All posts by h79snht.top

Not for the first time this season Ipswich were on the receiving end of a good thrashing as Crystal Palace stormed to a 5-0 win.

The Tractor Boys were destroyed by Blackpool earlier this season and the obvious connection between both games is that Ian Holloway was managing the winning side in each game. Holloway must enjoy playing Ipswich more than anyone as he has now seen his sides score 11 goals past them this season whilst keeping clean sheets in each game.

Hopefully the former Blackpool boss won’t move to another Championship side this season and we will only have to play him once more.

Of course it wouldn’t be fair to say that Ipswich are only getting thrashed because Holloway is an expert at beating them. Sheffield Wednesday are a struggling side but they managed to get a 3-0 win at Portman Road and it has to be said that they should have scored more.

Many fans travelled to Crystal Palace in the hope that we would get a decent result there or at least put in a respectable performance. It seems that after the win over Birmingham everyone thought that Mick McCarthy had already turned things around. Unfortunately the problems within the team are too big for McCarthy to sort out right away and the Crystal Palace result highlights that.

The fact of the matter is that Ipswich have a team that are yet again consistently inconsistent. Sometimes they may be up for the games and put in a good shift but a lot of the players are still not giving it their all.

Against Birmingham there were some good performers but there were obviously some players who were still not working as hard as they should be. The team managed to get the desired result even with a few players not at their best when against a team that are in the bottom half of the table but that wasn’t the case at Palace. This is because against the top teams you need every player working hard and concentrating otherwise the opposition will exploit the weak links, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday night.

As I have said before we need to wait until January or even February before we can expect McCarthy to fully turn things around. Any points that he picks up between now and then will be fantastic but we must not take them for granted. It is going to be a difficult season where we will see the Ipswich team be completely rebuilt. Any finish above the bottom three will be a good season given the position that the team are currently in.

Personally, I would like to see McCarthy use experienced players to get us safely out of the relegation zone (easier said than done I know!) then work on bringing younger players into the side.

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We aren’t going up this season so it really doesn’t matter where we finish as long as it is outside the relegation zone. Once we know we aren’t going down we might as well just work on making the team successful next season and the club have some good youngsters that are worth trying out.

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As the Premier League returns to the fore this weekend after the international break Reds boss Brendan Rodgers will hoping his side can kickstart a season that has seen him court unwarranted criticism so early into his reign as manager. Expectations have certainly been raised by the arrival of Rodgers and his ‘tiki-taka’ priniciples with the Northern Irishman’s influence on the Merseyside clubs style of play evident in their opening fixtures of the new term. One issue that still burns is where captain Steven Gerrard fits into the new philosophy. The Reds skipper is renowned for his wide range of passing but Rodgers belief in patient ball retention doesn’t fit Gerrard’s credo and at times he has appeared restricted in the midfield. The signings of Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin are both indicative of the new ideology and Gerrard currently sticks out like a sore thumb often being unable to resist the temptation to pump a long-ball up towards Luis Suarez which has often caused the breakdown of attacks. Whether Rodgers can school the 32-year-old in his beliefs remains to be seen but as the old sayin goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.

This week on FFC what will Rodgers have learnt about his squad and managing the Reds in his short time at Anfield and which German ace is he closely monitoring?

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Best of FFC

Joe Allen: Overrated or Undervalued?

Why FSG need to step up to the plate here

A genuine cause for concern at Liverpool?

What are the ‘key things’ Brendan Rodgers will have learnt by now?

Has he leapfrogged him at Anfield Already?

Liverpool keeping tabs on German ace

Brendan Rodgers insists transfer signing was never on the cards

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Best of WEB

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Should Sterling Just Be Allowed To Shine? – Live 4 Liverpool

‘I’m worried’ – John Barnes reveals his fears for ‘fantastic’ LFC star’s future… – Liverpool Kop

Jonjo Shelvey: Coming of Age – This is Anfield

I’m in charge! Rodgers dismisses FSG’s big transfer idea. Good news? – Liverpool Kop

A Tactical Glossary – Some Terms for the Modern Age – The Tomkins Times

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Time For Gerrard To Choose – Live 4 Liverpool

