AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has predicted a tough encounter when his side visits Catania on Saturday in the Serie A.
Despite being placed at opposite ends of the table, Allegri knows to expect a heated battle at the Stadio Angelo Massimino as the hosts – who are just three points clear of the relegation zone – scrap for maximum points.
With two draws from their past three Serie A matches, Allegri will be desperate for a win against Catania to extend his side’s four-point lead on top of the league.
“I believe this is going to be a messy match because they have had a couple of negative results and will surely be playing an intense match at a fast pace,” Allegri said.
“It’s a team made up of several Argentinean players so it is difficult to play against them.”
“We should do a good job and remain focused for the whole 95 or 100 minutes. Most of all we should be extra careful and focus only on the match. We have important skills and important substitutions.”
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“For the last four games we have played once every three days and it is possible to be a bit tired. But we should make sure we put in a good performance.”
Allianz Your Cover Insurance are giving two teenagers (14-16) a once in a lifetime opportunity to head over the Munich for a week long training camp with FC Bayern Munich.
In August 2012, Allianz will host the fourth international Allianz Junior Football Camp in Munich. Teenagers from 14 to 16 years will get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet stars of FC Bayern Munich, participate in a professional football practice with official coaches of the club, visit the city of Munich and watch a match of FC Bayern Munich live at the Allianz Arena.
This unique camp experience will be a fantastic and unforgettable event for every participant. Teenagers have the opportunity to meet other passionate footballers from all over the world. We will further encourage this exchange between different countries (e.g. mixed groups during football training sessions).
Camp participants will enjoy an exciting program:
Practice with FC Bayern Munich coaches: Meet FC Bayern stars Allianz Arena tour FC Bayern match Sightseeing tour 5-aside tournament Intercultural activities (e.g. Farewell Party)
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All you need to do to apply is to submit a picture to the Facebook app of your favourite footballing moment, memory, experience plus a maximum of 100 words explaining why that moment was so special.
An FA accredited referee will judge which 5 entrants are the best, then they’ll be put to a public vote and use those votes to help decide on who should be put through to Munich.
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You can enter the through the app on the Facebook page OR directly through via this link.
If you know any young talented football fans who’d like to represent the UK over in Germany for a week, share this link and get them entering!
Juventus signing Mirko Vucinic said his new employers’ reputation as a Serie A powerhouse lured him to Turin.The Montenegro international joined from Italian top-flight rivals Roma for a fee of 15 million euros, and the 27-year-old striker said his mind was made up as soon as he found out about Juve’s interest.
“Roma was at the end of a cycle and now I’m here (at Juventus), in the most loved and best-known Italian team throughout the whole world,” Vucinic said.
“The name of the team is enough, as I’ve already said before. Juventus is the most famous team, the best known and the one Italians love most, so when my agent said the word, ‘Juventus’, I had no doubts about it.”
Despite finish last season in seventh spot – some 24 points from champions AC Milan – and not having won a domestic title since 2003, Vucinic said Juventus should always be considered a threat to win the Scudetto.
“Our position in the championship is the Juventus position: we are a great team and I’m not saying anything new, you already know that very well. We are a great team, made to win,” he said.
Vucinic also expressed his delight at getting to work with Juventus boss Antonio Conte at the Juventus Arena.
“I already know my team-mates, I’ve played against them many times, so let’s say they are kind of friends already,” he said.
“Antonio Conte didn’t call me until I had signed the contract. He phoned me after the signature and the impression he gave me was excellent.”
Sven Goran Eriksson has failed in his latest attempt to add to his Leicester City squad as Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak rejected a move to the Walkers Stadium. Sven wanted to take Kuszczak on loan after Man United indicated that they would be happy to do a deal, but the Polish goalkeeper had other ideas.
Eriksson told The Sun that “Tomasz doesn’t want to come to us”, with the 28-year-old determined to fight for his place at Old Trafford. Kuszczak is currently Manchester United’s number two in between the sticks, with Edwin van der Sar ahead of him in the pecking order. The experienced Dutchman is set to retire in the summer, giving the Pole his best chance to get an extended run in the first team.
