Aston Villa have stepped up their pursuit of young Genk ace Christian Benteke, according to the Guardian.
Villa have made a disappointing start to the campaign with defeats away at West Ham and at home to Everton last Saturday. Benteke, 21, will create a much needed attacking option for the West Midlands club who are currently relying on Darren Bent to bag their goals, with Gabriel Agbonlahor currently on the sidelines, and Nathan Delfouneso and Andreas Weismann still not ready to step up into the first-team.
After spending several seasons out on loan at several Belgian clubs, Benteke finally broke into the Genk first team last season scoring an impressive 18 goals in 33 appearances in the Belgian Pro League. The 6 foot 3 striker is supposedly a strong threat in the air and has also attracted interested from fellow Premier League clubs Fulham and Everton.
Benteke, who scored his first international goal for Belgium in an impressive 4-2 win over Holland this month, is likely to cost Aston Villa £5.5 million in order to prize him to Villa Park for the forthcoming campaign. Speculators in Belgium believe that Benteke’s move to Aston Villa should be completed before the end of the transfer window.
Meanwhile, in other news concerning Aston Villa, manager Paul Lambert has told defenders Stephen Warnock and Alan Hutton that they are surplus to requirements for the club and that any money made on the pair before the end of the transfer window can be re-invested on bringing more new additions to Villa Park.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As per usual deadline day passed without incident at Old Trafford as Sir Alex Ferguson once again sat back and watched the rest of the Premier League scurry around the market frantically finalising last-minute deals. Having conducted his business earlier in the transfer window he was urged to break out his cheque book one final time to bring a new anchor man to the club. With Ferguson now adopting a fashionable 4-2-3-1 many United supporters felt the need for a robust defensive midfielder was an essential purchase to provide a line of cover in front of the back four that is already the subject of intense questioning so early in the season. Yet the Red Devils chief paid little or no attention to the requests hailing from the stands, twitter, message boards and fan sites. It’s often I would advocate a manager take heed of his fans over transfer suggestions but Ferguson may come to regret his decision to do so on this occasion.
This week on FFC does Wayne Rooney need to raise his performances this season and which United striker finally sealed a move away form Old Trafford on deadline day?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Why are Premier League clubs giving United ace a wide berth?
Does the Premier League have this duty to all its club members?
Rooney must raise the bar upon his injury return
Will the real David De Gea please stand up?
Are Fergie’s Words A Transfer Smokescreen?
Has England surrendered Javi Martinez too easily to the Germans?
[divider]
Best of WEB
[divider]
Will Rooney’s Injury Have Far Reaching Consequences? – Red Flag Flying High
Waning Rooney & the deification of Berbatov – 7Cantonas
Complacency no more after Euro draw – United Rant
“He’s got the talent and the ability – we’ve all seen that” – The Busby Way
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Nani & Anderson Transfers? The Numbers Simply Don’t Add Up… – Transfer Tavern
[divider]
Quote of the Week
[divider]
“Wayne’s a bit behind other players in terms of fitness. He needs a few games. I wanted to play Van Persie at Old Trafford, although I knew he wasn’t 100% fit either. I’d have rather taken him off with 20 minutes to go. It was only because we lost the second goal that I was forced to leave him on. It wasn’t an easy choice to leave Wayne out because he is a very good player who can score you goals.” Sir Alex Ferguson explains Wayne Rooney’s omission from the starting line-up against Fulham last week
Stoke forward Kenwyne Jones is set to be loaned out to a Championship club after finding himself surplus to requirements at the Premier League side.
The Potters have bolstered their attacking options with the free transfer signing of Michael Owen this summer, with Tony Pulis looking to reunite the veteran forward with his former England strike partner Peter Crouch.
As such Jones is not part of the Britannia Stadium side’s first-team plans, with a number of Championship sides eyeing the Trinidad and Tobago frontman on a temporary deal.
Leeds boss Neil Warnock is in the market for a new forward after Ross McCormack suffered an injury, and could well move for Jones in the near future.
“We are looking for someone who can improve the squad, and we would love to get a striker in before playing Nottingham Forest on Saturday,” Mirror Football quote the Elland Road chief as saying.
“Most of the better players have already gone out on loan and, as it is, we can’t really replace Ross because we’re a bit thin on the ground.”
Leicester are also thought to be keen on Jones and will rival Leeds with a loan bid also.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Tottenham have continued their resurgent Premier League form with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
The White Hart Lane faithful had to wait until the second half for the deadlock to be broken, with Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon both on target for the hosts.
Andre Villas-Boas chose to field Hugo Lloris instead of Brad Friedel, but denied that the France international would now become the side’s first-choice stopper.
“We spoke among the staff this week about it and we thought it was logical to let Hugo come into a Premier League game because he can’t just play in the Europa League,” the Portuguese coach told Sky Sports.
