There’s a certain degree of tragedy that surrounds Owen Hargreaves, a footballer who never got an opportunity to fulfil his full potential and at this point, as much as it hurts to admit it, probably never will. Has it reached a stage where despite the good feeling that surround Hargreaves, Manchester United fans have lost all hope of him ever making a full recovery from his injury problems – or was that stage reached about 12 injuries ago?
When discussing Hargreaves, people usually fall into one of two camps – the cold, indifferent camp, whereby all patience has been lost and all hope expunged or the hopelessly optimistic camp, wherein there’s still a belief that Hargreaves will somehow come good.
I’ve been hopelessly optimistic regarding Hargreaves for quite some time, but enough is enough. There’s only so much disappointment a fan can take. Following the news that Hargreaves is out for the remainder of the season, perhaps it’s time we gave up all hope that the 30-year-old midfielder will ever make a full recovery.
If I were a Manchester United fan, I’d be curious to know what Hargreaves picks up in terms of a weekly salary. The man has made 36 starts for United in four years. I’ve heard speculative reports suggest that he’s on £70,000 a week. That works out at over £14.5m over his four years at the club – meaning that Hargreaves has earned about £404k for every game he’s figured in. He’s an expensive man and that’s before you even figure in the £17m that Manchester United splurged on his transfer fee.
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When his contract ends in July it will have been almost three years since Hargreaves contributed anything meaningful to the club. Manchester United sure offer great sick pay. Given the financial difficulties that surround the club, these numbers must be troubling for United fans.
If Owen Hargreaves is to be offered a new contract in the summer, it’s absolutely imperative that it’s done on a pay-as-you-play basis. United simply can’t afford to be handing out money left, right and centre. Even with a pay-as-you-play deal there’s still a base minimum wage provided, as such Sir Alex Ferguson has a tough decision to make regarding whether it’s worth handing Hargreaves a new-deal.
After three seasons of disappointment, Hargreaves has shown no signs that recovery is imminent. Furthermore, we have no idea how good a footballer he will be if he ever makes his return. Even if he recovers, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be even half the footballer he used to be.
Though you can’t help but feel a little sorry for Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United have earned the right to be selfish in this situation. I think the time has finally come for United to sever the link and rid themselves of a player who has sadly drained cash from the club without any meaningful contribution.
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There is currently a revival under way at Anfield under the management of Kop idol Kenny Dalglish, the home coming of the prodigal son has seen a transformation at all levels for the Merseyside giants. With European qualification now a very realistic possibility for Liverpool after what can only be described as a disastrous start to the 2010/11 season, everyone is applauding the influence of the Scot, but in amongst all the adulation for King Kenny, should some praise be reserved for fellow Scotsman Steve Clarke?
Steve Clarke, throughout his career as a right hand man, has earned a reputation as the one the players go to for advice or any problems, ultimately summed up by the former Chelsea manager and colleague José Mourinho: “If he had the chance to manage a club, even a big club like Chelsea, he would be ready for that. He is that good. He is an intelligent guy and always looking to improve. He is very open to co-operation and learning. He has a good relationship with the players, knows how to handle them. I think he is much, much better than many managers who are in charge of teams at the moment.”
Clarke is renowned for his defensive knowledge and is rumoured to be the reason behind Liverpool’s recent use of three centre backs in certain games, that has proved very prosperous for the side, such as during the hard-fought victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. On top of this, the increasing confidence of the young Martin Kelly and the inspiring performances of Glen Johnson suggest the former Chelsea and West Ham assistant manager is having a more profound impact than he may have been receiving credit for. Sorting out the defence has been Liverpool’s enigma this season, but under Clarke’s management it is starting to look a lot easier.
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Kenny Dalglish is known as a passionate and motivated man, and one that commands the utmost respect from the red half of Merseyside. This, combined with the experience from his career as one of British football’s greatest ever strikers, gives him the knowledge to impart to his attackers, which has been demonstrated in Liverpool’s current run of 15 consecutive games in which they have scored. With ‘King’ Kenny as the force behind Liverpool’s attacking resurgence and Steve Clarke pulling the defensive strings, they compliment each other fantastically, which is a huge benefit to the Reds.
Like every story there is always another side, and despite Clarke’s apparent role as the unsung hero down Anfield Road, you have to remember he was the assistant manager at West Ham when they nearly got relegated: where were his ‘unsung hero’ qualities then? Perhaps this has something to do with the ‘good cop, bad cop’ ethos; Dalglish and Mourinho are strong characters, whereas Gianfranco Zola, who was West Ham manager during Clarke’s time at Upton Park, is a very calm and placid character, very similar to Clarke, not allowing a balance to be struck between the two personalities.
