☆ Barclays Premier League Season 2014-15 ☆

[Dzeko]

Arsenal & Liverpool tracking Preston North End's Brownhill
The 18-year-old former Manchester United trainee has attracted scouts from several members of England's elite and seems destined for the Premier League

Cambiasso snubs Leicester move
The veteran Argentine midfielder had been in advanced talks with the Foxes but could not agree terms and will now look to join another English side

Official: West Brom sign Porto's Varela on loan
The 29-year-old winger will spend the 2014-15 campaign at the Hawthorns, thus becoming the Premier League club's 10th signing of a busy summer transfer window

'It's a matter of time' - Van Persie confident Van Gaal's United will click
The Dutchman insists his side's form will begin to improve but admits his team-mates were "too sloppy" during their 1-1 draw with Sunderland

Alonso bids farewell to Manchester United-bound Di Maria
The Spain international has wished the winger well at Old Trafford, with the Argentine ace set to complete a reported €70 million transfer to the Red Devils in the next few days

Hull City agree deal to sign Dawson
The England international has fallen down the pecking order at White Hart Lane since Mauricio Pochettino's arrival from Southampton and now looks set to move to the Tigers

Pochettino: Premier League table means nothing yet
The Argentine boss believes the north Londoners have further room for improvement despite hammering QPR on Sunday, while he praised Erik Lamela's return to form

Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United: Van Gaal's men stutter against resolute Black Cats
Juan Mata's opener was cancelled out by Jack Rodwell as the Red Devils again failed to register their first victory of the campaign

Gerrard: 'Natural leader' Rooney should be new England captain
The Liverpool midfielder believes the striker, who has become Louis van Gaal's skipper at Manchester United, is vocal enough to lead the Three Lions

Tottenham 4-0 QPR: Adebayor strikes in nightmare return for Redknapp
Nacer Chadli scored twice in the first half and new signing Eric Dier picked up his second goal in as many games in a convincing London derby win against the former Spurs boss

Hull City 1-1 Stoke City: Shawcross denies 10-man Tigers
The defender bundled an effort in from close range to cancel out Nikica Jelavic's opener following James Chester's early red card for the hosts

Alexis is not physically ready, says Wenger
The Chilean has yet to score in his first three appearances in a Gunners shirt but his manager is confident he will soon regain confidence and adapt to English football

Transfer Talk: Manchester United make new Vidal bid
The Premier League club have offered €40m plus a player for the Juventus star as they look to enhance their midfield. Follow the latest transfer news with Goal

 

[Dzeko]

Manchester United will finish in the top four - Poyet

By Matthew Sherry
Aug 24, 2014 21:01:00

Louis van Gaal's side turned in a disjointed performance as they drew 1-1 at the Stadium of Light but the Black Cats boss has backed them to turn their form around

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet still believes Manchester United will finish in the top four - despite a lacklustre showing in Sunday's 1-1 draw between the two sides.

A week after losing 2-1 at home to Swansea, the Red Devils once again underwhelmed under new boss Louis van Gaal at the Stadium of Light.

United began the game on the back foot and Juan Mata's 17th-minute goal handed the visitors a scarcely deserved lead, which was justly wiped out by Jack Rodwell before the interval.

Yet Poyet believes Van Gaal will ultimately find the right formula and spark a turnaround.

Asked if he still thought United would finish in the top four, the Uruguayan said: "Yes, because [Marcos] Rojo [who missed out against Sunderland as he has not yet received a work permit] has been added and they will still spend more money.

"I know Van Gaal very well and if you give him time he will achieve what he promises. I have no doubt."

While the result was a great source of frustration for Van Gaal, Poyet declared himself pleased with a point.

Chief among the positives was the performance of new boy Will Buckley, who caused United plenty of problems on his home debut.

He added: "I am so pleased he had a very good first half because everybody knows why I was so consistent in trying to get him.

"He was electric, direct and he will do plenty of things. We have to be patient with him but he showed why he is here."

 

[Dzeko]

Manchester United face crucial week despite exciting Di Maria arrival

Aug 24, 2014 18:53:00

Louis van Gaal says it will take him three months to work his magic but the club must still make the right signings this week if he is to get the best out of a stale squad

COMMENT
By Sam Lee

"That is one argument why I chose this system. I can play them all - that is important," Louis van Gaal has said of squeezing Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie all into the same Manchester United team. The problem, though, is that most of the players behind them are nowhere near their level and cannot exploit their talents.

For various reasons, United's three summer signings to date were not available to play in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland, meaning the entire midfield and defence was made up of players who could easily have left Old Trafford this summer without anybody batting an eye-lid.

It was a stark reminder of how far this famous club has to go to before they are challenging at the top level.