“Brad obviously was disappointed with the decision but accepted it like the good professional he is.
“Obviously the change was not based on performance because Brad has been immense for this football team,” he stated.
Spurs take on Chelsea next in a mouth-watering clash, and Villas-Boas is looking forward to locking horns with his former team.
“The ambition to be among the top teams we have is immense and it gives us a good opportunity against Chelsea.
“It’s obviously going to be a difficult game but we are showing good levels of competence and we hope to profit from the fact that we play at home, and profit from the fact that we play an unbeaten league leader. That will help on our motivation to try to beat them,” he concluded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As Liverpool slowly start to climb the Premier League table, two of their stars of last season seem to be close to finding their top form once more.
Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger formed a formidable partnership during Kenny Dalglish’s reign last season, so much so they dislodged club legend Jamie Carragher from the starting line up, and haven’t looked back since.
Despite Liverpool’s nightmare league campaign last year, Skrtel and Agger were two of the few players to walk away from the season with their heads held high. Liverpool managed the third best defensive record in the division, despite a lowly eighth placed finish.
Ahead of tonight’s Europa League tie with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, goalkeeper Pepe Reina has said how he thinks the pair will only get stronger, following both of their decisions to commit their long term futures to the club.
The Liverpool goalkeeper also believes the pair can go on to form a partnership as formidable as that of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia, who were the central defenders throughout Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League winning campaign.
‘It’s good they’ve signed contracts because it’s a fact that they are one of the best centre-back couples in the Premier League,’ Reina told Liverpoolfc.com.
‘The understanding between them is great and they’ve been really solid lately. In the last year and a half or so they have been brilliant for us.
‘If I am not mistaken they are similar ages to each other, so they have five or six years still to play their best football.
‘I don’t see any reason why they can’t do the same as Carra and Sami did, though they were one of the greatest centre-back couples this club has ever had.’
High praise indeed for the pair, who you feel will play a critical role in Brendan Rodgers bid to revive the Red’s league fortunes. Back to back clean sheets in the league have done well to lift some of the gloom at Anfield surrounding their lowly league position.
Last seasons defensive form looked a thing of the distant past during the opening thirteen games of the Rodgers era, with a total of nineteen goals conceded in all competitions.
A series of individual errors cost Liverpool dear, with Reina culpable on more than one occasion. Skrtel was caught out twice in the opening two games of the season, firstly conceding a clumsy penalty at West Brom, before a poor back pass gifted Carlos Tevez the equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City – an error which spoilt an otherwise faultless display.
Agger found himself off the pace early on as well, picking up a red card in the opening day defeat to West Brom for a last man challenge which saw him concede a penalty in the process.
Too often without the injured Lucas Leiva, the centre back pairing have been left overexposed and have looked more vulnerable than usual. The defeat to Arsenal in early September was the most obvious example of this, with the Liverpool back four looking overexposed to Arsenal’s quick counter attacks time and again.
Brendan Rodgers looks to have gone back to basics following the defeat to Udinese in the Europa League, a performance that saw the manager openly criticize the defending of his team. Clean sheets against Stoke and Reading have followed, not spectacular perhaps but certainly a step in the right direction.
Glen Johnson has also slotted into the left back role with minimum fuss, whilst youngster Andre Wisdom has started the last three Premier League games, looking faultless in all three.
The new style of football Rodgers is trying to implement has seen the side make several mistakes, gifting possession to the opposition in dangerous areas. On almost every occasion Liverpool have been punished, with sides able to rob possession and counter attack at pace far too easily.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It is not to be underestimated how much of a loss Lucas Leiva has been however, the one out and out holding midfielder on the clubs books, since Jay Spearing was sent to Bolton on loan. Joe Allen, Steven Gerrard, Jonjo Shelvey and Nuri Sahin have all taken it in turns to try and shield the back four, all with limited success.
The last two Premier League games however have seen the side defend far better as a unit, and Liverpool fans will long hope it continues. The signs have been encouraging since Rodgers took the Anfield reigns, and Skrtel and Agger’s form will be crucial in determining how successful he is at Anfield. The fact both have committed their long term futures to the club bodes well for the clubs future, and shows the belief they hold in the new manager.
It’s all about small steps in the right direction for Liverpool at the moment. A first win of the season was followed by a first clean sheet of the season, which in turn was followed by a first home win of the season. With six goals conceded in their opening two Europa League matches, a clean sheet last night was very welcome indeed.
As the search for a new manager enters the final stages, Burnley fans remain mostly in the dark about which candidates are in contention.
As usual, plenty of names have been thrown around including Mick McCarthy, Steven Pressley and even Owen Coyle. As the days have gone by, the likes of Keith Hill and Michael Appleton appear to have become amongst the favourites to take the job.
