have been dealt a blow as key midfielder Gaston Ramirez has been sidelined for six weeks.
The Uruguay international moved to the Premier League new boys from Bologna in the summer in a deal thought to be worth around £12 million, a club record for the St Marys side.
The South American has impressed the Southampton faithful so far with industrious displays for his new club, however he has suffered a dead leg and will be on the sidelines until December.
“I think six weeks is probably about right, but we’ll see how he progresses through the rehab stages,” Saints manager Nigel Adkins confirmed to The Daily Mail.
“If the time is from the medical department, it is from the date of original injury. He is showing good signs of recovery at this moment of time, but he won’t be fit for the weekend,” he commented.
Ramirez missed the 2-2 draw with Fulham before the international break, and will now go through a series of rehabilitation to try and return to fitness as soon as possible.
The newly-promoted side have found the going tough in the top flight to date, with only one win from their first seven games leaving them down in 17th place in the table.
Southampton have also conceded the most goals in the division, with opponents hitting the back of their net on 20 occasions in the last seven games.
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The Saints will look to get three points this Saturday however, as they take on West Ham at Upton Park.
David Moyes reserved plenty of praise for Seamus Coleman after Everton’s 0-0 draw at home to Swansea on Saturday.
The Republic of Ireland international has started the last two matches after a three-week absence through injury over the festive period.
With Tony Hibbert, the club’s only other recognised right-back, also following calf surgery, Moyes had been forced into shifting vice-captain Phil Jagielka to the right side of his defence.
But with Coleman now back available, Moyes believes there is more of a natural balance in the Everton side, while the 24-year-old also offers an extra attacking threat down the right side.
“Obviously Seamus offers one or two different things when he plays right-back. We’re glad to get him back,” Moyes told the club’s official website.
“He’s a very good player and he is improving. He is a young boy as far as football goes because he is pretty new into the professional scene.
“He learnt a little bit of his trade as a wide attacking player, albeit he has always been a full-back.
“He provided one or two opportunities for us [against Swansea] and maybe we should have attacked them a bit more.”
Coleman has made 87 appearances for the Toffees since arriving from Irish club Sligo Rovers for a £150,000 fee in 2009, scoring seven goals.
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After an impressive 2010-11 season the player was nominated for the 2011 PFA Young Player of the Year Award.
Coleman signed a new five-and-a-half year contract with the Goodison Park club at the end of last month.
They may not be the most high profile club in the Bundesliga but having been down in the doldrums a year ago, Freiburg have made great progress
What a year it’s been for Freiburg coach Christian Streich. Twelve months ago, he was Marcus Sorg’s assistant as the club slipped to the foot of the Bundesliga by Christmas. So the Black Forest side did something they hadn’t done for 20 years – they sacked the coach. So into the breach stepped Christian Streich at the very end of December.
He knew the club well having coached the youth team for 16 years but less than a few weeks into the job he’d lost the team’s talisman, Papiss Demba Cissé, to Newcastle. And even though they won their opening game under the new coach, a five match winless run culminated in a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of local rivals Stuttgart, leaving Freiburg bottom of the Bundesliga, again.
To date, it’s the nadir of Christian Streich’s time in charge, because after the Stuttgart match, things rapidly improved for the Black Forest outfit. Freiburg went on a ten match unbeaten run, before finishing the season in 12th place. After a few summer tweaks, they’ve continued their impressive form from the last campaign. And this Sunday marked the high point in the Streich reign.
Exactly seven months to the day after Stuttgart had demoralised them, Freiburg had the chance for revenge against their provincial rivals. Stuttgart is the capital city in Baden-Württemberg and Christian Streich was keen to play up his side’s role as underdogs prior to the game. “VfB were German champions and we are the little neighbours who try to annoy the great capital city,” he said in an interview with Badische Zeitung.
On Sunday, Freiburg annoyed Stuttgart in some style. Streich wouldn’t have needed to do much motivating beforehand either, with Stuttgart’s sporting director Fredi Bobic saying that Freiburg was not a proper derby for the Swabians.