Capped six times by Poland, Kuszczak’s future at Old Trafford is far from certain. The fact that Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to see the back of the Pole, at least in the short term, will be worrying for Tomasz. When you add in the recent addition of Anders Lindegaard, it would seem that Fergie does not see Kuszczak as the long term successor to van der Sar.
As far as Leicester and Eriksson are concerned, they will have to turn their attentions elsewhere as they attempt to complete a return to the Premier League. Currently 13th in the Championship, Leicester are just two wins away from the playoff and with the addition of Everton striker Yakubu on loan and other high profile signings, will think that gap can be overturned in the final months of the season.
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Sunderland fans are fearing the worst as Joel Asoro has been ruled out of Friday’s Derby clash because of a concussion.
There hasn’t been much to cheer about at the Stadium of Light this season, but the form of 18 year-old Joel Asoro has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise horrific season.
Asoro has only started nine league games, but has grabbed two goals and an assist and has impressed fans with his pace and dribbling ability.
The young attacker suffered a concussion while away on international duty with Sweden, and Chris Coleman has today confirmed he will be unavailable when the Black Cats welcome Derby County to the Stadium of Light on Friday night.
Sunderland fans are probably getting used to bad news by now, but nonetheless Asoro missing the match is a huge blow, as the youngster is one of the few that gets fans out of their seats and looks genuinely threatening to the opposition.
With Sunderland now five pints adrift of safety, plenty of fans have reached the point where they don’t think it matters anymore, but quite a few are gutted to lose Asoro at such a crucial stage.
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Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
There seems to be a tactical assumption that pace is absolutely integral for an attacking player. And in many cases, it is.
Generally, football as a whole has evolved to the point where pace is mandatory in pretty much every position – even in goal, where a sweeper-keeper is deemed necessary to support a high defensive line.
Yet rewind ten years and strikers like Robbie Fowler were the deadliest goalscorers in the league; he wasn’t fast, he wasn’t strong, he wasn’t mobile and he wasn’t tall, but he could score. By the time he was 34, he was warming the bench for North Queensland Fury.
Still, pace is a crucial facet to an ongoing tactical jigzaw puzzle that has gone through a series of trends in years gone by – and Steven Gerrard’s loss of it is relevant to it.
Go back to Euro 2000, one of the most attacking tournaments in modern memory, and the semi-finalists all lined up with wonderfully creative playmakers – enganches, if you will. Dennis Bergkamp for Holland, Zinedine Zidane for France, Rui Costa for Portugal and Francesco Totti for Italy. These players, in the tactical spheres, were known as ‘classic’ no.10s because they generally lacked the mobility and dynamism of the best footballers at that time, but had the tactical and technical excellence to make themselves the most influential players on the pitch.
Circa 2010, and many tactical commentators had announced the death of the classic no. 10. The over-riding comment again was the need for pace, and the go-to-example was to refer to South American playmakers, where brought up in a different football culture, could dictate a game purely through technique and sheer genius. When these playmakers came to Europe, all hot potential i.e. the Maradonas of this world, they all failed to live up to the excessive South American hype that had seen them lofted into the footballing stratosphere as celebrities. The European game was too physical to allow them to shine.
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Javier Saviola was a let down, Diego at Juventus was a huge waste of £21.5m while Pablo Aimar and Juan Riquelme were supposed world beaters condemned to Iberia, away from the spotlight of European excellence, having shorter careers than many thought. Messi only managed to break that mould, supposedly, because his footballing education started at the age of 13 at Barcelona, making him a bi-continent hybrid and essentially an anomaly.
Of the old style no.10s existing today, how many are there? Well none really, they’ve all been replaced by more dynamic and mobile, busier players. Tactics expert Jonathan Wilson comments that Riquleme was ‘the last’ of the old no.10s and Luka Modric is the first of ‘the new’. Look at the Premier League now, and Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, David Silva, Juan Mata, all the subject of huge transfer fees, are now the export you want – nimble technicians.
