Gareth Bale struck twice to stretch Tottenham’s unbeaten run to seven games in a relatively comfortable 3-1 win against QPR at White Hart Lane.
The Welsh winger scored in each half, sandwiching a Rafael Van der Vaart strike, to send Harry Redknapp’s men into fifth and put their poor start to the season firmly behind them. The duo gave Spurs a two goal advantage going half time before Jay Bothroyd nodded in his first goal for Rangers to give their travelling fans hope of a comeback. Those thoughts were quickly dashed as Bale tied the game up with a superb third goal to make it six wins in their last seven games. R’s boss Neil Warnock will be pleased with his sides display as they sought a second consecutive London derby victory after they triumphed over Chelsea last week. But they failed to match their hosts with Bale and Aaron Lennon causing problems on the wings all afternoon. In fact Spurs should have been at least four up before break with visiting keeper Paddy Kenny enduring a busy first forty five minutes.
Van der Vaart was the first to test him from a free kick before the Dutchman saw his cross headed over by Emmanuel Adebayor as the home side started brightly. Their passing and movement was a delight to behold as Rangers struggled to cope with the pace and ingenuity of Redknapp’s front five. It was no surprise when they took the lead with just 20 minutes on the clock through the industrious Bale with a more direct approach bearing fruit. Brad Friedel’s long punt upfield was flicked on by Adebayor into the path of Van der Vaart who in turn played Lennon in down the right. The winger cut inside and teed up Bale to crash home an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area for his first goal at the Lane since New Years day. He should have doubled the lead moments later but could only send Benoit Assou Ekotto’s cutback well over the bar. The away side tried in vein to get themselves back into the game but they were two down before they could even blink with Van der Vaart cooly finishing from 16-yards after Ledley King’s long range effort deflected into his path.
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Despite taking a lead into the break it was Rangers who started the better of the two sides in the second half with Warnock opting for a more attacking approach bringing Jamie Mackie and Jay Bothroyd on for the ineffective pairing of Sean Derry and Adel Taarabt. It paid instant dividends as Heidar Helguson shot wide before flicking on a corner to the waiting Bothroyd who nodded in from close range for his first Premier League goal in five years. That was as good as it good for the visitors as Van der Vaart tested Kenny from range once again before Bale made sure of the points with a sublime goal. Exchanging passes with the lively Lennon the Welshman unleashed a stunning left footed strike that flew into the top corner to seal a comfortable win and keep Spurs firmly in the top six.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is refusing to reveal the role that Andy Carroll will play in Thursday night’s Europa League second-leg tie with Braga.The Premier League side are trailing 1-0 going into the home tie and the former Newcastle striker, who was a second-half substitute in the first clash, could be the key.”We either start with him or he comes on in the second half and that will be decided by us based on how he does in training and what we think will be best for us on the night,” Dalglish said.”We have been pleased with everything he has done, the way he has recuperated from his injury, the way he has trained and the way he has gone about his job on the pitch. There is nothing there that has been disappointing to us with regards to Andy.”One mystery that Dalglish does not have the answer to is how Kaka escaped punishment for an elbow on his new striker.”The biggest impact that Andy Carroll got was when he got caught with the elbow from Kaka, I didn’t see at the game but I’ve seen it since and if there is no retribution from UEFA then it’s a real surprise to me,” he said.”For me, that is what Andy will remember most from the game, he is fit and well but what we are going to do with him remains to be seen.”Home advantage is likely to play a big part in who progresses in the competition and the Scottish manager believes the Anfield atmosphere will help his team into the quarter-finals.”Playing at Anfield is always an advantage for us. We know the position in the game, the fans can help us but we can help ourselves more than anybody else so it’s up to us to start better than we did in the first leg,” Dalglish said.”We know what we have to do to get through and I am sure everyone wants us to get through and Anfield is a place that everyone looks forward to playing at especially for European games.”Liverpool had a week off with the FA Cup fixtures being played at the weekend and that has allowed Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing to return to the squad, although Steven Gerrard remains out after groin surgery.Spearing realises how much the club captain will be missed but he believes the club have the resources to get a win.”Every game Steven plays in he has a massive influence as you saw in the early group game he played where he came on as a substitute and scored a second-half hat-trick,” Spearing said.”The presence that he has and the player he is and with him being out it’s a sign for me and the other lads to step up and make a claim and hopefully get a run of games in.””It’s a massive competition for us as we are out of the FA and Carling Cups so it’s the only bit of silverware we can get at the moment.”
