Month: March 2021

Thomas Partey admits the start of his Arsenal career has been a “difficult moment” after Rio Ferdinand likened Mikel Arteta’s squad to a “promiscuous girlfriend”.

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Partey has started just ten Premier League games this season with three separate injuries keeping him out for the majority of the campaign after his £45million move from Atletico Madrid.

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Rio Ferdinand took aim at Partey earlier this week, but the Ghanaian insists his fitness issues were part of his adaptation to Premier League football and he’s now ready to kickstart his Arsenal career.

“Yes it was a difficult moment to get used to how the team play and I think the injuries are part of the adaptation and now I feel good,” Partey said ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League last-16 first leg against Olympiacos.

“I think this is just the starting. I’m starting to get used to how my mates play and how the Premier League goes. With time everything will be good.”

Ferdinand had a go at Partey along with the whole of the Gunners squad, likening them to a “promiscuous girlfriend”.

“Partey, that’s another one, he’s never fit,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. “He keeps coming back and breaking down!

“They’ve got good players there but for some reason, I don’t know what’s happening, it just isn’t coming together consistently at the moment.”

Partey also defended Granit Xhaka after his blunder for Burnley’s equaliser in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Turf Moor on Saturday.

“I think he’s a great player,” Partey added. “We all know he works hard for the club, he works hard for his team-mates when he’s on the pitch.

“We have to keep raising each other, keep fighting for each other and that’s how we are going to have a good game. It doesn’t matter who we play with we have to do our best.”

 

Everton goalkeeper Robin Olsen and his family were the victims of an armed robbery at their home at the weekend.

A masked gang armed with machetes stole jewellery from the house near Altrincham in Greater Manchester.

Sweden goalkeeper Olsen, on loan from Roma this season, was at home with his wife and two young children at the time of the attack.

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Everton have offered Olsen, 31, and his family support in the wake of the attack, which left them shaken though not physically hurt.

Olsen has recently been sidelined by injury and has not figured in a matchday squad since the 2-0 win over Liverpool on February 20.

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Last month, the home of Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was targeted when two men stole a safe from the property in Crosby, Merseyside.

 

A puzzling fee in Sheffield Wednesday’s latest set of accounts could indicate the amount Mike Ashley spent to bring Steve Bruce to Newcastle.

It is posited that the ‘Confidential Compensation Package’ totalling an ‘eye-watering’ £6,475,000 was paid by Newcastle to the South Yorkshire club to take Bruce to St James’ Park, reports The Shield Gazette.

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The fee – which would also include compensation for assistants Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence – would be higher than any amount received by Wednesday for the sale of a player.

Dr Dan Plumley, a football finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told the Sheffield Star on ‘Confidential Compensation Packages’: “Usually it’s linked to the early termination of contracts. More often than not, when you see higher numbers in this it’s a player or a managerial contract.

“We obviously don’t know the full details, as it is stated, it’s confidential. But normally these things are related to contractual obligations for players or managers.”

Bruce is currently under huge pressure following reports of his cowardice and a run of poor results leaving them just one point clear of the drop zone.

 

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Mark Lawrenson thinks Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp looks “battered and bewildered” this season but has “not lost his competitiveness”.

The Reds are currently going through a terrible run of form with their 1-0 home loss to Fulham on Sunday their sixth defeat in a row at Anfield.

That result sees them seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and 22 points adrift of Manchester City at the summit.

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And Lawrenson thinks Klopp is struggling to find answers to his current slump at Liverpool with the German boss looking “battered and bewildered”.

Lawrenson told talkSPORT: “I think when we talk about him now, we have to factor in that he lost his mum a few weeks ago and he couldn’t even go to her funeral.

“There will be a little part of him thinking ‘is football that important?’

Lawrenson added: “He’s not lost his competitiveness. As a manager, once you’ve had that fantastic high of winning leagues and Champions Leagues you kind of think you should win every time you go out and play.

“I think he’s battered and bewildered. I think he’s looking and thinking ‘what exactly can we do?’

“If they can keep a clean sheet that would be a first at the moment, something to build on.

“It’s no slight on the lads who’ve come in and played but they are no [Virgil] Van Dijk or [Joe] Gomez and, to a certain degree, they are no [Joel] Matip.

“At this point, the regular front three look like they’re running on empty. Apart from bringing in [Diogo] Jota, there’s not a lot else they can do because the likes of [Divock] Origi and [Xherda]) Shaqiri are good players but they’re not top, top players.