But the “little neighbours” swept aside their more illustrious opponents, who seemed to tire having been in Bucharest for Europa League action on Thursday. Acknowledging that the visitors would be tired after the midweek travels, Streich’s move to give his players two days off before the game worked a treat too.
Despite a frantic opening, the home side were ahead midway through the first half as Jan Rosenthal beat Sven Ulreich with a low effort from just outside the box. Chances followed for both teams either side of half time but Freiburg were the ones in control. Half way through the second half, it showed too as Pavel Krmas doubled the home side’s lead.
Stuttgart failed to deal with a free kick, allowing the Czech to round Ulreich and shoot past the defenders on the line. With the visitors fading, summer signing Max Kruse grabbed a third ensuring Freiburg moved into the top six on Sunday.
Since that Stuttgart game in February, Streich’s side are unbeaten in 19 of their last 24 Bundesliga games, showing the progress the team have made under his guidance. That’s the thing about Freiburg too – it really is about the team. That togetherness and organisation is a testament to the magnificent work of Christian Streich, as he approaches his first anniversary as Freiburg coach.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga
Let’s start with the side Freiburg play in midweek – Bayern Munich. They cruised past Hannover with Javier Martinez netting an overhead kick and Mario Gomez scoring just 26 seconds into his return from injury. Yes, they were playing a Hannover side that’d only had a day’s rest having played in the Europa League in Thursday but Bayern continue to turn on the style in the Bundesliga. Champions Borussia Dortmund are now the side directly behind them. That’s after Jürgen Klopp’s men came from behind to win at his former club, Mainz. One of the main talking points though was how much more restrained Klopp was on the touchline. He’s had a very public fall out with the head of German referees in the last week. However, BILD put Klopp’s more dignified appearance down to the presence of a policewoman, Bibiana Steinhaus – she was the 4th official on Saturday. Dortmund rose to second as Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt drew on Saturday. There was some off field controversy too with the majority of Schalke fans booing and whistling against some of their own supporters who lit flares in one corner of the Veltins Arena. They weren’t the only fans to have flare troubles as Hamburg supporters accidentally set their own flag on fire before their game with Fortuna Düsseldorf, delaying the game by a few minutes. It got worse for HSV too as Fortuna went on to secure their first home win of the season. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen closed on the top four. Despite a below-par performance against Hoffenheim, they held on for an away victory. Die Hoffe though are teetering above the automatic relegation places. The teams below them, Greuther Fürth and Augsburg, drew with Nuremberg and Gladbach respectively. Finally, Wolfsburg’s new sporting director Klaus Allofs was unable to see his side overcome his former charges as the Wolves played out a draw with Werder Bremen. For more on the Bundesliga on Twitter, follow @archiert1
Matchday 13 Results:
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Hamburg
Bayern Munich 5-0 Hannover
Fürth 0-0 Nuremberg
Mainz 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Schalke 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Wolfsburg 1-1 Werder Bremen
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Set the scene, Millwall winning 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.
A game that not many thought we’d get anything from. So Millwall would survive the onslaught and come back to South East London with 3 points right?
Wrong.
This is Millwall we’re talking about. By the time Miguel Llera scored in injury time the pessimist side to Millwall fans could sense it coming. Invertible but heartbreaking none the less.
KJ kept the team the same from the deserved win at Peterborough in midweek and the Lions started off well in the game, but Wednesday danger man Jermaine Johnson was always a potent threat and he proved it 20 minutes in.
Diabolical defending by Karleigh Osborne allowed Johnson space to run and hit a thunderbolt from 25 yards, one nil too the steel city boys. This is where previous Millwall teams would collapse, but Kenny Jackett’s team has only lost three away games in 2012. This showed before half time as first James Henry lofted the ball over the Wednesday ‘keeper to make it 1-1 and just before half time Liam Trotter copied that skill, lifting the ball over the onrushing stopper to make it 2-1.