Veteran midfielder Salif Diao has doubts over his future with Stoke City, having been offered a new deal which contains a scouting remit as well as a playing role.
The 33-year-old Senegal international is considering his options, as he sees himself as a full-time player for another couple of seasons.
He told The Sentinel:"It would be a shame if we don't find an agreement. I want to stay.
"My dream is, in a year or two, to be playing European football with Stoke. That would be a massive achievement, but since I signed my first contract here that has always been my long-term view.
"I know the manager has been talking about a proposal for me to be part of the staff, but at the moment I see myself as a player.
"I am only 33 and think I can contribute a lot on the pitch for the football club.
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"I want to be in a clear position, and I see myself as a player.
"I have been in Paris talking to French clubs and can also meet a club from Qatar, but ideally I would like to stay with Stoke."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
With football matches around the country providing week’s worth of controversial conversations within the football community, ‘dodgy’ refereeing decisions are still as prominent within the game as they have ever been. However recent claims that ex-footballers could provide the answer to our refereeing needs, it appears that the likes of Martin Atkinson , Mark Clattenburg and Phil Dowd, among others, perhaps require the experience of professional football in order to correctly judge decisions in play.
A tough challenge, a dive in the penalty area or a soft red card can provide hideous ramifications for some clubs, leaving these examples as a major part of our modern game and many football fans and ex-players alike calling for changes to the refereeing system.
Over recent months Roberto Martinez and Robbie Savage have each voiced their opinion that, if refereeing quality needs to improve, then ex-footballers could well be the ones to do it. This could leave the Roy Keane ’s and Eric Cantona’s of the game taking charge, as the FA and many fans hope to increase the presence of respect and etiquette in each game.
The hypothesis behind this is potentially correct, as it appears that knowledge of the physical game can have a large impact on decisions. Therefore with 50/50 tackles being penalised consistently, along with tackles from behind resulting in yellow cards and obvious recent occasions of ‘Phantom’ red cards, it seems that the referee is given the discretion to decide what is right or wrong. However these referees appear to have memorised each and every rule in the book, leaving the decisions based upon rules not the human being enforcing them. This in turn leaves complaints of ever increasing magnitude, ruining games for the unfortunate, paying fans. This could leave the door open for the ex-players to come in and save the day, as they attempt to rule with good knowledge and judgement that other referees may lack.
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Unfortunately, despite these aspects, respect is something that must be earned, and as a referee, the players will not care about how many caps you got for England, or how many goals you scored for Manchester United. The final result is always the same and players must once again prove their worth, this time as a referee. Furthermore, if the name of the previously mentioned Robbie Savage appeared wearing the lonely black kit, the respect towards the referee would perhaps decrease, leaving us in a more problematic situation than we are currently. This appears to show that the advantages of this idea seem to be flawed in considerable ways.
However, considered in an ideal universe, the ex-players may fit the bill, with the fitness needed to keep up with the game and the right attitude to handle disrespectful players. Yet what is the motivation for these individuals to put their names forward? Those at the highest level will have built up a reasonable retirement fund, and with the abuse and blame that current referees have to brunt, it doesn’t matter who you are, you will receive criticism, abuse and anger week in week out.
This leaves the likes of Roy Keane to choose the managerial route, an arguably more appealing role than a referee. The assets that they gained from playing in the highest division could potentially be put to far more use as a coach or manager than as a referee, as they attempt to pass on their knowledge and experience to the future of our game.
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Therefore it appears there is one answer to the question ‘Should ex-players become referees’, and that is ‘no’. Yet the long story is that it is not that simple. Should they be trained properly in the rules and regulations that referees uphold, there is no reason why ex-players cannot successfully become referees. However the end result would be exactly the same, as the ability to see whether the ball has crossed the line, or if a player has hit another off the ball remains the same. This again leaves controversial decisions as a major part of our game, and in turn sends us back to square one once more.
