All posts by h79snht.top

After losing Jermaine Beckford to Everton, Leeds have moved fast to bring in a replacement in the form of Swindon’s Billy Paynter who joins the club on a free transfer. But will he be enough to fire Leeds back into the Premiership?

Paynter scored 29 goals in all competitions for Swindon this season and came close to helping Swindon get promoted to the Championship only for them to lose against Millwall in the play-off final. This season was the 25-year-old’s most prolific in front of goal and there’s no doubt that his four goals against Leeds over two games made them sit up and take notice. However now he has a lot more responsibility on his shoulders as Leeds are a massive club and the expectation on him to fill Beckford’s shoes will be immense.

However Leeds manager Simon Grayson is confident that he will prove to be a success: “He works ever so hard, holds the ball up well and he has proved he knows where the back of the net is.” Grayson added: “When we knew he was available we were desperate to get him. We feel he will be a good acquisition for the club and I am delighted to have got him.”

But the step up to the Championship will be a big one for him to make and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to play at that level, similar to Beckford making the step up to the Premiership. We will only find out next season if Paynter has what it takes, so Leeds best bet is to bring in another proven striker to make sure they are not lacking any firepower. There are two strikers who would best fit the bill Nicky Maynard and Gary Hooper, with their best bet probably being Gary Hooper. Hooper is only 22-years-old and has scored 19 goals for Scunthorpe this season, which made him the third-highest scorer in the Championship. Last season he hit 30 goals for them in all competitions which helped fire them to promotion from League 1. Without disrespecting Scunthorpe, a bigger club like Leeds should have no problem luring him away and he would represent good value for money given his age.

If Leeds wanted to pursue Maynard instead then that wouldn’t be a bad option, the Bristol City striker has scored 21 goals this season including a stunning strike against QPR that was voted the Football League Goal Of 2009. Maynard is a very technical striker with a good eye for goal, but with Steve Coppell having newly been appointed as Bristol City manager they will have ambitions for promotion next season, so it will be hard for Leeds to convince them to part ways with their number one striker.

As for Leeds other striking options they only have Luciano Becchio as a proven striker, he has scored an impressive 36 goals in two seasons at Leeds but again like Paynter it is unknown if he will handle the step up. Other than that Leeds only have the unproven duo of Mike Grella and Davide Somma so they will be keen to invest in the team.

Follow me on Twitter

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Get the latest English Championship news on Twitter

[youtube IEu_5sP9F0Q]

Manchester City face a tough and stern battle this summer in trying to keep Carlos Tevez at the City of Manchester Stadium next season, as reports suggest that the striker is a summer transfer target for Italian and European champions Inter Milan.

New Inter Milan boss, Rafa Benitez, is a keen admirer of the striker and has been promised huge financial backing by his board this summer. It is believed that Benitez will look to swoop in for the Argentine with an estimated £40 million bid when the window re-opens in July.

The former Liverpool boss was keen in signing the striker whilst managing at Anfield, but with limited funds available at the time it proved to be an impossible. However, the Italian treble winners are willing to back Benitez in bringing top players to the club during the window and certainly Tevez fits the bill.

Tevez is currently in South Africa with Argentina, and will purely be focusing on the World Cup for the next 3 weeks. The two clubs remain at a stand still for now, but surely after the completion of the tournament, Benitez will make his move.

City maybe prepared to do business with the Italian club, especially if they could pull off their own ambitious move for Fernando Torres this summer. However, if the Blues want to be regarded as a top team and challenge for honours next season then shouldn’t they keep hold of players like Carlos Tevez?

He is no doubt one of, if not, the best player at the Manchester club, and to lose him this summer would prove to be a massive loss to the side and a blow to their ambitions. The tenacious striker’s work-rate, desire and determination is second to none, which makes him stand out from all the rest…he’s also not a bad finisher. Tevez made 33 appearances in the Premier League and managed to bag 23 goals along the way. The Argentine’s goal ratio stands at 1 goal every 1.4 games (approximately 112 minutes). Without question, the goals scored by the forward last season helped the club exceed above expectations, so to lose him would be a catastrophic blow for City.