Van Gaal has often been proven right in his distinguished career, and it certainly seems he was bang on the money when he suggested he would need around three months to get things moving in the right direction.

The Dutchman says he can get the best out of United by "training the brains" of the players already at his disposal, but he must be supported by United's money men to bring in fresh faces - and indeed brains - if he can take this club back into the Champions League.

It is certainly going to be a busy, and potentially pivotal, week.

As an incredibly expensive deal for Angel Di Maria moves closer, United are clearly making belated and much needed moves in the transfer market. A number of new players are expected to join before 11pm on September 1 as the club look to make up for mistakes in previous years.

Di Maria, even for the mega money Real Madrid are demanding and the gaping holes elsewhere in the United squad, would be an excellent addition for any club, let alone one bereft of world class players and Champions League football.

For one, he brings an X Factor which has been missing at Old Trafford for what seems like forever. The star man in last season's Champions League final, and indeed vital to the most recent trophies Madrid have won, he is only on the market because of Florentino Perez's insatiable desire for new star names.

But United must ensure they are not just taking a car with a duff engine and giving it a fresh lick of paint. Midfielders and defenders are needed, and they need to be able to play the way Van Gaal wants.

Daley Blind is still high on the agenda, and goes to show that Di Maria is a one-off, jewel-in-the-crown statement. The Dutchman may not be a stellar name, but he has the qualities Van Gaal needs if he is to succeed at Old Trafford.

Blind, like Marcos Rojo, is another versatile player capable of filling a number of positions. The Ajax man did exactly that for Van Gaal at the World Cup and should, in theory, smooth the transition as United get used to the new man in town.

That is exactly what the club's stale squad needs now. Judging by the displays against Swansea City and Sunderland so far, the current players in the squad are, if we're being forgiving, still learning the ropes. Perhaps some are just not good enough.

Even allowing for the absence of injured players, the defence and midfield is shockingly low on quality and maybe even the ability to play how Van Gaal wants. Whereas Netherlands were set up to exploit the quality of one or two talented forwards in Brazil, United are too slow and stodgy to serve Mata, Rooney and Van Persie.

Darren Fletcher, who has barely played in two years, simply cannot be expected to set the pace like he once did, and people like Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young will never take the game by the scruff of its neck.

Van Gaal has proven his ability to coach the best out of his players in his 20-plus years in management, but the real improvement at United will only come when he has men out there on the pitch, like Blind, who can immediately implement and show the others what he is trying to achieve.

Only then will support players like Smalling, Cleverley and Phil Jones grow in stature and be able to show they belong at Manchester United.

Soon, Van Gaal will expect United to be picking up wins not because his team is bursting with star names, but because they are a well-oiled machine, carrying out his orders and maximising their potential.

Di Maria is a fantastic start, but until the club spend money on the right men a return to the Champions League, let alone winning the title, remains a huge ask.

 

[Dzeko]

Pardew keen to strengthen Newcastle squad

By Alex Fisher
Aug 24, 2014 16:12:00

The Magpies boss is open to make more signings after his side failed to score in their first two games of the season against Manchester City and Aston Villa

Alan Pardew is keen to bolster his Newcastle United squad before the end of the transfer window after a second successive game without a win.

Saturday's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa gave Pardew's side their first point of the new season, though they are yet to score a goal this term, having lost 2-0 to Manchester City in their season-opener.

Attacking trio Siem de Jong, Emmanuel Riviere and Remy Cabella have arrived at St James' Park and are set to be given a chance to bed in, but Pardew remains keen to strengthen further in the final week of the window.

"I'm hoping for a more positive end to the window than a negative end to the window, I think we’re looking at situations that might help us," he told reporters.

"We feel we've done good business but we're looking at the options we think are good enough for us so we've got our finger on the pulse and that's all I can say really.

"I think all managers hope for one or two, that doesn't mean to say they're going to arrive.

"I can't argue with what the board have done, we've been criticised in the past for not spending the money and not putting it back in.

"A lot of people thought we wouldn't do much business this summer but we did and we did it early, it's got us in a good position. We've got a good solid team there it's just about getting the goals.

"I'd accept any player coming into my group, the situation is on the horizon. We've had no offers for our players. I don't think we’re going to lose a big player, fingers crossed."

 

[Dzeko]

Pellegrini: Liverpool would not have deserved Premier League title

By Matthew Scott
Aug 24, 2014 16:49:00

The Chilean always felt his team were the best in the division even after they were beaten at Anfield and put the destination of the trophy in Brendan Rodgers' side's hands

Liverpool would not have deserved to win the Premier League title last season ahead of Manchester City, claims Manuel Pellegrini.

Brendan Rodgers' side looked set to complete a stunning march to the title after beating City 3-2 on April 13.

That win put Liverpool's fate in their own hands, despite City having two games in hand, but a fortnight later their hopes were dashed by a 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea.