Article courtesy of Patrick Archard from This is Futbol
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West Ham United coach Avram Grant will continue to prioritize English Premier League survival despite reaching the last eight of the FA Cup.West Ham defeated Championship club Burnley 5-1 in a fifth-round match at Upton Park on Monday to book a quarter-final against Stoke City.But with the team second from bottom in the league and three points from safety, Grant insists the players’ focus must remain preserving their top-flight status.”Our target and first priority is the league, but it’s always good to come into the quarter-finals of the cup,” Grant told ESPN.”We are the Premier League team so normally we need to win these games, but they (Burnley) are difficult because they are playing well and tactically they are very good.””But we played well in the second half and it was difficult for them.”Thomas Hitzlsperger opened the scoring 22 minutes into his West Ham debut. The 28-year-old midfielder has been sidelined with a thigh injury since August and was relieved to finally make a positive contribution. “I didn’t know what to expect after such a long time out,” Hitzlsperger said. “The manager was speaking to me before the game about whether I would play 30 minutes or start, but I’m delighted to start with a goal and an important win for us.””They played well at stages but it was good timing for the goal and the fact I scored, it came together on a special day for me.””It’s been a tough time but I’ve been looking forward to this day and it was fantastic.”Burnley boss Eddie Howe felt his team were undone by West Ham’s superior speed in attack. “I thought it could have been very different,” Howe said.”In the first half we had our moments, we had our chances and could have scored more than one.””West Ham are dangerous up front with the pace they have and they caught us a couple of times.”
If you browse the Chelsea websites you will find many lists of the club’s celebrity fans, here are ten that stand out for various reasons:
10. Bill Clinton: Included because it’s a pretty obscure one but the former President of the USA used to watch the Blues while he was studying in Oxford. Maybe he had the west London club in mind when naming his daughter Chelsea.
9. Will Ferrel: The US comedian who has starred in films such as Anchorman, Step Brothers and Elf showed his allegiance to the Stamford Bridge outfit when he started wearing a Chelsea shirt on The Daily Show. He was made an honorary captain during Chelsea’s preseason tour in the US for their friendly against Inter Milan.
8. Steven Redgrave: Britain’s greatest ever Olympian after winning five consecutive gold medals in the games is also a big Chelsea fan and admits that football was always his greatest interest even as a rower.
7. David Baddiel: The English comedian, novelist and TV personality is a lifelong Chelsea fan. He’s best known for his work with fellow comedian Frank Skinner, particularly their show Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned and the England song ‘Three Lions on a shirt’ that they released for Euro 1996 which was also rerecorded for the 1998 World Cup.
6. Laurence Dallagio: One of England’s Rugby World Cup winners in 2003 and has supported Chelsea ever since his dad took him to Stamford Bridge as an eight-year-old boy.
Click to page 2 to see the top five
5. Alec Stewart: A legend in his own sport of cricket he is England’s most capped cricketer and also a Chelsea enthusiast. He even chose the number 4 shirt in honour of his favourite Chelsea player whilst he was growing up, John Hollins.
4. Michael Caine: London born actor and star of films such as the original Alfie and Italian job has been Oscar nominated six times and has appeared in over 100 movies. At the end of a recent interview with The Australian (an Aussie newspaper) he said he was off to watch Chelsea play Manchester United on his “big high-def”.
3. Graham McPherson aka Suggs: Best known for being the frontman of the band Madness, Radio DJ and as an avid Chelsea fan. Suggs released one of Chelsea fans’ favourite songs ‘Blue Day’ in collaboration with the Chelsea players ahead of their 1997 FA Cup final.
2. Steve McQueen: Although he’s no longer with us Steve McQueen has to be regarded as one of the coolest Chelsea fans ever, which is why he features so high on this list. The Great Escape star even visited the players in the Stamford Bridge dressing room during the height of his fame.
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1. Lord Richard Attenborough: Another actor in this list the Jurassic Park star served as a director for the Stamford Bridge outfit between 1969-1982 and is now serving an honorary position as life President at the club.
Any glaring omissions?
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Click on image below to see the BRAZILIAN babes at the World Cup
Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor has stated that he is happy with how he has started his tenure at White Hart Lane, and feels he is getting back to his best.