Some may argue that Tevez can be replaced if he decides to depart, which maybe the case. However, if a club like City want to challenge for fourth or the title (like Mancini has stated) then Tevez staying at the club is vital.

With the news of Inter Milan and possibly Real Madrid being interested in the striker, City will undoubtedly have a massive transfer battle on their hands if they wish to keep their star man for the start of next season’s campaign. The player himself will be flattered with the interest shown in him as of late, and to be linked with such clubs of this quality, the striker will surely be pondering a possible move away from England. City’s biggest transfer battle this summer? You better believe it.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TMer4kl1

Click image below to see a gallery of all the Dutch babes:

Fabio Capello has revealed that England's World Cup disappointment will be the end of road for several members of a heavily-criticised squad.

Capello was told on Friday that he retained the faith of the Football Association despite his side's dismal campaign and last 16 exit at the hands of Germany.

The Italian will be allowed to see out the remaining two years of a lucrative contract which runs until the end of the 2012 European Championship.

However, several members of the squad that under-performed in South Africa will not be around during the qualifying campaign for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

After a friendly against Hungary at Wembley in August, the Three Lions begin their campaign at home to Bulgaria on September 3.

The likes of Emile Heskey, David James, Ledley King, Frank Lampard and even former captain John Terry are all reportedly under threat of the international axe.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"For some this will be the end," confirmed Capello.

"The chairman of Club England, Dave Richards, has asked me what I thought about the next tournament and the young players we might have to bring through, like Adam Johnson and Joe Hart."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

The 12th of March 2008 remains in my memory for two reasons. It wasn’t only the night that Tottenham lost on penalties to PSV in the UEFA Cup, it was also my first sighting of a rather unorthodox goalkeeper named Heurelho Gomes. His performance that night served as a caricature for goalkeeping – from flapping at crosses, to outstanding saves to his unique ability to throw the ball almost as far as he can kick it, not to mention his gangly appearance. He was a surprise signing in the summer of ’08 and was set to become the new goalkeeper of the Ramos revolution.

The truth is that Gomes faced an up hill challenge as soon as he came to Spurs. For a goalkeeper he arrived for a pretty sizeable fee of £8 million and he had the unenviable task of replacing a terrace favorite. Gomes was brought in to take over from Paul Robinson, who was a key member of the Jol glory days and was at the base of the much celebrated English spine that took us into Europe two years running. The Ramos reign was also starting to be questioned. The fuss surrounding our Carling Cup win over Chelsea had died down and people were beginning to realize that, actually, we hadn’t done very well under Juande’s guidance at all. On top of all of this, Gomes was a part of the worst start a Tottenham team had made to a domestic season ever, and of the fingers of blame being pointed at the Tottenham camp, many were fixed on the new goalkeeper. Granted, he hadn’t helped himself. The old adage goes that a goalkeeper will always be remembered for his mistakes certainly applied to Gomes’ first year at the Lane.

The truth was, that against Aston Villa in September Gomes played quite well and made some very good saves. The whole team was poor, but his error to gift Ashley Young Villa’s second goal was remembered as the reason that we lost. Unfortunately high profile errors were to follow against Fulham and Stoke and when Christmas came around Spurs fans were given the gift of Carlo Cudicini. His reputation told us that he was the best second choice goalkeeper in the league, but for various reasons he too was unable to find a decent run of form and Gomes came back to finish off the season. After which, things became more settled and after all of the mayhem of the start of the season Gomes became a vital part of the side which only conceded 10 league goals at the Lane.

