Liverpool manager has stated that he is happy to have Luis Suarez back in contention for the game against Tottenham on Monday night, and is relishing the opportunity to partner the South American with Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll.
The Uruguay international will return to the Premier League fray against Harry Redknapp’s men, after serving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra in a clash against Manchester United.
Dalglish is glad to have his first-choice attacking trident available, and feels the trio can aid the Merseysiders’ continued progression.
“I’ve been told the three of them have only played 60 minutes together,” he said at a pre-match press conference, covered by Sky Sports.
“For various reasons I don’t think they’ve had a great deal of time to play together on the pitch, but the West Brom game away in October comes to mind that Luis and Andy did well.
“Luis played Andy in for a goal that day and so we hope to see more of them together. I am happy we’ve got all the strikers fit and available at the moment. Within the team partnerships will develop,” he stated.
The Scottish coach went on to hail the improvement within the club over the last 12 months, as The Reds look to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since they finished second in 2008-09.
“We’re excited with what’s happening here lately and I think everybody can say they have moved the club on a little bit,” the trainer continued.
“We’ve made good progress. And I don’t think we need to look so much at the results against the two Manchester clubs to justify it.
“There was progress all along. The squad’s much stronger now than it was last year – which is progress.
“We can’t look back on ifs, buts and maybes in terms of dropped points at home, but we’ve still a lot of football to play,” he admitted.
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With Arsenal and Newcastle both winning over the weekend, the emphasis is on the Anfield team to match their rivals’ results to keep up to speed in the battle for fourth.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was present at Lille’s 4-0 win over Valenciennes at the weekend, and it is believed that the Etihad Stadium outfit are ready to enter the race to sign Eden Hazard.
The Belgian playmaker, who scored one and set up two more in the Ligue 1 fixture, has countless suitors around Europe, including Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.
However, The Sun state that big-spending City are ready to launch a move for the attacking midfielder, who has admitted he is likely to leave France in the summer and has a £33million release clause in his contract.
Hazard stated that he knew Mancini was in the crowd, but was focussed on winning the match for Lille.
“I heard before the game that Mancini was there,” he confessed.
“For my part I always try and play the same way, whether Alex Ferguson’s there or Mancini now.
“I try and forget about that when I’m on the pitch, I try to play my own game. No matter who’s in the stands I just try to show what I can do.
“We’ll see what happens, but for now I’m concentrating on finishing the season well with Lille,” he concluded.
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No one can disagree that this is turning out to be a great season for Sheffield Wednesday.
With us now sitting pretty in second spot ahead of the final game of the season at home to already relegated Wycombe I think that promotion could well be on the cards although it is not time to get out the champagne just yet but we can look at the top performers for the club during this fantastic season.
During the course of the season every man has been outstanding in their own way this season but one player who has been consistent week in week out is Portuguese midfielder José Semedo. Brought in from Charlton in the summer he made an immediate impact on the pitch showing his combative determination right from the first whistle up until this point in the season with his work ethic being second to none.. Not a goal scorer but has a goal to his name and helped the team with a few assists including the cross for Gary Madine’s equaliser against United in October. Playing every single league game this season in the heart of midfield every Wednesday fan knows him for crunching tackles quickly earning him the song ‘You’ll never get past Semedo!’
Another impressive player for me this year although not our man is central defender loanee Danny Batth. Because of his age I have given him my accolade of Young Player of the Season which in my eyes he thoroughly deserves. Playing at the back with different men through the course of the season forming a strong partnership with whoever is beside him showing his strength, ball control and awareness. A young man with a very bright future ahead of him plays as if he has played for many more years than he actually has. A permanent transfer to the club for Batth in the summer would be a fantastic addition for next seasons hopeful Championship campaign but if not we wish him the best of luck at a very lucky Wolves.
When he signed from Plymouth in mid-January last year everybody recognised we signed a very strong centre back in Réda Johnson. He seemed an ideal buy as a very competent centre half until converting into a left back for cover. Before too long manager at the time Gary Megson and the whole of Sheffield Wednesday realised he was also very capable in this position. Now running down the left channel he always looks a threat going towards goal which has seen him pitch in with seven goals along the way. This great form has even seen him earn more recognition after being called up for Benin.