The Lions fast paced passing play was proving effective. At this point Jackett had a choice, be attacking and go for the third to kill the game off or try and defend for 45 mins.
Unfortunately Jacket chose to defend. With the likes of Johnson and Micheal Antonio on the field the lead wasn’t gonna last long. The Lions resulted to long ball tactics which were to put it frank, pointless. This just invited Wednesday to attack even more and they got their equaliser with 20 minutes to go. An almighty goal-mouth scramble and terrible defending from Millwall led to defender Llera to bundle in at the back post.
Going into injury time surely most Lions fans, despite taking the lead, would be happy with a point from Hillsborough. By the end they didn’t even get that.
Another goal-mouth scramble led to Llera bundling home and securing the points for the Owls. The Ex Charlton man scoring twice. I’m sure the transporters down the road got a kick out of that. Poor defending cost the game for the Lions.
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I believe that those goal-mouth scrambles would have been cleared with Paul Robinson at the heart of it. Even Danny Shittu’s presence on the field alone could have helped but he was left on the bench. Yes, players such as Karleigh Osborne had a terrible game, but he’s new to this level, whether he’ll prove good enough we shall see.
But players such as Scott Malone and Josh Wright seem to be improving as this short start to the season goes on. Next Saturday is Middlesborough at home and I can see the Lions coming away with three points. Plus another chance to see the partnership of Henderson and Keogh develop on their 25+ goals partnership last season, let’s hope they do it again.
This week we will be treated to another instalment of the Capital One Cup and with the Premier League’s big six entering at the third round stage, we will finally catch a glimpse of everybody competing in this year’s competition.
The League Cup is now associated with squad rotations, exciting cross-divisional encounters and experimental management. These ingredients pave the way for a competitive knockout regime where we not only gain a sneak preview of the future in terms of younger players being blooded, but also a unique opportunity for top flight clubs to play against a wider array of opponents from the Football League, adding a diversity to the fixture scheduling and in many cases the chance of a potential banana skin for the ‘big’ teams in the country.
Recently, several managers have emphasised the importance of the competition in terms of giving a platform for their younger and utility based players to audition for a more regular berth and this is important in the modern day game.
A lot is made of the congested opportunities for youth to break through in England and refreshingly, the Capital One Cup often throws up unlikely mixed rosters which fans of the respective clubs can go home and think about in an entirely unique fashion.
For example, during West Ham United’s 2-0 victory over League One Crewe Alexandra in round two, Sam Allardyce selected the likes of French Euro 2012 star Alou Diarra in defence with development pair Jordan Spence and Dan Potts also receiving an education alongside the experienced 31-year-old of 44 Les Bleus caps.
In contrast to Diarra’s experience, Potts is just 18, has featured four times from the start of his career for the Hammers and has only just made his breakthrough at England Under-19 level.
If it weren’t for the League Cup, where else would we witness such diversity in a first eleven?
Many Manchester United fans are likely to receive their first sight of late Chilean arrival Angelo Henriquez in the Red Devils third round game against Newcastle this week. There could also be further opportunities for Alexander Buttner, Will Keane and Portuguese talent Bebe who made his initial breakthrough in the competition in September 2010, scoring in a 5-2 victory over Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park and is since back from a loan spell with Besiktas.
In this fashion, the experimental nature of the League Cup is great for fans to receive an invigorated sense of squad depth in their mind but also for managers who may reap the added value of seeing a developmental squad member grasping an opportunity amidst the testing environment of an intimidating lower league venue or stepping out and turning on the flair admirably in front of a well-attended floodlit arena.
These demanding surroundings, as provided by the Capital One Cup, are the ideal setting for managers to truly gain a valid insight as to whether to press the metaphorical rejection button or rise to their feet in applause in true ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ fashion.