There can be no question that Redknapp’s replacement of Hans Leitert with the Englishman Tony Parks as goalkeeper coach has made a big difference to the form of Gomes. eHe started playing with a new confidence, commanding his area, catching crosses rather than punching them, he became a tidier, more dependable goalkeeper. A good goalkeeper instills confidence in his defense, and that confidence spreads throughout the team. If a striker knows that he has good defenders behind him each chance that comes his way has a little less pressure and he can play with a little more freedom.

After an injury interrupted the start of his season, Gomes finally started making the headlines for the right reasons. His first landmark game being the Boxing Day clash away at Fulham, making 3 outstanding saves to foil Bobby Zamora and steal Spurs a point. But without question his headline making saves against Arsenal stole the plaudits. The full stretch stop from Van Persie’s free-kick being the one which impressed me the most and brought the loudest gasp from me and my friends. He also played a big part in our victory over Chelsea, and how many goalkeepers do you know who have saved 2 penalties in a game? Gomes had become one of the most important factors in Spurs’ rise to 4th in the league.

Gomes’ place in the team for the 09/10 season was either down to Harry finding a new faith in him, or to a suitable replacement not being available during the transfer window. But whatever the reason it was a gamble which has paid off and his Champions League experience will prove vital next season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Written By Karl Sears

[youtube GxCaIrG-V0s]

Welcome then to  a new series of feature articles we’re running here at The Tavern on Premier League player’s friends, family and relatives. To kick us off we meet (courtesy of ‘Newbury Today’) Hollie Walcott.

Theo was a quite controversial signing at the time, if you recall. He was said to have his pick of London clubs and there where were significant rumours that arch rivals Tottenham were also in for him.

He had displayed enormous talent and it was a close cut thing between Spurs and the Arsenal. However he decided against the allure of White Hart Lane and opted against perhaps a perpetually unsettled Tottenham front line and instead chose to pursue a path already mapped out by Henry.

But here’s sister Hollie…

“All the family have been out to support me, including my brother (Theo) and his girlfriend, my older brother and my mum and dad. They love it and are all coming up to Glasgow for the Championships too.”

“I am classed as a female bodybuilder, however I compete in the figure category, which is a more mainstream, acceptable look of a muscular woman.”

“I can’t put ‘housewife’ on application forms anymore. I’m a full-time mum, part-time athlete,” she said. “I just enjoy it and enjoy the feeling of having something for myself.”

“I was always athletic and see myself as an athlete. We are a very competitive family,”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“A lot of young girls today seem keen to get into glamour modelling. I want to show them that this side of bodybuilding can be just as glamorous but also more healthy”.

Next week we meet the Twitter crazy cousin of Wayne Rooney. Oh yes we do…

Wayne Rooney has not had many words of support since revelations were aired about his private life in a Sunday newspaper. There was, however, an indication of tacit support and understanding from his England colleague Steven Gerrard this week. When asked of the story at a press conference, the England and Liverpool skipper said, “Who am I to talk about things like that with Wayne Rooney? He’s his own man.” He proceeded to articulate that the lows in a player’s career can make you better and stronger. The midfielder, who Fabio Capello is said to be considering as the national side’s permanent captain, was making a salient point which could apply to the whole squad. Can adversity on and off the field make you hungrier to succeed?

Having won the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League by the age of 25, Gerrard’s career does not appear littered with disappointments. Yet in a candid press conference the Liverpool favourite did explain, in light of Rooney’s predicament, how on and off field dramas had affected him. He recounted Liverpool’s Champions League group stage exit in the 2002/03 season when his performance was criticised by Gerard Houllier. Distressed by the divorce of his parents, he was substituted at half time in Liverpool’s draw against FC Basel and incurred the wrath of the Houllier.

Away from the pitch, Gerrard has faced the throes of a court case following a brawl in a Merseyside bar. He claimed to have acted in self defence and was subsequently cleared of affray. Gerrard said, “I’m glad to put this case behind me. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on my football.” The season ahead brought little solace from these events as Liverpool failed to reach the knockout phase of the Europe’s premier club competition, fell at the semi-final stage in the Europa League and finished seventh in the division. Add to that the major disappointment of England’s World Cup campaign and it has not been the best year for 30-year old.

