Tag Futebol

The destination of Mezut Ozil come the end of this summer’s transfer window has been the subject of wild speculation ever since the German international sparkling displays at the World Cup. The Werder Bremen midfielder has been linked with a number of Europe’s top clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid but Manchester United seem to be in pole position to land the talented playmaker whom I believe to be the natural successor to legend that is Paul Scholes once the ginger wizard hangs up his wizened old boots.

Ozil possesses many of the same attributes that Scholes has already perfected in his game such as the ability to pick a killer pass. Ozil formed a formidable partnership with Brazilian Diego in Werder Bremen’s midfield and managed to contribute an impressive 15 assists despite a disappointing 10th place finish in the 2008-2009 Bundesliga. Last season saw Diego leave the Weserstadion for Juventus which left Ozil as the main creative force for Bremen and Ozil made sure that the Bremen faithful didn’t miss Diego too much. Ozil continued his impressive trend of assists, laying on 14 for his teammates while contributing 9 goals from midfield.

Ozil’s ability to get goals from midfield is another facet of his game that is also true of Scholes’. Due to his advancing age, Scholes’ goalscoring exploits aren’t what they used to be but he still has the technique and ability to score from both inside and outside the area. Ozil’s goal against Ghana showed both his eye for goal and his incredible technique as he lashed a left-footed half volley into the corner of the net.

Where the two differ is mainly down to age. Ozil is certainly faster than Scholes as seen in Germany’s fourth goal against England where Ozil roasted Gareth Barry for pace and squared for Thomas Muller to finish past David James. His movement off the ball is excellent and his pace enables him to be able to get in behind opposition defences.

Ozil could prove to be the creative spark that Manchester United need to wrest the title from Stamford Bridge this season. If Scholes isn’t in the squad, United will look to Fletcher and Carrick to play in the central berths. While solid, it lacks the dynamism and invention that Ozil would undoubtedly bring if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to sign him.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Scholes has proven in Sunday’s Community Shield victory against Chelsea that he has no intentions of slowing down, producing an imperious passing display that Chelsea simply had no answer for. Ozil has a long way to go to be a player of the same calibre as Paul Scholes but he certainly has the potential to do so.

Like my article? Follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my RSS feed.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has confirmed that Michael Essien is making good progress from knee surgery, and has pinpointed a December return for the influential midfielder.

The Ghana international has been absent from the Stamford Bridge first team for the entirety of this campaign, but the Portuguese coach is hoping to have Essien available for selection before the turn of the year.

“Essien is making good progress and we’re thinking end of December,” the ex-Porto trainer told the club’s official website.

Chelsea are on a poor run of form after losing their last two league games, and dropping Champions League points against Genk in midweek.

The Blues’ were without Jon Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba for the 1-1 draw at the Cristal Arena on Tuesday, but the African duo will be back available in the near future.

“Obi has returned to training straight away after we returned from Genk and will be fit for selection,” Villas Boas said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn.

“Hilario has done an almost full session today but we still think [he will return] only after the international break.

“Didier will start training as we enter the second week of the international break and we hope he’ll be available for the Liverpool game,” the coach concluded.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Chelsea travel to Lancashire on Saturday in fourth place, nine points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

Another international week and yet another club v country row as Wales and Tottenham sling mud over each over the responsibility of Gareth Bale’s injury. It appears another one is the offing as Stuart Pearce is set to upset both Wenger and Dalglish by picking Wilshere and Carroll for the summer tournament.

In the papers this morning there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes Nani concerned by his playing position; Wenger tried to sign Reina, while Bernstein urges FA not to resist change.

*

Modric – Spurs are superior – Sky Sports

Nani: I am not free to express myself – Guardian

Wenger tried like mad to sign Reina last summer – Daily Mail

Welsh whinging has Spurs seething – Mirror

Pearce set to anger Wenger and Dalglish – Guardian

Spurs keep their iron Will – Sun

Liverpool join chase for Roma defender – Mirror

The eight disgruntled Aston Villa stars in revolt over Houllier’s rules – Daily Mail

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Bernstein urges FA not to resist change – Guardian

Neuer: I’ll never play for Manchester United – Mirror

[divider]

[bet_365 type=’odds’ size=’300′ af_code=’365_050711′]

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:

[youtube LT9_4bb_e0k]

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

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

*

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

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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!

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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….

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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:

[divider]

[divider]

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.

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

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

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Get the latest Arsenal news on Twitter

**

Challenge Your Friends Over The World Cup Build a new team every day Win up to £200 daily Follow fantasy scores LIVE Find out how to enter here