So where does Gerrard fit in all of this? Well, the usual rebuttal to reject playing someone of Gerrard’s ilk that far forward is that they can be dominated by a designated holding midfielder who’s faster and stronger than them.
But how many dynamic, designated holding midfielders are there in the Premier League at the moment? Perhaps the only four, at the top, are Nemanja Matic, Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Alex Song. Is it a surprise that Chelsea, West Ham and Southampton have done so well this season?
Fernandinho and Yaya Toure both like to get forward and neither ‘sit’ in front of their defence in a designated manner. Mikel Arteta is a passing player and Mathiu Flamini is hardly a physical specimen. Michael Carrick and Daley Blind are hardly imposing. Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason…just don’t. Everton have looked significantly worse with Gareth Barry out of form.
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The decline of the classic no.10 was accredited to the rise of the Claude Makelele, the holder. But with England clearly lacking this type of imposing defensive midfielder, there’s space for Gerrard to prosper again in between the lines.
Arguably, Gerrard’s best season in a Liverpool shirt was in 2008 – that’s when Zidane proclaimed him to be the best player in the world. That season he had Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano working in tandem behind him, as he played behind Fernando Torres in Rafa Benitez’ best domestic Liverpool season. There’s no reason why Lucas Levia and Jordan Henderson – two physically adept players – cannot sit behind him and feed him to the final third, where he’s at his most dangerous and most influential.
Technical ability, of the highest brand, is indispensable at the top. Gerrard has been gifted with that, and it’s about time he’s allowed to take credit for his team’s attacking brilliance instead of taking blame for their defensive inadequacies.
Moussa Sissoko scored twice on his home debut as Newcastle came from behind to stun Chelsea at St James’ Park. The pre-match narrative centred on the first return of former Magpies striker Demba Ba following his January switch to the Blues but it was Alan Pardew’s French brood that were on everyone lips. The home side, who beat Aston Villa on Tuesday, took the lead when Davide Santon’s left wing cross was headed home by Jonas Gutierrez after 19 minutes. Ba’s afternoon ended soon after as he was forced off after taking a boot in the face from Fabricio Coloccini. That didn’t unnerve the visitors who scored twice in the space of five minutes after the break. Firstly, Frank Lampard thumped an unstoppable 20-yard effort past Tim Krul before Juan Mata curled an exquisite finish into the top corner just after the hour. That spurred Newcastle on and they restored parity seven minutes later when Sissoko tapped in after Petr Cech had parried Yoan Gouffran’s effort. And in a frantic climax the signing from Tolouse swept home from Santon’s cutback to maintain the 100% start for Pardew’s new cross-channel recruits and ease their relegation fears.
Game of the day: Everton 3-3 Aston Villa
Marouane Fellaini scored in injury time to rescue a point for Everton and deny Aston Villa their first Premier League win of 2013. Paul Lambert’s side haven’t tasted victory since beating the Toffees’ Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Anfield on December 15th – a run of eight games. But they followed up a stirring second half display against Newcastle on Tuesday by taking the lead within two minutes at Goodison Park when Christian Benteke drilled low past Tim Howard after good work from Charles N’Zogbia. The home went in search of an equaliser and eventually drew level in the 21st minute when Victor Anichebe finished well under pressure from Ciaran Clark. But within two minutes the visitors regained the lead through Gabriel Agbonlahor’s unmarked header from Ashley Westwood’s right-wing cross. And Benteke put Villa on course to record a rare success as he bravely dived in to head home Matthew Lowton’s pinpoint delivery on the hour. But Everton are made of stern stuff and Fellaini lashed home with 20 minutes to go after exchanging passes with Anichebe before rising to power home Leighton Baines’ cross in the dying embers.
Rounding up the rest…
Wayne Rooney struck late on to secure a crucial win for Manchester United at Fulham to extend their lead at the top to 10 points. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side now hold a considerable advantage over rivals Manchester City in the title race and had Rooney to thank for securing all three points after a floodlight failure interupted the match just before half time. The England striker showed excellent composure to finish past Mark Schwarzer for his 10th goal of the season after matching the flight of a long ball from Johnny Evans.
