Leeds United are interested in replacing Marcelo Bielsa with Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Big summer change at Leeds?
Speculation continues to surround Marcelo Bielsa’s future at Elland Road, with the 66-year-old yet to sign another one-year extension.
That, coupled with Leeds’ struggles on the pitch this season, has led to claims that the Argentine could bring an end to his four-year stay at the club.
A host of names are being tipped to come in as Bielsa’s replacement and another figure has been added to the hat.
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The Latest: Amorim being eyed up
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Amorim is someone who Leeds are keen on and ‘very highly thought of’ at Elland Road, with the Portuguese doing an impressive job with Sporting:
“He’s a guy that’s very highly thought of, very young.”
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The Verdict: Exciting young option
At just 37, Amorim isn’t far away from being half Bielsa’s age, so he would certainly be someone who brings fresh blood to the role, having been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Carlos Fernandes, his former teammate at Belenenses.
He won the Primeira Liga title with Sporting last season and has won three Portuguese League Cups in a row – the first was with Braga – highlighting the pedigree that he has.
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However, the hope could still be that Bielsa gives it one more year, with the legendary Leeds figure suffering bad luck with injuries this season and deserving of another year to work his magic.
In other news, Leeds have been backed to complete a double swoop this summer. Read more here.
Spain star David Silva is happy to put his club future on hold until after the World Cup.
The Valencia winger is reported to be on the summer wish-lists of a host of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Silva is expected to leave the Mestalla this summer, with Los Che's star striker David Villa having already tied up a move to Barcelona for next season.
However, the 24-year-old insists that speculation over his future will not affect him during the World Cup finals in South Africa.
"Right now I should not talk about my future," he declared. "I am with the national squad and we will see what happens later. I have a contract with Valencia but my only thought is to help the national team at the World Cup."
Speaking over the weekend, Valencia president Manuel Llorente revealed that Manchester City had been in touch to enquire about his club's £20million-rated wideman.
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"The news is true," he said. "City got in touch with us to ask for a meeting, but then they informed us that they could not come and that they intend to do so a little further down the line."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There were many things England fans were saying after the 4-1 defeat to Germany, with one of them being “How did the linesman not give that?” This was something millions of fans were saying up and down the country after Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’ which would have brought the scores level wasn’t given. England supporters are used to linesman influencing their World Cup matches. Back in 1966 in the World Cup final, against Germany again, Geoff Hurst got the rub of the green as ‘The Russian Linesman’ said that his shot had crossed the line. Tofik Bakhramov was in fact from Azerbaijan, but England fans will always remember him as the Russian linesman, and the same will be said about Mauricio Espinosa in years to come.
Espinosa will always be known as that Uruguayan linesman who didn’t award Lampard’s goal. At least it’s better to remember the match for that moment rather than the fact that England were well and truly outplayed by the old enemy. Even his own wife Sandra “couldn’t believe his decision” and shouted “No, no, Mauricio, you’re wrong at the TV.” Espinosa himself said “Oh my god” when he saw a replay of the incident at half time, not exactly the words most England fans were using.
We will never forget the goal disallowed by Mauricio Espinosa in the England v Germany match. Although there’s nothing we can do about it, there is a way to take out some of your frustration on Mauricio. For the new film The Rebound there’s a pretty nifty online game, Bounce Back Attack, where you can upload a photo of someone you hate. So we decided to make one of Mauricio for you to unleash upon! Although I wouldn’t blame you if you choose Fabio Capello or any of England’s so-called stars that underperformed in South Africa.
You can check out the game at: http://www.bouncebackattack.com/user/104 and give Mauricio a friendly slap before turning your attention to your own figure of hatred in your personalised game. Who would you make one of? Just think Mauricio Espinosa’s error would have been completely forgotten if Jermain Defoe or Wayne Rooney would have netted the rebound, but that was far too much to ask. As it is Espinosa and the England players are the target of our hatred for this summer at least, maybe next time we can insist that there’s a Russian running the line!
New manager Roy Hodgson was a happy man after seeing his first game in charge of Liverpool end in a 2-0 victory at FK Rabotnicki.
