Swansea City left back Neil Taylor has suffered a fractured ankle after a collision with Craig Gardner in the Swans’ home draw with Sunderland.
A terrific game of football was marred by the distressing injury to the Welsh international and Swansea boss Michael Laudrup confirmed the bad news after the game.
“I just talked to the doctor and we are still not 100 per cent but there is a fracture, at least one,” Laudrup told Sky Sports News.
“We are talking about a long period of rehabilitation before he returns to the game, I can’t tell you precisely how long because I don’t know.”
“When you have injuries like that it is normally very violent, but this was not violent,’ he added. “It was even a free-kick against us.”
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“Sometimes these injuries happen in strange ways, you don’t think anything is wrong and then there is ligament damage or something like that, it is very sad.”
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has stated that he his side are ready to face Manchester City in the Champions League and is confident of a positive result.
The Premier League champions travel to the Spanish capital to face Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, and the hosts’ coach has been doing his homework on Roberto Mancini’s men.
“I went over to see City play because I want my job to be done as close to perfection as possible. I wanted to analyse our opponents not just by video or stats but to see them first hand,” Mourinho told The Sun.
“Okay a match against QPR is not a good game to make a direct transfer to a match in the Bernabeu. But it was good enough to see some aspects of the City team.
“And what I do know is they have very good players – and are a powerful side.
“I don’t like to speak about opponents individually but it’s no problem to say that we respect Carlos Tevez a lot.
“I also know Mario Balotelli and the player he is because we were together at Inter for two years and so he certainly has nothing to prove to me,” he continued.
Despite praising City’s abilities, Mourinho went on to speak of Madrid’s history and the weight of expectation on the La Liga champions.
“Real Madrid is Real Madrid, it’s the real thing. A club no football result, no cup competition, no coach, no player can ever change.
“Quite simply Real Madrid is a club like no other. It’s incomparable with any other club in the world.
“There is no team anywhere that can be compared with Real Madrid. None.
“Remember I was in Portugal, in England and in Italy before coming here to Madrid, so I know what I am saying. There are great clubs but the pressure and the expectation is the greatest here at Real Madrid.
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“It is huge but it is an enjoyable pressure, not a suffocating one,” Mourinho concluded.
City and Madrid have been drawn alongside Borussia Dortmund and Ajax in their Champions League pool.
This morning it was revealed that the Dutch legend Edgar Davids would be co-managing the Football League’s basement club Barnet in order to assist manager Mark Robson with his current woes at Underhill. More excitingly however, is that the 39-year-old may also teach League Two a thing or two on how to play the beautiful game the right way.
Needless to say, this transfer has come as a bit of a shock to the football world. So here is a list of the 20 most surprising transfers of all time. In it feature the funny transfers that saw players at the back end of their career make one last attempt at avoiding an early retirement as well as the not so funny transfers featuring the players who were brave enough to cross the divide between fierce rivals. From Juninho to Johnston, these players were in the headlines for startling the football world with their shocking moves.
Click on Mo Johnston to unveil the top 20
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The cries of “he’s just too good for you” were once reserved solely for Adel Taarabt, but now these words are inspired by a young star at Crystal Palace, whose recent performances have seen him tear through Championship defences as the club surges up the table.
Wilfried Zaha is the latest extraordinary talent to have emerged from the exceptional youth academy at Crystal Palace. At just 19 years of age he has already made a home for himself in the heart of the supporters with the pace, flair and eye for goal that define football as one of the most breathtaking and entertaining sports in the world.
His newfound prolific nature in front of goal has all but confirmed suspicions that he possesses all the attributes required to succeed at the highest level but while a move to the Premier League may be inevitable, it might not be as forthcoming as the nation’s tabloids would have you believe.
Crystal Palace may not be able to boast the same history, stature or financial arsenal as rival teams around the country but the club beautifully illustrate the benefits of promoting a family atmosphere and the local community. As a result the fans share a genuine sense of belonging and in a strange way the process of administration has been a blessing in disguise. How many clubs in English football can claim they’re happy or even inspired by their current manager and chairman combination?
The current youth set-up is littered with ‘local lads’ that are well aware of a realistic path to the first-team, especially now the club is renowned for providing a stage for young players to flourish. The new financial regulations of the EPPP will see the Premier League vultures become a prominent feature at clubs like Crystal Palace and so it’s vital that they maintain this ethos and continue to enhance their positive learning environment.
