Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has been sacked today to bring his two year plus spell at the Premiership to a club to an end. New Blackburn owners the Venky’s Group from India relieved Allardyce of his duties, alongside his assistant Neil McDonald. A statement on the Official Blackburn Website says: “We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club. We would like to put on record our thanks to Mr Allardyce for his contribution to Blackburn Rovers Football Club.”
Big Sam’s departure comes with Blackburn having lost three of their last five matches and sitting 13th in the Premier League table. It also comes just a week after former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton was sacked by Mike Ashley. This decision isn’t as absurd as Ashley’s but it is still extremely strange. Did Sam Allardyce deserve to be given the boot or is this just another example of Premier League chairmen losing the plot?
Article courtesy of Rob Morris from the NEW ‘Clean Sheets All Round’
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6. Emmanuel Frimpong: Age 18; Signed by the Gunners aged nine, Emmanuel’s tough-tackling and physicality is arguably Arsenal’s answer to Michael Essien.
Representing England at youth level, the midfielder has risen through the ranks at a rapid rate and following a successful Emirates cup, looked to make a strong impression in the Carling Cup this season. Unfortunately, Emmanuel suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training which has seen him on the sidelines for 9 months. If he can come back fighting fit, expect the Ghanaian-born youngster to develop under the guidance of Alex Song and Abou Diaby.
5. Ignasi Miguel: Age 18; Miguel captained the reserves during the second half of last season and his move from left-back into a more central position has certainly helped his development. Question marks have been raised about his lack of pace but his strong tackling and distribution has drawn comparisons to another Spaniard, Gerard Pique. High praise indeed.
4. Chuks Aneke: Age 17; Under 18’s manager and Arsenal legend Steve Bould recently labelled Aneke as one of the hottest talents in English football.
Barcelona were interested in bringing the attacking-midfielder to the Camp Nou before he signed professionally with the Gunners and now a battle between Nigeria and England has commenced over his international future. Expect big things.
3. Wellington Silva: Age 18; Despite not being granted a special visa by FIFA, Arsene Wenger has high hopes for the Brazilian winger who has been touted as ‘the next Robinho’. Hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more of the Samba star when he joins a Spanish club on loan during the January transfer window.
2. Benik Afobe: Age 17; Currently on loan at League One side Huddersfield Town, Afobe joined Arsenal’s Academy aged six. If you wondered what the hype was about, the striker shares Michael Owen’s strike record for the England U-16s and belted 20 goals in 25 matches for an Arsenal side that won the Premier Academy League for the second successive season last year. England fans, watch out for this prolific finisher!
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1. Wojciech Szczesny: Age 20; Your spell checkers enemy, Wojciech Szczesny, is without doubt the future between the sticks. A successful spell out on loan to Brentford last season confirmed that this 6ft 5in stopper is the real deal and if Arsenal fans needed further prove, his clean sheet against Newcastle in the League Cup did just that. Lukasz Fabianksi’s recent form has kept the number one jersey in the balance, but it’s only a matter of time before this Pole takes pole.
Manchester United will host non-league Crawley Town, while Leyton Orient welcome London rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup Round of 16.
Crawley Town’s 1-0 win over Torquay on Saturday gave them the distinction of being the first non-league side to reach the last 16 of the cup in 17 years.
League One outfit Orient welcome Arsenal to Brisbane Road, while Aston Villa will play the winner of the replay between Notts County and Manchester City, who drew 1-1 on Sunday.
League One pacesetters Brighton will play Stoke at the Britannia Stadium and Reading will meet either Everton or Chelsea after they drew 1-1 on Saturday.
Fulham or Tottenham – who play on Sunday – will meet either Bolton or Wigan, who drew 0-0 at Reebok Stadium on Saturday, in what could be the only all-English Premier League showdown of the round should Notts County knock out Manchester City.
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The full draw: Notts County or Manchester City v Aston Villa, Stoke City v Brighton, Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday, Leyton Orient v Arsenal, Everton or Chelsea v Reading, Manchester United v Crawley Town, Fulham or Tottenham v Bolton or Wigan.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said his side would have won had his players not been urged to over-attack in the final stages against Tottenham.
Spurs equalized in injury time at St. James Park via Aaron Lennon, with the goal cancelling out defender Fabricio Coloccini’s opener for the home side.
Pardew said if it was not for the eager support of the home faithful – and a natural tendency to entertain by pushing for a second goal – his side may have clinched the three points.
“We’ve come up against a Spurs side that in the first half looked like they were going to give us a really tough afternoon. They knocked the belief out of us with their movement and passing,” Pardew told Sky Sports.