When Julian Bennett was signed at the start of the season from Nottingham Forest thoughts were we had signed a high profile left back and during his first few appearances he looked a promising; dynamic defender who was able to attack. He possesses a long throw and pace but always seemed shy to cross the ball into the box. He looked a great signing but after a few weeks was ruled out with injury and Réda was there to fill the gap and Bennett was then unable to break back into the first team and when now put in the team to cover Johnson, he seems out of place trying to impress the manager too much. Once he returns to full fitness I can see him claiming his place back in the side, hopefully in the Championship.
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When Nottingham Forest went into the last game of the 2010/11 season, away to Crystal Palace, it was blazing sunshine, and Forest went on to win comfortably, to seal their play-off place.
As fans made their way over Trent Bridge for the last game of the 2011/12 season, we were treated to rainy, chilling weather. Rather appropriate, mirroring the disastrous fall the team has endured in the space of a year.
With Cotterill fielding a strong team, intent on giving home fans something to cheer about at last, and Portsmouth’s team littered with a blend of spirited youth and experience, it had the ingredients to be a fairly open game, enough to distract from the bitter weather.
Forest were the team to start off the better, creating openings, as McGugan and Guedioura went close. The only early threat belonging to Portsmouth was discovering the cause of Chris Maguire’s mysterious obsession with the floor, making himself an early enemy to the majority of the Forest faithful. Getting into a duel with Gunter, he conceded he wasn’t man enough for the battle, disgracefully throwing himself to the ground, claiming he was elbowed, when it was clear to everyone no contact was made. Humiliating moment for him. Mind you, he’s contracted to Derby County, so he’s had lower moments in his career.
After that, the game had a bit of a subdued spell, livened up by a few hopeful Forest long-range shots, which ended up being ballooned over. With Pompey fans immediately thinking of the money opportunities, they kept the balls to themselves and they all mystifyingly went missing. Soon to be seen at a Portsmouth car boot sale, raising funds to keep the club alive.
Portsmouth went on to have a few chances of their own, with a couple of shots taken from long-range, dealt with questionably by Lee Camp, spilling them yards in front, with no Pomoey strikers willing to gamble, thankfully so.
Forest throughout, were playing some thoroughly decent football, knocking the ball around well, asking questions of Pompey. What they lacked in the 1st half however, was a cutting edge, and it was quite clear they needed to go up a gear, and goals would come if they did.
The Reds started the second half well, and created chances. Dexter Blackstock went close, but was denied by Jamie Ashdown, and it looked like it was going to be another one of those says for ‘Dex’. That’s until Forest broke the deadlock, when Cunningham’s cross arrived at McCleary feet back post, who played it back across goal, accidentally or not, to the feet of Blackstock, who kept his composure to calmly side-foot the ball home.
Forest, hoping to put Portsmouth to bed, were again continuously frustrated, as Blackstock saw his header, from a corner, clawed away by Ashdown. It didn’t take long though, for Dex to take his total to 8 for the season, as an Andy Reid corner was headed in, with Garath McCleary proving enough of a distraction for the keeper, and the ball found its way in. For a player who spent two thirds of the season rehabilitating, he’s done extremely well to come back in, and score some vital goals that have seen Forest safe.
Additionally, it must be said how much of an honour it was to see Forest score from a corner. For months now, they’ve won countless corners, and never looked like scoring from them. With Reid’s reputation for being a good set-piece deliverer, it was baffling to see him remain in this role, as the drought proved to be very embarrassing, reflected by the look of relief on the faces of Reid and Blackstock, when one was finally converted.
The ‘hair on the back of the neck being raised’ moment, came when loanee Adlene Guedioura was substituted. The part this man has played in the survival can’t begin to be described. A superb player, who’s heart and passion would put his fellow Wolves colleagues to shame. He’s become a fans favourite, and that was made obvious when he departed. With 20,000 fans to a man, up off their seats to applaud him, with chants of ‘Sign Him Up’ circulating. Feelings mutual, as he later tweeted, “I’m going to do a little video, to explain my feelings about NFFC. Already big big thank you”. This epitomises his personality, and his ‘on the pitch’ manner. A fine professional, and a rare asset for a footballer nowadays, to really care about fans as much as he does.
He feels loved by us, and we feel loved by him. Come on Adlene, a perfect match!
Following the goals, the game came to an end, with Portsmouth fans in full voice. Without a doubt, the best bunch of supporters we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming to the City Ground this season. Many dressing as Robin Hood, and others coming prepared with banners, they showed their fine humour, and serious element to their support of Pompey. From start to finish, they refused to stop singing. 2,319, and every single one, their club can be proud of. As the Forest players departed for the first time, intent on coming on again for a lap of appreciation, Forest fans waited in silence. That is until, Portsmouth fans belted out, “I’m Pompey till I die”, greeted with thousands of Forest fans applauding them back, in recognition of their position, and the support they’ve given their doomed club.
