Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has admitted that he is still getting used to the pressure of playing for the historic club, and that moving to Anfield has been something of a culture shock.
The England international swapped Villa Park for Merseyside in the summer, but has yet to find his best form for Kenny Dalglish’s men.
“It’s been a bit up and down,” Downing told Mirror Football.
“Some good games, some indifferent ones. I have been on the bench sometimes, whereas at other clubs I’ve been used to playing every week more or less.
“That’s been hard to get used to. It’s been a little bit of a culture shock almost, but I have adapted to that and you just have to be ready when you get called upon to play.
“I expected pressure, but I didn’t expect it to be as big as it has been.
“You are under the microscope every day. In every game, people are looking at you.
“But that’s Liverpool, and that’s why you want to be here. You have got to blank everything out. You want to be at a club that is challenging every week and is pushing you on as a player,” he admitted.
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The football season is yet to reach its titillating climax, there’s still a relegation battle to endure, European places up for grabs and the small matter of which Manchester club will get their grubby mitts on the Premier League trophy. However, that hasn’t stopped the nations press from cranking up the rumour mill into overdrive, deliberating the possible movers and shakers during the next transfer window.
One club that seems to be at the heart of such stories are Tottenham Hotspur, the countries favourite bargain hunters, although don’t tell Harry I said that. In recent weeks the uncertain futures of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Harry Redknapp have all enjoyed a quick rinse cycle in the back pages and now it seems it’s the turn of Emmanuel Adebayor. The on-loan Togolese striker arguably ranks as one of the signings of the season and yet there still remains an air of doubt over whether Spurs should pursue a permanent deal.
Adebayor’s goal-scoring tally this season (12) is hardly prolific, resident bench warmer Jermain Defoe is currently surpassing him (15), although these stats span across all competitions. Adebayor is however excelling in the assists table, accumulating 11 in the league, which means he’s joint second with Antonio Valencia and one behind current leader and midfield maestro David Silva.
His influence in the team therefore derives from his capacity to play as the lone target man in Redknapp’s preferred 4-5-1 formation. His fierce physique and vision whilst holding up the ball allows him to bring others into the attacking fold and his aerial ability means he thrives on the service from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. Yet as the sole striker on the pitch he will be relied on as the main goal threat and Spurs fans only have to look at their North London rivals to see how many goals a lone frontman could be accumulating across a season.
The decision to sign Adebayor could soon be snatched out of their hands should Spurs fail to finish in the top four. There’s no question that a stray finger is hovering over the self-destruct button at White Hart Lane, as the Lilywhites have seen their commanding position disintegrate in recent weeks. Tottenham’s last league win was when they put five goals past Newcastle but they have since struggled in front of goal, only finding the net four times in their previous five league matches.
A failure to qualify for the Champions League would surely leave Adebayor reluctant to join the club and severely tarnish Tottenham’s allure in the transfer market. Other targets that have found themselves in the tabloid crosshairs include Marseille striker Loic Remy and Villareal forward Giuseppe Rossi, but again both would be unwilling to move to London if they had to work on a Thursday night.
Another facet to the Adebayor deal will involve the future of current manager Harry Redknapp, with the offer of the national role seemingly waiting patiently on his doormat. Influential playmaker Luka Modric has already spoken of his reluctance to commit to the club whilst his Gaffa’s next career move remains in the balance. Redknapp’s much publicised man management skills and affectionate relationship with his players has been one of the reasons Spurs have exceeded expectations this season. It’s fair to say Redknapp has been crucial in restoring Adebayor’s reputation since becoming an outcast at Eastlands.
The biggest obstacle surrounding the deal as always will be motivated by the financial implications for both parties. Adebayor’s ‘revival’ at Spurs will surely allow Mancini to steer his transfer fee skywards whilst the strikers reported wage of £170,000 a week will cause many readers to collapse or at the very least burst out laughing.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy currently upholds a strict wage structure at the club with few players ever likely to earn a pay packet north of six figures. Levy is a notoriously shrewd businessman and will no doubt need every last penny as the club looks to develop their new stadium proposal alongside an unlikely, but plausible move for Lille sensation Eden Hazard.