Liverpool – The Truth at last – This is Anfield

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Quote of the Week

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“I’ve never had a problem with Pepe. He’s been brilliant for me. He’s a key member of the squad here. Absolutely first class, he’s been. He understands what it is I’m trying to do. He understands the philosophy and he’s a really, really good guy. Off the field, he’s important for the group, he’s a big voice in the changing room, and I’ve had no feelings at all that he’s ever wanted to leave. I’ve never felt anything like that whatsoever. I’ve good communication with him. I speak regularly with Pepe. He’s one of the senior players.” Brendan Rodgers dismisses speculation Pepe Reina could leave Liverpool

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When Manchester City splashed out £25m for Samir Nasri in the summer of 2011 they were looking at the creative linchpin of the Arsenal midfield. The Frenchman at the time was touted as one of the best across Europe and a guaranteed starter for all but every one of Europe’s top clubs.

It would be wrong of me to label Nasri a flop, yet he has seemingly dazzled and disappointed in equal measure during his City career. Rather than being the focal point of a midfield, he has become just a cog in  City’s Premier League machine and at times he has suffered because of it.

Altercations with management and an apparent ambivalence towards his footballing life seemed to leave the Frenchman treading water at an age when he should have been kicking on to new heights. In some part put down to the management style of Roberto Mancini and for others simply the ferocity of the competition at City, most would agree that Nasri struggled to assert himself fully in his opening couple of seasons.

Under new man Manuel Pellegrini this all looks set to change.

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Nasri has already equalled his Premier League goal haul from last season, and his 24 created chances leaves him impressively just behind David Silva in first for the whole league. Indeed statistics aside this appears a far more convincing spell of performances from the 26 year old and it is no surprise therefore that City find themselves in such excellent goal scoring form.

The Frenchman was quick to thank his manager for aiding his return to form, citing getting over the troubles of last season as central to his revival:

“Last year was a bit difficult for me personally because of the problem I had in the Euros and other stuff,” Nasri said.

“So this summer, I cleared my head and came back with determination to have a great season. But right now everything is fine. I’m in a better place and that’s what I want.”

Nasri enjoyed his best form under Arsene Wenger, and it was his style of management that was most conducive to his development, he drew similarities between new man Pellegrini and his former boss Wenger whilst speaking to Sky Sports:

“He does remind me of Arsene in respect of the way he works, he has the same approach in the way he talks to players and tells them when things are good and when they are bad.

“But it’s always constructive and you always know what he wants form you, and what you to bring to the team. I feel that he trusts me and that he gives me responsibilities on the pitch. When you have a manager like that, you want to repay that sort of faith – and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

City’s midfield is as robust as it is dynamic, the likes of Toure and Fernandinho offering the spine to Silva and Nasri’s flamboyance. In terms of creative expression City have two of the best in the league, and it was only a question of time before Nasri rose to the level expected of him.

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At 26 Nasri is heading into the peak of career, no longer should he be considered one for the future, it is time for him to push on and impress and from my point of view he is heeding this call. The tumultuous days of fallouts with club and country appear thankfully to be over, and hopefully now the diminutive Frenchman can get on with what he does best.

The Pellegrini era at City hasn’t been without its problems so far, but his ability to get the best out of Nasri is surely one of his best pieces of work so far. Even within the star studded squad the Frenchman stands out as one of the best and if City can continue to harness his abilities then they are surely onto a winner.

Are we finally beginning to see the best of Samir Nasri?

Join the debate below

With the summer transfer window looming in, every Premier League club will be looking to tailor their roster in time for next season. Although fans much prefer the often hyperbolic and unfounded stories regarding their team’s future purchases, in order to make room for new recruits to bring improvements to the squad, room has to first be made by getting rid of some of the deadwood.

Liverpool, just as any club, have a number of stars who have become surplus to requirements, and are furthermore no longer cost effective. Whilst at Anfield their generation of promising youngsters is finally coming through, there are plenty of senior players who’ve overstayed their welcome, and are no longer living up to expectations.

We’ve complied a list of five Reds players whose tenure on Merseyside is set to be cut short in the summer, unless they fancy making the rare walk across Stanley Park and switch allegiances to Everton.

Click Here or on Stewart Downing to reveal the Five Liverpool stars set for the transfer list.