A tricky-looking Europa League qualifying tie now looks to be all but over after a David N’Gog double earned the Reds a well-deserved win in the Macedonian capital.
Hodgson commented: “I am very satisfied. It was a game that could have been very difficult for us.
“It was a big crowd and some of our players who played are not used to big crowds.
“I was really pleased with the way everyone went about their business and we can go back to Anfield with a margin of victory which will enable us to feel a little more comfortable.
“I feel like I’ve been up and running for the last four weeks.
“I have had a very hectic and busy month – it has been a month where my feet have not touched the ground.
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“I fear having taken on this job there will be a weight of expectation on my shoulders every time I step into Melwood for a training session, every time I go to a game with the team.
“I came to the job knowing that was the situation and the important thing is to put out a team capable of meeting that expectation.”
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has recently revealed that Franco Baldini’s call in an attempt to lure him out of international retirement for the World Cup left him with only two hours to contemplate his decision whilst admitting that his answer may have been different had Fabio Capello called personally.
He said “Would I have joined up if Capello had called me? I don’t know, maybe it might have meant more” which raises further questions over Capello’s disciplinarian approach to the management of the England side.
England’s disappointing campaign was a catalyst for major speculation surrounding the Italian’s future and this social blunder perhaps typifies what went wrong in South Africa: a lack of personal touch.
Once revered for his strict regime, Capello will now no doubt be asked the question as to why it was too much for him to pick up the phone and speak to Scholes himself if he believed he would make an impact in England’s engine room. A player with 66 England caps and 14 goals from 1997-2004 described by Zinedine Zidane as “undoubtedly the greatest player of his generation” was surely worth a minor display of common courtesy.
Scholes, 35, is too modest to claim he would have made the difference for England in South Africa or in fact that he would have got the best out of United team-mate Wayne Rooney but Capello felt his presence would have given him other options, particularly with concerns over the fitness of Manchester City’s Gareth Barry which only serves to highlight Capello’s faux pas.
Scholes will now focus on regaining the Premier League title from Chelsea in the upcoming season but says he is also slightly wary about Manchester City’s shopping spree and for someone who came through the Old Trafford youth system, seeing his near neighbours eclipse the club he loves is simply inconceivable.
“The last thing we want is City above us” he said.
“It is great for the city to have two top teams – a change from them being in the Second Division 10 years ago”.
Whilst Scholes gears up for the domestic campaign it is highly likely Capello will blood youngsters in their upcoming friendly against Hungary in August with the likes of Joe Hart, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young, Michael Dawson and even Jack Rodwell being touted to replace the likes of Scholes , James and Heskey.
Unfortunately in what appears to be Scholes final chance on the big stage, he was let down by the absence of a personable approach from Capello and we will no doubt be seeing him still going strong next season – for club not country.
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Surely a proven finisher such as Uruguayan international Diego Forlan, or a clinical striker in the mould of Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano, would have tucked away one of the many chances Tottenham created against top four rivals Manchester City on Saturday. With Spurs failing to complete a deal for either transfer target in the close season it was left to Jermain Defoe to lead the line against big spending City. Defoe could not find a way past England colleague Joe Hart however, while Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko was also denied on two occasions by the 23-year-old man of the match. Spurs inability to convert their chances will have left manager Harry Redknapp furious and re-affirmed his desire to bring another forward to White Hart Lane before the end of the transfer window.
Former West Ham manager Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to bring another striker to the club over the summer. The 63-year-old remains unconvinced of his current forward line and will be looking to shuffle his pack over the coming weeks. While Spurs boast an attacking quartet envied by most of the teams in the Premier League, Redknapp is expected to complete a deal for Nice forward Loic Remy over the next few days. Highly-rated Remy is a fast and powerful finisher in the Thierry Henry mould and will command a transfer fee of around £12m. Tottenham turned to the 23-year-old, who bagged 16 goals last term, after missing out on both Forlan and Fabiano by refusing to meet Atletico Madrid’s asking price, and the Brazilian’s high wage demands.
With a striker set to arrive Redknapp will look to sell one of Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane or Pavlyuchenko. The Russian hitman is a reported target of Marseille and looks most likely to leave the club after Redknapp confirmed Keane and Crouch are likely to stay for another season.