There is a worry that Spurs could find themselves in somewhat of a striker shortage should a move for Adeabyor fall through. Rumours have begun circulate that Defoe has grown tired of his role as an impact substitute whilst new signing Louis Saha already has a significant number of miles on the clock. Pavlyuchenko’s departure coupled with the inexperienced Kane and Lancaster in the youth ranks means you can expect a few new arrivals down at the Lane this summer, whether Adebayor will be one of them though, remains to be seen.
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Events at Old Trafford last Sunday have left the Premier League title race wide open, as Everton came back to secure a 4-4 draw with Manchester United in one of the most entertaining football matches in recent memory.
David Moyes’ Everton played out of their skins and the Toffees scored some really great goals, which have let Manchester City back in as far as the 2011/12 Premier League trophy is concerned.
For once a Sir Alex Ferguson side failed to close out a game despite leading 4-2 with just ten minutes of the match left and Sir Alex was left needing Fergie time yet again.
Here is Fergie with 4th official Kevin Friend and Moyes, but can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?
Leave your suggestions below…
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This week you can win a Signed Everton FC Shirt!
This shirt has been signed by the 2011/12 Everton squad, a perfect gift for any Toffee.
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Lille’s highly-rated attacking midfielder Eden Hazard has admitted that Chelsea are interested in signing him, and that he is tempted by a move to Stamford Bridge after the Blues’ Champions League triumph.
The Belgium international is one of the most sought-after transfer targets in Europe this summer, with Manchester United and City expected to lock horns in the race for the winger’s signature.
Despite this, Hazard has stated that nothing is decided regarding his future, and that Chelsea are an option also.
“As long as I’ve not put pen to paper, I won’t say where I’m going,” Hazard told Canal+, translated to English by The Guardian.
“Chelsea makes you hesitate. They’ve won the Champions League and they’ll be in it next season.
“For now nothing’s been decided but it will be soon. Now I want to join up with the national team and then go on holiday. It’ll do me a lot of good.
“It is possible that Chelsea’s arrival at the negotiation table will delay things, as nothing is done.
“My agent has met with Manchester and with Chelsea. They both give good offers and are both great clubs. I don’t know. It’s not been finalised yet,” he concluded.
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Hazard scored a hat-trick in Lille’s 4-1 win over Nancy on the last day of the season.
This summer feels a little surreal as a Huddersfield Town fan.
Not only down to us having finally dragged ourselves back into the Championship, after an eleven year absence, but because we’ve achieved promotion when we’ve appeared to be in our weakest position in a couple of seasons.
The season before last, we’d ended with a 25 game unbeaten run, and had matched Southampton and Brighton through the second half of the season.
The general consensus was that we would have had little to fear in the Championship, had we made it through the Play Offs. This is seemingly endorsed by the good performance of both teams in the Championship last season.
In contrast, after losing key players last summer, whom we didn’t to replace, we failed to match the two automatically promoted sides last season, as well as Sheffield United, who looked a much stronger side than ourselves, until their demise following the well documented loss of one of their strikers.
This summer is all about rebuilding an unbalanced squad which lacks ability in key areas.
This is quite a strange situation for a promoted club to find themselves in; promotion usually indicates a strong season from a side, yet our promotion can mainly be attributed to turning it on when it mattered, after stumbling into the Play Offs.
The need for recruitment is heightened by a couple of key losses; Sean Morrison, who steadied the defence after his introduction into the side, has returned to Reading after his loan, although the Town hierarchy appear hopeful of completing a permanent deal. Damian Johnson, who provided a much needed presence in midfield during the Play Offs has rejected our contract offer and has signed for Fleetwood Town, seemingly the offer from Town for him took into account that whilst he has impressed, his appearances have been severely limited by injury; and speculation continues to surround Jordan Rhodes, who carried the side for much of last season.