A brace from Jimmy Kebe earned Reading a crucial victory against Sunderland as their survival bid kicked up another notch. The Mali forward took only seven minutes to open the scoring, trapping Jobi McAnuff’s cross and arrowing a precise finish past Simon Mignolet. The Black Cats responded and levelled in the 29th minute as Craig Gardner converted from the spot after Pavel Pogrebnyak fouled John O’Shea. But the Royal’s recent survival has been underpinned by a steely resilience and with five minutes left Kebe rose above Gardner to head in Ian Harte’s free kick to leave the Madjeski Stadium bouncing and Brian McDermott celebrating another crucial win.
Shaun Maloney’s injury time equaliser salvaged a point for Wigan in their relegation six-pointer with Southampton at the DW Stadium. Gary Caldwell’s 12th minute header sent the Latics in front at the break but Rickie Lambert pulled the visitors level in the 64th minute as he bravely stole in to nod past Ali Al-Habsi following good work from Jack Cork. And the Saints looked set to steal all three points when Morgan Schneiderlin finished cooly from close range with only five minutes to go. But there was one final twist in the tale as Maloney bundled home after Paul Scharner rescued an over cooked corner.
Arsenal left it late to see off Stoke at the Emirates Stadium as Lukas Podolski came off the bench to hit the winner and boost their Champions League hopes. Despite handing deadline day Nacho Monreal his debut the Gunners toiled to break down Tony Pulis’ predictably resolute side with Asmir Begovic making five quality saves to keep the scores level. It wasn’t until Podolski was introduced in the 68th minute that Arsene Wenger’s men looked like penetrating the P0tters rearguard. And with 12 minutes left the German international’s free kick hit Geoff Cameron and beat Begovic.
Andy Carroll scored on his first start since November to hand West Ham their first league win since New Years day as they beat Swansea at Upton Park. The England striker has struggled with injuries since arriving in East London last summer but, after being denied twice by visiting goalkeeper Michael Vorm, proved to be difference 13 minutes from time. Mark Noble sent over a left-win corner and Carroll was there to head home from close range to move the Hammers up to 11th in the table.
QPR earned a vital point in their bid to beat relegation after holding Norwich to a goalless draw at Loftus Road that saw Wes Hoolahan squander a gilt edged opportunity for the Canaries before the break and Mark Bunn keep out a second half penalty from Adel Taarabt after he fouled Jamie Mackie.
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Due to the regular broadcasting of Premier League games, fixtures are subject to change throughout the season, which can cause havoc for the fans.
Newcastle United and Everton are the latest clubs to be affected by rescheduling as their top-flight clash at Goodison Park has been switched to Monday, April 23 with an 8pm kickoff time.
A fixture being staged on a Monday evening is always difficult with regards to people’s work weeks, but it makes it that much harder if plenty of travelling is involved.
For those Newcastle fans not based anywhere near Merseyside. being able to attend the match on a weekday could be impossible.
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In a statement on the club’s official website, the Magpies confirmed that supporters will receive a full refund is the rearrangement has affected their ability to go to the game.
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Despite that, some supporters have been left reeling at the news, and many have taken aim at Sky Sports for being behind the decision to change the date and time of the original contest.
Liverpool currently look off the mark given their second place finish last season and aren’t doing too well after the sale of Luis Suarez, sitting in 12th place in the Premier League, 18 points behind leaders Chelsea.
In addition to his sale, the absence of Daniel Sturridge has dented their attacking abilities as the defence is beginning to struggle from the pressure of a weakened front line.
With everything going from bad to worse for Brendan Rodgers, here are FIVE La Liga stars he should really sign if he is to pull them out of their current slump.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON KARIM BENZEMA TO SEE THE FULL LIST
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Pedro
Name: Pedro
Age: 27
Position: Winger (Right, Left)
Nationality: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Price: £20 – £25 million
Liverpool have already made attempts to sign Pedro during the summer and he is very likely to ignite their interest again during the January window. His ability to run with the ball and find the net will be a great plus to Brendan Rodgers’ side weakened attack prowess.