“There is no chance that Peter will leave,” insisted Redknapp. “He’s not for sale and isn’t going anywhere.”
Redknapp also backed Keane to remain at the club next year, claiming: “[Keane] has still got a lot to offer, so he’s still in my plans. I’d love to keep him here.”
Tottenham’s attacking trio of Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Keane, who was shipped off to Celtic on loan mid-way through the season, managed just 19 league goals between them last season, while Defoe bagged 18 on his own and will not be sold. The North Londoners were easily the lowest goal-scorers out of the top five last season with just 67 goals, while Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all managed to top the 80 goal mark. Redknapp knows a reshuffle of his forward line could pay dividends and even springboard a potential title challenge and extended run in the Champions League.
Question marks remain over Redknapp’s choice of signing in French striker Remy however. While the player has undoubted potential he is not the world-class forward Tottenham fans have been craving. Redknapp has missed out on Fabiano, Forlan, Welsh forward Craig Bellamy and AC Milan’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar this summer and now looks set to fall back on Remy.
Redknapp will of course be disappointed not to land his top striking targets after publicly stating his desire for the club to break the bank and bring in some big name players this summer. However if Remy adapts quickly and his other experienced forwards start firing in the goals then Tottenham may well be able to better their achievements of last season.
Would you like to see Remy at WHL, or is he no better than what Tottenham have currently got?
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In the annihilation of West Brom on the first day of the season, Didier Drogba notched up his 134th goal for Chelsea, passing the scoring feats of Jimmy Greaves for the club in the process. It was also his 87th in the Premier League and at this very moment in time you would be hard picked to find a better striker in the league, if not the world (although David Villa may have something to say about that), he is unplayable. But where does he rank in terms of the Premier League and its history?
For the purists among you, who rely on cold fact, the top ten in terms of goals scored looks like this:
1. Alan Shearer 260
2. Andy (sorry, Andrew) Cole 187
3. Thierry Henry 174
4. Robbie Fowler 163
5. Les Ferdinand 149
6. Michael Owen 147
7. Teddy Sheringham 147
8. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 127
9. Dwight Yorke 123
10. Robbie Keane 121
It is however worth pointing out that between Sheringham and Hasselbaink should sit Frank Lampard with 130 goals. He has been omitted as he isn’t a striker, but it is a frightening statistic to have scored so many goals from midfield.
It’s a good list no? There are some incredible players within that ten, but for every obvious choice, there is a glaring miss. No Eric Cantona, Dennis Bergkamp or Gianfranco Zola to name but a few, and thus, clearly it can’t all be about the sheer volume of goals scored. If that were the case then James Beattie (92) would be a better striker than Dennis Bergkamp (87), and Briane Deane and Chris Armstrong (both 71) would be superior to Eric Cantona (70) – goals alone it seems, are not enough.
You also have to factor in the amount of time players have spent in the Premier League. Does a player like Fernando Torres, who has scored relentlessly since arriving from Spain, but has only been here for just over two seasons, still have to prove he can carry on his feats for a few more years, in order to be considered? And you can apply the same question to Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba: does there have to be a dynasty of season upon season in the Premiership to warrant consideration among the best? Perhaps, it is more fitting to consider the speed in which they reached their goals i.e. Van Nistelrooy would be far more prolific than either Les Ferdinand or Teddy Sheringham.
Do more emotive reasons come into play: did a striker help transform a club in the way Zola did at Chelsea, helping them from mid-table obscurities to genuine trophy contenders. Is the quality of goals a factor? A Tony Yeboah compilation is more a far more enjoyable watch than Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s greatest hits. Are there any rewards for loyalty in the Thierry Henry sense of the word, or do the goal getting mercenaries like Nicolas Anelka and Robbie Keane deserve a mention for scoring goals regardless of the location, or kit they play in?