Personally I feel McCarthy would be an excellent choice given his experience at this level but word is coming out of the club that disagreements over money are causing problems there. Pressley would appear to be a bit of a risk – not unlike when Coyle arrived, and I think Burnley fans would be unconvinced by his appointment. As for Coyle himself returning, I think those fans who would welcome him back would be in a minority, and the joint chairmen have come out in public and practically said as much.
That was an unusually public statement from the board who have otherwise kept their cards very close to their chest over the past few days. Apparently around 15 candidates were initially interviewed and there has been talk in the last 24 hours of three or four of those being asked back for second interviews.
If the rumours surrounding Hill and Appleton turn out to be true, I would be very happy with either man. Hill has showed he can compete in this division with a budget even smaller than ours at Barnsley, and all football fans must be full of admiration for the job Appleton is doing amidst the chaos that is Portsmouth Football Club.
Both men seem genuine and grounded with clear ideas of what they want to achieve, and that can only be a good thing for the club. But as is so often the case these days with the appointment of a new manager, those in charge have given very little away and so it is difficult to predict exactly who will be the man for the job.
Terry Pashley has done a fantastic job with the youth team in recent years, including last season’s run to the Youth Cup semi finals, and he continued that on Saturday in taking charge of the first time for a much needed win over Blackpool. It was our first clean sheet since the opening weekend and gave the club a small boost ahead of the expected appointment of a new manager this week.
The departure of Eddie Howe was disappointing but not altogether surprising. It was clear he was a man very attached to his roots on the south coast, and the combination of having a young family there, as well as the death of his mother in March meant that the pull of returning to manage Bournemouth was too much for him to resist.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It was a shame, because I felt Howe was doing the right things for the football club. He was building a young side that had the ability, on their day, to compete with any side in the division. The problem was that having such a young side brought inconsistency, and in his time at the club we rarely put a strong run of results together.
I believe that, in time, we would have become a force in the division but it may have taken two or three years. In the end, personal reasons were too strong a pull for Howe and the Burnley fans respect his wishes and the honesty with which he dealt with his own departure.
I almost always get comments on my articles telling me that they’re negative, which is fair enough, as the last few months has thrown up a lot to discuss and hardly any of it has been pretty or nice to read, but it has been worth talking about.
Now, I feel like we might finally be on the verge of change at Elland Road, so it’s time to focus on the positives a little.
Obviously GFH Capitals finances have been scrutinised recently, and they may well prove to have little money, but considering they have provided Bates with proof that they have the money available to purchase the club, they can’t be quite the paupers they are being portrayed to be.
What we need to remember is that prior to GFH’s emergence we were stuck with Ken Bates.
I know some say ‘better the devil you know’ but if taking a chance means we’re rid of him then so be it. Anyone that looks at GFH and wonders if they’ll be good for the club needs to remember that anything is better than Bates, as it stands the club is going nowhere and he clearly has no desire to finance a return to the Premier League out of his own pocket. We spent a lot of time planning protests, chanting ‘Bates out’, taking our shoes off etc and we’re finally close to being rid of him once and for all.
GFH deserve their chance, whether they’re planning a quick resale or truly intend to ensure we earn promotion we owe it to them to at least give them time. Ken Bates has spent 7 years running our club into the ground, so could a new group really do any worse?
Worryingly, the good feeling that came with the initial takeover news seems to have been absolutely drained out of everybody, so it’s time to try and get that back. Forget everything you’ve read about GFH’s finances and ignore the doubters, because quite simply, even if GFH are just looking for a quick profit, they’ll only make that by financing a return to the Premier League.
This is it for Leeds, for the first time in years we’ll have owners that want promotion as much as us fans, owners that are happy to give the manager money to spend on improving his squad and if their twitter efforts are anything to go by, owners that want to communicate with the fans.
The last few months has seen us lose focus on what’s important, no longer will we have to endure being called morons for wanting better things for our club, we won’t have to listen to or read the Ken Bates propaganda that spews out of the club on an almost daily basis and we can finally reunite as a fan base and get Elland Road bouncing again.
Good times are on the way at last for Leeds, it’s been a hard slog and we’ve had our hopes and dreams crushed many a time, but Ken Bates is about to leave our club for good, and for that, we must thank GFH for effectively doing what Bates always claimed he had done, twice.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Just as Coventry City’s hopes are raised they are quickly dashed with a 2-1 loss at home to Scunthorpe. There had looked to have been real progress in the weeks before, but what I saw against Scunthorpe was the Coventry we are all sadly so used too.
It was a chance to continue a run of three wins in a row and a chance to actually start moving up the table. Sadly though it was a chance missed and it was yet another game in which we ended up with no points having previously been in a winning position.