Steven Gerrard's slip allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring as Jose Mourinho's side frustrated Liverpool for large parts of that Anfield clash.

That allowed City to steal in, winning their last five games to move ahead and seal a second title in three years, which Pellegrini believes was the right outcome.

Speaking ahead of City's clash with Liverpool on Monday, he said: "Of course, Gerrard was unlucky in that game, but Liverpool were not unlucky to miss out.

"When they beat us 3-2 at Anfield and people said they would go on to win the league, I thought we were very unlucky to lose.

"Liverpool might have been unlucky against Chelsea but they were lucky to win against us.

"Though we lost at Anfield we never felt the other team was better than us, or deserved to win the title.

"We felt we should have won the game and it just made us more determined to win the rest."

Manchester City have once again spent lavishly on their squad in pre-season, signing Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando and Willy Caballero among others.

But Pellegrini insists his achievements are not lessened by the cash available to spend.

"People think it's just about money but it's not," he added. "You need a strong squad if you are going to challenge for the title, and that costs money, but other teams have spent more than us and still not won.

"You still have to sign the right players, you still have to perform as a team.

"We have strengthened our squad a little over the summer and I am happy with it."

 

[Groove Armada]

West Brom sign Varela on loan

West Brom have continued their squad overhaul by signing Porto winger Silvestre Varela on loan.

Monday 25th August 2014

The Portugal international has joined on a season-long deal to become Albion's 10th new recruit of the transfer window.

Baggies head coach Alan Irvine said: "Silvestre is a vastly-experienced player, both with Porto and his national team, and I'm delighted we've managed to secure his services.

"He's got pace and power, gets his fair share of goals and is also a creator of chances for others.

"He's a fantastic addition to our squad."

Varela played for his country at this summer's World Cup in Brazil, coming off the bench to score in their group game against the United States, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

The 29-year-old right-sided player has won 26 caps in total and netted five international goals.

Varela came through Sporting Lisbon's youth system and had spells on loan from the club at Casa Pia, Vitoria Setubal and Recreativo Huelva.

He made a permanent move from Sporting to Estrela Amadora in the summer of 2008 before sealing a switch the following year to Porto.

 

[MeeSoupOzil]

They still need someone who can score well and regularly. I still think their strike force is not good enough to allow them to break into the top 3 positions.

Wenger: Arsenal are not close to signing anyone



By Harry Sherlock
Aug 20, 2014 01:14:00

The Gunners have been linked with a number of marquee players, including Real Madrid's Sami Khedira, but the Frenchman played down suggestions of any imminent arrivals

Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal are not set to sign anyone in the coming days, following their 0-0 Champions League draw with Besiktas on Tuesday evening.

The Gunners have spent over €62 million on Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, David Ospina and Mathieu Debuchy this summer, but continue to be linked with the likes of Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira and Sporting Lisbon star William Carvalho.

Yet Wenger has now revealed that the club are not actively attempting to finalise any deals.

“Not at the moment, no,” he told the Gunners’ official website when asked if a transfer was close. “I have nothing special to add on that at the moment. Honestly, we are not close to signing anybody.”

Wenger admits the club are “short” in defence but hopes to be able to field World Cup winning centre-back Per Mertesacker - along with compatriots Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski - in this weekend’s Premier League clash with Everton.

"We are a bit short at the back, yes you're right," he added. "But we should have [Per] Mertesacker and [Mesut] Ozil and [Lukas] Podolski available again at the weekend. Let's hope they are in good shape when we go home."

 

[Dzeko]

Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool: Jovetic & Aguero see off Reds
The Montenegro international scored either side of half-time before the Argentine netted within 20 seconds of coming on as a substitute in a dominant peformance by the hosts

Pochettino: Lamela and Co. need freedom at Tottenham
The Argentine boss saw his side create chance after chance against a crumbling QPR side and insists he will continue to give his attack-minded players a free role

'Unbelievable' Cech is fighting for his place - Terry
The former England captain is the latest figure at Stamford Bridge to praise the Czech international's professionalism but admits he has a decision to make about his future

Balotelli: I want to lead Liverpool to Champions League glory
The Italy striker says he is determined to help the Reds take the next step and win a major trophy and regrets leaving English football for a return to his native country

Rodgers: We'll finally get the best out of Mario
The Anfield boss believes that his club will be able to provide the necessary platform for the Italian striker to finally fulfill his potential and focus on his game

Official: Liverpool sign Balotelli from AC Milan
The Reds have confirmed the arrival of the controversial Italy international, who only moved to the Rossoneri from Manchester City in January 2013, in a deal worth €20 million

Furious Poyet accuses Sunderland staff of Kalou leaks
The Uruguayan has found a number of his transfer pursuits revealed in the media before deals have been concluded and has vowed to investigate