Assists should be taken into account: football is a team game and creating goals is an important as scoring them. The top five strikers in terms of Premiership assists reads like this (it shouldn’t surprise you that Giggs tops the total list with 90):
1. Thierry Henry 67
2. Wayne Rooney 57
3. Nicolas Anelka 49
4. Didier Drogba 46
5. Dennis Bergkamp 43
Very few, including this writer, would have guessed that both Drogba and Anelka would have more assists (and counting) than Dennis Bergkamp. And with Rooney boasting 57 assists as well as 106 goals, one can only imagine what those stats will look like by the time he reaches 30, let alone retires.
Taking everything into account; everything mentioned above, as well as their role in the team compared to others (were they a standout player or one of many greats in a single team – which is better?), they’re all round performances, their influence on their teammates, the problems they cause opposing players, here then, is my list of ten. Of course everyone’s opinion is different and it is impossible to orchestrate a definitive list. Jurgen Klinsmann was a ruthless and exciting striker during his time in England, he may have scored less Prem goals than Dean Holdsworth, but hopefully we all know who the better striker is…
So Enjoy. Or Hate. Or Share. Or Dispute
1. Thierry Henry
2. Alan Shearer
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Robbie Fowler
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5. Eric Cantona
6. Didier Drogba
7. Dennis Bergkamp
8. Michael Owen
9. Andy Cole
10. Gianfranco Zola
Tell me I should have included Torres, and that Bergkamp is too far down the list, by following me on twitter.
Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
Fulham boss Mark Hughes has praised Mark Schwarzer's professionalism following a transfer window full of speculation surrounding the goalkeeper's future.
The Australia international made his first appearance of the season in last weekend's 2-1 victory over Wolves.
Schwarzer was given a warm reception by the Craven Cottage crowd despite reportedly been keen to join Arsenal during the summer.
He was the subject of two unsuccessful bids before the transfer window closed and Hughes is pleased with how the veteran shot-stopper has bounced back from any disappointment he may have felt.
"He's a good professional and I didn't think there would be any difference in his daily work or approach to games. It was never a worry for me and he's getting on with his job," Hughes told the club's official website.
"We weren't receptive to any bids because Mark's too important to us. We would much rather he was here helping us win Premier League games.
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"His immediate future is here at Fulham and we're hopeful we can show him where we want to go and what we want to do in the future. Obviously I've made it known to him that I want him to be a part of that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Netherlands international Rafael van der Vaart was hailed by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp after scoring both goals in the 2-1 victory against Aston Villa.
Redknapp snapped up the player from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day and admits he could prove to be one of his best bits of business.
However, the veteran manager remains unsure how to get the best out of van der Vaart, revealing after the entertaining victory:"He's started well, he's going great.
"He's always looking to get on the ball and he has that knack of scoring goals. I felt, first half, we were open, too open, with two up and him floating around where he wanted to play.
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"Second half, we changed it and I stuck him in behind one striker. He's a good footballer and the fans always like a good footballer."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester United duo Nani and Darren Fletcher will miss Saturday's Premier League encounter with Wolves after picking up injuries during the Champions League victory at Bursaspor.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson also fears that Anderson will miss the game as he has a virus.
Speaking after the 3-0 win in Turkey, Ferguson said:"Unfortunately, Nani has a groin injury and is out for Saturday.
"I think Darren will be out as well, so that part has been disappointing.
"It's disappointing but these things happen in football. We may have Darron Gibson back after a bout of flu but Anderson has had a virus as well and I don't think he will be ready."
Meanwhile, the veteran Scot was pleased with the youngsters he fielded in Turkey, particularly Gabriel Obertan and Bebe who managed to get on the scoresheet.
He added:"They're young players and getting the experience of tonight is as important as anything, but they did perform well too. They did really well, we're very pleased with them.
"Gabriel's had a couple of injuries, but he's only 20 and he's developing very well. He's much stronger now and he is a real good talent. His goal tonight showed that.
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"It's not a bad sign (that the goals are being shared). When you think about our midfield players over the years – Scholes, Keane, Nicky Butt, Beckham, Giggs – and it's good to get a healthy return like that from everyone.
"Darren (Fletcher) has got the energy and the engine to get up and down the pitch and get in positions like he did today. He usually gives a reasonable return, usually around four or five goals a season. If he can increase that, maybe double it, that'd be fantastic."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email