All posts by h79snht.top

The sad news announced this week that Senrab, the youth club which started the young careers of John Terry, Sol Campbell, Ledley King, Jermain Defoe and Paul Konchesky, amongst others, are now imploring their former graduates to help find the £12,000 annual running costs to prevent the club from going out of business comes as no surprise. The increasing cost of training equipment and facility hire, and the reduction in financial support from the council, is threatening one of English football’s most respected institutions’ very existence.

Senrab has been training young, enthusiastic footballers for fifty years, but it’s conductor, Tony Carroll, has admitted, “We can’t afford to hire training facilities. Tower Hamlets sport and leisure is run by private companies, it is not run by the council, and we get no concessions at all. What we’re doing now is every team trains once a week, on a Saturday in local parks because we don’t have to pay for that.” Senrab are perhaps one of the highest profile youth clubs in England, but they are suffering the same adversity that most grassroots football clubs are facing in every corner of the country.

Whilst processed, canned and fast food becomes cheaper and more accessible, at the same time councils are throwing money at speed cameras, width restrictions and Christmas lights that are designed not to offend anyone, we are still instructed to eat healthily and participate in sport. Well this situation has gotten out of hand, and did so long before Carroll announced his club’s dire situation. It is criminal that the two most prominent outlets for playing football, Goals and Power League, are able to not only charge mindboggling prices to use a small area of land for up to 60 minutes at a time but are also not restricted from increasing what they charge customers at any time they please.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

There are 44 Power League centres across the UK with the average price of using a 5-a-sie pitch being £45, and a 7-a-side pitch £63 for an hour. What’s more disgusting is that each of Goals’ 40 centres charge their customers a confusingly high and obscure £61.50 for an hour of 5-a-side, and a staggering £80 for a 7-a-side pitch. If you’re visiting one of their centres, don’t forget to bring a ball otherwise you will be asked bluntly to leave a deposit because clearly, £80 is a completely reasonable fee to pay to use a rectangle of fake grass, what you do with it is up to you.

Having grown up during a more reasonable time, when I was encouraged to play and enjoy football anywhere at anytime with anyone, I find it extremely difficult to trust any of the vague reassurances councils, the FA and the Premier League constantly express, because in reality this country’s grassroots football is a shambles, children are finding fewer reasons to want to get involved and nothing is being done to actively alter this situation because, as with Senrab, their fate is controlled by private companies.

Senrab’s local council, Tower Hamlets, responded to Carroll’s concerns by saying: “We value the commitment of local sports clubs and organisations.” In practice, the council has cut the club’s biennial funding from £2,500 to £800 and the price of renting training pitches has increased by up to 300%. We are breeding a generation of intellectually challenged, obese children who will be wondering why England still hasn’t won the World Cup thirty years from now. They will still assume the impediment to success lies with the manager at the time who, depending on whether he is English or foreign, be replaced with one who is the opposite.

Pep Segura, former Technical Director at La Masia, Barcelona’s famed youth academy, and now working wonders as Academy Technical Director at Liverpool observes that, “I have seen in my short time here in this country working at Liverpool, that there is just as much talent, just as many players with the same hunger, will, and desire to learn as in every other country. All that is missing are the means to enable the players and coaches to develop. That’s not down to the players. It’s down to the Academy heads, and those with a vested interest in youth football.”

Unfortunately, it would seem the only ones interested in youth football are the ones without the means to participate or establish and maintain an institution which encourages involvement. Despite what councils or the Premier League say, it is quite obvious that youth development features very low on their list of priorities. Due to the fact that they have developed such a large number of successful players, Senrab’s possible destitution should signal to the authorities that something drastic and remarkably different needs to be implemented quickly to avoid a further deterioration of English football.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

5-a-side centres must be subsidised heavily to make it affordable for children to play at least twice a week, especially during the summer months. I would find it far easier to appreciate the work of councils in spending extortionate amounts of public money in trying to prevent local crime and racial offence, if they realised that by providing affordable facilities for youngsters to participate in sport, this would not only reduce crime levels by giving them something to do but increase the fitness, health and sense of community amongst England’s younger generation. While John Terry has come to the rescue on this occasion, I for one hope Senrab are able to continue to generate the money they need to survive and prosper for many years to come, but the FA and Premier League have to start adhering to their empty promises to fund grassroots football because nobody, under any circumstances, should ever be prevented from playing football for financial reasons.