The Togolese forward is on a one-year loan deal from Manchester City, and has scored three goals in his first three games for his new team.
The African attacker set up the opening goal for Rafael van der Vaart against Wigan in a 2-1 win on Saturday, and is happy with his contribution.
“I’m getting my form back slowly and I think I helped my team to win,” he told talkSPORT.
Adebayor’s display was made all the more impressive by the fact that he suffered an injury to his eye, and had to play the second half with impaired vision.
“Unfortunately the second half was quite difficult because I was playing with only one eye. I couldn’t see the ball, I couldn’t see my opponents or anything but I managed to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes,” he concluded.
Spurs take on Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League on Thursday, before Adebayor goes up against his old club Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
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He’s the bellyflopping, club-hopping centre forward who Newcastle have signed to fill in for the departed Andy Carroll and the injured Shola Ameobi. And at 6ft 2in and 14 stone, Shefki Kuqi will certainly allow Alan Pardew to call upon a physical presence up front again.
The former Finland international, 34, who made his Newcastle debut against one his many former sides, Blackburn, as a late substitute last Saturday, is almost certainly only a stopgap option for the Magpies until they can dip into the £35m they raised from the sale of their former number nine and find a more long-term replacement in the summer. Nonetheless, the player for whom the phrase ‘burly front man’ could have been invented is a veteran of ten years’ almost unbroken service in British football whose big chance on Tyneside represents one of this season’s most heartening tales.
“I’m probably one of the happiest footballers in the world,” said the player with the famous goal celebration on his arrival last week.
Kuqi made Newcastle his ninth Football League club shortly after having his contract at Swansea City terminated by mutual consent, but he had given no indication in an interview just a day or so earlier that he was anticipating an offer from quite such a big club. Speaking to Mark Clemmit on the nPower Football League podcast last Tuesday, Kuqi spoke of “mixed feelings” about the way his release from the Liberty Stadium had come about and sounded like he was unsure what his next step would be.
Any footballer in his mid-thirties who finds himself without a club has a right to feel anxious about the future of his career. In Kuqi’s case, he had found himself out of favour under Brendan Rodgers at the beginning of this season and was loaned out to Derby County as a result. The striker only scored twice for the Rams in a three-month period but his spell with the club did coincide with a good run of form for Nigel Clough’s side. Nevertheless, the loan was not extended and Kuqi’s parent club decided to give him a free transfer on 26th January. It was a sad way for the player to end his twelve months in south Wales, which had brought him seven goals in 24 appearances.
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Whatever his worries after leaving Swansea, however, Kuqi has overcome far greater obstacles in the past. The son of Kosovar Albanian parents who decided to leave Serbia at the end of the eighties, with the Balkans gearing up for war, Kuqi moved to Finland with his family when he was 12 years old.
“It was a huge change, going to live in another country and starting a new life,” he told the Independent in 2004. “It took a while to get used to it. I did very little in my first year in Finland. I didn’t speak the language and we didn’t know anybody. The Finnish language is hard to learn. My family eventually picked it up and they’re now OK with it, but it was very difficult for them at first. Fortunately when you’re a kid you pick the language up quite quickly and make friends. I started to go to school and play football. And getting into football was the best possible way for me to make my mark in a new country.”
It was Stockport County who brought Kuqi to Britain at the start of 2001 from the Finnish club FC Jokerit. In stark contrast to their current plight near the bottom of League Two, ten years ago Stockport were in what is now the Championship. They were battling against relegation when Kuqi joined at the turn of the year and the club’s website still credits the striker as being “regarded by many as the saviour of County’s season” after six goals in 18 games from their new signing helped them to stay up.
A £1m move to Sheffield Wednesday followed for Kuqi in January 2002 but while the size of the transfer fee and the opportunity to play at Hillsborough might have suggested that the forward’s career was on a steady upward trajectory, the Owls’ past was casting a shadow over the club’s present then just as it is now and his first full season in Yorkshire culminated in relegation to the third tier. Five goals in eight games at the start of 2003/04, however, hastened a loan move to Ipswich in the division above that was made permanent in November, Kuqi joining on a free. Ipswich made the play-offs twice during his time in Suffolk, being pipped to automatic promotion by Wigan in 2005 despite amassing 85 points.