Tottenham’s Steven Caulker, who is now receiving more and more chances with the first team under Andre Villas-Boas, made his Spurs debut in the League Cup back in September 2010 and was particularly lambasted for his underwhelming display in a disappointing 4-1 home defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal with defensive lapses proving his unfortunate undoing on the night.
This could have been the end for the now Team GB star but this accelerated blooding forced Harry Redknapp’s hand in loaning him out and he has since successfully negotiated a football education in loan spells at Yeovil, Bristol City and Swansea. He is now considered a fine prospect and a potential heir to Ledley King in the eyes of many punditry panels.
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This is just one example of how experimenting in the League Cup has forged a conclusion and thereafter another choice in the long-term planning of the club management.
We are all set for the third round of this year’s competition and fans can be assured of highly entertaining and unpredictable knockout ties.
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Samba Diakite has rubbished reports from major news outlets that he is suffering from depression and has returned to France to combat the problem, the Daily Mirror reports.
Diakite joined the West London club permanently in the summer after an impressive loan spell last season, but news was circulating yesterday that the Malian was not well. Diakite was as surprised as everyone else when he saw the newspapers for the first time and gave RMC Sport in France his initial reaction.
“I am going very well. I don’t have any problem, I was just a bit tired in the last few days,” Diakite said.
“My club had authorised me to spend three days in Paris. But I am not depressed!”
“My club is my job, it is my employer, I keep them updated every day.”
“As soon as I woke up this morning, on opening the newspapers I learnt that some were saying that I was depressed. I am now in London and I was at training today, so for me it is unbelievable.”
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“It makes me sad because I received worried phonecalls from my family, everyone asking me if I was OK this morning.”
After speaking with up to eight clubs at the end of last season, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini intends to see out his five year contract.
Reports suggested that Mancini had come close to signing with French club AS Monaco as it looked like the club would lose out to Manchester United in the title race.
After the incredible turn around on the final day of the season which saw City claim the Premier League title, Mancini signed a new five year deal to remain at Eastlands.
The Italian has not denied reports linking him with the French club and insisted that there were a number of clubs that he was interested in.
“Last year I was very close with seven or eight teams but I prefer to stay here,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I have worked well here for three years. If someone thinks we didn’t do a good job – we won three trophies in two years. I am very happy we worked well.
“Now, the next three or four years will be very important for us.”
Mancini delivered the club’s first top flight trophy in 44 years after they had trailed United by eight points with just six games to go.
“I signed a contract for the next five years because I believe in this squad, because I can work with serious people like the owner and the chairman,” Mancini added.
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“To work with these people is fantastic. In football it is difficult to find people who work well with the manager.
“For me it is a fantastic situation. Now, I think we have time to improve and build a team.”
Roberto Mancini has warned Mario Balotelli of his conduct after the striker stormed down the tunnel following his substitution in the derby defeat at home on Sunday, the Daily Mail reports.
Manchester City suffered their first league defeat of the season at the hands of their bitter rivals Manchester United in a pulsating encounter which finished 3-2 at the Etihad.
The game was unfortunately marred by other incidents. A coin thrown from a City fan which left Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand pouring with blood from a cut above his left eye, while Balotelli also put himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as he stormed down the tunnel after being withdrawn early in the second half following a below par performance.
“I love Mario but it is important for him to start to think about his job,” said Mancini.
“He has everything to play well but he can’t continue to play like today. We wanted more from him.”
“When you have a player that has Mario’s quality, you cannot understand why he continues to throw it out of the window. It is incredible.”
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The unpredictable Italian striker was surprisingly given the nod ahead of Carlos Tevez for Sundays key game, but it was only when he was eventually replaced by Tevez that City began to launch a comeback.
Balotelli after initially snubbing Mancini, did eventually return to watch the game from the bench only to see a late deflected Robin van Persie free kick seal a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils.
As Nottingham Forest fans walked away from the City Ground on Boxing Day afternoon, with beaming smiles after a 4-2 thumping of Leeds United, nothing could surely ruin their day. Surely nothing could put a dampener on their Christmas?
