Denmark produced the first surprise result of Euro 2012 after Michael Krohn-Dehli’s first half goal proved enough to see off Group B favourites Holland in Kharkiv.
The Bronby midfielder’s struck mid-way through the first half against the run of play to hand Moten Olsen’s side a dream start in what has been dubbed ‘the group of death’. It proved to be a frustrating evening for the Dutch as they monopolised possession but lacked a ruthless edge in the final third failing to convert any of the 28 attempts despite their attacking lineup boasting glittering array of talent. Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben were the main culprits passing up a host of gilt edged chances to salvage a point for Bert van Marwijk’s men and they face an uphill struggle to make it to the knockout phase with games against Germany and Portugal to come.
In fact the Dutch should have been home and dry before Krohn-Dehli decisive and should have taken the lead with just seven minutes on the clock as they flew out of the traps. Robben caused mayhem in the early stages and drove past Lars Jacobsen on the left and teed up Van Persie to tamely shoot wide from 12-yards. The Bayern Munich winger then passed up a golden opportunity to give Oranje the lead after being played in by Van Persie but his decision to cross instead of shoot proved to be the wrong one as Daniel Agger did superbly to inadvertently deflect the ball into the goalkeeper Stephane Andersen’s arms.
They were made to pay for their profligacy as the Danes snatched the lead in the 25th minute courtesy of Krohn-Dehli after he pounced on a loose ball and tore past Johnny Heitinga into the penalty before smashing the ball through Maarten Steklenberg’s legs. Holland came within inches of an equaliser ten minutes before half time after Anderson’s careless pass found Robben but could saw his effort strike the post. The Dutch continued to press and Van Persie will be cursing his touch after he mis-controlled Wesley Sneijder’s pass after drifting into space in penalty area.
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It was a similar story for the Arsenal striker after the break as Sneijder picked him out only this time he lost his footing on the slick surface. The orange onslaught continued with Anderson at full stretch to palm away Mark Van Bommel’s rasping long-range strike before diving at the feet of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the substitute tried to flick the ball over the onrushing keeper after being found by Sneijder with a exquisite pass with the outside of his boot only. A late penalty appeal also fell on deaf ears as Jacobsen appeared to handle in the area as Denmark held on to record a famous victory and give themselves a massive confidence boost ahead of their next two games.
As the new Premier League season dawns upon us, so does with it the stream of newly designed kits.
For some supporters, the release of a new kit is a time of salvation, as a new, shiny American sports brand wheels out a classy design. For others, the notion of spending £40 plus on recycled polyester is simply far too much to bear.
But it is when a team like Fulham release a number as truly hideous and God-awful as their latest away kit, that fans from all clubs come together and rejoice at their misfortune. Knowing that however bad things get next season, they know they’ll never have to go to the terraces looking like an 80’s roadside mechanic.
Although every team has a dark closet full of football kit horrors. Those who have adorned the likes of Pony, Airness and Ribero over the years will have sore wounds opened up by events at Craven Cottage. So whilst we’re here, we may as well appreciate ten of the worst efforts in Premier League history.
Click on Wigan’s illumination to unveil the top 10
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Have I missed a horror show out or are you dismayed your favourite shirt has made the final cut? Get on Twitter and tell me, follow @samuel_antrobus
Football, and in particularly the Premier League, often suffer from more than a touch of amnesia from time to time. When a striker such as Robin van Persie notches up 30 league goals in a season, the legacy of such a feat will remain for quite some time. But as Arsenal are rumored to be seeking anything from £20-£30million for a player in the last year of his contract, it would appear his recent achievements have erased elements of his past from the memories of his suitors.
The term watershed season probably doesn’t do Robin van Persie’s 2011-12 effort enough justice. His 30 league goals in 38 league games saw him emerge as one of Europe’s best strikers, if not the best out-and-out marksman. Arsenal fans may well be wryly smiling at those who have been saddled with surprise at the Dutchman’s efforts last season.
But even after Van Persie hit an incredible run of form on the back end of the 2010-11 season, surely even they didn’t expect the season that came.