“And it wasn’t til half-time when we sat them down and adjusted a couple of things and put a bit more belief in the players that we looked like what we can do, caused them all sorts of problems.”
“We took the lead and if it wasn’t for exuberance at the end, trying to get a second and the crowd urging us on and all getting a little bit carried away, we would have a really big victory today. Unfortunately for us, it’s only a draw.”
Coloccini, who scored a rare goal on his 29th birthday and in his 100th match for United, earned man-of-the-match honours from his manager.
“I thought he was the stand-out player today. He was brilliant in everything he did,” Pardew said.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said the substitution of Gareth Bale due to a back injury was a concern, and admitted the star winger had been carrying a complaint for some time.
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“It’s been dragging on and we need to get a cure for it. I think we need to get him looked at now and make sure that we get somebody who can sort it out for him. It’s probably not something too serious I don’t think but he’s important to us,” Redknapp said.
Redknapp added that he believed a draw was a fair result.
“I felt it would have been hard on us getting beat. I felt first half we played some great stuff, passed the ball well, had some good opportunities. Jermain (Defoe) had a great chance right on half-time to put us one up,” he said.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy believes his club has no obligation to keep the athletics track if they take over the London Olympic Stadium.
Spurs are competing with rival Premier League club West Ham for control of the stadium after the completion of the 2012 London Games, but have sparked controversy with their proposal to completely rebuild the venue after the Olympics, minus the athletics track.
West Ham intend to retain the multi-purpose original, in keeping with the promise made by the London Olympic organising committee, but Levy insists Tottenham’s proposal is just as valid without the athletics facilities.
“There is no moral argument to retain the running track,” Levy said. “Any bid process sees commitments made and then things change.”
“The original plan was to reduce the stadium to a 25,000-seat stadium just for athletics and nobody wanted it. The minute they went away from that commitment then it all changed.”
“From the viewpoint of the taxpayer and therefore the Government a lot of money has been spent on the Olympics and it is important the taxpayer is not asked to put more money into it in the future.”
The chairman denied demolishing the Olympic Stadium to create a football venue after the Games would be a waste of the 500 million pounds already invested in it, with Levy saying part of the demolished stadium would be used in the redevelopment of the Crystal Palace athletics stadium.
“The 500 million pounds is the total investment for the total site and it was always intended for much of the structure to come down after the Games – at a cost of 80 million pounds,” Levy said.
“Under our proposal the vast majority of the stadium will be reutilised in the new stadium or at Crystal Palace.”
“The notion that the whole thing is being knocked down and wasted is incorrect.”
“In my opinion we would bring a much bigger contribution to athletics at Crystal Palace, the original home of athletics. The only thing we would not do is have it in the Olympic Park.”
While Levy said he could understand fans’ issues with moving from the club from their North London home at White Hart Lane, he is confident the move would be for the best.
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“I understand that (the fans’ concern) because I have been a Spurs fan all my life,” Levy said.
“But our fans travel on average 40 miles to each game from all around London and the south east.”
“If we have to move five miles down the road for the greater good of the club, then that’s what we have to do.”
On the morning of their game against Blackpool, Harry Redknapp identified Tottenham’s biggest problem this season. To put it concisely, he highlighted his strikers and their lack of Premier League goals – a rather eerie prophesy of the evening’s forthcoming events .
They say a picture paints a thousand words, well the same can also be true about statistics. Looking at the stats from Blackpool vs. Tottenham you can get a good idea of the game, even if you didn’t watch it.
Spurs had 62.8% possession, 20 shots on goal and seven corners, and what was the product from all of this industry? One goal and no points. If we delve a little deeper we also discover that of the 20 shots that Spurs mustered, a whooping 15 of them were off target. Last night Spurs’ problem was stark and it made clear the reason why they were linked with deadline day moves for no fewer than four strikers in January.
To finish in the top four you need at least one striker that can win you games single-handedly. Manchester United have had it this season in Dimitar Berbatov, Arsenal have had it in Robin Van Persie, Manchester City have had it in Carlos Tevez and Chelsea have had it in Didier Drogba. But I fail to recall a league game this season when Spurs have won a game where the performance of a striker could be highlighted as the key reason for victory.
For three international strikers to have only scored eight goals between them since the start of the season is simply not good enough. It is clear that Tottenham have been relying too heavily on the midfield goal-scoring contribution of Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart who have contributed nearly half of their 38 strikes so far this season, and their absence last night became more damaging with every chance that flew over the bar.
It hasn’t always been this way of course, it wasn’t too long ago that White Hart Lane provided the home for the best striking quartet in the league. Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe were all vying for places and the problem was who to leave out rather than who to pick.