Grayson seems aware of the need for rebuilding; releasing eight first team players, and will undoubtedly receive the financial backing of chairman, Dean Hoyle. The names being speculated about are impressive; Keith Andrews and Paul Green both represented strong Championship signings, and even if we are unsuccessful in our attempts to lure them to Town, they supply a strong statement of intent from the club.
Alongside these two, the names of Adam Clayton and Ross McCormack from Grayson’s former employers, Leeds United, have been mentioned, as well as former Town full back, Lee Peltier.
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The expectations for next season are seemingly quite diverse; with odd supporters scouting us as Play Off contenders, and others being content with mere survival. The majority appear to be in between the two; having faith in the managerial team attracting players capable of consolidating us in the Championship, without getting carried away into thinking that we’d be capable of competing at the top of the division straight away.
This seems quite a sensible prediction when you consider the strength of the clubs finishing in and around the top six last season; who will be joined by the three relegated clubs from the Premier League, and other clubs building over the summer, such as Leicester City, who are investing heavily, Leeds United, who have Neil Warnock, an expert at Championship level and Crystal Palace, who appear to be making some impressive signings.
However, I can’t imagine too many Leeds fans would have expected to finish close to the Play Off places the season before last, having limped over the line in League One and with Ken Bates characteristically offering little in the way of investment, yet Grayson led the side to within three points of a Play Off place; with the investment of Dean Hoyle, it will be exciting to see what he can achieve.
Manchester City have reportedly rejected a loan bid from Juventus for out-of-favour defender Aleksandar Kolarov, The Daily Mail reports.
The Serbian left-back was fallen out of Roberto Mancini’s preferences following the signature of Gael Clichy, and as such he was forced to act as a bit-part figure last term.
With the Premier League champions looking to balance the books and lower their wage bill with Financial Fair Play rulings starting to come into play, the Etihad Stadium club have identified the ex-Lazio man as a potential player to ship out of the club this summer.
Antonio Conte’s men are thought to have offered to take Kolarov on loan for a season, however this proposal has been rejected by the Premier League side.
With Inter also interested in the defender, City are holding out for a bid from the Milan-based side to recoup as much financial gain as possible.
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Bayer Leverkusen have revealed that they have rejected an offer of over £16 million from Chelsea for star attacker Andre Schurrle.
The skilful forward was named in the Germany squad for Euro 2012, but only started one game for Joachim Low’s men during the tournament in Ukraine and Poland.
The Blues are on something of an attacking overhaul of their squad this summer, and have already signed another Germany offensive player in the form of Marko Marin.
Leverkusen chief executive Wolfgang Holzhauser has confessed that there has been an offer from the Stamford Bridge outfit, but that the Bundesliga side are not keen to sell.
We were presented with a very concrete offer from Chelsea for Andre of beyond the €20million mark,” Holzhauser is quoted by German news agency SID, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“The sum was pushed back and forth between the two clubs. We ultimately chose Andre.
“Andre is very valuable for us. He has also made it clear he would like to stay with us,” the BayArena supremo concluded.
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Liverpool have started their preparations for next season on the right foot. Appointing another manager to oversee a new and much more successful chapter for the club was necessary—although there will be question marks over the club’s ambitions following the appointment Brendan Rodgers. Nevertheless, the good signings and all the right noises may account for very little when the weight of this season’s schedule begins to hit home. More than ever, Liverpool need to make up ground in the Premier League, but the Europa League’s heavy schedule may prove to be a great stumbling block for the club.
Fulham’s charge to the Europa League final in 2010 saw them begin their campaign much earlier in the summer, taking them through 19 games in European competition. The end result was of huge credit to Roy Hodgson and his team, and there would have been very few who would have predicted such an outstanding showing on the continent. Considering their performances in cup competitions, the club finished a respectable 12th place in the league. But Liverpool’s ambitions and power far outweigh what Fulham are capable of.