Robin van Persie has always been an outrageously gifted technical footballer and his ability was never in any doubt during his career. Although the holy grail of the striking classes, and indeed the trait that has always evaded Van Persie, is that of consistency. Last season saw the final piece of puzzle put into place; the effect was nothing short of spectacular.
And it isn’t any surprise why he is craved by just about every top club on the continent. It’s hard to pick out any genuine flaws in his striking game- his movement’s truly world class; he can score headers as aptly as he can bury scorching volleys and his finishing is as good as any in the game. He bestows a superb and consistent set-piece delivery and Arsenal have benefitted as much from his link up play as they have from his goal scoring exploits; he bagged 13 assists in the Barclays Premier League last season.
Although after reading a passage like that, there feels as if there are some uneasy blanks to fill in. If Robin van Persie beholds a level of talent as exquisite as what’s just been described, then how come he is rapidly approaching his 29th birthday with only an FA Cup winner’s medal to show for it? One can ridicule the fortunes of Arsenal as much as they want in recent years, although the answer owes as much to Van Persie himself as it does to the underachievement of the club he plays for.
There was one statistic that seemed to stand out more prominently than anything else on the Van Persie résumé from last season- and it wasn’t his goal tally, either. The Dutchman featured in all 38 of Arsenal’s Premier League games last season. It was the first term that he’d ever broken the 30 game barrier in terms of appearances. Before last season, Van Persie averaged about 22 league appearances a season for the Gunners during seven years in England. That is a statistic that simply isn’t good enough.
And this is where it feels like you reach something of a crossroads in the evaluation of Robin van Persie. No one is claiming he has some intrinsic desire to spend time on the treatment table. But the facts are as clear to see as his superb goal scoring exploits of the last 18 months. Perhaps it is unwise and also a little macabre to take a punt on injury misfortune hitting any footballer. But if last season was the first he has completed over 30 games, what is more likely to be the one off- his 100% record last season or the previous seven in which he failed to appear more than 28 times in the red of Arsenal?
It’s this point that seems to have more than a bit of the sticking factor about it. Arsenal have stuck by Van Persie through thick and thin- some may argue that he more than paid his club back by carrying them on his back for large portions of last season. But last season has been a long time coming for Van Persie and it feels as though the weight of Arsenal’s commitment still weighs heavier on the scales than one blockbuster RVP season last term.
Yet it is within a protracted transfer that the real truth may hit home- for all parties involved. The contractual situation of Robin van Persie seems to be echoing an uncomfortable pattern for Arsenal and the club cannot allow it to go on any longer at the Emirates. But as the near on £24million that the club gained for Samir Nasri shows, the stigma of players entering the final year of their contract doesn’t necessarily denote the sort of apocalyptic slash in transfer fee that many predict.
But Nasri was 24 when he moved away from the Emirates last summer. There were no lingering concerns over the Frenchman’s ability to go the distance in the season and even if there was, he is of an adequate age in which such a reputation can be consigned to history. Robin van Persie has only played more than 28 league games once in his entire professional career- that was last season. He is turning 29 in a fortnight’s time and will have little to no resale value. This will be his last major contract.
Such a question may well be rendered academic if the petromillions of Manchester City come calling. But even if such a fee has been grossly exaggerated, can you justify spending near on £30million on Robin van Persie? As football enters an era of Financial Fair Play, splashing out a massive transfer fee and gargantuan wages on Robin van Persie offers a substantial risk. The efforts of last season have somewhat masked what feels to be a legitimate question mark over the Dutchman.
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Scoring goals has never been the problem. The problem is you can’t score goals if you don’t’ regularly play, as blindingly obvious as that may sound. But it’s not the long-term injury that has been Van Persie’s problem. It is the six-week or the eight-week stints out with persistent ankle or knee knocks. The subsequent time taken to regain form and fitness can be painstaking. It seems absurd to critique a man who has scored 132 in all competitions for Arsenal. But such is the talent of the man, it should be (or should have been) so much more.