“They will come back. They’ve got too many outstanding players and there’s no doubt he will add to that in the summer. Everyone is already guessing about who he’s going to take.

“They’ve basically not had any proper rest. At the end of every season, you need to have a month off, away from football.

“While you love your teammates and everything is good, you see them more than your wife throughout the course of a season and you get fed up.

“They don’t get many days off any more. Sometimes you just want them away from the football club where they can get on with normal life and can actually look forward to coming back and training.”

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They thought it was all over but…

 

Craig Dawson
‘Underwhelmed’ is probably the nicest way of describing West Ham fans’ reaction to the loan signing of Dawson back in October. The 30-year-old couldn’t get in Watford’s team through the first month of the Championship season, but Dawson has established himself as one of the most astute signings of 2020.

West Ham have made a few of those in the last year or so. Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal were discovered in Prague, while Jesse Lingard was plucked from Man Utd’s scrapheap.

Taking United’s cast-offs is one thing; rehoming Watford’s strays is quite another. But once Dawson worked his way into David Moyes’ XI – he sat out the first 11 games – the Hammers went three games without conceding in a sequence of four wins in five games.

With Dawson playing every minute of the last 12 matches, West Ham have lost only twice – to Liverpool and Manchester City – while keeping six clean sheets. Dawson has also weighed in with three goals while Moyes and his Hammers make us question everything we ever knew about anything…

 

Antonio Rudiger
Frank Lampard didn’t much fancy the Germany defender. The ex-Chelsea boss exiled Rudiger from his match-day squad for a month prior to the transfer window closing, refusing even to take him to Barnsley for a Carabao Cup tie.

The £30million signing from Roma was relegated to fifth choice, with Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori all ahead of him in the pecking order. Lampard’s issue with Rudiger was never clear, and it certainly did not affect his standing with the Germany national team; he started all five of their matches in October and November.

When Chelsea failed to shift Rudiger before the deadline in October, Lampard at least offered the 30-year-old a place on his bench. Against Newcastle towards the end of November, he even let Rudiger play.

It was another six games before he was seen again in the Premier League, by which time Lampard was probably willing to try anything. Rudiger featured in three of Lampard’s last four matches, and when the axe fell on the Chelsea boss, the defender sprang to his defence.

But that doesn’t mean Rudiger wasn’t bloody delighted to see compatriot Thomas Tuchel take over. Since Tuchel’s arrival, prior to being granted ‘a little break’ against Everton on Monday, Rudiger hadn’t missed a Premier League minute during Chelsea’s fine start under their new boss.

The talk now is not of finding a move away from Chelsea but extending the contract which expires next year.

 

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Joao Cancelo
The Portugal full-back had a tricky first year at Manchester City. So much so that reports suggested City tried in both windows since signing Cancelo to get rid of him once more.

Numerous stories claimed both the player and his manager were ready to try something new after Cancelo was given only 13 starts during a season he spent most of his time watching from the bench. The line most pedalled involved a three-way deal which would have seen City replace Cancelo with Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo.

But the deal never transpired. So rather than re-sell Cancelo, Pep Guardiola reinvented him.

Cancelo remains a full-back but no longer is defending his primary role – if it ever is for a Guardiola defender. Cancelo is now a playmaker, a false 2.

The 26-year-old can defend – there were doubts about that last season – but when City are in possession, as they have been for 65% of their season, Cancelo moves inside and forward to pull the strings. His presence in midfield also allows Ilkay Gundogan to get forward, which has resulted in the German scoring 11 goals in his last 16 Premier League matches.

Cancelo’s rebirth has been one of the stories of City’s season, especially since his career at the Etihad appeared dead and buried.

 

John Stones
Stones appeared even higher on Pep’s sh*t list than Cancelo…

Guardiola stopped trusting Stones towards the end of the 2018/19 season just when the title race was getting interesting. Even when he lost Vincent Kompany without replacing the veteran, Stones wasn’t in the picture. He was given just a dozen Premier League starts last term, then City belatedly signed a couple of centre-backs.

The assumption was that Stones would be moved on, especially while the clock ticked down on his contract. Perhaps had there been interest last summer, he would have been.

Instead, Stones has stuck around and struck up a partnership with Ruben Dias which has become the foundation for City’s procession towards the title. Now it seems Aymeric Laporte, once considered a fixture in Pep’s XI, could be the one cut adrift.

