Stoke City's Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence has decided to stay with the Premier League club and fight for his future next season.
The 29-year-old seemed set to head north to join Celtic earlier this summer, but Lawrence now says that that deal is dead in the water after a frustrating last few weeks.
He told the Scottish Sun:"The idea of a move to Celtic was really appealing at the end of last season.
"Clearly, they've had plenty of opportunity to come and get me, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened.
"Stoke have been brilliant with me, stating they were prepared to give me the chance of a move if the conditions were right.
"I really wanted the opportunity to play for Celtic. If they had come in for me I would've been happy to go.
"With things dragging on it has given me time to reconsider everything.
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"I have had a brilliant pre-season with Stoke, I've really enjoyed it and now I feel I've got to be fair with them.
"I feel the best thing for me now is to stay and try to play in the Premier League. Now I'm just focusing on the new season with Stoke."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald has rubbished reports linking Emile Heskey with a potential return to former club Leicester City.
Heskey began his career with the Foxes, where he made almost 200 first-team appearances, before moving on to Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and then Villa.
Recent reports suggested the 32-year-old former England striker could be set to return to the now Championship club.
However, MacDonald, himself an ex-Foxes player and coach, doesn't believe there is any truth in the stories.
"I worked with Emile as a young boy at Leicester and I've got a lot of time for him," he said.
"I've not had any talks with Leicester. I live quite close to Leicester so I know quite a few of the people there and there has been nothing at all.
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"I think Emile Heskey is a very, very good footballer. You don't play as often as he did for England if you are not a good player.
"Aston Villa need as many good players as they can and then to develop some other ones as well."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Stoke City frontman Kenwyne Jones wants the side to start taking control of fixtures following their 2-1 win over Newcastle United on Sunday.
The Magpies went ahead at St James’ Park thanks to Kevin Nolan’s penalty, but Jones struck his fourth goal in as many games and a late James Perch own goal handed the Potters all three points.
Jones was pleased that the team turned the fixture on its head, but he wants to see the performance show from the first whistle.
“I think it’s a bad habit we need to kick,” he said.
“All of the games this season we didn’t start so good in the first half and have had to come on in the second half and try and pull off a victory.
“Hopefully we’ll discontinue this habit and start winning the first half.
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“The crosses keep coming in and I’m on hand to put them in. Thankfully it’s been happening consistently and I hope that continues.”
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Out of sorts West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has admitted he wasn't surprised when Fabio Capello dropped him from the England team recently.
The powerful forward has failed to hit the target in nine games this term and, after missing a penalty against Bolton Wanderers in August, his form has taken a knock.
But Cole knows he must improve if he is to win a place back in the England squad.
"Being dropped from the England squad wasn't a surprise at all," Cole said."I haven't been playing so I didn't deserve to be called up.
"In the Bolton game, I missed a penalty and that's defined my season so far. If that had gone in, I think I would have gone on to score a few more goals by now.
"But there's a fine line in football sometimes and you get to learn from these things – that was a big moment to learn from.
"Right now, I'm heavily involved in the character-building process.
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"You have to understand that for the last two years I've been the first-choice striker. Now Victor and Freddie have come in and it's time for me to up my game.
"I have to admit that I haven't been the same since my knee injury last year. I'm happy."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Those high ranking officials in the upper echelons of FIFA, who have mooted the idea of outlawing draws must have been watching Fulham recently. The Cottagers have set a new Premier League record by drawing six of their opening seven matches. However Mark Hughes’ side were anything but negative, especially in the first half in which they took the lead through Clint Dempsey’s goal. An animated team talk from Avram Grant or an extra platter of orange halves inspired West Ham after the restart, levelling thanks to Frederic Piquionne’s headed goal. It was the Frenchman’s third in as many games. The Hammers are now unbeaten in four matches, the consensus being that compared to their early season form, the tide has turned. Yet the Londoners have returned to the bottom of the league and have the worst goal difference. Liverpool’s current presence in the relegation zone may provide some comfort but swathes of teams who were considered relegation fodder are doing rather well so far.
Green’s redemption is complete
A number of journalists billed this game as Rustenberg round two, as it was the first occasion since the World Cup that Robert Green and Clint Dempsey had come face to face. The West Ham stopper excelled against Spurs last week but his rehabilitation was arguably incomplete until he had confronted his foe head on. Yet once more Green was forced to pick the ball out of his net after a Dempsey strike. The USA international gave Fulham the lead after Simon Davies’ deflected pass was controlled on his chest and intelligently volleyed past a helpless Green. Annoyed by, but not at fault for, the goal it was done to the keeper to ensure the scores remained level in the latter stages of the second half. He did well to direct a long range effort from Davies beyond the post and made an excellent reflex save from Dickson Etuhu’s powerful downward header. Green will now hopefully stop featuring in the back pages as regularly but could be recalled to the England squad this week.