Hundreds of Portsmouth fans remained, to acknowledge the Forest players, and especially, former manager Steve Cotterill. Succeeding that, their fans rejected the option of leaving, passionately chanting for their club. Forest have had horrible season, and questions have been made over decisions made by Steve Cotterill. Regardless of that, we still have a club to watch, every week.
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With that in mind, fans across the country should spare a thought for Portsmouth fans, who turned up in their thousands to watch what could’ve been Portsmouth F.C’s last ever game. As clubs up and down the country make plans for next season, Portsmouth’s future remains in doubt, potentially putting their fans without a team to support. Full admiration goes to all Portsmouth fans, and it’d be a shame to lose such a club, with fans like yours.
For Forest fans, I think a holiday is in order. A hectic summer ahead, and all we can do is wait to see what happens.
Thanks for coming 2011/12 season, but shut the door on your way out.
When Howard Webb speaks, you should listen. Firstly, he’s bigger than you. Second, he used to be a copper. Third of all, he has the widest breadth of knowledge and irrefutable authority over all matters relating to the regulation, implementation and monitoring of football’s moral and technical laws.
Besides being the finest referee to emerge from our shores in recent times, Webb in the past two years has also been involved in what can only be seen as career-defining moments which have shaped the man who has risen from the Northern Counties league to the very pinnacle of the game: the 2010 World Cup Final, and the FA Cup tie between Tottenham and Bolton on March 17th of this year.
Webb witnessed the most extreme variants of footballing conduct in these two games, from Holland’s martial demolition of Spanish limbs to the utter despair as grown men wept and paramedics fought for the stricken Fabrice Muamba at White Hart Lane. In both instances, Webb was adjudged to have handled the situation with impeccable dignity in unrelenting circumstances. In spite of only punishing Nigel De Jong’s reckless chest-level lunge on Xabi Alonso with a yellow, Webb was able to keep the world’s footballing spectacle respectable as all those around him did their best to do the opposite.
Similarly, Webb was infallible in his timing, execution and response to Muamba’s on-field cardiac arrest. Immediately stopping play to allow for medical aid as well as permitting spectator and cardiologist Andrew Deaner onto the field undoubtedly contributed to Muamba’s survival, whilst liaising with captains and managers ensured a noble, refined and safe abandonment of the game.
As such, nobody in football is more qualified to speak on matters of such importance as Howard Webb. Speaking to the BBC recently, Webb vented his concerns in relations to play-acting players endangering the safety of players in genuine trouble whilst on the field of play. Webb insisted that “one of our obligations as a referee is to try and observe fair play and keep the game flowing when we can. But, if players cry wolf too many times, then there is a possibility that maybe we will not react in the way we need to do”, not only emphasising the precocious job of referees in handling players with apparent injuries, but also indicating the need for players to begin taking greater responsibility for their own actions during play.
Referees are now given the scope to apply individual acumen to instances of apparently injured players, where once it was regulatory to halt proceedings. With the majority of power accorded to the referee’s judgement, it is paramount that footballers begin to recognise their obligation to be honest, ethical and sincere on the field. Seemingly, the ill-discipline which characterises many player’s off-field actions has been transposed onto the pitch, where gaining an advantage by any means necessary is of higher importance than maintaining integrity.
Not one to be generally known for histrionics, it was apparent from the outset that Fabrice Muamba was in disturbing difficulty. The cardiac problems encountered by Muamba could strike any player, at any time, without warning – witness Piermario Morosini’s tragic death in Serie B just a month later, or former Southend and Stevenage winger Mitchell Cole’s forced retirement from the game at the age of 25 due to a serious heart condition.
Consequently, it is of vital importance that referees are able to distinguish between playacting and genuine injury; the impetus here, though, is on the players themselves. Referees are not mind readers, nor do they have x-ray vision. Players need to countenance the danger they are putting themselves and their colleagues in. An undiagnosed heart condition may be lurking within any of the Premier League’s most reputable simulators; if, god forbid, Luis Suarez or Ashley Young were to collapse on the field of play, who would blame a referee for continuing with play? Webb claimed that “if the game had not been stopped within 20 or 30 seconds, that might have made a difference to his chances of recovery.” Footballers are only jeapordising their own safety by feigning injury.