In 2010 Bromley-born centre-back Ryan Inniss rose to fame when he captained the England U’16’s to victory in both the Victory Shield and the Montaigu Tournament in France. However, despite a concrete offer from Manchester City, Inniss turned down a bumper pay pocket in favour of signing a professional contract at Crystal Palace. His decision highlights a refreshing display of maturity and one that will hopefully be replicated in the future.
In the case of Wilfried Zaha, both he and manager Dougie Freedman have worked closely in various capacities over the past five years. Zaha recently revealed that he misses South London when he’s away on international duty, an admission that not only highlights his affinity with club but also the fact he’s not quite ready for the next stage in his career. Freedman’s legendary status at the club coupled with his playing career as a striker means he is the prime candidate to help Zaha fulfil his potential. An opinion Freedman also appears to share:
“The arrangement I’ve got with the club is that I will let Wilfried and his family know when I can’t develop him any longer – and I will also let them know which club for him to go to.” (Croydon Today)
On the outside this statement may be perceived as the customary stubborn and ignorant attempts to hold onto the club’s prized asset, but it’s clear that there is a mutual respect and affection between the key trio of club, manager and the player. The modern sacking culture in football means such long-term and rewarding relationships are an increasing rarity, which is perhaps the reason why so many players are easily lured away with financial incentives and misleading promises.
In recent times we’ve witnessed promising strikers Marvin Sordell and Connor Wickham struggle to adapt to life in the top flight after seemingly outgrowing the Championship. The pressure and expectation of such high-profile moves coupled with a drastically reduced playing time means their development has been bought to a rapid halt.
To put their respective downfalls into perspective, Sordell managed just three substitute appearances in the second half of Bolton’s relegation season and has notched up just one goal this year in the Championship. Wickham has also only managed a solitary goal for his new club but has yet to clock up a single minute under Martin O’Neill this season, which is remarkable considering their demoralising stats in front of goal.
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Zaha need only be reminded of former academy graduates John Bostock, Tom Soares and even Wayne Routledge to understand the perils of moving on too soon. He should look to learn from Nathaniel Clyne, who agreed to sign for Southampton last summer despite reported interest from Newcastle and Manchester United. Clyne is now playing first-team football for a team in the Premier League that endorses an attractive brand of football. As a result he has continued to prosper and has surely established the perfect platform for him to achieve the next step-up.
I hope that the future transfer of Wilfried Zaha provides a turning point that sees youngsters trust their club with the timing, fee and destination of any potential move onwards and upwards. It’s imperative that they join a team with a similar playing philosophy that can offer a regular first-team role rather than a few extra zeros on their wage packet. If the next generation of stars are to fulfil their potential then it remains clear that they should keep their eye on the ball rather than their bank balance.
Wales have crashed to a 2-0 defeat against Croatia in World Cup qualification on Tuesday night.
A goal in each half by Mario Mandzukic and Eduardo secured victory for the eastern European hosts, and put the visitors’ hopes of reaching Brazil 2014 in doubt.
Welsh boss Chris Coleman tried to take the positives from the defeat, and admitted that he knew his side were in for a tough game.
“We knew it would be difficult. When you come to a place like this you have to ride your luck a little bit because they are a very, very good team,” Coleman told Sky Sports.
“But compared to the last performance away from home it was a lot more pleasing to see the players not giving up, not folding, and at the end we were pushing and on another night we might have had a goal or two.
“But we were beaten by a very good team, in difficult conditions, but we can take a lot of heart from the performance.
“It’s amazing at the moment, we can’t keep a clean sheet. We make one mistake and we concede.
“Ashley Williams is a top-class defender and the ball just got stuck, and it made it difficult for Pricey and the striker closes him down and it lands for him.
“That’s our luck at the minute. We make one mistake and we get punished, but it’s only us that can put that right,” he concluded.
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Wales take on Scotland again in their next game, which is in March.
If there was one moment that would define Brian Stein’s career it would be his winning goal in the League Cup for Luton.
Signing for the Hatters from non-league Edgware Town in 1977 as a winger Stein went on to become a prolific goal scorer at Kenilworth Road forming profitable strike partnerships with Bob Hatton and then Steve White during his first couple of years at the club.