Following recent disappointing performances, Forest needed to bounce back, to keep in touch with the playoff places. It was a lot more than a performance that flouted their bouncebackability. It was a display that showed the players wanted to play for the manager, and believed in his ways, and the direction he was taking the club.
Hours later, when supporters were reveling in the delight of victory, the news came through. Fawaz Al-Hasawi had sacked Sean O’Driscoll.
Shocked?
Personally, it was deflating. The Al-Hasawis were supposed to be different to the usual foreign owners, that use their club as a toy. Talk of long-term plans in their introductory press conference, and their desire to produce players from the academy. All of that feels irrelevant now they’ve sacked O’Driscoll, sitting in 8th position, one point from the playoffs.
What looked like was going to be the perfect Boxing Day, had turned into a disaster. The club had gone from putting on a show on national television, to becoming the laughing stock of English football. Only Forest could achieve such a feat.
Whilst Sean O’Driscoll had his faults, he was learning. Undoubtedly one of the cleverest men in football, rid of 24 games in. Building a squad capable of challenging, forming the backbone that would ensure its long term success. Figures in the game such as Roberto Martinez, lauding O’Driscoll, commenting he was creating something special.
The Al-Hasawi’s seemed intent early in the season, on creating a family atmosphere around the club, meaning the players felt comfortable approaching him, and likewise. A major part of O’Driscoll’s arrival to the club, the players may feel a little deflated themselves.
It will take a certain type of manager to fire up the players, and make the squad believe in a philosophy. With O’Driscoll being a popular figure amongst the dressing room, the new manager will have to hit the ground running, because anything else, thanks to the Al-Hasawi’s precedent set, is frankly unacceptable.
The next managerial appointment the Al-Hasawi’s is massive. Make a shrewd one, and a good run could see eventual promotion. Make a bad one, and it could set the club back two to three years, something the owners don’t appear overly keen on now.
A year consisting of the death of the former owner, financial troubles, a relegation battle and the elongated search for new owners – What the club needed was a period of stability. Someone with a clear way of thinking, who knew the processes required. Many interpreted his calmness, and his ability to not get carried away as having a “lack of ambition”.
Of all Nottingham Forest managers in recent years, he spoke the most sense. Almost too much sense, for some to fathom. He could explain every decision he made, and to those who bothered to listen, he was starting to educate people like he’d hoped.
Despite his vast knowledge, he never patronised. He got on with the job in hand, and everything was starting to come together. For someone so wise, it would’ve been easy to diverge himself, but he did the opposite, appearing on local radio programmes to discuss and elaborate on some questionable decisions.
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The club that gets him next, should look forward to progress and stability. A major contributor in our survival, and starting the ball rolling this season, Nottingham Forest fans should be forever grateful towards him.
As for Forest, the Al-Hasawi’s have got some explaining to do. We knew it was going to be a rollercoaster ride. We knew there was going to be some drama. But get this key decision wrong, and Forest could become an embarrassment.
Italian giants Juventus are keen on Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and could make a January swoop, according to reports from talkSPORT.
The Turin-based outfit are believed to have watching the speedy wide-man for some time and could offer him a Premier League escape route.
Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested, but Juve boss Antonio Conte has identified the 23-year-old as his main target ahead of the winter transfer window.
They are hoping to take advantage of the fact the England international’s current contract will expire at the end of the season.
He is said to be keen to stay in North London, so long as his employers put him on a salary which is equal to that of many other first-team squad members at the Emirates Stadium.
Walcott has already refused one offer from the club and is thought to be holding out for a salary of £100,000-per-week, some way offer of the figure the club are willing to pay.
The winger has struggled to hold down a position in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI this season mainly appearing from the substitutes bench.
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Despite his young age, Walcott has made over 150 appearances in the red and white shirt since his arrival in 2006.
He is still seen as an important figure in the squad, but may be tempted to move on in order to reignite his career.