As one of the most credible and authoritative figure in British football, Webb’s words cannot go unheeded. The case of Fabrice Muamba should be a rousing awakening for any player looking to stay down ‘hurt’ in order to hold up play. Referees can only do so much: honesty on behalf of professional footballers is of fundamental importance in ensuring that a similar scenario does not end in tragedy.
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Are players play-acting too much in the modern game? How can we stop this? Tweet me @acherrie1
There isn’t much happening at Tottenham Hotspur at this current juncture. In fact there’s been hardly any activity since the season ended last month. Jan Vertonghen’s protracted transfer continues to drag on, whilst Niko Kranjcar was bundled onto an aeroplane and shipped off to Dynamo Kiev without much fanfare. All in all its been a pretty bland start to the summer by Spurs’ standards. Things did hot up during the mid-part of this week when it was revealed United declared their intentions (once again!) to sign Luka Modric. The sunshine season wouldn’t be complete without a transfer saga to leave you tearing your hair out. At this rate the White Hart Lane faithful will be contemplating baldness if this is going to happen every year. However would Harry Redknapp be inclined to sell his star midfielder after missing out on the Champions League? If United willing to pay £35 million for the Croatian I have every faith saying that Redknapp will drive him to Manchester himself. The manager himself continues to sweat over his own future in North London as he waits to hear from chairman Daniel Levy over a new contract. One thinks Uncle ‘Arry deserves one more crack of the whip at getting Tottenham a seat on Europe’s elite table. Do you?
This week on FFC should Spurs give in to Redknapp’s contract demands and which England goalkeeper are they battling Southampton and Manchester City for?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Should Tottenham crack to these contract demands?
Why this Brazilian doesn’t need any Samba for Tottenham
English clubs to adopt U.S sponsorship model?
A true Measurement of Success within the Premier League?
What to do with Luka Modric?
Have Tottenham reached their optimum level under Harry?
Time for the Premier League to recapture it’s interest in Huntelaar
Saints look to steal the march on Spurs and City with bid
Spurs rebuffed in plucky transfer bid
Tottenham closing in on Vertonghen deal
[divider]
Best of WEB
Vertonghen versus Vermaelen – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish – Harry Hotspur
Luka and ITK mathematics – Dear Mr Levy
Replacing Vdv With £14M Rated Ramirez Wouldn’t Be Trading Up – Transfer Tavern
Today could be the day. – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2
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The Book of Daniel – Dear Mr Levy
Is The Man In This Leaked Photo Our New Striker? – Harry Hotspur
[divider]
Quote of the Week
[divider]
“People talk about it but I’ve never had a problem with Daniel Levy. The simple situation is that I have a year left on my contract and it is up to Tottenham whether they want to extend that or not.
“Things couldn’t have gone better since I’ve been there. We’ve finished fourth twice, fifth once, quarter-finals of the Champions League and played fantastic football. It’s a good club and I enjoy being at Tottenham.” Harry Redknapp reveals that he wants to extend his stay at Tottenham and it’s up to the club to offer him a new contract
Everton defender Leighton Baines has stated that he does not know anything about the speculation in the media linking him with a move to Manchester United.
The Red Devils are thought to be in the market place for a left-back to provide competition to Patrice Evra, with the England man believed to be a target.
However, Baines is concentrating on staying at Goodison Park for the time being.
“I’ve been aware of what’s been said in the press but I don’t know much beyond that. It doesn’t do any harm [to be linked] but it doesn’t do any good either,” Sky Sports quote the full-back as saying.
“It’s just one of those things that tends to swing around this time of year. People put two and two together sometimes they get four and sometimes they get three or five. It gets other people more excited than those involved.”
The Toffees have been subject to tight financial constraints in recent seasons, but Baines is hopeful that David Moyes can hold onto his main stars this summer.
“Obviously over the years the manager has lost players that I am sure he would have liked to have kept hold of.
Whether the club has needed the money or whether it’s because they have received what they consider is a considerable bid for a player they have always done good business.
“The manager has done well in bringing people in at a certain amount and when they have moved on he has tended to double his money or more.
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“The club have always been quite savvy in that sense. It has never really hindered us and it’s never seen us getting any worse.
“But maybe it would be nice to see us hang on to those players and add a couple,” he concluded.
All great sports teams need to build from the back. A title-winning side is often defined by the confident figure between the posts and an even more reliable group ahead of him. But the Premier League, or England as a whole, is dominated by the assumption that every team needs a powerful character at centre-half who possesses great leadership qualities.