If you also feel change is needed, follow me on Twitter

[bet_365 type=’odds’ size=’300′ af_code=’365_050711′]

Earlier this month, Arsenal forward Robin van Persie admitted that he was at a loss to explain his club’s spectacular demise; from quadruple chasing in February to narrow qualification for next year’s Champions League and a sixth consecutive trophy-less campaign. “There were lots of things [that went wrong] – we were not consistent enough. It is difficult to talk about it now,” Van Persie told Arsenal TV Online. “It is going to be difficult to finish third, but we still have one game and have to win that to at least give us a chance.”

A week later the Gunners labored to an unconvincing, and late, draw at Fulham and surrendered a third placed finish in the League to the developing Manchester City. “Next season we have to try [to come back stronger],” the Dutch striker added. “Everyone starts from scratch and we have a chance, it is up to us to prove it.”

Although a customary series of relentless excuses have emanated from the Emirates since their exits in March from both the FA Cup and Champions League – following last-minute heartache for Gunners fans against Birmingham in the League Cup at the end of February – van Persie’s impressive form throughout the past five months has at least provided cause for optimism heading in to next season.

The former Feyenord front-man in fact equaled Thierry Henry’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring record since January 1st by finishing 18 times in the League, eventually ending in third – behind Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on 21 – in the Premiership top scorers column. What’s more, the Dutchman smashed Didier Drogba’s record of scoring in six consecutive away games in the Premier League by netting nine in a row, including in the recent draw at Craven Cottage, which will allow him to continue this feat at the beginning of the next campaign.

The Arsenal faithful were finally rewarded this year after several seasons remaining patient, having been constantly pressed to support their ailing striker through countless long-term injuries, as van Persie ruthlessly surpassed his previous record of just eleven League goals in the 2007 and 2009 seasons. His 66 Premiership goals in seven full seasons in England fail to accurately explain the striker’s contribution to his team nor the unique style which he employs to baffle opposing defenders. It is worth mentioning that the Dutchman hasn’t been selected in more than 28 Premier League starting line-ups in any one season during this period, and found it difficult to dethrone first Thierry Henry and then Emmanuel Adebayor following his returns from injury.

He is by a distance the most important and potent attacking threat the Gunners retain, and if he can avoid the treatment room next year then we may finally witness what the precocious 20 year-old had promised on his Highbury arrival in 2004. Now reaching what many consider the age a striker reaches their peak, it is not inconceivable to imagine the Dutchman maintaining his free-scoring form next season and achieving the feat he narrowly missed out on by three goals this year – especially taking in to account the two players who finished above him, Tevez and Berbatov, face worryingly uncertain futures in England for varying reasons. For the time being, we will have to wait as patiently as his manager to discover if the forward can deliver consistently over the course of a full-season in 2012, but retaining his services remains Wenger’s most important transfer battle in terms of attacking options for next season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

What’s your view? Have your say on Twitter –  and Facebook

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has signed a new contract at the club that will keep him in North London until 2015.

The Belgium international joined The Gunners from Ajax back in 2009, and instantly impressed with excellent defensive displays and contributing to the side’s goal tally in his first campaign in England.

The vice-captain has had an injury prone last year, but has agreed to prolong his stay with Arsene Wenger’s men.

“I am really happy to have signed a new contract with Arsenal. I always had the intention to stay here,” he told the club’s official website.

“I feel there is a big belief in me from the club, from the boss and from the fans and that is one of the reasons why I stayed.

“Arsenal is a fantastic club. We have great supporters, we’re doing well financially and we are playing with some quality young players now and they will develop, which is very good for the future,” he concluded.

Boss Wenger is also delighted that the centre half has decided to commit to the Emirates’ outfit, and feels the defender can play a big part in Arsenal’s future hopes for success.

“We are absolutely delighted that Thomas has signed a new long-term contract,” the French coach stated.

“Our plan is always to sign top quality players and with Thomas extending his contract, we have done just that.