He played a central role during Luton’s successful promotion campaign in 1981/82 that saw them earn a place in the old Division One. After taking the top-flight by storm in the early part of the season, playing alongside youngster Paul Walsh up front, Stein’s progress was curtailed by a broken foot in December.
He still managed to come back and help Luton beat Manchester City on the final day to avoid relegation. He and Walsh partnered each other at international level winning his only international cap for England in a game against France.
Walsh left for Liverpool prior to the 1984/85 season but Stein formed an equally potent partnership with another Hatters legend Mick Harford.
But by 1988 his days appeared numbered and his finest hour was still yet to come.
On 24th April, Stein would write his name into Luton folklore by scoring two goals, including the winner, against Arsenal to bring the League Cup back to Kenilworth Road.
Incredibly, after 11 years of service Stein was allowed to leave Luton and joined French side Caen. He spent two years in Normandy before moving to Annecy and then returning to Luton in 1991.
He was unable to save the club from relegation after 10 successive seasons in the top division and joined Barnet before hanging up his boots at the end of the 1992/93 season.
Stein returned to Luton seven years later to work as reserve team coach under Hartford and was promoted to assistant manager after his former teammate left for Nottingham Forest in 2004.
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In March 2007 he was thrust into the role of caretaker manager but only managed one game in charge – a 2-0 home defeat to Ipswich – before leaving the club for a third time after Kevin Blackwell’s appointment.
He was reunited with Newell at Grimsby in November 2008 taking up the role of first team coach before being promoted to assistant manager in May 2009.
But by November he was out of a job again following Newell’s dismissal and replaced by Chris Casper after youth team boss Neil Woods was handed the reins at Blundell Park on a permanent basis.
Reading boss Brian McDermott has dismissed reports that the Royals are set for a mass spending spree in January despite conflicting comments from the owner, as reported by Sky Sports News.
Big name players have been linked with a January move to the Madejski Stadium as the club struggle to pick up points but with wealthy owner Anton Zingarevich now backing the club, two and two have been put together.
However, McDermott is refusing to talk about players at other clubs, but doubts any major moves when the transfer window opens in the New Year.
“No, no chance. I don’t work like that,” he said.
“We have brought a number of players in for the future and the present in the summer and worked with the budget that we had.
“That would be disrespectful to the players we have here at this moment in time, these players are a great bunch of people.
“They are close, they are competing in each and every game there is no doubt about that.”
“I never talk about players we haven’t got. We will identify areas we think can be strengthened so I’m sure when January comes we can talk about every new player we want to talk about.
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“The league we are in, you can’t go and have a coffee without it being in the papers.”
Daniel Sturridge is ready to leave Chelsea in the January transfer window and appears to have chosen Liverpool as his destination, according to the Evening Standard.
The striker is believed to be the subject of interest of a number of clubs but has his heart set on a move to Anfield and Liverpool have begun talks with Chelsea over a £15million deal.
Sturridge has become increasingly frustrated at his lack of opportunities to play in his preferred role as a striker through the middle, with misfiring Spaniard Fernando Torres seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.
After signing from Manchester City for £6.5million in 2009, Sturridge struggled to break into the side and was eventually loaned out to Bolton Wanderers in January of 2011 where he enjoyed a hugely successful spell scoring eight goals in 12 Premier League games.
He continued this good form upon returning to Stamford Bridge for the 2011-2012 campaign but struggled to maintain these standards during the second half of the season.
Sturridge who has scored 24 goals in 95 appearances for the Blues, most of these while playing out of position wide on the right, has now fallen increasingly out of favour following the arrivals of the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, and Victor Moses in the summer.
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Liverpool made a failed attempt to acquire him on loan in the summer but manager Brendan Rodgers has been assured funds will be available to enable a permanent deal in the new year, and Sturridge himself is evidently keen on the move.
With 29 goals to their name, only Manchester’s finest have scored more times than Tottenham this season. Finishing therefore has not been a problem, but finishing the game with a similar level of prowess is an altogether different story. As I am sure you’re well aware, Spurs would be top if games had ended after 80 minutes but does this reflect badly on the manager or is it solely down to the players once they step across that fabled white line?
The nightmare relationship between Andre Villas-Boas and Chelsea continues to haunt the 35-year-old to this very day. The main subject of criticism derived from the tactical upheaval that ensued following his arrival in English football. The old heads at the club rebuffed his desire to play with a youthful exuberance and instead set apart orchestrating his downfall.