He has inferred that he played some of his best football last season during the court case and espoused the view that the pitch could be a sanctuary for the besieged Rooney. The striker scored within ten minutes against Switzerland on Tuesday. Gerrard, who has been inspirational for England in recent games, hailed Rooney’s terrific and focused performance. The Manchester United forward scored his first international goal in over a year and was able to concentrate on his game after a traumatic week. That may not be as straightforward at Goodison Park this weekend but it is crucial that he is able to channel his frustration and negative energy. But for players under strain, is it as simple as redoubling your efforts, neglecting damaging stories and pulling up your proverbial socks?

“You learn from experience,” Gerrard said. “I am the player I am today from learning and recovering from my lows.” Regardless of effort and renewed spirit there is only so much one player can achieve on the pitch. The lows are undoubtedly a part of the journey but the loyal support of a manager is fundamental. Gerrard had that privilege with Rafa Benitez and John Terry enjoyed the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti last season after endless press headlines. Rooney will have that reassuring presence in the form of Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello. The England manager urged the player to separate the private and the public. Learning from your mistakes and putting in determined performances is the most effective way of silencing the critics and improving as a player.

Follow me on twitter

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to my RSS feed here

David Beckham has been talking about Rooney too:

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has admitted he is struggling to instil a winning mentality into every member of his Eastlands squad.

City host champions and Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime in what will prove a yardstick as to how far they have come under Mancini.

The Italian spent around £120million during another busy summer of transfer business at the ambitious club, but Mancini is still not completely satisfied with the players he has at his disposal.

"There are players whose only target is their day off and that is a big problem," he told the Daily Mail.

"You must replace them with those whose target is the win against Chelsea, then against Arsenal, then against Manchester United, who will work every day for this. Yes, there is still the day off, but you must never lose your focus even then.

"Before, at this club, there were players whose targets were wrong, but that mentality is changing.

"Those whose targets were wrong are the ones who have left. I tell them there is no day off now.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"The top players will play Saturday in the Premier League, Tuesday in the Champions League, Saturday in the Premier League. It is impossible to rest.

"Yes, there is one day you can use to recover, to have a massage, but your head must always be on the pitch and on your job."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Manchester United expect Antonio Valencia to miss most of the season after the Ecuador international had a successful ankle operation on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old winger was stretchered off after dislocating and fracturing his left ankle during Tuesday's Champions League draw against Rangers.

"The operation went well," a spokesperson told the club's official website.

"A plate has been inserted to stabilise the fracture but there is obvious significant ligament damage that follows a dislocation and he will be out for a good portion of the season.

"Contrary to recent reports there has been no official contact from the Ecuadorian national team. Antonio is perfectly fine, very positive and very determined."

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had said after the goalless draw:"It is a dislocation or a fracture and he gets operated on Wednesday morning.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"It was an innocuous challenge but, when you saw the Rangers player waving, you knew it was a bad one.

"It is a bad blow for the boy and you are talking about the rest of the season."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez endured a turbulent time at Anfield. There were the highs of Istanbul along with the lows of a 7th place finish last season.

What Liverpool fans would give now for such a lofty finish.

Yesterday saw Liverpool slump to yet another embarrassing defeat as they were beaten 2-1 at home by newly-promoted Blackpool. Benitez’s replacement at the Liverpool helm, Roy Hodgson, has guided Liverpool to their worst start for 57 years as they wallow in the relegation zone with only 6 points to show for their lacklustre efforts.

Hodgson’s disastrous start to his Liverpool tenure is a far cry from some of the heady heights that the club reached under Benitez whose Liverpool legacy is fraught with contradiction.

He will forever be remembered by the Liverpool faithful for his pair of incredible victories against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League and West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup but his legacy goes far deeper than that.