“Thomas is a special player, who has always made a huge contribution on the pitch and we are looking forward to him being a part of our future at Arsenal Football Club,” he stated.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The news will bolster Arsenal amid constant rumours over their best players leaving the club, and Wenger’s next focus will be in convincing star attacker Robin van Persie to sign on the dotted line, as his current deal runs out in June 2013.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

The Mirror is reporting that Harry Redknapp wants Manchester City to cover the cost of his move for striking misfit Emmanuel Adebayor.

Redknapp is keen to bring the Togolese striker to White Hart Lane with discussions reportedly already underway between the two clubs, although a sticking point could be the player’s wages.

The ex-Arsenal striker is valued at £14 million and City are prepared to loan him out if a club meets his £175,000-a-week-wages.

A one-year loan deal interests Tottenham but they will only stump up £75,000 a week for the player, meaning City will have to cover the remaining £100,000.

Adebayor returned to Eastland’s for training yesterday after a self-imposed exile and boss Roberto Mancini is desperate to offload him before the transfer window closes.

Both sides are still some way from an agreement but with Spurs set to throw a loan fee into the mix it could sway City into sanctioning the deal just to get the player off their hands for a year.

Real Madrid are still monitoring developments and Adebayor has made it known he’d prefer a move back to Spain, where he spent the second half of last season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However it looks unlikely that they are prepared to meet neither City’s asking price nor Adebayor’s wage demands paving the way for Spurs.

Charlie Adam is a player that divides opinion. Some see him as offering a genuine threat in the final third and in possession of a wonderful range of passing; his detractors often state that he lacks composure against top-class opposition and that he can be too prone to Hollywood balls. As is often with cases like this, the truth lies somewhere in between. What is without question though, is the pivotal role which Adam has in this new-look Liverpool side, which brings me to the point, if you take Adam out of the side, does it affect the balance of this Liverpool side? And is it for the better?

It’s my contention that Liverpool operate best in a 4-3-3 formation with Suarez as the focal point of the team’s attack. It allows a fluidity to their attacking play and it draws the best out of those around the Uruguayan. However, trying to pin down Dalglish to a consistent formation is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

So far, Adam has started in every single league game this season for his new club and has a respectable three assists and one goal from his first six league outings. Last season at Blackpool, Adam struck twelve times and created nine goals in what was ultimately an exciting but unfulfilled campaign. It’s obvious what he brings to the party – the much-coveted and often elusive ‘end product’.

The Scotland international was deployed in a two-man midfield alongside Lucas Leiva against Spurs, but during his stay at Anfield thus far, he’s predominantly been used as one part of a triumvarite. To put it simply, the theory behind the Lucas/Adam axis is that the Brazilian holding man does the tackling, and that Adam does the distributing. So far, the results have been mixed

It’s worked when this Liverpool side has been on top, but when they’ve been put under pressure, as they were in the game at White Hart Lane, Adam’s lack of pace has been found wanting and he has been guilty of diving in far too easily on occasion.

When Dalglish has opted for a midfield three, Jordan Henderson has come in alongside both Adam and Lucas and the balance struck has certainly been a lot better. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the line-up that Blackpool went for last season with Adam in the side. Lucas doubles as David Vaughan and Henderson as either Elliot Grandin or Keith Southern.

Playing in a three-man midfield, as Liverpool have done at times this season, is what suits Adam best. It grants him more freedom, time on the ball and less of a disciplined role in tracking back. But does this then mean that Adam needs a degree of protection in order to get the best out him?

A fact that is often glossed over, though, is just how poor Adam’s disciplinary record has been since his stay in the top flight. His record of 13 yellow cards and 1 red card since the start of last season is second only to Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote. He finished last season with the third-most fouls in the league, behind just Tiote and Kevin Davies. He’s already joint-second this season, alongside who I hear you cry? That’s right, you guessed it, our man in the north, Cheik Tiote.

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

In short, his dismissal against Spurs last weekend had been an accident waiting to happen for quite some time now. His lack of mobility tends to mean that he struggles in a two-man midfield and he was brutally exposed by Spurs high-tempo style of play. This further begs the question, can Liverpool afford to cater their side’s style of play just to tailor to Adam’s needs? And does he represent something of a passenger at times?

It’s worth noting that Adam’s two finest performances in a Liverpool shirt so far have been against a ten-man Arsenal side and when Liverpool were 3-0 up against Bolton and cruising. Does he have the ability to step it up against a finer class of opposition when the going gets tough? It’s fair to say that the jury is still out on that one.

