to Toulouse.Nice play Auxerre with both sides looking to put more breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone, and 10th meets 11th when Brest travel to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard to play St Etienne.On Sunday, shock relegation battlers Monaco will look to climb out of the bottom three when they travel to take on Jean Tigana’s Bordeaux side and Paris St Germain welcome Montpellier to the Parc des Princes.

The laws of football can appear strange and convoluted to those who don’t follow the game closely, and for those that do we’re still sometimes left scratching our heads. The problem is that referees each have their own interpretation of a specific law that we might not necessarily agree with. But what are the exact rules as written in stone and what should the referee signal if a certain situation were to occur? Well wonder no longer…

You Are The Ref is the ultimate illustrated guide to the laws of football. Featuring the work of the extremely talented artist Paul Trevillion and his cult classic comic strip, you’re asked to decide what you’d do if you were the referee. Stunning portraits display football stars from all ages, from John Charles, to Alan Shearer, to Kaka, with former international referee Keith Hackett penning the decisions. You’re given the opportunity to test your knowledge about the world’s greatest game, as well as given pointers on how to draw like Trevillion.

The book collects the best classic strips and features brand new art inspired by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Alongside the refereeing conundrums there is also extra trivia and facts about the world’s best players, with a special section on World Cup heroes from the past where Paul Trevillion selects his 15 all-time icons. Keith Hackett gives an insight of the world of refereeing and even lists his top five referees. Whilst you won’t be surprised that the shiny head of Pierluigi Collina has made the list, the inclusion of a certain Mr Graham Poll who infamously gave three yellow cards to the same player in a World Cup encounter before sending him off may raise a few eyebrows.

You Are The Ref is a fascinating book that will test and increase your knowledge of the beautiful game. Featuring an extended foreword by current Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James who himself has a passion for art, the book champions the series that started way back in 1957. Since then the game has changed a lot, as have the refereeing dilemmas, but the controversy still remains. The quirks, misconceptions and debatable laws are often something you’ll debate down the pub with your mates, but now you can find out if you were right or wrong. So next time you’re watching the big match you’ll know exactly what decision should have been made!

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Order now from Guardian Books for £10.99: http://www.guardianbooks.co.uk and there’s an official iPhone App available as well!

We recently saw the start of another Carling cup campaign for many Premier League sides, but yet again the relevance of the competition is being called into question.

For the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United this competition has helped clubs to develop their talented youth players over the past decade, but for teams who are battling against relegation come the end of the season it could just prove a hindrance in their fight for survival.

Out of the eight Premier League sides that played that Tuesday night (all against lower league opposition I may add!) half were knocked out in pretty comfortable fashion.

Comments made by QPR manager Neil Warnock and Mick McCarthy of Wolves, suggest that many clubs in the Premier League just don’t care about the competition anymore. Warnock was quoted as saying he was glad his side had been knocked out and that it was never a priority for the club. The QPR boss made eight changes to the side that beat Everton 1-0 at the weekend showing where his priorities lie.

Norwich, another of the newly promoted sides, fielded 11 different players to the team that drew with Stoke last weekend and although manager Paul Lambert didn’t suggest the cup was a waste of time he did reiterate the fact that Premier League survival was his main priority.

Attendance figures also seem to suggest that it is not only clubs that have lost interest in the competition but the fans too. The average attendance of  that Tuesday’s 16 Carling Cup ties was 7,631, with only three games attracting gates of more than 10,000, but why is that? Why has the Carling Cup not got the same spark as the FA cup and why are fans not going to the games anymore?

It’s fair enough that the Premier League clubs who are also playing in Europe might not give the competition greater precedence. But surely that just makes the League Cup a more tempting piece of silverware for the lower league sides. In my mind this is a competition that is excellent for giving fringe players a real test of a game and can also give clubs a change to get in a confident mood and a good rhythm of scoring some goals! Plus the team that wins it has a guaranteed entry into Europe and its a trophy to put in the cabinet.

Whether managers, players or even fans care about the cup anymore is a debate which still seems to be settled….but going to a cup final at Wembley is a memorable day out – any Birmingham fan will tell you that! However, being in the Championship the following season rather than in the top flight is something they’d rather forget!

We shall wait and see if they win promotion back to the Premier League come the end of the season, but ask any of their fans or players right now if they would have won the Carling Cup or won their battle against relegation and I’m pretty sure I know what all of their answers will be….

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Matt Bodimeade

Football fans’ willingness to show their dedication comes in all shapes and sizes. One such way is to splay their dedication over their body in the form of a tattoo. I can understand why somebody might choose to tattoo their footballing allegiance onto their body. Whilst women come and go, a football team is for life. It’s the manly man’s equivalent of getting “I love mom’ yet a tattoo is a big commitment, so it’s important to get it right. As you can imagine, this process isn’t always a success.