Some very difficult answers are set to be answered very soon indeed for Arsenal, Van Persie and his potential suitors. But the brutal reality must be that however much Wenger craves for his star striker, the chances are he may go for far less- however right or wrong that may seem.
Can Arsenal really command such a colossal transfer fee for Robin van Persie? Are his goals last season enough to make you forget about his previous fitness worries? Arsenal fan or City supporter, tell me how you view it- follow @samuel_antrobus on Twitter and bat us your views
New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is set to bring Wolves ‘keeper Dorus De Vries to Anfield before swooping for Swansea midfielder Joe Allen, announced The Daily Mail today.
De Vries worked under Rodgers at Swansea before being sold to Wolves on a free transfer last summer, and his move as well as the proposed signing of Joe Allen would see Rodger’s becoming reunited with two former players.
Having already signed Roma forward Fabio Borini, the new Anfield manger will be eager to see his side break into the top four once again, and having a back up goalkeeper of De Vries’ standard will not only provide such stability, but will be a bargain.
It is believed the arrival of De Vries will see stand by ‘keepers Alexander Doni and Brad Jones shown the door at Anfield, as the Reds also look to reduce their wage bill.
Swansea City however, remain unimpressed with speculation linking Joe Allen with a move to Merseyside, and a statement from the Welsh side read: ‘the club are extremely disappointed that speculation regarding aspects of his contract have been released by parties outside the club’
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Allen is believed to cost around £15 million, with the deal to be carried out after the Olympics, whilst De Vries would cost the Reds £750,000.
Brendan Rodgers looks set to carry on the spending at Anfield, and is planning a double swoop for Nuri Sahin of Real Madrid and Cristian Tello of Barcelona, according to The Metro.
Rodgers took his spending up to £26 million last week, as he finally landed Joe Allen for £15 million from former club Swansea, having splashed £9 million on striker Fabio Borini earlier in the transfer window.
It now seems Rodgers is looking to La Liga for his latest recruits, having seemingly been priced out of moves for Fulham’s Clint Dempsey and Bologna’s Gaston Ramirez.
Rodgers hopes to tie up the deals this week, and has sent managing director Ian Ayre out to Spain in an attempt to complete the negotiations.
The pair are seen as cheaper alternatives for Rodgers, who admitted earlier in the week that the lack of Champions league football at Anfield is having an effect on his transfer budget.
He explained: “When you’re not in the Champions League there is a restriction in terms of what you can spend, and I know that. I was fully understanding of that before I came in.
“There’s no doubt I want to get the best players I possibly can and that costs money. I am very much conscious of the value and worth of players.”
Rodgers is hoping to sign Tello for around £5 million, and is confident the 21-year-old will fit well into his new look 4-3-3 formation, able to operate on either flank.
Tello is also seen as a far cheaper alternative to Gaston Ramirez who has a £20 million price tag. As his bid to cut costs continues, Rodgers will look to snap up Sahin on a season long loan.
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That deal may prove harder to conclude however, with Sahin desperate to join a club offering Champions League football, with Arsenal reportedly interested.
Rodgers is hopeful his close relationship with Jose Mourinho could prove a decisive factor in securing the deal.
Florent Malouda will see out the final year of his contract with Chelsea training and playing with the club’s under-21 development squad after failing to secure a move away from the club during the summer transfer window.
The France international revealed he had effectively been excluded from the first-team squad on his Twitter account on Wednesday, attaching a photograph of the entrance to Chelsea’s academy building alongside the message: “This is where I’ll train for my last season with the Blues!!” The move prompts parallels with the treatment of Nicolas Anelka and Alex last season, two senior players who were told to train with the reserves and then sold in mid-season while Andre Villas-Boas was manager.
Chelsea have privately suggested Malouda’s situation is slightly different in as much as he had indicated to the club a desire to leave over the summer, only for his wage demands – he is on £80,000 a week – to prove prohibitive for prospective new employers. The 32-year-old, a £13.5m signing from Lyon in 2007, had been close to rejoining the French club on a free transfer and had held talks with Santos in Brazil only for the finances involved to scupper any potential deal.