Overall, no one can underestimate the impact that an Anfield legend such as Kenny Dalglish can have, but I’m sure Clarke will soon get the recognition from Liverpool fans if things continue to go as well as they have recently. Maybe even a song for him?
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Stoke City could be excused for not taking Sunday’s home game with Arsenal as seriously as most Premier League matches this season.After all, the Potters will be six days from the club’s most important match in their history – their first FA Cup final appearance.
Stoke’s date with Manchester City at Wembley next Saturday will surely be preying on the minds of Tony Pulis’ men as they tackle an Arsenal side with plenty of end-of-season motivation.
Stoke, in 10th place, have little to play for in their remaining three league fixtures except pride.
After Arsenal, they can exact revenge (or better still, rub salt in the wounds) when they play City at Eastlands two days after the Wembley showdown.
They then finish their season at the Brittania Stadium against Wigan Athletic on May 22.
The possibility of playing in a major European competition for the first time since 1974 will certainly be at the back (or front) of Stoke’s minds on Sunday against the Gunners.
But Arsenal will still have to be wary of City, especially up front where Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters have formed a strong partnership.
Walters and Jones are the club’s joint leading goalscorers this season with 11.
The pair have scored eight goals between them in City’s last seven games to help the forward line through an injury-hit spell.
Ricardo Fuller is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles at Aston Villa a fortnight ago.
And Jon Carew only returned to action at Blackpool last weekend after being on the sidelines for seven weeks with a back problem.
Carew’s return gives manager Tony Pulis a welcome option up front, particularly as Matthew Etherington is in doubt with a hamstring injury.
Arsenal, in third place, six points adrift of Manchester United and three behind Chelsea, would have been buoyed by their 1-0 home win over the league leaders last Sunday.
With a Champions League spot guaranteed next season, Arsene Wenger’s side may also have their foot off the pedal, but it’s unlikely the Frenchman will be encouraging a lacklustre performance.
After a series of draws in their recent 16-match unbeaten run, the Gunners will be aiming to cement third place and quash any late rush by Manchester City.
Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal’s goalscoring hero against United last Sunday, is in line to start at the scene of his worst nightmare.
The 20-year-old midfielder suffered a horrific double leg fracture in a challenge with Ryan Shawcross, the Stoke captain, on 27 February last year that put him out of action for nine months.
It will be the first time Ramsey has played against Shawcross and Stoke since the fateful game but not the first time that the defender has played against Arsenal.
He was barracked by the Emirates crowd during his team’s 1-0 defeat on February 23.
“I got booed and abused when I went there and it didn’t really affect my game,” Shawcross said.
“If anything, it spurred me on to play better. I’m sure I’ll get more of the same this time but I’ll be able to deal with it.”
“Our fans and players love putting one over on Arsenal.”
“There’s a bit of rivalry there because of past games and the fans will be as loud as they always are when Arsenal come to the Britannia.”
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has already been ruled out, but Thomas Vermaelen could start his first match since August 28, following a long-running absence caused by an achilles problem.
Abou Diaby, the midfielder, continues to struggle with the calf issue that he suffered at Tottenham Hotspur on April 20.
As a Norwich City supporter I was surprised to see/hear reports that Paul Lambert was in the running for the vacant West Ham job. Not so much to why West Ham would be interested, because Lambert’s record over the last two years speaks for itself. But more the suggestion that Paul Lambert would be prepared to jump ship after all the hard work he has done in getting Norwich City into the Premier League. For me, it would pure madness for the Scotsman to spurn a chance of Premier League management in favour of taking over a club that needs an awful lot of work, but perhaps most crucially will be playing Championship football next season.
I think it’s fair to say that Paul Lambert has completed his lower league training and there is now no reason for Lambert to manage outside the Premier League ever again. As Norwich City fans I think we are realistic enough to know that Paul Lambert will move on at some point, but when it happens it will be to a big Premier League outfit. Now to be fair to West Ham they will almost certainly get themselves back into the Premier League and with them moving into the Olympic Stadium they certainly should have a bright future. And I certainly understand people who say West Ham have the greater potential of the two clubs. However, I prefer to live in the here and now and not what could happen in the future.