Another potential spanner in the works is this long-awaited return of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard from a serious groin injury. Gerrard and Suarez have the potential to dovetail brilliantly in the future and the role he takes up in the side on his return could have an effect on Adam’s. in the short-term

Gerrard’s return opens up all number of possibilities, though. He could step into a role just behind Suarez or Andy Carroll up top. He could drop into a midfield three alongside Adam and Lucas, with Henderson making way, or he could play out wide.

Dropping Adam from the side, in theory, affects the balance of the side. His balls from deep are a great way of relieving pressure and the presence of his long-range passing has been seen to bring out the best in both Suarez and Stewart Downing. It makes Liverpool a more expansive, open outfit and as a result, a more attacking and attractive proposition.

The side have lacked a player capable of putting the ball on a sixpence since the departure of Xabi Alonso, and while Adam is nowhere near being in the Spaniard’s class, the point remains. However, if you were to drop Adam from the side upon Gerrard’s return, it frees an extra space up top, with Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy or Andy Carroll the likely benefactors of the England vice-captain’s return to central midfield.

Last season, Dalglish’s Liverpool side built their impressive run of form upon the backbone of Lucas and Jay Spearing. So far, Spearing has struggled to force his way into the starting eleven this season ahead of the glamorous acquisitions of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. He may be as ugly as sin and perform an unglamorous role, but Spearing was pivotal last term and a recall may add balance to a platform in danger of tilting over in favour of attacking intent.

Charlie Adam looks to be a decent signing at £7m, but whether he should be so assured of a guaranteed role in Liverpool’s starting eleven remains in question. The balance of the side looks a lot better with Gerrard and Spearing in place of Adam and Henderson.

The knock-on effect, though, could be a less extravagant style of play. To stick or twist are the options available to Dalglish at present, but for me, Adam’s place shouldn’t be taken for granted. He certainly lacks both the flexibility and adaptability to perform at his best in different systems and formations. His presence may be a necessity for the time being, but whether it does so in the future remains to be seen. As a rotated squad player, Adam has a lot to offer, but as a regular starter, Adam may be causing more damage to the team’s shape than he’s worth in the long-run.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

You can follow me Twitter @JamesMcManus1

[divider]

Fancy VIP tickets to the Merseyside derby in style this Saturday – click on banner to find out more

[divider]

The timing was exquisite. As the nation prepared to drown itself in a sea of alcohol and spend the following day feeling very sorry indeed, the FA decided to release the 115-page document explaining the reasons behind the 8-match ban for Luis Suarez for making racist comments to Patrice Evra, also documenting the full process from beginning to end.

What was clear having ploughed through its contents was that the FA and the independent panel had done their homework. Every angle had been covered, every piece of evidence obtained, every possible witness spoken to, every ‘i’ dotted, every ‘t’ crossed. Nothing was left untouched, including the ramifications of the final decision. What was even clearer (to me and surely millions more) was that the actions of Liverpool immediately after the size of the ban was announced have ensured that this great club’s name has been thoroughly dragged through the mud.

All fans are blinkered to some extent towards the discrepancies of their own club, players, manager and fellow fans. But a section of Liverpool fans have simply refused to accept that the decision was just, or even that their player did anything wrong (something the player himself has admitted). Predictably, since the allegation was first made, a lot of fans have settled on their viewpoint along club lines. With little or no evidence available, they decided it was a disgrace, or entirely justified. Liverpool fans were dismayed that he could be banned for one person’s word against another’s. Suddenly they were all experts in South American linguistics too, having hastily read on the internet whatever arguments backed up their individual viewpoint.

What staggered me most though was Liverpool’s response to the initial ban. To call it ill-advised would be doing it a disservice. Staggeringly, flabbergasting, moronically ill-advised might be closer to the truth. The club may not have agreed with the decision (for reasons that escape me), but there is a way to deal with such things, and that wasn’t it. Surely the sensible option would have been a quick statement, expressing their disappointment at the decision, and that they would make further comment on release of the official document. United, and Alex Ferguson, recognised that it was best to keep quiet and let the process take its natural course.

But not Liverpool. They somehow decided that full-frontal offensive drive was the order of the day. Their statement was a horrible mishmash of flimsy evidence, spurious claims and mistruths.

‘It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations.’