Fast forward to now and Spurs’ goal difference and goals scored record lies some distance behind their closest rivals. A key contributing factor to this has undoubtedly been the injury, and alarming lack of form, of Jermain Defoe. The injury that he picked up on England duty has kept him out of the team for a prolonged period, but not to score a single league goal in 12 appearances is a shadow of the form that he was showing at the start of last season. Defoe has always seemed to prefer power over placement in a one-on-one situation, but his composure in front of goal appears to be severely lacking this year.
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So with the chance to move up to third and extend their lead over fifth place to five points now gone, maybe Harry needs to try his hand at science and invent a machine which will keep Van der Vaart fit because without him, winning league games looks a great deal harder. And if Defoe is planning on going on a scoring spree like Harry Redknapp so desperately hinted at, then now would be a great time to start.
We’ve been treated to a few hum-dingers of the football moans in the past couple of weeks. Sir Alex Ferguson has been the king of the post-match rant and rave, ever since he pushed Kevin Keegan into psychological melt-down way back in 1996. But his old foe, Arsene Wenger, has been seemingly attempting to wrestle the title of chief-moaner off Ferguson, as the Arsenal manager has recently embarked on whinging about everything and everyone not associated with his beloved football club.
It’s almost born into a manager these days. If you don’t have at least three improper conduct charges by the time you retire, then in the management world, you’re deemed a failure. They will all tell you – the nice guys finish last. Maybe that’s why the Arsenal manager now insists on rubbing up the whole of football the wrong way. He came to England and was classified intelligent, insightful, calculated. 15 years on and the Frenchman looks like he could have an argument in an empty room.
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But Wenger’s recent tirade of abusive behaviour has got me thinking: what are the funniest and most memorable manager rants of all time? There has been quite a few since the Premier League took shape in 1992. So I’ve tried to compile a list and some footage of some quite remarkable manager outbursts. Sit back and enjoy. If there is a particular favourite of yours I have left out, please let us know – I’d love to see more!
10. Arsene Wenger on Martin Taylor after he broke Eduardo’s leg was definitely one of those ‘heat-of-the-moment’ type rants. “He shouldn’t be allowed to play football again” – Pretty harsh, Arsene.
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9. Over the years, Ferguson has had a pop at pretty much every referee, journalist and opposition manager. His attack on Alan Wiley was one of his best. He labelled him not fit enough and got himself a two-match suspended touchline ban for his troubles. Mind you, saying he ‘feared the worst’ when Martin Atkinson took charge of a recent game comes pretty close. But here is another type of Fergie rant: the whole Rooney saga got right under his skin, and he lets loose on a journalist after a Champions League tie.
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8. Maybe not a Premier League game or the best known manager, but John Sitton really rips into his players at half-time. Leyton Orient are 3-0 down and he’s not happy. A rant of a different kind, but a rant, all the same.
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7. Neil Warnock is another who is known for his post-match ranting. This may be a little calm for him, but he was clearly upset. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t be with El Hadji Douf.
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6. There couldn’t be a list of this kind that didn’t include everybody’s favourite ranting manager. Blackpool boss Ian Holloway, gives us his view on Wayne Rooney. Let’s be honest, we could have filled this list with Holloway rants, but I think this is the best from his time in the Premier League.
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5. Excuse the language, but Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, tells us exactly what he thinks of his ‘wheeler dealer’ nickname.
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4. Whilst in charge of struggling Coventry City, Richard Keys managed to get under the skin of manager Ron Atkinson, who proceeded to finish the interview irately. Watch out for the bit at the end where he chucks the headphones at someone and quickly apologises. Good old Ron…
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3. FACT. Rafael Benitez wasn’t ranted he just wanted to talk about ‘facts’. Another manager who fell victim to the Alex Ferguson mind games. Priceless…
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2. During Joe Kinnear’s short and sweet stint as Newcastle manager, he approached the media and told them all exactly what he thought of them after writing stories he deemed untrue.