The club’s hierarchy have now argued that the player’s clear desire to leave makes it inappropriate for him to be in and around the senior set-up, though Malouda has been granted a place in Chelsea’s 25-man Premier League squad place, if only because the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar do not have to be registered as they are included on the under-21 list.
Malouda, who has made 229 appearances for Chelsea scoring 45 goals, will not play any part in the defence of the Champions League at the group stage having been excluded from Roberto Di Matteo’s 22-man senior party.
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Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias has stated that the club have total confidence in manager Alan Pardew, hence the reason why they have handed the coach a startling eight-year contract.
The trainer led the Magpies into an excellent fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, and has since been rewarded with a new four-year deal on top of the existing four years that remained on his previous deal.
Llambias has explained that the club want continuity and will continue to back Pardew.
“What we believe, is that for one we have the right manager and he has ambition and it is all about stability and we believe Newcastle needs to have this to go forward and have success,” he told Sky Sports.
“There is no coincidence that Manchester United with Sir Alex has been there over 25 years and has created stability and with that has come success, and along with Arsene Wenger stability has come success.
“What we have achieved over the last five years has been tremendous, we have put a lot into the model, financially we are stable and that will continue and now it’s all about stability on the pitch, and having the right managing and coaching staff and chief scout. It is a fantastic move for us and those individuals.
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“The long-term contracts with the players and the manager can only make things better going forward, Alan is delighted he loves the job, he loves the North East and has a real drive to bring a trophy to us and hopefully we will get there in the coming years,” the executive concluded.
David James has stated that racism is not a problem in the modern game.
John Terry and Luis Suarez have been found guilty of racist language in the last year, but James does not feel that it is a pressing issue in the sport.
“The JT situation went on for months and months and months,” he told The Daily Mail.
“‘The governing body should have said: “Look, an incident has taken place.” They should have dealt with it there and then. The evidence was there.
“There was an issue about where these comments were aimed and whether someone was offended. But the more pressing issue was that it was done on a football field, in an environment that doesn’t allow racist comments, and that should have been dealt with straight away.
“The rest of it could have been a private case if needs be but it just dragged on and dragged on,” he continued.
James also commented on the lack of black managers in the game, but does not feel that it is down to racism.
“I don’t think it’s a racist thing. If you go on the A Licence course there are not many ethnic players on there. On the B Licence for sure I don’t think any of them had played at a high level.
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“It’s just a case of the numbers aren’t there. I think genuinely it’s whether you’re good enough. Chris Houghton hasn’t spent much timeout since he begun management and he’s been decent.
“Other managers, quite frankly, have been given too long. They have not done very well and justified not being in work.
“I struggle with the racist issue in football because I don’t see it. That’s not because I’ve got my head in the sand. In the earlier days yes, but things have changed.”I’m not going to fly anyone’s flag to join some gang that doesn’t need to be joined. If you want to go on a coaching course to become a manager, give yourself a chance. If you want to moan about not having a job, well not going on the course is probably why you haven’t got a job,” he concluded.By Gareth McKnight
Tottenham won at Old Trafford for the first time in 23-years to record their third win on the spin as they beat Manchester United in a five goal thriller.
Spurs last triumphed in the red half of Manchester in 1989 but ended that barren run with a sparkling performance with goals from Jan Vertonghen and Gareth Bale sending them in at the break with a two goal advantage.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be furious with his defence in what was the Red Devil’s second defeat of the season and left them four points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.
A course of the Fergie hair dryer treatment will undoubtedly have been doled out in the dressing room at the break with Rio Ferdinand the main recipient. With England boss Roy Hodgson watching from the stands Ferdinand was at fault for Spurs opener in the second minute as his half-hearted challenge allowed Vertonghen enough space to strike a low shot that deflected off Jonny Evans and past Anders Lindegaard.
The hosts struggled to conjure any rhythm to their play as Spurs barely gave them a sniff of goal in the first half as Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele won the midfield battle with veteran pair Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. It was Dembele who had a huge hand in the away sides second goal just past the half hour mark with a superb run and pass to set up Bale who made no mistake with his finish.