To his credit, Villas-Boas has ploughed the same path in North London, refusing to abandon his playing philosophy or man management style. However, his new side have conceded 10 goals in the last 10 minutes of nine league games, which has effectively cost them a total of nine points.
During his opening 16 games in the league, the Portuguese manager has made a relatively high 45 out of a possible 48 substitutions, prompting many to condemn his inability to change or rather preserve the scoreline as the game nears its conclusion.
However, the art of the effective substitution is an unappreciated art form. The player must immediately adjust to the rapid tempo of the game when seconds earlier he was picking his nose on the bench. Managers on the other hand are keen to inject a fresh pair of legs into proceedings but will always be wary of upsetting the balance or rhythm of the team.
It’s a catch 22 scenario. If you make changes and they backfire, you’ll find yourself labelled as incompetent. But if you do nothing, fans will lament the apparent lack of a plan B, as they did under Harry Redknapp. Villas-Boas isn’t afraid to make bold changes but this will inevitably increase the chances of mistakes being made. Supporters will do well to remember that against Newcastle, West Brom and Norwich, Spurs scored shortly after new faces emerged from the sideline.
The one criticism that I would direct solely at Villas-Boas concerns the lack of a ‘fear factor’ he harbours within the squad. I imagine the dressing room hairdryer is used for the sole purpose of tending to his amber locks, rather than the verbal ear bashing that is an important weapon in the arsenal of any successful manager. The post-match reaction against Arsenal is the perfect case in point. Villas-Boas made a point of shaking the hands of his players, praising their effort when it was painfully obvious that the work-rate wasn’t acceptable. Could you ever picture Sir Alex Ferguson acting in the same manner? It’s one of the many reasons United always seem to turn games around. The 70-year-old still emits that aroma of authority.
The players at a club of Spurs’ stature should be perfectly capable of grinding out results. There are a number of potential leaders in defence, with the likes of William Gallas and Jan Vertonghen having both been part of title-winning sides of the past. It’s time for such individuals to step up and perfect the ugly aspects of the beautiful game in order to repeatedly pick up points.
It’s worth noting the key members of the squad that have been unavailable this season. Despite his advancing years, Scott Parker is one of the most valuable defensive barricades in the league. Likewise, Younes Kaboul – another long-term absentee – is as important to Spurs as Vincent Kompany is to Manchester City. Both teams look increasingly fragile without their man mountains at the heart of defence.
The club continues to rue the departure of Luka Modric, with his wonderful ability to maintain possession proving just as vital as the ability to win it back. In addition, the exile of Michael Dawson is difficult to understand, especially as his wealth of experience could provide stability when others seem to lose their head in the latter stage of matches.
The overwhelming view from an ‘outsiders perspective’ is that this is not a new issue for Spurs. The club have been plagued by defensive insecurities ever since Mario Balotelli stroked home a last-minute penalty to win the game for Manchester City way back in January.
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While there is only so much Villas-Boas can do from the touchline, he still has a duty to install confidence in his side when he makes tactical alterations. Similarly, the players must quickly remove this monkey of their back or risk falling foul of the fine margins in football because the club and its supporters know all about the detrimental fallout that comes with finishing fifth instead of fourth.
Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen has dismissed rumours of a move to Tottenham.
The Danish star has been attracting the attention of a number of Premier League teams lately, including Manchester United and Liverpool.
However, a move Spurs has been the most talked about, with White Hart Lane defender Jan Vertonghen urging his ex-team-mate to join him in North London.
Despite this, Eriksen suggested the rumours were mere speculation, reiterating his commitment to Ajax:
“I have read that, but it is just a rumour.” He is quoted by SkySports.
“It also depends on what Ajax want, but I hope and believe that I will finish the season at Ajax.”
But, the 20-year-old did admit that he could be interested in leaving the Dutch capital in the future:
“One day I will take that step, but I don’t know when.
“Of course, it also depends on which clubs are interested at that time.”
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Although Eriksen insists that he is happy at the Amsterdam Arena, his current contract is set to expire in 2014, which leaves lingering doubts surrounding his future.
Tottenham could take advantage of this to fill the creative void left by Luka Modric, who joined Real Madrid over the summer.