This has almost become the norm for Coventry this season with that now making it 19 points lost from winning positions the worst record in all four top divisions in England. This is a shocking statistic and you have to wonder where we could be right now if we hadn’t thrown away these leads. Now I’m not being naive and saying we should have had all of these points as every team lets a lead slip every so often but even if we had half we could be sitting far more comfortably in the table and still with real promotion ambitions.
Instead we once again find ourselves near the foot of the table struggling to find any kind of form which will see us make any significant climb up the table. We as a club continue to look destined to be stuck in the lower echelons of whatever league we find ourselves in.
Now all fans of all clubs have bad times and things to moan about but they also seem to have good times and things to cheer about and this is something that so far as a Coventry City supporter I have never truly experienced. The one and only time that comes to mind for me was when we managed to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Carling Cup. This was a great occasion for everyone involved with Coventry City at the time but in the grand scheme of things it actually meant very little.
My time as Coventry fan has seen us relegated from the Premier League, get into serious financial trouble, nearly not exist as a club and get relegated to League One where they have struggled. Other clubs have had all these issues but the majority if not all have bounced back in someway or another.
I don’t like using Leicester as an example but they are the perfect example. They have experienced the lows just like we have but they have also had plenty to cheer with promotion challenges as well as a big money takeover.
They also hold the record of only having been beaten by us once in 16 matches since both teams’ relegation from the Premier League. As local rivalries go there aren’t many that have been more one sided in terms of results than the M69 derby and as many of the people I know are Leicester fans I have never been allowed to forget this.
Another good example is Portsmouth who’s turmoil over the past couple of seasons has been well documented. However even they have experienced an historic FA Cup triumph which I’m not sure any Coventry fan can ever realistically dream of again. Also look at their neighbours Southampton and how far they went down and look at them now back in the top flight.
There are so many examples all at different stages of turmoil and success but we as a club have been slowly drifting downwards and I truly am getting fed up of it now. We keep changing managers, we keep changing players but nothing ever seems to truly change. Maybe I am jumping the gun a bit on this occasion as I do think Mark Robins is a good manager but we keep doing the same things over and over again.
I do think there are some good players in the squad at the moment but worryingly I also feel that we as team are being carried by McGoldrick. His goals are giving us a fighting chance of winning at the moment but we are conceding goals far too readily and that has to change.
With every game that passes I am losing faith that McGoldrick will stay. Yes he has reiterated that he is enjoying his football here and that he probably wants to leave Forest but we as a club have been here so many times before and I can’t remember on any of them occasions the player choosing to stay. Instead they always choose to go to a club in a better position than ourselves both league and financial wise and who can blame them.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
I hate to be so pessimistic about the club but I have tried optimism for the last 10 years or so and it has got me nowhere other than being laughed at by other Coventry fans for believing things could change.
In my heart of hearts I will always believe there is a chance of change but for now I am sticking with my head and my head is telling me that nothing is going to change anytime soon and that this season has already turned out to be another massively disappointing one.
Some footballers don’t have the mental capacity to think of anything else apart from football. You can see the look in Wayne Rooney’s eyes whilst he’s being interviewed or walking around Manchester in his casual hoodies that all that’s going on behind his pretty blue eyes is Football, Football, Football.
Other footballers, perhaps with a higher IQ than Rooney’s, have managed to venture past the world of football and moved on into other careers, much like how England cricket legend Freddie Flintoff has now begun the transition towards becoming a fully fledged heavyweight boxer, license and all. It remains to be seen whether Flintoff will be a success, go down fighting, or simply get punched really hard in the face seconds into his first fight and realise it was all a terrible idea.
Here are some footballers who have had ulterior careers away from the football pitch, some successful, some unsuccessful, but many of them hilarious.
Click on everyone’s favourite hardman, Vinnie Jones to reveal the top 15 footballers who have a different life outside of the beautiful game
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has agreed a £10m deal for Marseille striker Loic Remy, according to reports from The Mirror.
The Frenchman’s potential arrival next month could spell the end of Demba Ba’s time at the club, with Premier League duo Arsenal and Liverpool rumoured to be keen.
Remy has been the subject of intense interest in recent months, but it appears that the Magpies have beaten the likes of Tottenham and West Ham in the race for his signature.
Despite demanding £20m for him during the summer, Marseille are believed to be willing to accept half of that figure, so long as winger Sylvain Marveaux is included in the deal.
Pardew is said to see the 25-year-old as the ideal partner for misfiring Senegalese international Papiss Cisse, whose relationship with Ba has been less than fruitful.
It is repertod that Ba will be leaving the club in January, with his £7m release clause tempting a number of top clubs from around Europe.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle have moved to renew his deal, but the 27-year-ol has set his sights on a big move.
Ba was critical of the St James’ Park club’s tactics recently, which is thought to have upset a number of players within the squad, making a hasty departure the best option for all concerned.