The assertion in their official statement that Patrice Evra “has form” for this sort of thing is quite simply a lie. It needs repeating, again, that the two past allegations of racist abuse against Evra were not made by the player himself. One was made by a deaf United fan who had lip-read comments, another was overheard by Mike Phelan. Such a distortion of the truth can be expected in some quarters, but a football club with a PR department and legal representatives should perhaps be setting their sights a tad higher. It was a claim Dalglish first made to the referee when first hearing about the allegation post-match.

‘We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone…’

Oh dear. As we shall see, all parties accepted the case was not a case of one man’s word against another’s, thought it was of course at the heart of the allegation. More lies.

‘It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said ‘I don’t think that Luis Suarez is racist’. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suarez was not racist.’

Well done Liverpool – you have realised that he was not banned for being a racist. What point beyond this were they trying to make?

‘Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black…He has played with black players and mixed with their families whilst with the Uruguay national side and was Captain at Ajax Amsterdam of a team with a proud multi-cultural profile, many of whom became good friends.’

The barrel is now truly being scraped. My “best friends” argument is one that reeks of desperation. And proves nothing anyway, being irrelevant to the case, except for the mention elsewhere of the panel wanting to have a very strong burden of proof.

‘We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.’

And now the barrel has been scraped out of existence – having run out of arguments, let’s try and blame the other guy instead eh? And we are expected to give a player credit for admitting to have not heard something??!

And then there was the T-shirts. Just thinking about  them makes me cringe. Let’s be clear, the judgement was not that Suarez was inherently racist, but that he made a racist comment, which is a different thing altogether. And the document’s findings took away any doubt. The panel that came to pass judgement was independent, and was approved by Liverpool. The panel hired two experts in South American linguistics. Lawyers aplenty were involved, as always. Other players gave evidence. Dalglish openly criticised the delay in a decision in a press conference – yet Suarez’s representative had asked for a delay in proceedings so that they could collate evidence – which the FA mostly granted. The FA didn’t grant the full period delay asked for as they argued it was in the player’s interests to conclude matters as soon as possible.

Even if the terms Suarez admitted to using are acceptable in Uruguay, it is not a valid excuse. Suarez was not in Uruguay, and what’s more has been in Europe for five years, so should have some idea by now about what is and what isn’t right. He admitted to the panel that it wasn’t acceptable, and he wouldn’t do it again – that’s what is commonly known as an admission of guilt. A key point in the decision was the simple fact that Suarez was seen as an unreliable witness. And the key example of this was his account of pinching Evra on the arm. Suarex claimed initially in his statement that it was done to diffuse the situation – but at the hearing, after being asked six times, that this wasn’t the case. This changes everything, as it discredits the claim that Suarez said the word negro in a friendly manner in the middle of a heated argument – this claim is simply close to unbelievable, as the report mentioned. The changing of accounts made matters worse – Liverpool blamed it on “bad drafting” yet Suarez’s representative had already commented on what great care had been applied to constructing the statement. The 115-page report makes clear references more than once that Suarez’s account of events was inconsistent with the video evidence, unlike Evra’s, and what they repeatedly mention is that no attempt was made to explain away the discrepancies. What’s more, Suarez’s account in his witness statement contained three differences in all to his account given at the hearing in November.

And it wasn’t just Suarez. When Comolli (Liverpool’s Director of Football) reported to the referee after the match what Suarez claimed to have said, there were further discrepancies with Suarez’s own account of what he said. And yet despite all this, the club continue to claim it is the FA’s errors that have led to this outcome. But as the report said: ‘

‘The impression created by these inconsistencies was that Mr Suarez’s evidence was not, on the whole, reliable. He had put forward an interpretation of events which was inconsistent with the contemporaneous video evidence. He had changed his account in a number of important respects without satisfactory explanation.’

The Liverpool party used Suarez’s background as part of his defence – he had a black grandparent, his wife called him negro (due to hair colour though), he has black friends, has black team-mates throughout his career and has never had any problems previously. However, this defence also helped strengthen the final decision of the panel, as they were aware because of his heritage that they would need an even stronger burden of proof to find him guilty of the charges – thus, their final decision became even more “appeal-proof”. The commission found clear evidence that Suarez did not say the word negro just once (important in determining his intentions). They found him to have said it seven times. And the experts conclusions? Suarez’s remarks would be “considered racially offensive in Uruguay and other regions in of Latin America”.