Liverpool’s squad at the moment may not be considered thin, but there is undoubtedly issues of quality running throughout the team. Goals have and will continue to be an issue for the club, with Brendan Rodgers needing to get the best out of his forwards. Andy Carroll’s future at Anfield remains in doubt for the moment, but he could prove to be a valuable asset for the club in a potentially damaging schedule.
Fortunately for the club, Carroll’s international commitments have long been over, but Luis Suarez is only getting started with Uruguay at the Olympics. The striker is likely to miss a number of opening games, and Carroll could provide a good level of solidarity to the Liverpool attack. Swapping Carroll now for another striker, with the need for him to settle at the club, could be damaging. At this stage, continuity will be important for the club.
Like in the case of Tottenham last season, new manager Brendan Rodgers may opt to sacrifice a few competitions. However, failure right across the board for Rodgers could see further pressure on the manager and likely calls for his removal from the dugout. A clearly talented manager, but the upcoming schedule is doing him no favours under a bigger spotlight.
The club are of course not finished in the transfer market, and players like Clint Dempsey and Joe Allen could prove to be the right moves for the club to remain a challenging force throughout the season. But like Rodgers, Allen has no experience performing in Europe and in the schedule that can weigh so heavy on the bigger clubs. Like Charlie Adam, Allen could prove to be a misguided acquisition for the club—good at his current club, but failing to live up to the expectations that comes with a big move.
A good preseason is always a must. Barcelona struggled greatly last season due to their commitments to the commercial side of preseason, rather than the need to properly prepare the squad. Trips to North America can be tricky, and the almost immediate involvement in the Europa League and it’s obscure destinations could leave the squad exhausted for their domestic duties.
But it would be wholly unjust to the club to simply write Liverpool off, citing their lack of quality or ability to remain competitive in the Premier League. At this stage, there should be more faith in the man the club have chosen to replace Kenny Dalglish. Inexperience at the highest level will be factor, but he’s already given a good account of himself in the Premier League with a club and squad that should, on paper, be vastly inferior to Liverpool.
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Every ambitious club in England will feel the effects of a heavy schedule, which is why there needs to be greater consideration and action toward a winter break. But if anything is going to slow Liverpool’s push towards a top four finish in the Premier League, it will be the might of those who have shown greater financial power this summer.
“Well, he has to be better than Neymar first, which he isn’t yet. He has more experience.” (Daily Mail)
Are those wise words from Pele or merely the ramblings of a man who refers to himself in the third person? Regardless, this statement serves only to highlight the euphoria that surrounds the next big thing from Brazil. At 20 years of age Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is already a global superstar, praised for his astounding trickery and penchant for the spectacular. He is adored by millions, followed wherever he goes and is touted as the boy who can reinstate his country as the best in the world. The future looks extremely bright but have we all been blinded by the hype of the media spotlight?
Last night Neymar returned to Brazil – naturally via a private jet – to inspire Santos to a 3-1 victory over Figueirense and once again personally ignite their Championship bid. A silver medal at the recent London Olympics may seem like a success on the surface but the tournament was ultimately a disappointment. Brazil were heavy favourites to win the competition outright, with Neymar expected to lead the charge but an inspired Mexico side shocked everyone inside Wembley stadium. The level of anticipation bordered on the surreal and many would argue that the young forward was a bigger attraction for fans rather than the prospect of watching Team GB.
Despite this slight setback his reputation continues to grow and his performances against Belarus and Egypt highlighted his ability to win matches almost single-handedly. The speculation surrounding his future will undoubtedly reach fever pitch over the next year, with supporters eager to see Neymar strut his stuff on the European circuit. Would he flourish in the Premier League? I have my doubts but I would love to see him try.
At present only Manchester City and Chelsea appear capable of providing the financial muscle needed to compete for his signature. PSG recently set the benchmark for the next generation of Brazilian stars when they acquired 19-year-old Lucas Moura for an eye-watering £35m. This summer has also seen Roberto Di Matteo or rather Roman Abramovich sign Neymar’s international team-mate Oscar for a reported £25m. Oscar’s ability to adapt and succeed in the Premier League will surely influence any future purchases of Brazilian ‘wonderkids’.