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In the present Norwich City is a Premier League club with an exciting but also challenging season ahead. There is clearly a good relationship between Lambert and the board and I think both have a huge amount of mutual respect for each other. The board know that they have to back Lambert because if they don’t someone else will. So expect Norwich City’s summer transfer spend to be that bit more ambitious than that of Blackpool’s this season. Equally Lambert knows the board are there to help but not to interfere. Make no mistake Lambert is in total control of who is bought and who is sold. Furthermore, there is the relationship between Lambert and the fans to consider; again it is one of mutual respect. The fans love Lambert for the success he has brought the club and Lambert is in awe of the support Norwich has. Full houses every home game and thousands of fans travel away. And that has been the case in League One and the Championship, yet there are Premier League sides that can’t sell out. But there won’t be a spare seat to be had at Carrow Road next season.
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Now I don’t think Paul Lambert is ready to leave that behind. He has built something special at Norwich and he will want to see how far it can go. Yes, the time that Lambert leaves Norwich will come but not for a while yet. So you might as well remove his name from the shortlist, West Ham because he is not leaving Norwich just yet.
Join in on this debate on Twitter and while you are there why not follow me.
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Liverpool have completed the signing of midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee on Thursday.The 20-year-old England international has joined the English Premier League outfit after undergoing a medical and agreeing to terms on Wednesday.
Reports suggest the deal is worth up to 20 million pounds, while Henderson’s contract has been described as a ‘long-term deal’.
“Liverpool Football Club have completed the signing of Jordan Henderson after the 20-year-old passed a medical and agreed personal terms,” a statement on the club’s website said.
“Henderson travelled to Merseyside on Wednesday after a fee was agreed with Sunderland. He then underwent a medical examination in Liverpool before signing a long-term deal.”
“The midfield has now joined the England Under-21 squad in Denmark as they prepare for the European Championships.”
“Henderson’s first game after completing his transfer is likely to be against Spain Under-21s on Sunday.”
Reds striker David N’Gog was rumoured to be part of the deal, but he remains at Anfield for the time being.
Henderson is the first player to join Kenny Dalglish’s ranks in the off-season but adds to the acquisitions of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January.
He made his way through the Sunderland youth academy and made 79 appearances at the Stadium of Light before leaving, although the club’s chairman Niall Quinn wished him well.
“Jordan is a credit to himself, his family and Sunderland’s Academy and everyone here wishes him the very best for the future,” Quinn said.
“I’m pleased that we got the deal to a level that we felt was right for our club.”
“We know the areas that we need strengthening and the type of player we need in order to progress and the job of bringing those players to the club is continuing at pace.”
Liverpool are also believed to be interested in Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam as Dalglish looks to strengthen his squad.
Manchester United looks to kickstart their spending this summer with a double deal for Phil Jones and Ashley Young. It is a real signal intent from Sir Alex Ferguson who is looking to build what will arguably be a strong youthful legacy at Old Trafford.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes why Rooney could hold the transfer cards for Fergie; seven reasons why Young is the right fit at Old Trafford and 3 transfer plan B’s for Ferguson.
We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this week.
*
Caption Competition: Carroll and Rooney provide a snap for the album
Get into Barcelona’s team…perhaps only Rooney at present
Wayne Rooney could hold the key to Fergie’s transfer call
Sir Alex’s top TEN transfer faux pas’
3 Spanish Plan B’s for Fergie should transfers fail to materialise
SEVEN reasons why he is the ideal signing for Manchester United
Club v Player – where does the true loyalty with transfers lie?
Henderson vs. Jones – which move makes the most sense?
Lightning set to strike twice on the transfer front for Manchester United?
Real reject Manchester United approach for Özil
*Best of WEB*
Review of the season: the comic – United Rant
Solving The Macheda Conundrum – The Busby Way
The Phil Jones Hype Needs To Stop – Red Flag Flying High
Tom Has Spoken Quite Cleverley About His Future At United – The United Religion
The complete Man United Premier League season review by numbers – The Stretty Rant
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Click on Wayne Bridge’s lady below to unveil our WAG XI of the season
Manchester United target Wesley Sneijder says he would be disappointed Inter Milan decided to sell him in the close season.The Dutch playmaker has been heavily linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford after spending just two seasons at the San Siro.
But Sneijder has revealed he wants to stay in the Serie A, though admits to having no option but to leave should Inter choose to sell.
“If the club decide to sell me, I’ll go where they tell me to go,” Sneijder told Vanity Fair.