Below are the top 10 Liverpool tattoos to be found on the net – the good, the bad and the plain ugly – click on image below to unveil gallery:

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Have you got a better Liverpool tattoo? Football FanCast would like to invite the readers to submit their own entry via our Facebook Page. The winning entries will go forward to our grand competition to find the best tattoo in the Premier League.

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Joe Cole has been heavily linked to Arsenal this summer after Chelsea announced that he will not be staying at the football club. However he allegedly wants in excess of £120k a week and it begs the question as to whether Arsenal should be meeting his demands.

Whilst Arsenal are said not to be willing to meet those demands outright, they are reportedly prepared to give Cole a basic £80,000 a week, three-year contract laden with bonus such as getting in the top four, winning the Premiership and winning the Champions League.

Although Cole is a good player, he isn’t of the calibre to command a wage in line with the highest earners at the football club, like Cesc Fabregas.

Fabregas is a world class player and could walk into any side in the world with ease; he has contributed to Arsenal immensely over the last few years and is their captain. Cole in contrast has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place during his seven years at Chelsea. He has had to overcome a lot of injury problems and should have to prove his fitness before gets such a high-wage contract. Arsenal won’t want to be in a situation where they are paying Joe Cole a huge amount of money without him being in a fit state to play.

The big question is if they can keep Cole fit then he could make a big impact for the side. He is a very adaptable player as he can play on both flanks, behind the striker and is able to use both feet. Although a gifted player he can consider himself lucky to have made the England squad for the World Cup as he hasn’t played too much football for Chelsea this season and most of his appearances have been a substitute. However this is also testament to his ability that Fabio Capello picked him despite not too much playing time because he knows just how good Joe Cole can be.

Arguably most of Arsenal’s attacking players haven’t had as big an impact on their season as they should have and Cole could bring some much needed vitality to the side, however at what price? Is he worth his massive wage demands, or should Arsenal be looking for a cheaper alternative elsewhere?

Do you think Joe Cole deserves the quoted wages?

Message me on Twitter with your thoughts

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No one envies Norwich City this weekend as they travel to Old Trafford. As far as the bookies are concerned it is in merely a question of how many goals United will score this weekend not what the result will be. However, Paul Lambert and Norwich City have to believe they can get something at Old Trafford after all United have drawn their last two games.

So was this all in mind I’ve had a look at some things that appear to be favourable for Norwich City going into the game. That could see the Canaries grabbing a draw or even a shocking victory.

Norwich has previous

The prospect of Norwich City beating Manchester United seems a little bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not cast your mind back to 2005. No one gave Norwich City a chance when the two sides met at Carrow Road in the Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson was similarly complacent and decided to rest some of his key players.

Unfortunately for Ferguson, Norwich were right up for this game and ended up winning the game 2-0 thanks to goals and Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie. Of course, repeating the feat at Old Trafford would be a much harder task. However, Paul Lambert will be keen to remind his players that anything is possible.

United has their injury problems

It may be clutching at straws a little bit to talk about Manchester United’s current injury problems. Everyone knows that despite the players that are out Manchester United have an incredible squad to choose from and can easily field a very strong side against Norwich City.

That being said Manchester United will be without key players that definitely includes Wayne Rooney and will probably also include Javier Hernandez. Clearly Manchester United would want a full squad to choose from and not having certain players available will encourage Norwich.

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Norwich City is in form

Norwich City is starting to enjoy life in the Premier League and have hit some form at just the right time. The club is run of two straight wins following success over Bolton (away) and Sunderland at home. Some people might argue that the pressure is off for the visit to Old Trafford. The team do not need to be scared about going to United and losing, so they can go to Manchester and express themselves.

Paul Lambert will go and attack the champions

During his time at Norwich Paul Lambert is not known for his defensive or negative management. Teams in the past the gone to Old Trafford and effectively written off the game before they have even begun. While others have setup with a very defensive systems in order to try and contain Manchester United.

Norwich City though will do neither. Paul Lambert will put out a team that can go and win the game against United, and will look to attack. If Norwich can keep it tight in the first half and then have a real go in the second half then who knows what result we could have.

United look vulnerable at the back

Manchester United has looked like an impressive side going forward this season. Ashley Young is clearly a very useful addition to United’s attacking options. However, the Premier League champions have been less convincing at the back. The goalkeeper David De Gea has already been prone to some mistakes this season.

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Manchester United should have won their Champions League game this week very comfortably. Two quickfire goals in the first half saw United 2-0 up. However, Basel came back into the game and were leading 3-2, after they put United defence under some pressure. This is certainly promising for Norwich City, because it shows if you put the Manchester United defence under pressure they can concede goals. Whatever the result enjoy the game.

Follow James Kent on Twitter.

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes his side’s 2-0 win over Wolves was a crucial step forward following their shock result against Newcastle.