 

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Daniel Amartey
The Leicester utility man hadn’t played a Premier League game in almost two years when he was chucked in to a reshaped side when the Foxes went to Manchester City at the start of the season. It went as well as Brendan Rodgers could possibly have dreamed…

Since then, Amartey has established himself as a key member of Rodgers’ squad, which is quite the turnaround for the 26-year-old, who had become the forgotten man at the King Power. Prior to slotting into a back three at the Etihad, Amartey last played a league game on October 27, 2018 – the fateful night when Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was among five killed when his helicopter came down just after taking off from the King Power centre-circle.

Amartey had been carried from the pitch in added time with an ankle injury which threatened his career. He missed the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign and the entirety of last season. Leicester stood by the Ghanaian by giving him a new deal within eight weeks of his injury, perhaps not expected him to remain sidelined for 21 more months.

When he returned, Amartey had further hamstring problems to overcome but since Christmas, the former FC Copenhagen star has remained consistently available to Rodgers, who has grown to appreciate his versatility.

“He’s such a great guy, very honest to the game, been out for a long, long time and had a couple of setbacks along the way,” said Rodgers after Amartey scored his first goal since 2016 at Brighton on Saturday. “But he gives you everything, wherever you play him, he’s played in some big performances for us this year.”

 

 

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David Moyes sent a warning to Manchester United and Arsenal as West Ham continue their unlikely bid for a Champions League spot.

The Hammers boss admitted his high-flying side were not at their best as they beat Leeds 2-0 on Monday night to move up to fifth.

West Ham head to Old Trafford on Sunday and play their game in hand at home to Arsenal the following weekend.

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Moyes said: “The biggest step is that the players are really disappointed with how they played against Leeds so that shows you the standards we have set most of the season.

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“But it’s a good sign that they are all on board with that and recognised it.

“We are in a good position and we are really pleased we are up challenging the top boys. If you had given me Sheffield United at home, Tottenham at home, Leeds United at home and said ‘you’ll win the three games’ I would have said ‘what a really good return that is’.

“There is a five-game batch which included Monday then Manchester United and Arsenal, plus the two games before and I saw that as a five-game batch which I thought looked like really difficult games before the international break.

“I had an idea of how many points we can take from them and we have just won two games. I know we lost at Manchester City the other week but out of those three we have won two which is a great return.

“We have now got Manchester United and Arsenal in that group of five games which I have been looking at and if we can get another win it would be a good return from this group of games.”

 

Jesse Lingard, who will miss the United game under the terms of his loan deal, opened the scoring against Leeds by converting the rebound after Illan Meslier saved his penalty.

Craig Dawson headed the second to condemn Leeds to a fourth defeat in five matches.

Boss Marcelo Bielsa took responsibility for the goals his side are conceding.

“The answer I give you opens up another type of analysis because having had defenders who have played so well, you start to think why have we conceded so many,” he said.

“In this case, I think there’s a responsibility from myself because if you have good footballers to recover the ball and the team concedes goals, inadvertently the coach is involved.”

 

Joachim Low has announced that he will leave his position as Germany head coach after Euro 2021 with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp linked to the job.

Low has been in charge of the German national side for the last 15 years with the former Fenerbahce boss taking over from Jurgen Klinsmann in 2006.

He finished runner-up in Euro 2008 before leading Die Mannschaft to World Cup glory in 2014 and he will have one final chance to bring another trophy to his homeland before he leaves.

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Announcing his departure Low said: “I take this step very consciously, full of pride and enormous gratitude, but at the same time continue to be very motivated when it comes to the upcoming European Championship tournament.

“Proud, because it is something very special and an honor for me to be involved in my country.

“And because I have been able to work with the best footballers in the country for almost 17 years and support them in their development.

“I have great triumphs with them and painful defeats, but above all many wonderful and magical moments – not just winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“I am and will remain grateful to the DFB, which has always provided me and the team with an ideal working environment.”

The news has sparked panic on social media over the possibility of Klopp leaving Liverpool to take on the role, with the former Borussia Dortmund and Mainz head coach linked with the job along with Bayern Munich’s Hansi Flick.

Klopp is currently experiencing one of his worst periods in management with his defending champions sitting in eighth position in the Premier League after losing six straight home games.

And the Liverpool manager refused to rule out taking the Germany job in the future when asked about it last year.

Klopp said at the time: “Wow, I thought that is one of the questions I answered most often in my life!

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“In the future, maybe. Now? No. I have no time, I have a job – a pretty intense job by the way!

“I’m not sure if anyone asked for me or whatever, but if they don’t know, I have a job at Liverpool. And even though the weather is bad again, I like it!

 

Man Utd have reportedly been given a boost in their pursuit of Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.