Tottenham will pay Fazio's release clause - Sevilla
Mauricio Pochettino appears to have finally landed the centre-back he has been craving for his new side, after attempts to lure Mateo Musacchio from Villarreal fell through

Balotelli competition will be good for Sturridge - Rodgers
The England international has been in fine goalscoring form at Anfield and his manager does not expect that to change, despite the arrival of another top-class striker

Moreno could make Liverpool debut against Manchester City, reveals Rodgers
The Spaniard arrived at Anfield in a €15 million deal from Sevilla earlier this month and could feature on Monday against the Premier League champions

Man City enter Di Maria race
The Argentina international is nearing a move to Manchester United, but their arch rivals are set to make a late bid to hijack the deal

Eto'o closes in on move to Everton
The Cameroon striker has been made an offer by Roberto Martinez's team after city rivals Liverpool pulled out of a bid to take him to Anfield on a short-term deal

Sunderland open Kalou talks
The Lille forward is keen on a return to the Premier League with the Black Cats also interested in Danny Welbeck and Paolo Guerrero while Modibo Diakite is set to leave

Juventus lead Podolski race as Wenger says he can leave Arsenal
The Germany international, who is valued at €14 million by the Gunners, has offers from the Serie A champions, Galatasaray, Wolfsburg, New York Red Bulls & Olympiakos

Balotelli capable of replacing Suarez - James
The 24-year-old has endured a rollercoaster career but the former England No.1 believes Brendan Rodgers can succeed with him where others have failed

Arsenal's Manolas bid continues to stall
The Gunners continue to be held up in their pursuit of a centre-back to replace Thomas Vermaelen, who has joined Barcelona, while Roma are also interested in the Greek defender

 

[Dzeko]

All the Premier League transfers - Ins & Outs, summer 2014

Aug 25, 2014 08:52:00

ARSENAL

In: Alexis Sánchez (Barcelona, £31.8m), Calum Chambers (Southampton, £16m), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United, £8m), David Ospina (Nice, £3.5m), Elias Chatzitheodoridis (Mas Kallitheakos, Undisclosed), Hugo Keto (HJK Helsinki, Undisclosed), Ben Sheaf (West Ham, United, Undisclosed).

Out: Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona, £15m), Johan Djourou (Hamburg, £2.5m), Thomas Eisfeld (Fulham, Undisclosed), Zak Ansah (Charlton Athletic), Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea City), Zachari Fagan (Welling United), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Chuks Aneke (Zulte Waregem), Nicklas Bendtner (Wolfsburg), Leander Siemann (Porto B), Wellington Silva (UD Almeria, Loan), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham United, Loan), Benik Afobe (MK Dons, Loan), Jon Toral (Brentford).

Released: Daniel Boateng, Chu-Young Park.

ASTON VILLA

In: Carlos Sanchez (Elche, Undisclosed), Joe Cole (West Ham United), Aly Cissokho (Valencia, Undisclosed), Tom Leggett, Isaac Nehemie (Both Southampton, Undisclosed), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Kieran Richardson (Fulham).

Out: Jordan Bowery (Rotherham United, £250,000), Samir Carruthers (MK Dons, Undisclosed), Marc Albrighton (Leicester City), Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool), Nicklas Helenius (Aalborg, Loan), Yacouba Sylla (Erciyesspor, Loan), Jed Steer (Doncaster Rovers, Loan), Antonio Luna (Verona, Loan), Daniel Johnson (Chesterfield, Loan), Aleksander Tonev (Celtic, Loan), Janoi Donacien (Tranmere, Loan), Joe Bennett (Brighton, Loan).

Released: Aidan Grant, Andras Stieber.

BURNLEY

In: Lukas Jutkiewicz (Middlesbrough, £1.5m), Marvin Sordell (Bolton Wanderers, Undisclosed), Michael Kightly (Stoke City, Undisclosed), Stephen Ward (Wolves, Undisclosed), Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion), Matt Taylor (West Ham United).

Out: David Edgar (Birmingham City), Joseph Mills (Oldham Athletic), Junior Stanislas (AFC Bournemouth), Chris Baird (West Bromwich Albion), Luke O'Neill (Scunthorpe United, Loan).

Released: Kyle Brownhill, Alex Coleman, Luke Conlan, Jack Errington, Micah Evans, Luke Gallagher, Nick Liversedge, Archie Love, Brian Stock, Keith Treacy.

CHELSEA

In: Diego Costa (Atlético Madrid, £35m), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona, £30m), Filipe Luis (Atlético Madrid, £15.8m), Mario Pasalic (Hajduk Split, £2.4m), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray).

Out: David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain, £50m), Romelu Lukaku (Everton, £28m), