Patrick Viera says Manchester City have put their big-spending days behind them and are now looking to develop their own players, talkSPORT reports.
Since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008, City have spent a colossal £400million on new Premier League signings, but Viera insists the focus now lies with bringing younger players through the ranks, as the new Manchester City Football Academy is expected to be completed by 2014.
The new facility will have accommodation for junior and senior players, a 7,000 capacity stadium and classrooms for 200 students, while also becoming the centre for all the club’s operations.
The former Arsenal midfielder is now the Football Development Executive at City and played a key role in the planning stages for the academy.
He explained the club’s old transfer policy and why they have decided to change their approach.
”In the past we spent money because we wanted to build a successful team quickly. When you want to bring in big-name players you have to spend money.
“Now we have a really young team and in football there are always cycles. I believe Manchester City are now starting a cycle that will give us time to start working with youth team players,” he said.
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Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has stated that he respects the Europa League and will field his strongest possible side against Panathinaikos on Thursday night.
Harry Redknapp berated the competition last year as a curse, however the Portuguese trainer is eager to achieve success on the continent.
“The profile of the competition is raised in other countries, but not England. I don’t understand it,” he told reporters, published in The Sun.
“I’m also not in a position to criticise other managers’ approach to the competition. But ask my goalkeeping coach Tony Parkes about when he won the UEFA Cup with our club in 1984.
“When English clubs were later banned from Europe it was every single club’s ambition to play in European competitions.
“I respect the competition. I certainly think it is viewed as a punishment in England and I cannot understand why. It is a traditional trophy.
“We have lost the Cup Winners’ Cup, which I did not think was a good decision. But it was taken to enrich the Europa League. It’s full of tradition, particularly in England, so that’s what surprises me about this attitude even more.
“The overall objective is to get the points to progress in this competition. But there is obviously an education process that goes with that.
“For us to go on and eventually win the Champions League I think we have to get used to playing in these situations, both physically and mentally.
“There is a rotation of players that can happen in certain positions. But I am always looking to field the strongest team possible,” he concluded.
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Spurs drew with Lazio 0-0 in their first game in the tournament.
No longer does the average Premier League fan, or football supporter in general turn up to a match at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon to watch their beloved side win, lose or draw and then forget about it until the following Saturday. Fans want to be kept in touch with what is happening with their club constantly, all day, and every day. It is simply part of the constitution of modern day football. Sky Sports have really been the catalysts in fuelling this culture now apparent in football, exemplified most greatly by Sky Sports News, which runs by the tag line ’24 hours a day, 7 days a week’.
The most recent exponent of this culture is Twitter. The main function of Twitter is that it is a medium in which the players can interact with their fans in a relatively safe environment. The problem is that it has become out of control. Very rarely does a day go by without hearing a negative Twitter news story and Twitter guidelines with the FA Code of Conduct highlights their concerns over it.
The problem with Twitter is that ultimately, it inhibits too many flaws. The first of these flaws is that it is too easy to Tweet. In the space of thirty seconds and four clicks on my phone, I can post a tweet. And this is dangerous when human emotion is involved. When ‘tweeting’, humans cannot be emotional. Ashley Cole found this to his detriment when he lambasted the FA following their reasons for suspending John Terry. He later said he regretted his tweet which was sent in the heat of the moment.
The second problem with Twitter is that fans, and players, are too irresponsible with it. The reality is that unfortunately most tweets are negative rather than positive. If fans mention a player in their tweet, it is more often than not to criticise rather than praise their performance. For example, earlier this week Kyle Walker revealed he had closed his Twitter account following the abuse he received from fans criticising his mistake which led to Chelsea’s fourth goal in their win on Saturday.
I would be interested to see the amount of praise he has received for his previous impressive performances in comparison to the abuse he has received in the last 3 days. I would cynically suggest he hasn’t being praised all that much. Players too, are culprits of irresponsible tweeting. I think that sometimes they forget what their main purpose for Twitter should be. In their role as professional footballers, they should communicate with fans in a positive way.
Too often players get caught up in a ‘slagging match’ with fans who are clearly just mindless idiots. Arsenal’s Emmanuel Frimpong was guilty of this in July when he called a fan a term which is derogatory towards race and ethnic origin. Too often players use Twitter as a forum to criticise authority bodies or fellow professional footballers which they must know will land them in hot water. Rio Ferdinand was a culprit of this when he labelled Ashley Cole a “choc-ice” following the trial involving John Terry and Anton Ferdinand. Both players were fined by the FA for their comments, and to this extent there is an argument to suggest that Twitter is just a way of getting footballers into trouble.
So can the FA just prevent players from using Twitter? Well, no. This is because Article 10 of the Human Rights Act states that ‘everyone has the right to freedom of expression’. With the risk of divulging, in many ways this ties in with the argument involving Alex Ferguson and Rio Ferdinand at the weekend. I thought it was interested to see Sir Alex Ferguson do a very uncharacteristic u-turn on Rio Ferdinand’s decision to not wear the ‘Kick It Out’ t-shirt. Ferdinand is entitled to his opinion, and I suspect that the United manager was advised wisely to retract his post-match Stoke comments in the pre-match Braga press conference.
The point about freedom of expression is an interesting one. This is because footballers believe that they should be entitled to it. And in many ways they should. The problem is that there is a great contradiction when considering freedom of expression. The contradiction lies between being able to express an opinion, and being responsible and accountable to your actions as a role model or a celebrity. It is Rio Ferdinand’s right to express his freedom, but in doing so he sacrifices the effectiveness of being a role model.
This being said, crucially there is no way of eradicating Twitter. However, is there no way of harnessing the damage that Twitter appears to cause? Are there any solutions? Well perhaps. I believe that players and clubs should utilise their websites more. If players want to post an opinion, then why not post it through the club website? If it too controversial, then chief editors of the website can advise them against posting it. Clubs already have their own pages on Twitter. So again, an alternative suggestion is to start ‘trending’ and ‘mentioning’ their clubs more often on their tweets.
It is important to note that not all footballers use Twitter as a way of venting their discontent. In fact, the vast majority do use it to how I mentioned they should use it at the beginning of the second paragraph, which is a way of interacting with their fans on their day to day involvements with their club. In my opinion, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero is an example of how a top footballer should use Twitter. He picks up an injury at the start of the season, updates his followers weekly on his progress and thanks them for their support. It’s quite simple. In doing this, he effectively turns a negative news story into a positive one.
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Additionally, there are examples when many footballers have used Twitter for good. The overriding example of this was when Fabrice Muamba suffered his Cardiac Arrest against Spurs in the FA Cup last season. ‘Pray for Muamba’ was constantly being tweeted from footballers on Twitter and that must have gone someway in giving Fabrice the confidence to come back from such a tragic state of affairs.
The final thing to add is that more than likely, Twitter will not always be around. Technology, and especially social media, is an ever changing phenomenon. It will surely only be a matter of time until the next craze comes along and blows Twitter out of the water.
As Manchester United currently sit top of the Premier League and have just stormed their way into the Champions League last-16, all seems to be rosy at Old Trafford.
Many believe this is due to their sheer firepower upfront with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez being the fearsome trio that have dug United out of so many holes already this season; Danny Welbeck is also on the fringes waiting to take his chance.
The arrival of Van Persie in particular has been hailed by some as arguably the biggest marquee signing of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at the club; and one which has helped to ease the goalscoring burden on Rooney.
It has led to comparisons with the legendary strike force of the treble-winning 1998/99 side, featuring Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
So it provokes the question of which strike force is better? The current trio have got off to a flyer; with Van Persie netting 11 times already this season, while Hernandez has six strikes to his name and Rooney has scored three times.
Meanwhile, with limited first-team opportunities in the current campaign, Welbeck has yet to break his duck.
In 1998/99, the four United strikers netted 76 goals between them, with Yorke scoring 29 times in his debut season at the club, Cole netting 24 times, Solskjaer adding 18 strikes to the tally, whilst Sheringham contributed with five.