When Neymar stepped out onto the pitch at the Riverside Stadium in the pre-tournament friendly with Team GB, he received his first taste of a hostile crowd on English soil. The jeers and whistles are a common feature up and down a Saturday afternoon and although he would have experienced a similar atmosphere in South America, it is unlikely to have been a result at his play-acting antics. He appeared a little surprised as each touch was greeted with a chorus of boos – nowhere near the torrent of abuse received by the likes of Joey Barton – but remained composed enough to score his penalty and ease Brazil to a 2-0 victory.
Another factor he would have to contend with if he arrived in England would be the British press and their ability to condemn your performance or actions with the weight of a ton of bricks. However, a recent feature in FourFourTwo revealed that Neymar is already accustomed to life in the headlines and if anything, the reports in Brazil are even more obscure and dramatised. He attracts attention further with his string of wealthy sponsorship deals, which account for almost three-quarts of his wage packet (Reuters). Neymar may well already generate a significant slice of income but it’s common knowledge that his father handles his finances and still gives his son an ‘allowance’. This strikes me as an incredibly endearing quality, especially given the stereotypical view of a young generation driven solely by personal greed.
The Premier League has already witnessed the arrival of a highly-rated Brazilian in a big money transfer. In many ways Robinho and Neymar are alike, incredibly quick, gifted on the ball with an eye for goal that can reduce a defender to tears. Robinho emerged on deadline day in 2008 as Manchester City’s statement of intent under their new ownership. However, the honeymoon period was cut short with the Brazilian flickering in and out of games like a candle in the wind. It soon became apparent that Robinho couldn’t settle in Manchester – a growing trend it would seem – and he certainly struggled when the winter months crept up on him. Perhaps the same fate would await Neymar if he ever decided to relocate to Manchester.
The community shield revealed that another high-profile figure in the form of Eden Hazard will have to adapt quickly if he is to justify his extravagant transfer fee. The former Lille playmaker was taunted for his desire to go to ground easily and capped off an uninspiring debut when an attempted backheel left him kissing the turf. Hazard struggled to find room when he was tightly marked – a trait even Pele admits often hampers Neymar – whilst he continually suppressed Ashley Cole when he refused to track back, another familiar trait of Brazilian attackers.
Neymar insists that his main objective on the pitch is ‘to entertain’ but we’re all well aware that winning comes first in English football. Chelsea may have attracted criticism for the manner in which they conquered Europe but these petty remarks are already forgotten and yet the trophy will always remain in their cabinet. Perhaps the question we should be asking isn’t whether Neymar is suited to the Premier League but whether the Premier League is suited to Neymar? I worry that he would always long for a move to La Liga, where the intensity of play is somewhat sedated in comparison and the ideals of gamesmanship encouraged rather than ridiculed.
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The simple fact is that everybody has their own opinion of Neymar, he’s either football’s messiah or a spoiled brat hoisted on top of a pedestal by sensationalist tabloid reporting. There is also debate surrounding whether he should flee to Europe is search of a new, tougher challenge or hone his skills in Brazil ahead of the World Cup in 2014.
In my opinion the attack-minded Brazilian players always struggle when competing against the ‘British Bulldog spirit’ installed in our homegrown players. Elano, Robinho and Julio Baptista are just three players to have left with the tail between their legs whereas Lucas, Sandro and Ramires look destined for a long and illustrious career on our shores. There’s no denying his talent and he would indeed be the diamond in the rough at any game at the Britannia stadium but at present, I am convinced Neymar would spend more time on the floor than on the scoreboard in the Premier League.
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I am struggling to accurately count the number of sponsors on Neymar’s shirt.
Tottenham moved into the top four over the weekend after a 3-0 win over London rivals Fulham, making it three victories on the bounce as the team finally start to hit their stride under their new manager, who hasn’t always endured the best of receptions from the media and the club’s fans, Andre Villas-Boas.