Pedro would really consider a move away from Barcelona given that he has been given a very limited role this season under Luis Enrique. He has started six league matches and appeared from the bench on five different occasions. His position overlaps with both Lionel Messi and Neymar, hence his inability to hold down a solid first team place.
Isco
Name: Isco
Age: 22
Position: Attacking midfield (Centre, Left)
Nationality: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Price: £33 – £36 million
When Liverpool expressed their interest in signing Real Madrid star Isco, many assumed he will be the eventual replacement for club captain Steven Gerrard. His workload along with his ability to round players with his swift feet has seen his playing time with the Spanish giants increase.
However, despite his qualities in attack as well as his determination to win back the ball, Isco often has to settle for being back-up to the likes of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric, causing him be forced to work even harder. If Brendan Rodgers somehow pulls off this signing, he will definitely be well on his way to getting Liverpool back into the kind of form they showed last season.
Iker Casillas
Name: Iker Casillas
Age: 33
Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Price: £5 – £10 million
In light of Simon Mignolet’s error against Ludogorets, Liverpool fans calls for the club to sign a new number one are more vocal than ever. Despite choosing to stick with the Belgium shot-stopper, Brendan Rodgers should really consider signing veteran Casillas.
His experience with the Spanish national team as well as the Real Madrid squad could make him the man to bring composure back to the Reds’ backline. Although he might be seen as a short-term fix, Rodgers still needs to do everything he can to ensure his team finish a lot higher than where they are now.
Dani Alves
Name: Dani Alves
Age: 31
Position: Right-back
Nationality: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
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Price: £5 – £8 million
Signing Dani Alves should be one of the top priorities during the January window because Liverpool’s wing back position has been struggling week in week out so far. Glen Johnson isn’t getting any better and Brendan Rodgers may need someone like the Brazilian to control the game defensively as well as in attack.
As he has shown on multiple occasions, Alves is a player that is very lethal in the final third, and since the Reds have been struggling to create chances, he could just be the attacking catalyst they have been searching for.
Karim Benzema
Name: Karim Benzema
Age: 26
Position: Striker
Nationality: France
Club: Real Madrid
Price: £35 – £40 million
Liverpool have been chasing Karim Benzema for quite some time and given their striking problems, signing the Real Madrid man will surely get them the goals they’ve been searching for. He is considered a world-class attacker and would be a huge asset to any club.
He has been on a very good run of form so far, netting seven goals and providing five in his last ten league appearances. In addition to that, he has also scored five goals in four Champions League starts. Although his price tag is quite high, signing Benzema should be a priority.
Kevin Nolan insists West Ham should be aiming for a top 10 finish in the Premier League this season, after a promising first half to the campaign.
The Hammers captain missed the New Year’s Day 2-1 victory over Norwich through suspension, but watched his team move on to 26 points, and he is keen for the club to push on from the win and rule out being dragged into a relegation battle.
“In the Premier League, unless you are in the top 10 with two games to go, you have to keep looking at the teams behind you, it is just the way it is,” the 30-year-old told London 24.
“If you include Everton now with the top four, all the rest of the teams could be dragged into trouble. We reached 23 points at halfway and 26 after Norwich and I think it has been a decent start – we would have taken that.
“That is how we have to look at it, but we have to get another 23 points from the second half of the season which will be tough, but we are capable of it.”
With the January transfer window now open, West Ham are reportedly looking to strengthen the squad and are set to sign Waterford’s Ireland under-19 striker Sean Maguire after a successful trial at the club.
And Nolan is hopeful the club can bring in the right people to help the Hammers move up the table.
“The chairmen did some fantastic business in the last window and supported Sam fantastically.”
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“Hopefully they will do that again. There is nothing that gives you more of a boost than seeing new faces on the training ground, but if not, we have got the resources to work with here and we are looking to make that top 10.”