The club have dug themselves a massive hole. If they had appealed after the release of a 115-page document that most sane and sensible people have agreed shows the ban to be just, then they would rightly be open to indignation for backing a player found guilty of racist comments. If they didn’t appeal, it will lead to a host of questions as to their ill-advised response to the original ban. Effectively they are admitting everything they did was wrong. Even so, that’s surely their best option available, surely their only option available. And it is thankfully what they did. But rather than move on, they just kept on digging.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Another statement was soon forthcoming from the club, some of which is detailed below.

‘In its determination to prove its conclusions to the public through a clearly subjective 115-page document, the FA panel has damaged the reputation of one the Premier League’s best players, deciding he should be punished and banned for perhaps a quarter of a season. This case has also provided a template in which a club’s rival can bring about a significant ban for a top player without anything beyond an accusation….. In America, where Liverpool ownership resides, there was a shameful bigotry that prevented black athletes from competing at the highest levels for decades….. ……..Continuing a fight for justice in this particular case beyond today would only obscure the fact that the Club wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Football Association, the Football League and the Premier League to put an end to any form of racism in English football. …..It is time to put the Luis Suarez matter to rest and for all of us, going forward, to work together to stamp out racism in every form both inside and outside the sport. It is for this reason that we will not appeal the eight-game suspension of Luis Suarez.’

Another laughable release. They must be taking a lot of people for fools if they think that a 115 page document has left out vital areas of the investigation. Or if they think that we should believe that they are aware of other information that would change everything but aren’t going to release it or appeal. For what possible reason would the FA try and set up Suarez and Liverpool? Yes, Liverpool say the Football Association is to blame for damaging the reputation of a man that was found to have used the word “negro” seven times. However strongly Liverpool felt over this, surely they realised the need for some apology, even for unintentionally causing offence? Damage limitation was necessary, but not forthcoming, bar a vague apology finally from Suarez yesterday. As Martin Samuel commented in the Daily Mail, this has been a PR disaster, a legal disaster and a sporting disaster considering an eight-match ban may have been avoided with greater contrition from the start.  Liverpool are upset that he seems to have been convicted on areas of probability rather than absolute proof, but with ample video evidence that we won’t have seen, we must assume there was the aforementioned strong burden of proof. And either way, there was a way to deal with this whole affair professionally. What could be most damaging is the perception of a club known around the world, that has been in existence for well over a century.

[divider]

Certainly when you write a blog about Liverpool Football Club, it can be very frustrating when the club are so silent on transfer matters. As a fan of the club though I do prefer it this way, despite the fact it makes my job more difficult, as we have seen too much going in public over the last few years. When they have something, they will say it, and I am happy enough to go along with this.

With the advent of modern technology and the internet though, patience seems no longer to be a virtue. Instant gratification is a consequence of the modern age, and as with all bodies, the media must go with the times. This site, and others like it, are the result of the blossoming of social media such as Facebook, twitter, the Blogosphere and the demand for news on Ipads, mobiles and any other device you care to mention.

To satisfy this clamour for information, sites spring up to fill the voids where there is a demand, and news aggregators such as NewsNow are a useful way of filtering the internet into stories that interest the reader. Of course, the demand for transfer stories from readers in the summer months means sites fill up with gossip and rehashed rumours to boost visitors and pageviews. This site is no different of course, and I will not pretend otherwise, but one of the biggest effects of this demand for new information is not only the large amount of fabrication that goes on, but also a mentality among some readers to expect instant results from our clubs, especially on transfers.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

I am, like many others, not immune to demanding more immediate results from my club so I can at least write a few blog articles about it. I want to know what Kenny Dalglish, FSG and Damien Comolli are planning but I fully appreciate the reasoning behind the silence we receive from Anfield.

To be perfectly honest I love reading rumours with us being linked with the likes of Santi Cazorla , Juan Mata , Aly Cissokho , Blaise Matuidi and Mamadou Sakho but especially with so many sites blatantly making up stories these days, it is hard to know who we are actually interested in.