Kuqi’s 20 goals that season convinced Mark Hughes to give him a go in the Premier League at Blackburn. Seven strikes in his only full season in the top flight represented a more than acceptable return on his manager’s investment, given that Kuqi had again moved on a free, but in August 2006 Crystal Palace waded in with a £2.5m bid for the striker, as the Eagles sought to use up some of the parachute payments they were receiving following relegation from the Premier League the year before, and the player was on the move yet again.
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Three seasons in south London saw Kuqi score erratically and, in one instance at least, behave rashly too. The striker was fined two weeks’ wages and transfer listed by Neil Warnock in February 2008 after gesturing to Palace fans reacting to his substitution in a defeat to Wolves, shortly after he had returned from a loan spell with Fulham. Kuqi was then loaned back to Ipswich but he eventually regained his manager’s favour and his third season at the club ended up being his best. It was his last for Palace too, as his contract was up and the much-travelled player left for TuS Koblenz in the German second division.
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After only six months on the continent, though, Kuqi returned to join Paulo Sousa’s Swansea in January 2010. Things went pretty well for him last season but, as is often the case, a new manager came in with his own plans and an established member of the side found himself a casualty of the new regime. Having answered Newcastle’s call though, Kuqi’s dying swan goal celebration might well be resurrected at Premier League grounds between now and May.
Forget Mexico, forget Japan, clearly the best preparation England can get going into the World Cup is to test themselves vigorously against the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Henrik Larsson, Ryan Giggs and that guy who played a periphery character in Heroes….You know, one of the ones who wasn’t actually a hero, but was a mate of one of the heroes. Little guy. Him… and Austin Powers.
This was of course Soccer Aid, Robbie Williams’ noble attempt to elevate a kick around with his mates from an embarrassing wheeze fest of male competitiveness to a meaningful grudge match for UNICEF. And once the dust had settled from the latest installment of charity celebrity football, England vs the Rest of the World had proved to be far more entertaining than either of England’s latest efforts to convince us they’re on the cusp of world domination.
The coverage began with the sad and disturbing footage of the desperate, mournful unfortunate faces we’ve become all to accustomed to on these types of occasion. And once Kenny Dalglish and Harry Redknapp had left the studio to give their team talks, we were reminded of the harsh realities of life in Africa as well.
Orlando Bloom had been banished to the BT Tower to keep an eye on the telephones and valiantly attempt to read the autocue convincingly, so host Dermot O’Leary had to make do with Big Sam Allardyce and Al Murray, who seemed to be trying out a new incarnation of his Pub Landlord character, namely one who wasn’t funny.
As the teams prepared to take the field, the real fun of spotting whom they’d managed to convince to do it this time began. The Rest of the World Team is always the more interesting in these things. England’s team usually consists of soap actors (Bradley Walsh – tick) Simon Cowell competition winners (Olly Murs – tick) TV Presenters (Jamie Theakston – tick) Respected all be it B-List thespians (Damien Lewis – tick) and recognizable, but “not for the life of me why” mates of Robbie Williams (Jonathan Wilkes – tick). The opposition however are usually far more eclectic and this year had managed the genuine coup of getting not just Woody Harrelson and Mike Myers, but former World Players of the year Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo. Clearly aware that they were supposed to be the bad guys here however, they’d sensibly negated any support they’d likely get form this by including not just one, but two members of Westlife, presumably hoping to prove there is some talent in there somewhere, but a bit baffled at how to prove it without standing up and sitting down again from a stool.
As Russell Watson belted out Nessun Dorma for reasons that aren’t immediately clear, Clive Tyldsley optimistically noted that Piereluigi Collina was singing along, when in fact it looked for all the world to me like he was yawning. He may well still have been by the end of the first half, which was almost as dour as Kenny Dalglish’s pre match team talk despite the occasional glorious site of Zidane embarrassing everyone when he could be bothered.