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It is testimony to not only Borussia Dortmund as a club but Jurgen Klopp as a coach that while many were writing the team off as `one hit wonders`, for replacing Bayern Munich as Bundesliga champions, they got on with the job of taking another giant leap forward. That would entail transferring their domestic dominance on to the stage of Europe`s premier club competition, a tough ask considering their poor showing 12 months earlier when they bowed out, with a whimper, after the group stage.

The task became even more daunting when the draw for the Champions` League qualifying group was made putting the champions of Germany, Spain, Holland and England into Group D. Very few pundits outside Dortmund`s home in the industrial heartland of the Ruhr expected Germany`s team of the moment to emerge from the group, let alone unbeaten but that`s exactly what happened. And top of the group for good measure.

Jurgen Klopp`s team made the best possible start to what many considered the toughest of groups with a 1-0 home victory over Ajax. They could have made the winning margin more emphatic but for a missed penalty from Mats Hummels. But they stuck at the task with typical patience and were rewarded three minutes from time with the only goal of the game when the player who was to prove their talisman on the way to the final at Wembley, Robert Lewandowski, scored.

Matchday 2 took Dortmund to the Etihad where their reduced level of expectation was the polar opposite of Manchester City`s cash-fuelled Champions` League dream. Borussia went ahead through German Footballer of the Year Marco Reus, a surprise capture from Borussia Monchengladbach, and would have secured back to back wins but for a late penalty equaliser from the enigmatic Mario Balotelli.

Such was the high quality of Dortmund`s performance on the night that coach Jurgen Klopp said afterwards.

“We were almost terrified out there at how perfectly our plan came together.”

The next fixture would, in many peoples` eyes, be the most testing as far as how well Borussia would fare in this season`s Champions` League.

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Quietly and confidently Dortmund went into that, their third group fixture, at home to Real Madrid, and it was the eventual 2-1 victory that made the rest of Europe stand up and take note as the German champions served notice they would be no respecters of Real`s history and standing. Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring late in the first half before Cristiano Ronaldo restored parity. Marcel Schmelzer`s goal shortly after the restart not only gave Dortmund the platform for eventual victory over Madrid but sent them top of the table, a position they were not to relinquish.

The reigning Bundesliga champions cemented their leadership of Group D with a 2-2 draw away to Real Madrid. They would have claimed an historic double over the Spanish side but for a late equaliser, in the 89th minute, from a Mezut Ozil free kick. Marco Reus opened the scoring for the visitors before an equaliser from the unlikely Pepe got Real back into the game. Alvaro Arbelo then put through his own goal to put Dortmund in the driving seat before Ozil saved Jose Mourinho a few blushes with a point saver.

In week five Dortmund went to former European Cup giants Ajax and swept them aside with a 4-1 win. Goals from Reus, Goetze and two from Lewandowski rendered a late Ajax goal mere consolation and set up a final group game with winless Manchester City. The Premier League champions needed victory for more reasons than just three points as no team had ever gone through a Champions` League qualifying group without securing at least one win. But that was the albatross Mancini`s men were burdened with as Julian Schieber scored the only goal of the game in the second half to secure top spot on Group D and send the German champions through to a last 16 showdown with Shakhtar Donetsk.

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Rather prophetically, in the aftermath of Champions` League exit, Roberto Mancini likened City`s situation to that which Dortmund suffered the year previously when they too went out after the group stage. The Italian said that.

“This year I think Dortmund can win the Champions` League.”

The transfer window is a time when the media spotlight focuses primarily on potential new arrivals, but managers will be equally eager to unload those undesirable names from their rosters. As wage bills and financial incentives come under increased scrutiny, it won’t just be Arsenal football club looking to save money at every available avenue.

Very few Premier League bosses will have received a blank checkbook from their chairman this Christmas and will instead have to operate under the popular nightclub policy of ‘one in, one out’. Therefore I have decided to compile a list of those players who are out of favour or perhaps surplus to requirements and will be offered up on a platter to those that show even a fleeting interest.

Click on Liverpool and England’s forgotten man Joe Cole to see the full countdown

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There are few clubs in England that have a greater tradition of putting faith in youth players than West Ham, so much so that it is known as the academy of football in some quarters. With Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe just some of the many examples in recent years and the current Hammers boss, Sam Allardyce, believes it is vitally important that clubs look to develop their youth set-ups for the sake of the future:

“I think that every football club’s strategy should be to develop young players and I think there should be more emphasis on it than there has been in recent years. The problem is that results are everything in the Barclays Premier League and everybody focuses far too much just on that. People forget that development and long term strategies are extremely important.