“If that happens I would be very sorry. My wife and I are happy in Milan and I would miss the city and Inter.”
“But anything can happen in football.”
The 27-year-old will be comforted by comments from new Inter boss Gian Piero Gasperini, who says he wants to keep Sneijder with the Nerazzurri.
“Sneijder is a great player, a top player. His approach has been more than positive,” Gasperini said from the club’s training camp in Pinzolo.
“He is here (at Pinzolo) and he wants to remain with us.”
Sneijder, a former Real Madrid midfielder, is valued at 35 million pounds and is under contract with Inter until June 2015.
Martin Jol said Fulham need to be on their guard against Crusaders in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying tie.Fulham won the first leg of the second-round tie 3-1 in Belfast last Thursday and are overwhelming favourites to progress to the third round.
But the English Premier League side were given a shock in the first leg, as the semi-professional Northern Irish team managed to equalise in the second-half before conceding two late goals.
“Of course if you are 3-1 up its always a good score but we have to be focused, we have to concentrate and not let them score because that’s another target – don’t concede,” Jol said.
“We will score goals, we’ve got good players.”
Jol will have two new faces at his disposal for the match, after the club completed the signings of former Roma defender John Arne Riise and Czech Under-21 international Marcel Gecov this week.
Riise arrives at Craven Cottage after three seasons in the Italian capital, having already spent seven years in the Premier League with Liverpool.
Defensive midfielder Gecov signed for an undisclosed fee from Czech side Slovan Liberec on Wednesday.
“I expect of him (John Arne Riise) that he’ll play the same role as he always did for Liverpool, for Roma – especially for Roma, because there were very good stories about him,” Jol said.
“They probably wanted to keep him but he wanted to go back to England and that helped us to get a player of his quality so he will play tomorrow and he’s only here for five days.”
“Gecov? Yeah (he) signed and I’m happy with him. He’s a very talented player.”
“I’m happy with the business we have done so far but as you know we lost six or seven players in a couple of months time so we need to get a couple of players to get a very good, strong squad.”
Riise said he was hoping to slot straight into the side for Thursday’s tie against Crusaders, and insisted the club was committed to going as far as they could in the competition.
“You can look at the team the manager puts out. He wants to play to win. I think we’re in this competition because it’s great to be in Europe,” Riise said.
“And like I said two years ago, I came to the final (which Fulham lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid) which was a great achievement for the club. If we can get something similar today, this year, this is going to be awesome.”
Chelsea ended the last Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Everton, and without silverware for only the second time in six years. Since then,we have seen a change in manager at Chelsea, with 33-year-old Andre-Villas Boas replacing Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian’s domestic double just the season before. Comparably, Villas-Boas is a relatively inexperienced manager, but made a name for himself after an impressive season at Porto in which he won the Protuguese league, cup, and the UEFA Europa League. His Porto side also went unbeaten in the Portuguese league, scoring 73 goals in just 30 games in the process.
Despite an impressive CV, Villas-Boas will be fully aware that neither time nor patience is guaranteed at Chelsea with Roman Abramovich desperate to see a return on his heavy investment. While domestic glory is always going to be a target for Chelsea, the Champions League has become Abramovich’s most coveted prize and failure to deliver it may see Villas-Boas out of a job. Chelsea fans will be hoping for consistency at the Bridge and will want the new manager to be given time to build a team that can challenge on all fronts, if not this season, then the next.
Villas-Boas’ biggest task will be to find a formation that suits the whole team, and with Drogba, Torres, Anelka, Sturridge, and potentially Lukaku, all competing for a place in the side, the manager will face a tough challenge in identifying the most effective strike force.
Premier League:
In recent years Chelsea have been the only club to mount any real challenge to United in the league, and have been crowned champions three times in the last seven seasons. John Terry has claimed his side are still hurting after seeing United lift the trophy in May, but has insisted this has only given them more motivation and desire to try and win it back this season. The summer period has seen the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool strengthen their squads significantly, while Arsenal look set to lose two of their key players. I think City may struggle with the demands of European football while trying to challenge for the league title, while Liverpool’s priority will be a top four finish. Between United and Chelsea, I think the new manager could cause an upset this season. Villas-Boas has promised attacking football at Chelsea, and should his players replicate the kind of form of two seasons ago then they will certainly be a force to be reckoned with, and could pip United to the title this time around.