After the opening few minutes of nervy misplaced passes, testosterone fueled over exuberation and terrible crosses, it started to become clear which celebs could actually play and which were there merely as a good will gesture. Damien Lewis chipped an audacious 25 yard effort off the bar and Olly Murs tormented Gordon Ramsey on the right wing, both out shining Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham in the center, who both seemed to be taking it all incredibly seriously to little effect.
For a brief period the game threatened to burst into life and the entertainment came two fold as Robbie Williams gave away a penalty and one of the mannequins from Westlife missed it.
It was at about this point that Zidane decided he was going to step it up a bit and after dribbling past 4 players to play in Sami Hyypia, nutmegging Lewis on the touchline and combining sexily with Giggs he almost broke into a smile. But didn’t.
After a massive spider had crawled across the lens, sparking momentary fears that the age of our new insect overlords was finally upon us, Jamie Redknapp literally scored a lovely goal, combining with a version of Teddy Sheringham made from boiled ham and varnish to put England ahead right on half time.
It was then back to the studio to watch Orlando Bloom struggle with the autocue again and Dermot O’Leary struggle to muster a convincing laugh at anything Al Murray was saying.
Luis Figo came on for Giggs as the second half began and immediately took the game in the right spirit, attempting to dribble past everyone every time he got the ball then hugging anyone who managed to stop him heartily. Jamie Theakston – on for David Seamen – saved well from blonde Westlife man before the SAS of Shearer and Sheringham combined to put England two up after more good work from Olly Murs.
Joe Calzaghe just about managed to not miss from half a yard out to bring the ROW back into it as the game really started to get interesting with the celebs starting to tire.
Ricky Hatton wobbled on, Patrick Kielty saved a one on one from Alan Shearer, Brian Lara hit a chance for six, Bradley Walsh somehow hit a shot backwards and Woody Harrelson completely missed the ball with his first (non) touch as the game opened up.
Hyypia grabbed an equalizer to take it to penalties, and the real fun began as a celeb only policy was enforced to ensure maximum comedy value.
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After Robbie’s mate had scored and Brian Lara squeezed it past the boundary, Jamie Theakston stepped forward as a viable choice for back up keeper in South Africa with a string of saves to deny a slew of relatively recognizable people and Gordon Ramsey. England continued to show that taking very bad penalties runs in our blood as Paddy McGuiness skied over and Robbie did a John Terry before the ever-impressive duo of Lewis and Murs slotted in their pens like they’d actually kicked a ball before. Calzaghe and Brian Clough both netted for the opposition whilst Ben Shepard and Ricky “Waller” Hatton found the top corner and after each side had cancelled each other out in both hits and misses, Mike Myers slotted one calmly down the middle to force Jamie Theakston to step out of goal to keep England in the lead.
Undoing all his good work between the sticks however, Theakston awkwardly punted it over creating the surreal sight of Woody Harrelson making the long walk to the spot to win the damn thing.
Looking fittingly spaced out, the A-List Hollywood actor who’d spent the previous week joining in other peoples kick abouts in Battersea park to gain match fitness, struck it to the left of the despairing dive of England’s number one to clinch the trophy for the Rest of the World, sparking jubilantly surreal scenes as Woody from Cheers was mobbed by Ryan Giggs, Tony Blair, Luis Figo, Austin Powers, the Mentalist and that little bloke from Heroes who had earlier attempted to throw a ball in from a corner. Utter madness, and all the better for it.
A riotous evening’s enjoyment, and with over £2 million made for UNICEF by the end of the game alone, a triumph all round. Even Zidane was smiling by the end of it, but whether he attended Patrick Keilty’s pre-game team bonding barbeque is the question I really want an answer to.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been told that he will have to pay £15 million if he wants to lure Joe Allen to Anfield, according to Mirror Football.
The Northern Irish manager is keen to raid his former club Swansea for their star midfielder, in a bid to boost the Merseyside club’s chances of finishing in the top four next term.
However, despite the fact that contact has been made between the clubs, there is thought to be a significant difference in the two sides’ valuations of Allen.
The Liberty Stadium club are pointing to the example of Jordan Henderson, who Liverpool paid £16 million for last summer, and feel that a similar fee will be necessary to convince them to part with their star.
Allen has been selected in Stuart Pearce’s Team GB squad for the Olympics this summer.
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