“West Ham’s history is one of the best, the development of players at West Ham has been an outstanding bonus to the football club over many years. Tony Carr has done an absolutely terrific job but unfortunately it is getting more and more difficult due to the circumstances that we have to work under. There is more development money coming into the game but yet again it is still a question of time. There really isn’t enough time.

“We don’t have enough qualified coaches in this country and until we get that sorted out and act in the same way as we did towards the Olympics, we will not develop the next generation of top players for the England team.

“From a club perspective at West Ham we work very hard to get as many academy graduates in the West Ham side as we possibly can. At the moment we have got Mark Noble, Jack Collison, James Tomkins and Danny Potts who is only 18. We are on the right track but we should be developing more.”

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For more insight from Sam Allardyce and other leading managers plus exclusive Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

Former Tottenham playmaker Rafael van der Vaart has refused to rule out a move to QPR, although he admitted there has been no official contact yet.

The Dutch playmaker has emerged as a target for the Super Hoops in recent weeks, with manager Harry Redknapp understood to be keen to set up a reunion with him.

‘Arry snapped up the now 31-year-old in 2010 while in charge of Spurs, and the pair enjoyed a productive spell with the Lilywhites making it into the Champions League quarter-finals with the silky passer netting over 20 goals in the Premier League over two seasons.

WANT MORE? >> QPR transfer news | Latest transfer news

Van der Vaart left England in 2012 to re-join Hamburg, but with the German side having only narrowly avoided relegation last term there is talk of him moving on.

Although the former Real Madrid and Ajax man says that he hasn’t been talking to QPR, he opened the door for a switch by revealing that he loved working under Redknapp in the past:

“Harry Redknapp has not been in touch with me. He has not phoned me.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.

“In football you never know, but so far we have not been in touch.

“Harry Redknapp and I enjoyed a really great relationship back at Tottenham. He is a top-quality manager.

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“I was in great form back then. I scored 12 (Premier League) goals in one season and I netted 13 in the other season.”

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Manchester City escaped with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

The German visitors went into the lead in the second half when Marco Reus capitalised on a Jack Rodwell error, and could have increased their lead only for an excellent performance from Joe Hart.

With the Premier League champions staring defeat in the face, Mario Balotelli netted a last-minute penalty to ensure spoils were shared.

Roberto Mancini admitted that Hart’s saves spared his side’s blushes and praised Dortmund.

“I think that Joe saved us. He did very, very well,” the Italian told Sky Sports.

“Today we deserved to concede three or four goals. We didn’t play well. We didn’t play well because Borussia Dortmund played better than us.

“They probably at this moment are a better team than us. If we want to play in the Champions League we have to play better than tonight.

“We have to run and fight. It’s not enough to just pass. The Champions League is another situation – different from the championship. We have to run and fight. It’s not enough to just have quality,” he concluded.

Real Madrid beat Ajax 4-1 in the other game in Group D.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain believes that the growing level of competition within the England team is a good thing for all involved.

The Arsenal attacker is one of a host of top young players to have made the squad for Wednesday’s friendly with Denmark as Roy Hodgson steps up his plans for the World Cup.

The Three Lions coach is believed to be willing to test inexperienced players between now and the summer as he looks to settle on his final 23, which has been reflected by call-ups for the likes of Luke Shaw, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Adam Lallana.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to be involved in tough a battle for a spot in the squad, but he is happy with the amount of quality and depth in the current set-up:

“It is definitely the biggest England squad that I’ve been in. It is nice to see a lot of faces of your peers and people you play in the Premier League every week,” he is quoted by The Express.

“To get everyone together is exciting and the competition for places ups the level and tunes everyone in. That can only be a good thing.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain went on to lavish special praise on England newbie Shaw – whom he saw come through the Southampton youth ranks while at the club:

“He has been absolutely outstanding this season. He has matured and been consistently playing at an unbelievable level.

“Growing up at Southampton, where he was a few years younger than me, I have always known he is a fantastic player.

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“He has shot up, grown physically and taken that maturity into first team. It has been a rapid rise but he has taken it really well.”

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