Prediction: 1st (just)
UEFA Champions League:
Sir Alex Ferguson last year claimed that the Champions League had become an “obsession” for Chelsea, an assessment that seems fair when you consider how previous managers have fared after a lack of success in the competition. Chelsea came within a penalty kick of European glory back in 2008, but have only reached the semi-finals once since then. While this competition may be seen as the priority for Abramovich, Villas-Boas will be hoping to compete on domestic fronts just as strongly as in Europe. Despite Europa League success last season at Porto, the new boss will come up against some of the European greats this season, and I can see Chelsea struggling at the semi-final stage as they have done so many times in previous years. For the sake of Chelsea fans, I hope this does not spell the end for Villas-Boas, but I feel domestic success may be crucial if he is to remain in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: Semi-Finalists
The FA Cup:
The FA Cup is renowned for being one of the most unpredictable tournaments in football, and has turned out some of the greatest upsets in recent years. Chelsea tend to fare well in the competition and have taken the trophy back to Stamford Bridge three times in the last five years. The unpredictability of the tournament does obviously make it difficult to ‘predict’ how Chelsea will fare this time around, but should they avoid any early upset, then they will almost certainly be one of the favourites to reach the final. The depth of Chelsea’s squad will allow them to field strong teams throughout the tournament, and should they reach the final, their success rate at Wembley will give them good reason to think they could lift the FA Cup once more.
Prediction: Finalists
League Cup:
The League Cup is generally seen to provide the younger or reserve players at the big clubs with an opportunity to play competitive first team football. This season we can expect to see the likes of Josh McEachran, Daniel Sturridge and Oriol Romeu leading the way for Chelsea in this competition, though these names are also likely to feature in the other competitions as well. Chelsea have been finalists three times in the last eight years, and winners in 2005 and 2007. However in more recent years success has been limited in this tournament, as it is perhaps not considered as important as the others. Though the League Cup will give us the chance to see what some of Chelsea’s younger players have to offer, I am skeptical as to how seriously Villas-Boas will take the tournament, and therefore cannot see Chelsea pushing to reach the final, or even the semi’s.
Prediction: Quarter-Finalists
Breakthrough season: Josh McEachran
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At just 18 years of age, Josh McEachran made a name for himself at Chelsea last season, making 17 first team appearances for the Blues in all competitions. His performances earned him Chelsea’s young player of the year award, and the midfielder has been tipped to become one of England’s finest in the years to come. McEachran is highly rated at Chelsea and is likely to feature regularly this season, with Villas-Boas reported to be hugely impressed with what he has seen so far from the youngster. I think this season will see McEachran really establish himself in the Chelsea side, and he may even earn himself an international call up to England’s senior squad.
Player to watch: Daniel Sturridge
After a loan spell at Bolton last season in which he scored 8 goals in just 12 games, Daniel Sturridge has returned to Chelsea desperate to fight for a place in the starting eleven. Villas-Boas has refused to let the forward go out on loan again this season, which would suggest first team opportunities will arise for the 21-year-old. Sturridge will face fierce competition up front from the likes of both Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba, however he has been deployed on the wing in pre-season which is likely to boost his chances of regular football. If Sturridge can replicate the kind of form that he showed at Bolton last season then he is certainly going to be a player to watch at Chelsea, and I think he could well provide the goals needed to mount a serious challenge both domestically and in Europe this season.
Agree or disagree with my preview? Let me know either below or on twitter @sixthofficial
’s proposed return to Liverpool has taken a step closer after Manchester City agreed to let him leave for nothing according to The Mirror.
The Welsh international has emerged as a target for Kenny Dalglish but the Anfield boss is not prepared to pay a fee
Much travelled Bellamy is on £95,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium and City have agreed to cover the remaining 10 months of his contract to get him off the wage bill.
Roberto Mancini has made it clear he doesn’t want the 32-year-old and he is now set to return to Liverpool four years after leaving due to a falling out with Rafa Benitez.
Wales boss Gary Speed has welcomed the move stating Bellamy is a ‘top player’
Speed said: “It’s only natural Craig is going to be linked with top clubs because he is a top player.”.
“Liverpool are a fantastic club and if that’s true and it comes off, that would be great. Hopefully by the end of the transfer window things will be sorted out.”
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The Reds could face competition from Tottenham and QPR for Bellamy’s signature although it’s understood he wants to move back to Merseyside.
He’s already rejected offers from former clubs Celtic and Cardiff to pave the way for an Anfield return.