We cannot underestimate the pace of change at the club over the last few months – new manager, new coaching staff, new training ground, new players, new style of play and a new system – yet despite all of this, they sit just behind a struggling Chelsea side in third place on goal difference and they no longer look like a team in search of an identity, increasingly comfortable in their new skin.
For people in favour of cyclical narratives, the 35-year-old boss is trying his best to disturb the meagre measure of praise he’s managed to extract from a media in the thrall of former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp. He represents the antithesis to everything the anointed one has come to encompass over the past few seasons. Notice the agenda-pushing that’s been on display so far, trying to paint the Portuguese as some sort of clueless clown. It’s not journalism, rather a concerted effort to fabricate and manipulate some sort of ‘club in crisis’ theme – something which the media craves each and every season now it seems.
The best examples were (and are) the wedges being driven about the goalkeeping debate between Hugo Lloris and Brad Friedel, the fact that he has been leaving Emmanuel Adebayor out in favour of the on-fire Jermain Defoe and when they accrued just two points from their opening three league games, including home draws against Norwich and West Brom. You see, the vast majority of the press don’t want Villas-Boas to succeed at Tottenham; it doesn’t fit in with everything they’ve said about him ever since he arrived in England and didn’t fancy being their best friend. They don’t want to be proven wrong. They won’t change tack, they just lie in waiting, looking to pounce with the same old tired and quite frankly hugely flawed arguments for whenever the side next slips up.
Credit must go to Villas-Boas for the job he has done, though, under considerable pressure. The honeymoon period at White Hart Lane was virtually non-existent and while most managers normally get a fresh start at a new club, it was impossible not to already have an opinion on him and the job that was he sacked for doing at Stamford Bridge last season before his first game in charge this term. He’s followed warm and cuddly figures in quick succession into each of his last two jobs and been hindered all the more for it – Carlo Ancelotti and Redknapp – and his stand-offish approach means criticism is never in short supply.
There’s a growing sense of maturity to the team’s play this term and you sense that the counter-attacking style that they’ve adopted suits the players that they have at their disposal down to the ground. For every win over someone like Manchester United, there have been avoidable capitulations against Chelsea and Manchester City, but these are just part and parcel of being a club in transition, there will be setbacks throughout this campaign, but finding that crucial consistency either side of them is what makes the difference.
The biggest setback of all would have to be the 5-2 hammering that the side had to endured for the second successive season at the Emirates, but the responses of each side since that game tells you everything you need to now about the mental strength of both squads.
The game was turned on its head courtesy of a mad and deserved red card for Adebayor, but with the pivotal Moussa Dembele restored to the side from injury, Tottenham have drawn away at Lazio in the Europa League and beaten West Ham, Liverpool and Fulham in the league. Arsenal on the other hand, though, followed that result up with a decent 2-0 over Montpellier in the Champions League, then disappointing draws against Aston Villa and Everton before going on to lose 2-0 at home to Swansea.
The response tells you everything you need to know. The Tottenham squad appear to have faith in their young and forward-thinking manager, while Arsene Wenger is becoming an increasingly divisive figure among the club’s fans and the two teams are on completely different trajectories at the moment.
They remain far from the finished article at the moment and they are still recovering from the loss of Luka Modric, often lacking an element of control in the middle of the park while looking worryingly susceptible at the back to the slightest bit of pressure, but they are slowly but surely heading in the right direction.
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Nobody sums up the transition that the side are currently going through more than striker Jermain Defoe, a player many, myself included, have had doubts about in the past and his ability to contribute anything other than the occasional powerful finish when the side is on top, but with nine league goals to his name so far, assuming the mantle of leading the line by himself, he looks a player transformed.
They will need to strengthen in January should they have the money to invest, while the returns from injury of the likes of Scott Parker, Younes Kaboul and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, three key figures last term, cannot come soon enough, but with the top four party seemingly open to a gatecrasher or two this season, Villas-Boas is presenting a strong case that Tottenham will be playing Champions League football by this time next season.