Ferguson threw on Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick after the interval but a crazy spell of three goals in as many minutes saw Nani reduce the deficit in the 51st minute, putting the finishing touches to a Rooney cross, before Dempsey punished Lindegaard after he spilled Bale’s effort 60 seconds later.
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Shinji Kagawa reduced the arrears once again in the 53rd minute but Tottenham held on to secure a famous victory.
Seven Premier League games into the season and it can no longer be ignored that Sunderland are playing badly.
Four draws and a slightly fortunate win against Wigan Athletic masked this, but after showing a real lack of invention against Newcastle United and taking a beating at the hands of the Premier League champions, the team’s failings can no longer be ignored.
One real area of concern for Black Cats fans is the failings of their best players. Last year Stephane Sessegnon shone above all on Wearside, displaying a level of guile and creativity rarely seen outside the top four clubs. But this year he has been anonymous, ineffective and at times lazy, the Benin international was hauled off after 64 minutes during the Wear-Tyne derby and if anything, was lucky to last that long.
Early claims of a lack of match-fitness bought the 28-year-old time with both the fans and manager, but now in mid-October the time for excuses is over. Rightly rewarded prior to the season with a new lucrative contract, perhaps Sessegnon has become complacent on Wearside; Martin O’Neill may be keen to drop the diminutive forward to teach him a valuable lesson.
Hype and excitement gathered at the Stadium of Light when news broke of Adam Johnson’s arrival, after all the England international was a real marquee signing with Sunderland fending off Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to secure his signature. But the former Middlesbrough man has yet to reach the high standards expected of someone signed from the Premier League champions.
A decent performance against Wigan Athletic and a couple of assists in the Capital One Cup against Morecambe are a summary of his achievements so far. Johnson has been injured and suffered badly with illness against his former club, but fit and healthy taking on Newcastle United, in the biggest game yet for his new club, fans expected more. The 25-year-old was doubled up on brilliantly by Davide Santon and Jonas Gutierrez especially in the first half, but as the game progressed and the Toon Army tired, Johnson’s quality never shone through and like Sessegnon, he was substituted.
Any team would struggle if their two best players were playing poorly, especially when there’s a large gulf between those two and Sunderland’s next best performer. Manchester City needed Joe Hart to bail them out against Borussia Dortmund and a key reason why they struggled was the poor performance of both David Silva and Yaya Toure, their two greatest talents. Chelsea are unlikely to be anywhere near as effective if Juan Mata and Eden Hazard are off their game.
But to blame just Johnson and Sessegnon would be unfair – James McClean has been highly disappointing and others have failed to step up to the late but more importantly, so has the manager.
Much has been made of the lack of chances created and goals scored this year by Sunderland and while Sunderland’s top creators’ inept performances is partly responsible, so is the manager. Negativity and organisation have become synonymous with Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland this year. While a tough set of fixtures also defined this approach to an extent, it seemed the Black Cats suffered a culture shock playing against a ten-man Newcastle and dominating possession.
On top of nerves, expectation and the difficulty of playing against a well-drilled defence, lack of experience at keeping possession and dominating teams also impacted on how poorly Sunderland played when on the attack against the Magpies. A negative attitude and unwilling attack definitely impacted on Sunderland’s last minute sacrifice at West Ham where Sunderland looked like the newly promoted side giving Mark Noble and the Hammers’ other dangerous passers too much time and respect.
Another disappointment in the way the Ulsterman has drilled Sunderland this season, is the lack of freedom footballers have been allowed. Sunday’s derby was the only time this season we’ve seen central midfielders go beyond the ball when Sunderland were in possession. It was also the only match full-backs have ventured often into the opponent’s half regularly and the only match I can recall when the defenders actually went beyond the wingers in attack.
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If Sunderland are to make an impact in the Premier League this season, not only must key players improve but also the management must improve. It is paramount the Black Cats taste victory against either Stoke City or Aston Villa, while advancing to the last eight of the Capital One Cup. Redemption is imperative after looking so inferior to their most bitter rivals.
Let me know your thoughts on Sunderland this season on Twitter: @jimmylowson
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