Arsenal can’t run away from people continually suggesting that the team needs a “proper” defender, despite Arsene Wenger bringing in three good, first-choice centre-backs over the past three summers. They might not be the enforcer that Manchester City have in Vincent Kompany or that captain at Chelsea that we don‘t mention by name, but each are capable of combining for a very good defensive partnership.
But maybe it’s the craving that we need to see last-ditch tackles by a fearless 6ft3 individual in the pouring rain. Strength and size is what clubs need in order to feel comfortable. It’s also a huge bonus if he’s capable of convincingly wearing the captain’s armband. Oh and fast! He needs to be lightning quick to be considered the full package.
However, I’m not buying it. Sure, I’m hardly going to protest my club buying a player like Vincent Kompany or Nemanja Vidic—two of the leading centre-backs in the country—but no sleep will be lost over a group of players who aren’t labelled with the “enforcer” tag.
England needs crunching tackles and no nonsense defending, it defines the game in this country. But players like Kompany or Vidic have been around for a long time. Maybe it could be argued that they’re a dying breed, or at least not so heavily pursued. A strong centre-back is indeed a necessity, but not really a “stay at home” kind of defender.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have built two successful defensive partnerships, and none of the four individuals are what you’d consider “enforcers.” Carles Puyol is one of the best centre-backs and leaders of the last decade, yet he doesn’t come with all the characteristics that would allow him to thrive in England. A lack of height is perhaps his greatest flaw, or at least it would be to an English audience.
But instead, players like Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos—who are going to be the mainstays in their side’s defences over the long-term—are defined by their ability to play out of defence. They’re technically excellent ball players, and they have the confidence and ability to launch attacks from deep. They are also exceptional defensive players, but their art is in their ability to form another part of the attack.
Their partners are also hardly the no nonsense defenders we’ve come to see in England. Yes, Pepe can be a nuisance for a large part of the game, but he’s also a smart defender who uses his knowledge and reading of the game to eliminate attacks.
In contrast, English fans love the saving tackle off the line—something for the cameras. But is it really necessary when you can have players whose intelligence of the game far outweighs the need to pull off a bone-crunching tackle?
Again, Arsenal are always brought up as a team lacking in the defensive department. Yet Laurent Koscielny is an excellent reader of the game and someone who can play his way out of trouble. He’s deceptively strong and very quick, but very few beyond Arsenal fans recognise him as one of the better defenders in the league.
Gary Cahill is another that seems to excel at both ends of the pitch. He’s confident in his attacking game but can also be an asset in his own half. It could be argued that he has the safety net of others around him, but he’s able to combine both aspects to his game.
A big, powerful enforcer at centre-half is something that has been around for many years, although I don’t see the persistent need for a player of that quality. Yes, it helps to combat the strength and size of certain strikers, but the much more clever defenders have been able to compensate for a lack of size or pace with outstanding reading of the game.
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Alessandro Nesta has pushed on to an age where he was deemed dispensable by AC Milan this summer. But the centre-back—another who is rightly considered one of the best of the last decade—performed exceptionally well against Barcelona, and Lionel Messi in particular, last season. The Argentine forward is phenomenally quick, but Nesta played like an experienced veteran of the game should. It highlights the way that better defenders can compensate.
I will reiterate my opinion that it’s not wholly necessary for a good team to be a great team with an enforcer in the defence. Instead, the rise of the ball-playing defender is something that should be considered. Indeed, many of them are strong and are excellent tacklers, however, their strengths are in their ability to start attacks from the back. They are very good positionally and play a key role in the retention of the ball. Their versatility is also something that separates them from the rest.
With attacking football moving into a new era led by teams like Spain and Barcelona, it’s also important for the defensive aspect to catch up and play a similar and equal role.
One of the major talking points involving Liverpool this week was not the terrible result away to West Brom on the opening day of the season, when they lost 3-0, nor was it the desperately poor decisions of referee Phil Dowd, rather the fact that the academy’s technical director, the highly thought of Pep Segura quit his post last week – so where exactly does this leave the club?
The 51 year-old cited the fact that he wanted to be closer to his family in Spain as the reason why had decided to bring an end to his three-year association with Merseyside, but the timing of the decision told its own story.
Former U-18 coach and old Liverpool player Mike Marsh recently signed a deal that saw him become Brendan Rodgers first-team coach at the club, and it took just 11 days after he signed his new deal for Segura to leave, so there is clearly a connection there between the two.