At the end of May, it may be unwise to bet against the current United crop at least equalling or even bettering that total; with 20 goals between them already.
In order to judge which strikeforce is ultimately better, it comes down to comparing the attributes of the individual players involved.
With both players in their respective debut seasons at the club, it would be fair to compare Van Persie with Yorke. Both players in their prime are obviously capable of scoring goals on a regular basis, with Yorke quickly forming a good partnership alongside Cole; while the Dutchman has established a good rapport with Rooney.
However, I believe Van Persie has the edge in this particular comparison, as he can be a threat anywhere on the pitch and produce an individual piece of brilliance out of nothing. Despite Yorke being a superb finisher on his day, he perhaps did not have the same level of genius as the former Arsenal man.
As players, Van Persie may have the edge, but Yorke’s understanding with Cole seemed to be telepathic; not something you could say that with the same confidence in referring to the Dutchman’s working relationship alongside Rooney.
Rooney himself is the ideal support striker or foil man in the operation, finding the runs of Van Persie and Hernandez in space, but it remains to be seen whether he can formulate a similar level of understanding that Sheringham managed with Yorke, Cole and Solskjaer.
Finally, one must compare the supposed ‘super subs’, Javier Hernandez and Ole Gunnar Solkskjaer.
The Norwegian baby-faced assassin made a living out of coming off the bench to score crucial goals for Ferguson’s team; the most notable instance occurring in the 8-1 destruction of a hapless Nottingham Forest side, where Solskjaer came off the bench to score four goals.
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In comparison, ‘Chicharito’ has similar qualities, with his lightning finishing inside the box, but has not always come on with the same impact as Solskjaer.
Meanwhile in my opinion, Welbeck is the poorest of the three players, meaning the whole unit is let down as a whole. The 21-year-old works hard for the team and can hold the ball up reasonably well, but his finishing ability and ball control leaves a lot to be desired.
Despite United’s strike force containing superb individual talents, it has to be said that the ’99 forward line has the edge due to the incredible level of understanding between the four players. But the current crop will still score enough goals to ensure the team challenges for major honours once again.
Do you agree? I would love to hear your opinions on twitter. Follow me: @JamesHilsum
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has confirmed that discussions regarding Danny Simpson’s new contract have been suspended until the new year.
The right-back is a key part of the Premier League side’s defensive unit, but with his current deal due to expire at the end of the campaign, there are serious doubts about his long-term future.
However, Pardew revealed that Simpson’s plans rely heavily on the club’s fortunes in the January transfer market:
“Danny will have to wait and see what happens in the window,” He is quoted as saying by ESPN.
“The club has most players on long-term contracts and Danny is the exception to that.”
The 25-year-old has allegedly turned down a £25,000-per-week deal to extend his stay at the club, leading many to believe that ‘The Toon’ may look for a replacement during the winter.
It’s been rumoured the club may make another approach for Lille’s Mathieu Debuchy during January as a replacement. Pardew actively pursued the Frenchman during the summer, but was unable to conclude a deal despite the player openly wanting to move to St. James’ Park.
If Simpson does find himself forced out, the likes of Aston Villa and Fulham have been suggested as potential interested parties.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Pardew believes that Simpson is a useful member of his squad:
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“He is underrated by our fanbase, but his defensive work is important,
Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole has vowed to be a hit at Anfield after two years of struggle to break into the Reds first team.
Cole scored in Liverpool’s Europa League draw with Young Boys on Thursday and after a successful loan spell with Lille last season, the former West Ham youngster will do everything he can to be successful on Merseyside.
“It was nice to be out and playing. It’s been a long time since I got one in front of the Kop.
“It was my third game back from injury and I’ve felt stronger in every game I’ve played.
“But there’s no rocket science about it — if you’re a footballer and you return from injury for one game and after that you play a second, you feel a little bit better and in the third game, you feel better still.
“You have more fitness and match strength. I’ll continue to try my best and we’ll see what happens.
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“I just need to keep going and keep plugging away.”
Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy is well known to all that have followed the Gunners in recent years. Buy young, undeveloped talent, turn them into world class players and then sell them on at a decent profit when they get too big for their boots. This worked successfully with the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, but more recently the club has struggled to hang onto their better players, losing Cesc Fabregas last summer, while Robin Van Persie felt the grass was greener elsewhere this year.
Wenger won’t stop his transfer policy though despite the club’s lack of success in recent years, but for every Henry and Vieira, there’s another 20 youngsters who were brought out of obscurity only to never make the grade with Arsenal. Before Wenger, George Graham and Bruce Rioch were more traditional in their transfer methods, but still bought some rubbish all the same. Check out the worst XI signings made by Arsenal in the Premier League era.
Click on Nelson Vivas to unveil the XI
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QPR are set to make an audacious bid for Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila, according to reports from The Metro.
The French international has been heavily linked with Tottenham and Arsenal in recent months, but it appears that Super Hoops boss Harry Redknapp is confident that he can complete a £7.5m move.
Spurs failed with a £15m bid over the summer, but QPR believe that they can snatch him for around half of that figure, with the player keen to play in the Premier League.
Redknapp is likely to receive substantial backing from the Loftus Road-based outfit’s board this January, as they look to avoid relegation to the second tier.
M’Vila, 22, is thought to be high on ‘Arry’s list of targets, as the former Portsmouth and Southampton coach looks to bolster his squad.
It’s unclear as to whether Arsenal or Tottenham will reignite their interest in the holding midfielder, which could play into QPR’s hands.
M’Vila is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in his home nation and has been capped 22 times at senior international level.
Meanwhile, The London club are said to be preparing a swoop for former Chelsea star Nicolas Anelka.
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The striker is reportedly unsettled at new club Shanghai Shenhua and clould be allowed to leave.
Out-of-favour Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin is on the verge of a move to Reading, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
The Royals’ Russian owner Anton Zingaervich is thought to be extremely keen on the 31-year-old, who has been a bit part player under Arsene Wenger this season.
The Gunners are said to be willing to offload the man they signed for £15m this January, as he could leave for free at the end of the season once his contract expires.
Arshavin is reportedly taking the offer made by the newly promoted side seriously, as it may be his last chance of regular Premier League football.
Reading are willing to pay £2m to draft him in next month, as they attempt to add some creative flair to their struggling squad.
Manager Brian McDermott has stated that he is looking to add experience to his ranks, which would make the Russian captain an ideal candidate.
Arshavin has made over 100 appearances for Arsenal since his arrival in 2009 and has also earned 75 international caps.
Reading are likely to face competition for his signature, with former club Zenit Saint Petersburg rumoured to be interested.
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Fulham are also monitoring the situation and are thought to have made an official enquiry.
It is also believed that a number of clubs in the Middle East would be willing to take on the attacking midfielder, who could be tempted by one last lucrative contract.
Martin O’Neill is preparing to offer Connor Wickham to Swansea in order to push through the transfer of Danny Graham, the Telegraph understand.
The Sunderland boss is desperate to sign Graham before the transfer deadline shuts up shop on Thursday evening, with a £5million feel thought to have been agreed with the South Wales club.
It’s believed the Gateshead-born frontman wants to return to the North East after struggling for game time at the Liberty Stadium this season, due to the impressive form of Michu, with personal reasons also being cited.
Swans boss Michael Laudrup is prepared to offload the 27-year-old and O’Neill is now scrambling to push the deal over the line before the deadline with Premier League rivals Norwich and Stoke still interested.
Reports are now suggesting that England under-21 international Wickham will be used as a makeweight to speed up Graham’s protracted switch and O’Neill is hoping Swansea will agree to take him on loan until May.
The 19-year-old has struggled to make the desired impact since arriving at the Stadium of Light in an £8m move from Ipswich in June 2011.
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He has struggled to dislodge Steven Fletcher as Sunderland’s central striker this term, making just two starts, and O’Neill is hoping the extra exposure to first team football will stand him in good stead.
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