There are more solid foundations to us being linked with the likes of Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing because such rumours originate from people at the Times such as Tony Barrett, the Daily Telegraph and the Independent who have more reliable sources than most, but they are never 100% reliable.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Frustration does set in inevitably when you hear the club being linked with every name under the sun, and yet seem to be signing nobody at all. From my point of view the best thing to do is either don’t read the rumours and wait for Liverpoolfc.tv to announce the signings, or read them and accept it for what they are; hearsay. Patience is a very difficult concept to grasp in this day and age, but the Reds are asking for it, and I trust that most Reds fans understand this despite the 24 hour rumour mill of NewsNow and twitter.

Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool

Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic could be on shaky ground after fans called for his sacking following the 0-0 draw with old rivals Juventus.”There are many regrets about this campaign,” he confessed.

The stalemate left Fiorentina mid-table with no hope of qualifying for Europe, leaving fans frustrated and calling for Mihajlovic to be replaced this summer.

“The lads did their best and we dominated this match, but were lacking that final twist to score the goal,” Mihajlovic said.

“We deserved far more than 0-0.”

“There are many regrets about this campaign. We were affected by so many injuries and when they returned we started to play well again. These things happen in football, but we were always in an emergency situation.”

“I am also sorry for the fans today. We have always played well against the big clubs, but did not get the points that we deserved.”

Meanwhile, Juve coach Luigi Delneri praised transfer target Riccardo Montolivo but the dropped points left the side eight points behind fourth-placed Lazio.

“We fought for 90 minutes to win and did not take the opportunities that we created.”

“We worked hard and did what we had to do. In the first half we struggled a little more, but Fiorentina have important players like Alberto Gilardino, Montolivo, Juan Manuel Vargas and Adrian Mutu.”

“We had some great chances to score, including one very clear one with Leonardo Bonucci. We did our duty.”

““We just have to take it one game at a time, trying to win them all.”

Del Neri was asked about Fiorentina star Montolivo, who has been linked with Juve as a replacement for Alberto Aquilani next season.

“Montolivo has important qualities and is a great player, but Aquilani did well today and I don’t think there’s a huge difference between them. They could well play together as well.”

Juventus director Beppe Marotta poured cold water on suggestions that Delneri would be sacked.

“Del Neri has a contract for two years and will stay with Juventus,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.

Roberto Mancini believes that Manchester City need 90pts in order to land this season’s Premier League title.  The Italian believes the form of United and Tottenham means that City will need to obtain the highest points margin since 2008 if they wish to be crowned Champions come May.

Elsewhere in the news Villas-Boas quashes Rodwell rumour; Kenny Dalglish remains bullish, while Arsene Wenger concedes he had luck on his side.

NEWS

Villas-Boas quashes transfer rumour

Wenger had luck on his side

Mancini glad to be top at Christmas

Sir Alex Ferguson delighted with performance

Moyes hails Leon Osman’s form

Kenny Dalglish remains bullish

O’Neill feels Sunderland got their just deserts

John Terry facing charges over racism

Harry Redknapp claims transfer deal is dead

[divider]

TRANSFER TALK

[divider]

Chelsea wait in the wings to sign Krasic on loan from Juventus – Daily Mail

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Toon boss Pards joins Jan sales – Sun

Aston Villa facing fight to land Swiss midfield star – TalkSport

City line up Birmingham starlet Redmond – Mirror

Chelsea and Liverpool suffer blow in Ocampos chase as River rule out sale – Daily Mail

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Celtic boss Neil Lennon will evaluate where his team is at when they meet Serie A giants Inter Milan in the Dublin Super Cup.The Scottish Premier League side have already started their 2011/12 campaign, beating Hibernian 2-0 in the opening round of matches and having had their meeting with Dunfermline Athletic postponed to participate in the two-day tournament in Dublin.

They will meet Inter on the opening day before a clash with Airtricity XI, which is a collection of the best players in the League of Ireland.

Lennon – who took his men to Australia as part of the pre-season programme – said he would use the test against Gian Piero Gasperini’s team to monitor his side’s progress.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to gauge where we are in terms of comparisons with the calibre of team of Inter Milan,” he said on Friday.

“We feel that Europe is important, not just to the club but to the players and the backroom staff, including myself, as part of our development.”

Celtic will begin their Europa League campaign on August 18 when they enter the qualification stages of the competition in the play-off round.

Their next league game is at Aberdeen on August 7.