Wenger’s side threw away a 4-0 lead at St James’ Park last weekend, conceding four goals in the last 22 minutes to draw 4-4. But on Saturday they were back to their best, with a Robin van Persie enough to secure all three points against Wolves.

“It wasn’t easy to read about the Newcastle result in the media and we needed a response today,” Wenger said.

“With the number of chances we created and the quality of our game, we did that. We were defensively solid and that was important after the four goals we conceded last week.”

“We created many chances and if there is one criticism maybe it is we did not score enough goals but I think that is down to their goalkeeper and all the keepers who are inspired here. (Wolves ‘keeper Wayne) Hennessey had an outstanding game.”

Wenger said the win would give his men confidence as they prepare to tackle the toughest job in world football – a Champions League clash with Barcelona at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

“We had to stay focused. For us it is important to go in strong against the best team in the world,” he said.

“It is important for us to go in strong because psychologically it builds confidence and as well gives us a strong position in the league.”

“We are not favourites in this game but I think we can do it.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy made no excuses for the defeat, admitting his side were completely outclassed by the Gunners.

“There was a murder going on out there and we were the recipients of it unfortunately,” McCarthy said.

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“We’ve come and tried everything but they were better than us from one to 11.”

“They were better than us and have slapped us but we did try everything whether it be personnel, shape or formations. They were better than us and turned us over and I have not one complaint at all.”

The result, coupled with West Ham’s 3-3 draw with West Brom, leaves McCarthy’s men locked to the foot of the table.

We have probably all signed our fair share of contracts in our time. Whether that be for a new house, a new mobile phone or when starting a new job, contracts are a formal way of committing to something. They are proof that you have come to a mutual agreement with another party, stating that you will abide by all of the said terms and will not breach any agreements reached in your contract.

In football, we see some of the most coveted contracts signed by some of the most high profile individuals for enormous sums. The contracts signed are normally much talked about and very much kept in the eye of the public. We all know how much half of the Man City team earn a week for example, and how little lower league players earn in comparison.

Unless you live under a rock, or have been on media lockdown of late, you will know that we have recently seen Arsenal Captain Robin Van Persie announce on his personal website his desire to leave the club regardless of the contract he is currently under. With a year left on his current deal, he still spoke out against the terms he was subject to, effectively cutting all affiliation with his current employees, and putting himself in the shop window for any other club to secure his services.

Should this turn into a growing trend, there is a serious concern for the way our beautiful game could be heading. The security that a contract offers a club of keeping hold of its best players from big money moves could count for nothing, as individuals speak out anyway and make their position at clubs virtually untenable.

However, the problem is just as much that of the clubs as it the players. The fact of the matter is, a team of Arsenal’s organisational stature shouldn’t be letting a star player such as Robin Van Persie get down to the last year of his contract in the first place. In this specific example, the Gunners could learn a thing or two from their North London rivals Tottenham, who sensibly tied down the services of star players Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker on long term contracts this summer, and have since remained committed to the club.

Robin Van Persie is not the first example of this we have seen, nor will he be the last. Gareth Barry, Pierre Van Hooijdonk and even Wayne Rooney have all put their clubs in these positions, a predicament of whether or not to sell the player in question. Thus proving the consistent inability of clubs to wisen up to the motives of the modern day footballer. Now more concerned with monetary wealth than domestic triumphs, clubs need to adapt to what the modern day footballer has become and not assume that they possess such loyalties that they may have done in a former era.

Whilst the reaction to Robin Van Persie’s statement may provoke anger amongst the Arsenal faithful due to the way he went about his business, technically he has done nothing wrong given the freedom of his contract. His club however, should have possessed the authority to sell him for maximum profit sooner or renew his contract long before the situation arose.

As financial prowess is just as important as sporting ability in football nowadays, those clubs faced with losing players to their more money laden rivals need to adapt their own models suitably to keep their prospects alive. The security of a contract needs to be the first port of call, and keeping individuals subject to the demand of the club can only be achieved with a long term deal honoured by both parties. Should an agreement not be reached long in advance, a transfer for maximum profit is surely the next priority, with minimal impact on the rest of the team. The recent comparative successes of Tottenham can, to some extent, be seen thanks to strengths in this department of their clubs management.

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As cliché as it sounds, the beautiful game has changed considerably from what it was twenty or thirty years ago. No longer can clubs rely on player’s loyalty, as individual talents now focus their attention on financial imperatives rather than pledging allegiance to a club they love being a part of for the right reasons. Until clubs realise and catch on to a growing trend amongst players, the sanctity of a contract might not offer the safety net it once could unless agreed long in advance and with the willingness of the player.

The fact that players can announce their ambitions to move elsewhere, and within the freedom of their contracts, is a dangerous precedent we are yet to escape. It is something clubs will need to put a stop to in order for our game to remain an entertaining, competitive and compelling one.

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