First half blues
Even before Dempsey’s goal it was patently obvious that Fulham were playing the better football, their passing and movement being sharper than that of the home team. The visitor’s defence was largely untroubled by numerous long passes aimed towards Piquionne. Only a series of tackles and questionable yellow cards disrupted their flowing style. Mark Noble was the livewire for the Hammers, his corner setting up Piquionne whose header was cleared off the line by the well positioned Carlos Salcido. The midfielder’s low, forward pass intended for the run of the French striker coerced Mark Schwarzer to run out of his area and clear the ball. The District Line debry had failed to ignite the spirits of the home team or the crowd in the first period. Their muted boos which greeted the referee’s whistle were a fitting end to a damp half.
What to do with Cole
Avram Grant’s reputation for delivering stimulating team talks must be escalating, as after the restart the Irons had a renewed impetus. Despite their bolstered verve, the chance to level came from a poor Brede Hangeland clearance. Possession was now with Luis Boa Morte who feed Victor Obinna on the right who in turn crossed for Piquionne. The striker, who is in rampant form, was unmarked and emphatically headed in from close range. The two new forward signings had combined for the equaliser and are still keeping Carlton Cole out of the starting line-up. For the majority of supporters this has been a sensible decision which may serve to reignite the misfiring striker’s passion and desire. When he replaced Pablo Barrera on 69 minutes those qualities were shown in abundance. He made a couple of powerful runs on the left wing, out-muscling his opponents. There was no end product to his endeavour and purpose but this was partially due to a lack of support. Piquionne has been impressive in front of goal and whilst Obinna can simultaneously dazzle and frustrate, he evidently has a hatful of talent. Cole, frequently maligned for his goal-scoring record, cannot be considered as an impact substitute. But accommodating three six foot plus strikers, as West Ham attempted for the final 20 minutes, may not be desirable either.
Continued on Page TWO
Time to give Stanislas a chance
Apart from his role in West Ham’s goal Boa Morte had scant influence against his former side. The ex-Fulham skipper was laboriously unimaginative in the first half whilst playing wide left. His delivery from that position was ineffective. The Portuguese midfielder who was rewarded with a new two-year contract in the summer improved in the second period by moving inside to become one of a midfield three. Lacking pace in his later years, he exhibits greater nous and strength as an uncompromising tackler and harrier in the centre. Yet in only making one substitution had Grant missed an opportunity to seal the victory? Junior Stanislas’ deflected injury time goal in this fixture last year, sealed West Ham’s first home points of the season. The refreshingly direct young winger has a natural confidence and eye for goal.
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A case for the defence
West Ham are unbeaten in four games, a feat which seemed improbable after regularly conceding three a match in the opening stages of this campaign. This increased stability has stemmed from a back four which has remained largely intact of late. Lars Jacobson has confidently slotted in at right-back whist the domineering Manuel da Costa rightly continues to partner a resurgent Matthew Upson. Although Herita Ilunga was considered fit enough for the bench, Danny Gabbidon deputised at left-back once more. The centre-back offers little in the way of creativity or imagination but has brought aerial strength and strong tackling to the left channel. The back two appeared vulnerable late on as Etuhu ghosted past them to threaten aerially. Nonetheless it was a predominantly error free display from a stabilised defensive unit. Grant spent 194 days at the bottom of the league with Portsmouth. A watertight defence will guarantee that that astonishing record is not repeated in east London.
Gareth Bale has quickly become one of the most spoken about players recently, causing Tottenham Hotspur to feel, understandably, apprehensive. It is solely regarding his performances recently and not any off field antics that normally see players thrust into the attention of the media. A European audience awoke to the realisation of Bale after he dismantled Inter Milan, who looked comfortable until Bale announced himself with a superb hat-trick and made them gasp in amazement at this prospect before them, before superbly setting up two goals last night. It has also alerted other clubs to the capability that Bale has shown and could add to whoever could lure him away. What I’d like to weigh up is would Bale be sagacious in making a big money switch or should he bide his time and stay at Spurs for the foreseeable future?