Rodgers said about Marsh’s promotion at the time: “For me, it is very important to have people with the sort of root of Liverpool in their heart, the soul of the club. I’ve come in and I’ve got an understanding of what it is like. I feel I’m from the same bottle of the people of Liverpool and the city, with similar backgrounds. There are no worries about that, and I’ve also got players from Liverpool in the first-team group.”
It was widely believed that Segura was set for the very same promotion at the end of last season under the club’s former manager Kenny Dalglish, but that the appointment of Rodgers in the summer led to the 39 year-old boss wanting total control over certain parts of the club, namely the technical aspect, which led to a clash of personalities with Segura.
Having arrived back in 2009 with an impressive CV which included a managerial spell in Greece with Olympiacos, Segura was instrumental in the coaching of a whole host of Barcelona’s current crop of stars such as Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas during his role with the Barcelona B-team.
He stepped up to the position of reserve team manager last season as he continued to rise through the ranks at the club, before reverting back to his original role in the summer. Alongside Rodolfo Borrell, another former Barcelona youth-team coach, they were brought in by former manager Rafael Benitez and told to overhaul the club’s youth-team system and academy.
The result is that slowly but surely, under the ethos of Segura’s 4-2-3-1 that he’s got every single youth-team playing across the board, and under Borrell’s and Segura’s guidance, more and more youth-team players are beginning to break into the fringes of the first-team squad – Suso, Raheem Sterling, Adam Morgan, Jon Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Connor Coady to name the best examples. The club arguably would have felt the departure of Borrell more, seeing as he has coached this latest exciting crop of player for two years as U-18 coach, before taking over the reserve-team job in the summer.
In 63 competitive games as coach with them, the team have emerged victorious on 36 occasions and scored 143 goals, while they also went on to finish 2nd in last season’s Premier Academy League, losing out to Champions Everton by a single point- despite seeing his youngsters net 18 more goals than their cross-city rivals. While they also finished third in the inaugural NextGen series, which is sort of like the Champions League for youngsters, beating Marseille in the play-off after a heavy defeat to Ajax in the semi-final and the difference being made across the board is clear for all to see.
There appears to be a disconnect between the way that the academy and reserve-team is set up at the moment and the first-team, though. Rodgers has been keen to implement his own 4-3-3 system at the club, moving away from the 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 of the Dalglish and Benitez eras. Dalglish was keen to keep the course with the way Benitez had set things up, having been involved with the academy under the Spanish manager.
It remains to be seen how this will change things around the club but the departure was certainly a surprising one and make no bones about it, Liverpool have lost a world-class youth-team coach.
While the Academy may continue to follow the plans put in place by him for the foreseeable future, particularly with Director of Academy and Player Development Frank McParland still at the club, the long-term vision could alter now that he’s no longer there to help see it through, which is a worry.
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Having been promised a promotion that never came and seeing his role at the higher echelons at the club in terms of debate over the future of the side and the way it should be run be reduced, his marginalisation led to his inevitable exit.
It must have come as something of a slap in the face for him, but Rodgers is yet again proving that when it comes to his vision, he is very much his own man and he’s staked a lot of the club’s progress to date so far on his own footballing philosophy, so the pressure is on, not just with the more visible first-team, but behind the scenes at Anfield too.
Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill yesterday expressed his delight after managing to lure former Manchester City winger Adam Johnson to the Stadium of Light for a fee of around £10 million.
Johnson, 25, made a promising start to his Manchester City career, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw away at Sunderland. However, his first team opportunities at the Etihad have been few and far between of late, and a move away from Manchester seemed evident.
O’Neill told BBC Radio Newcastle: “I’m delighted he’s chosen us. I’m thrilled for the supporters who now get a chance to be excited by him.” O’Neill also believes that Johnson has made a wise career move if his aspirations of playing for England are to be fulfilled: “If he’s playing more regularly and playing well, it’s a big goal of Adam’s to play well for his country.”
O’Neill added that the signings of Johnson and Scottish striker Steven Fletcher demonstrates Sunderland’s desire to attain a higher league position than their 13th-placed finish last campaign: “We want to try to do better than last season, plus keeping the ingredients that got us out of trouble – that spirit the players possessed, although it faded towards the back end of last season once we had achieved Premier League status – there was a drop off in intensity.”
Johnson made an impressive start to his Sunderland career last night, albeit up against a Morecambe side from League 2. The England international provided two assists for the talented James McClean in a comfortable 2-0 victory for the Black Cats.
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