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1. The most famous outburst of all time: Kevin Keegan in 1996. I referred to his special moment earlier on as this rant has gone down in football folk-law. Just once more. You all know the words… “I’d love it…”
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has backed West Ham to avoid relegation, but hopes to extend their woeful run at White Hart Lane.Redknapp was the man in charge of West Ham the last time they last took all three points from a clash at Tottenham – 12 years ago.But the current Spurs boss knows his team will have to be at their best to stop Avram Grant’s resurgent Hammers from halting Tottenham’s challenge for a top-four finish this season.West Ham have lost only once in their last six Premier League outings, a run which has dragged them off the foot of the table.And according to Redknapp, they now look well placed to avoid relegation.”I think they’re a team who are capable of going on a decent run and getting out of trouble so it will be a difficult game,” Redknapp said.”It will be a tough game for us, they are playing very well and I have been very impressed with them.””They made some good signings and got Thomas Hitzlsperger fit again which has been a big bonus for them.” “I think Wayne Bridge was a great signing for them on-loan, he is one of the best loan signings of the window. Demba Ba looks strong upfront and they look like a good team.””I think they will be ok, they’re looking strong and I’m pleased for Avram.””He has toughed it out a bit this year with lots of injuries but he has got them back now.””I remember I was the manager when we won there 1-0 (in 1996), and there was another time when Eyal Berkovic ran the game and we won 2-1 (in 1999). It was fantastic but that was a long time ago.”Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone has returned to full training following four months out with an ankle injury but he will not be ready in time to face West Ham.Fellow midfielder Wilson Palacios is also out with an ankle injury while defenders William Gallas (hamstring), Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King are also unavailable due to groin problems.
In the last few months, Harry Redknapp has bemoaned having to work on a small wage budget. He has said that limited money for player’s wages has prevented him from signing top players. Looking through the Tottenham squad, there are a few injury-prone players that rarely feature in the side, on high wages. Releasing Woodgate and King could free up some money, but do Tottenham have enough defenders to do this?
They would be left with central defenders Gallas, Dawson, Kaboul and Bassong. Of these, I see Kaboul as the man to take Tottenham to the top in the future.
There is a touch of the Gareth Bale to Younes Kaboul’s story. Kaboul came to Tottenham from Auxerre in 2007. He was young but showed he had raw ability. Due to the injuries of Dawson and King he started playing regularly in the first team. Just like Bale, Kaboul was not quite ready for this exposure, and made mistakes which affected his confidence. In doing so, Kaboul created many doubters in his potential. However, after a few seasons out of the limelight, Kaboul seems to have matured. He looks assured and confident and has played well this season.
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Kaboul has been absent with a hip injury since January, but should be back to full fitness in the next few weeks. To some extent, the jury is still out on Kaboul, but personally I think he will develop into a very good player. Watching him at White Hart Lane against Inter Milan earlier this season, I was hugely impressed with him. He is remarkably quick and agile for such a big defender and teamed up impressively with the experienced William Gallas. He is good in the air, being strong and tall. He also weighs in with his fair share of goals, including the winner against Arsenal in November, lovely.
In his early Tottenham career Kaboul was prone to lapses in concentration. His mistakes against West Ham and Birmingham cost Tottenham points in 2007. This lack of composure resurfaced earlier this year. He head-butted Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote and was sent off, luckily it did not cost Tottenham points that day. However, in general, he has shown signs of maturity in recent months, his time at Portsmouth with Tony Adams has clearly benefited him.
He is as strong as anyone in the league and is one of the quickest defenders. With attributes likes this, he can be a top class defender. He probably still needs to work on his technique, and on his positioning, but if he continues to improve like he has done in the last year I think Tottenham will have a serious defender on their hands.
For the time being, Gallas and Dawson are a good partnership. But there is no reason why Kaboul cannot overtake Dawson, who still makes silly errors, in the next few years.
Tottenham would lack experience without the likes of King and Woodgate, especially as Gallas will be 34 next year and might play less. So maybe this summer is too soon to offload both but I don’t think Woodgate has a future at White Hart Lane. As for Dawson, he will need to rise to the challenge of leading the defence in future years, while Bassong must continue to improve. But my guess is that Kaboul will be running the show for Tottenham before too long.
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The Seattle Sounders beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 while Philadelphia edged New York by a goal in the MLS.The Sounders opened the scoring through O’Brian White in the seventh minute, although the Fire responded almost immediately when Diego Chaves equalised.
But the home side hit back as Steve Zakuani combined with White to restore the lead as Seattle hung on for the three points and their first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Union defeated New York Red Bull through substitute Roger Torres’ late strike in the second half.
New York went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Juan Agudelo hit the post in the 21st minute before he again struck the woodwork 10 minutes later.
But the final say went to Torres, who fired a low shot past Red Bull custodian Bouna Coundoul after receiving a pass from Danny Mwanga.
Elsewhere, Real Salt Lake, who recently qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League final, had a 2-0 victory over New England Revolution while David Beckham’s LA Galaxy could only muster a 1-1 draw after they conceded a late equaliser against DC United.
The scores finished even in the match between San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC while Chivas USA and Columbus Crew played out a 0-0 draw.