The 24-year-old is rumoured to be a top target for chiefs at Old Trafford.

They’ve identified Coman as an alternative to Dortmund wonderkid Jadon Sancho, given his ability to play on either flank.

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According to German outlet Kicker (via Daily Mail), Coman has rejected a contract extension from Bayern.

He was offered a major new deal lasting until June 2026 but is holding out for more money.

The player earns £140,000 a week as part of his current contract, which runs until 2023.

He wants to be made a top earner in Bavaria with a wage eclipsing £200,000 a week.

Man Utd are desperate to land Coman, which means they will be monitoring the talks closely.

The Red Devils are open to almost doubling his wages to £260,000 a week.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is searching for a new right winger to bolster his attacking options.

He is a big admirer of Sancho but Dortmund are unlikely to sell this summer.

Bayern, meanwhile, could be open to letting Coman leave if he fails to agree on an acceptable wage.

Coman, once coveted as one of the best teenagers on the planet, has won countless trophies already in his career.

He’s won league titles in Germany, Italy and France since making his professional debut in 2012.

The France international featured in Bayern’s 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in last season’s Champions League.

More importantly, he scored the winning goal in the final against former club Paris Saint-Germain.

Coman is a top performer who would provide plenty of talent and experience to Solskjaer’s team.

He would almost certainly adapt well to life in the Premier League.

This campaign, he’s achieved 13 goal contributions in just 19 Bundesliga games.

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Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen will reportedly be offered a new contract after impressing boss Thomas Tuchel.

The 24-year-old has featured ten times in the Premier League this campaign.

He played in the Blues’ recent victory over Liverpool, helping to keep a clean sheet against the reigning champions.

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According to The Telegraph, Chelsea will open contract talks with Christensen in the coming weeks.

They’ve been impressed by his solid displays in defence since Tuchel joined the club in January.

The Denmark international has attracted interest from several European sides.

Chelsea will therefore offer him a major new deal to prevent any interest from turning into bids.

Christensen’s current contract expires in 2022, with Chelsea set to offer him a long-term extension.

The Blues have only lost once in the league this season when Christensen has featured.

Alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger in defence, he managed to keep Liverpool’s famed front three at bay.

Christensen anchored the back three in Tuchel’s favoured 3-4-3 formation.

The German manager, who was in charge of Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Stamford Bridge, wants Christensen to assume that role in the future.

The player has plenty of competition at centre-back, however.

Kurt Zouma has played 25 times already this season.

Christensen will also have to deal with Brazilian Thiago Silva when he returns from a thigh injury.

Christensen is one of several Chelsea players to be enjoying a seeming renaissance under Tuchel.

Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso have played more often since the departure of Frank Lampard.

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The trio started in their close 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last month.

Giroud scored a brilliant overhead kick to provide Chelsea with the advantage in their round of 16 tie.

Keeping Atletico forwards Luis Suarez and Joao Felix from scoring helped to improve Christensen’s reputation further.

The defender looks set to start as Chelsea host Everton on Monday in the Prem.

Mark Lawrenson warns Steven Gerrard that managing Liverpool is “on a different spectrum” to being in charge of Rangers.

There has been speculation that the Reds are lining up Gerrard to take over from Jurgen Klopp when he eventually leaves Anfield in the future.

The rumours have increased in recent days with Gerrard guiding Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years, while Liverpool have been going through a period of terrible form.

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However. Liverpool legend Lawrenson thinks it would be a “massive step” for Gerrard and adds that Klopp “won’t be losing his job anytime soon”.

“What I would say is that, for all the success at Rangers, managing Liverpool is on a different spectrum,” Lawrenson wrote on BBC Sport.

“It would be a massive step. It would be a big gamble for the club’s owners – Fenway Sports Group – to appoint him.

“I think the one-eyed Liverpool fan would be saying ‘Get Stevie G in’ if Jurgen Klopp were to leave, but I think others would take a step back and go: ‘He’s done an absolutely fabulous job at Rangers, he was a great player, but maybe he would need to take another job in the Premier League first’.”

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Lawrenson added: “I also don’t see Klopp going anywhere. He has been as close to Bill Shankly as the club have ever had, he won’t be losing his job anytime soon.

“The trouble for Steven then is that other managers who have moved on from their first job as a stepping stone to something bigger end up not having the same success, so he has to be very, very careful.

“He’ll already be thinking about winning the Premiership again next season and the chance for a shot in the Champions League with Rangers will be at the forefront of his thinking too.”