Benitez made a number of mistakes as Liverpool boss and these mistakes will haunt his memory for many years to come. Despite making a few excellent signings in the transfer market, Benitez’s indifferent acquisitions became something of a hallmark in his time at Liverpool.

In addition to his dubious signings, there were also questions marks about his man-management skills. He managed to force arguably Liverpool’s best player last season Yossi Benayoun out of the club by refusing to play him while succeeding in being the catalyst for the departure of Liverpool favourite Xabi Alonso in 2008.

He has often come across as distant and stubborn, a trait which led him to reportedly lose the confidence of the dressing-room.

However, Liverpool’s failings under under Benitez weren’t entirely his fault. He was being increasingly restricted by the politics at the club.

The board refused to back Benitez in the transfer market with the club routinely failing to secure a number of Benitez’s top targets. Benitez clashed repeatedly with chief executive Rick Parry over the club’s transfer policy and over the signing of Robbie Keane who was signed at the behest of Parry without the full backing of Benitez.

His authority was to be further undermined by the club’s decision to not so secretly meet with Jurgen Klinsmann over the possibility of the German taking over from Benitez should he leave the club.

With the club in a continual state of limbo with regards to its ownership and its finances, Benitez’s job became untenable. The owners were now desperate to sell and brought in Christian Purslow and Martin Broughton to oversee the process. In so doing, it became evident that in order for them to make the club attractive to any potential buyer, they would need to get rid of Benitez.

The club needed to present a fresh opportunity for any potential buyer and they couldn’t do that with Benitez still at the helm.

However, the introduction of Hodgson hasn’t brought about the desired effect for the Liverpool board. If anything, they are in a worse position now than they were with Benitez. The October 15th deadline set by RBS for any potential investment is fast-approaching with absolutely no sign of any fresh interest in the club.

For all his failings, Liverpool miss the uncompromising nature of Benitez in these times of trouble. Benitez wasn’t afraid to confront his players with a couple of home truths if it needed to be pointed out and I’m not sure whether Hodgson is the type of manager who can do the same.

Hodgson has wavered between staunch defiance and sober admittance in the face of Liverpool’s dismal start. He seems uncertain at how to motivate the players in this time of crisis and has dealt poorly with the media.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Benitez was always forthright with the media and used it to his advantage. He exposed the failings of Hicks and Gillett through his interaction with the press and played out his clashes with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the eyes of the media.

In contrast, Hodgson has been rather timid in his dealings with the press. He failed to react swiftly to Ferguson’s claims that Fernando Torres made “an absolute meal” of John O’Shea’s challenge when Liverpool faced Manchester United two weeks ago.

While Benitez and Hodgson have their issues, the common denominator for both is the players. Hodgson’s Liverpool team is not unrecognisable from that of Benitez’s and some of the blame for Liverpool’s lowly position has to be placed at the player’s feet.

Many of the players who are failing to perform now are the same players who failed to perform for Benitez. There is no excuse for international players of Liverpool’s calibre to lose to Northampton Town and Blackpool. The players need to help Hodgson out by playing with pride and intensity, two things that have been severely lacking so far this season or else Liverpool could find themselves in even deeper trouble than they are now.

Like my article? Follow me on Twitter

Subscribe to my RSS feed.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp remains confident that in-form winger Gareth Bale will not be tempted to leave White Hart Lane in the near future.

The 21-year-old Wales international has hit the headlines with a couple of dazzling displays against Internazionale in the Champions League, raising talk of interest from a number of Europe's elite clubs.

However, Redknapp told The Sun:"It doesn't worry me, it's great. Spurs are being noticed and one of our players is getting the whole of Europe talking.

"I understand the attention on Gareth, it's the nature of football.

"But, trust me, he won't be leaving Spurs – even if we were to fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.

"I don't think Gareth is at all interested in being anywhere else.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"Even if we didn't make the top four at the end of this season, he wouldn't come knocking on my door demanding a move to a club in the Champions League.

"Gareth isn't like that and, like me, he knows this is a club on the up."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email