The twenty-one year old still has a vast amount of experience to gain from modern football and the pressures that come with it, he is relatively new to his current level of performances and will have to exert himself in order to maintain or even enhance that. This level of expectation can weigh heavy upon players and cause them to lose confidence when they don’t reproduce previous feats of amazement. This strength of mentality will be tested in Bale, with the likes of Harry Redknapp and those supporting Bale at Spurs being central to his remaining a consistently exulted player.
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The attention from different clubs will give Bale a sense of confidence that will enhance his play if it’s directed in a positive manner and again Spurs must ensure against the arrogance it may manifest. In warding away the approaches of interested parties, Spurs will show how highly regarded Bale is and what they intend to achieve. Staying at Spurs would also be advisable due to it being the foundation on which he has built his reputation and prowess upon, it has given him the necessary recourse to come from adversity and improve in the wake of this to the player we now see before us. It would seem injudicious to cut these ties loose from Bale’s point of view, with examples of players moving to bigger clubs and whilst being good enough they fail to reproduce their previous form for many a reason.
Being twenty-one has the advantage of time having not yet elapsed in a significant manner and therefore there is ample opportunity for Bale to pursue another direction if required, but whilst Spurs are looking to build upon previous success the horizon looks bright for Bale. The uplifting news for Spurs fans comes from Bale himself stating: “I don’t look at what the media write. At the moment my only focus is on playing for Tottenham and working in training.” If Redknapp can keep this focus intact and convince Bale that he shouldn’t be looking at any Italian grass, or any other grass than White Hart Lane for that matter, then a content relationship will move forward.
When previous reports over the rise of Bale documenting his settling in period, they stipulated that it took him a while to adjust to the rigours and demands of coming to terms with a daunting new environment. Now why would Bale wish to disrupt this at present? My feeling is that he won’t and he’ll remain a Spurs player for a few more seasons yet to come, with the reasons outlined above being why. This experience and direction, rather than an abrupt change, will put him in good stead for the possibilities that he may decide to make into actualities when he is mature enough to do so.
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The weekend of the 27th and 28th of November in the Premiership will always be remembered for a record breaking number of goals, with every Premier League team scoring at least once, but there was one stand-out performance. Dimitar Berbatov has put his name alongside that of Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe by scoring five goals in a Premiership fixture. The double hat-trick eluded the Bulgarian striker, but the damage had been done and Manchester United swept away Blackburn to move them to the top of the Premiership League Table and right on track for another Premier League title.
Dimitar Berbatov is often accused of blowing hot and cold but he was definitely red hot on Saturday and showed just why Manchester United shelled out £30 million for him. He was clinical in front of goal, worked hard for the team and the goal that sealed his hat-trick was a thing of beauty. Berbatov started the move in his own half, sprayed the ball out wide and then ambled into the box to smash the ball into the back of the net. By the end of the 90 minutes Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson must have been sick of the sight of Berbatov bearing down on his net.
A top performance was desperately needed by Berbatov as his goals against Blackburn were the first since his hat-trick against Liverpool earlier in the season. The Old Trafford faithful will be hoping that Berbatov can continue where he left off against Blackburn and put in some more top performances that will help take the pressure off Wayne Rooney. This will certainly please his manager Sir Alex Ferguson and help United win back the Premiership title, even if it means that Chicharito has to warm the bench!
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Rory Delap is hoping Stoke City can thrash out terms with Real Zaragoza to turn Jermaine Pennant’s loan spell into a permanent deal.
The Potters long-throw specialist believes the winger would be a great addition to the club in the long-term and can see why City boss Tony Pulis wants to keep him.
Delap told The Sentinel:“Of course I’d love to see him stay, but not just from a selfish point of view. He’s been terrific since he came to the club because he gives us a different dimension.
“He gives us that added bit of pace and attacking flair that we’ve missed on the right. It gives us good balance and hopefully things can be sorted with him.”
However, Stoke have made it clear they won’t be held to ransom by his Spanish club during the negotiation process, but Pulis is quietly optimistic about securing his signature when the transfer window reopens again in January.
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Freddie Sears, a player who had only ever scored one goal for West Ham, on his debut in March 2008, a player who had had relatively unsuccessful loan spells at Crystal Palace, Coventry and Scunthorpe in the past couple of seasons, reignites West Ham’s flagging season in three games. It’s an unlikely tale, but since being recalled by the Hammers on December 21st, Sears has been in scintillating form, and grabbed a deserved goal in the vital 2-0 win over relegation rivals Wolves at Upton Park on New Year’s Day.
I must admit, when I saw Sears’ name on the team sheet against Fulham on Boxing Day, I felt that this was perhaps the final throw of the dice from a desperate man in the shape of Avram Grant. Either the Israeli was very lucky, or very, very astute, because by playing wide right in a very attacking 4-4-2, or what could even be described as 4-2-4, Sears has excelled along with his fellow academy graduate, Junior Stanislas, who has been playing on the opposite flank.
But could it solely be Sears’ influence that has caused the turn around in fortunes at Upton Park? Of course not, but I believe he has played a big part. Through his endeavours on loan, although not particularly successful, Sears has managed to actually play first team football, gaining the experience vital to his footballing progression, and this was evident from the start. His performance against Fulham, just five days after he was recalled from Scunthorpe, was a man-of-the-match worthy outing, and showed his desire.
Having been out of the first team for quite some time, Sears must have been wondering when his chance would come again, and with Avram Grant’s job on the line, he must have envisaged a new manager coming in and another season on loan in the offing. So when Grant gave him the opportunity, he really needed to take it, not just for his own career, but for the club as well. Good performances and good results meant that the status quo would be maintained; with Sears in the starting line-up, and Grant in charge, and so it has proved, as Sears also started the matches against both Everton and Wolves.
Sears’ inclusion may not be the overriding reason for West Ham’s Christmas renaissance (I believe that may lie in a formation and attitude change) but his inclusion has certainly breathed life into a West Ham side that were staring at the Championship through the long months before May.
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When Fabio Capello arrived in English football at the beginning of 2008, one of his most crucial mission statements was to pick his squad and sides on form – reputation, he said, would not be a substitute for form.
The former Real Madrid coach, at that point the darling of the English media, took a tough stance on the misfiring Michael Owen, consigning the striker to the international scrap heap after a poor run of performances and injuries with club side Newcastle.
It is then with some interest that I have followed the recent form of two of England’s premier strikers. Both Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe have found themselves short of goals despite recent runs of good results for their club teams.
Rooney’s lack of goals is particularly concerning. For a man hailed as England’s single great white hope for World Cup glory as recently as last March, Rooney’s solitary goal in open play so far this term has become one of the statistical anomalies of the season. Remarkable considering Manchester United’s unbeaten start to the season and commanding position built up at the top of the Premier League.
Rooney has hardly had a low key season, regardless of his sometimes anonymous performances on the pitch. The furore surrounding his desire to leave Old Trafford and resultant new contract was extraordinary, and with further accusations in the tabloid press about his extra-marital activities surfacing, the one time Everton striker has hardly had much chance to work on his game.
Jermain Defoe’s lack of goals has been more excusable. The former Portsmouth striker’s year has been blighted by an early season ankle injury and whilst he is yet to hit the heights (or a league goal) thus far, Harry Redknapp has not relied heavily on the diminutive striker due to the deluge of goals coming from other sources.
Capello’s charges looked toothless, at best, during their damaging stalemate with Macedonia at Wembley in the autumn, and the much maligned coach will not want his strike force to go into an important clash against Wales with only a handful of league goals between them.
There are, however, several factors likely to ease Capello’s selection worries. England’s next competitive fixture is not until March, plenty of time for both men to re-discover some form. Should neither player show signs of improvement, the Italian’s mettle might be tested, however, the English media have learnt to run a sceptical eye over Capello’s selection guidelines – he has been known to break them for certain big name players.
Furthermore, Capello has shown a pathological reluctance to select Peter Crouch, England’s most prolific striker over the last four years, in any capacity other than an occasional substitute appearance. Many of England’s other striking options are beset by injury or form problems, and the immediate international futures of Kevin Davies, Jay Bothroyd and Andy Carroll are not clear.
It must be pointed out that Defoe is by no means guaranteed a berth in Capello’s starting XI, regardless of how he plays at this stage. For a man that has had his international career dogged by misfortune and crucial omissions, this recent goal drought will no doubt damage his aims of making himself indispensible to the national team ahead of Euro 2012.
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If dropping Defoe would not be a major shock, omitting Rooney would be a big step for any England manager, particularly one under the level of scrutiny that Capello finds himself.
With the Champions League restarting in a few weeks time, any sign of an improvement in performance will surely be enough to dispel doubts about the suitability of Manchester United’s star man when it comes to selecting the side to face Gary Speed’s men. Even with an under-par Rooney, if England fail to beat a Wales side without a point in qualification thus far, the England manager will have more questions to answer than just about his choice of striker.
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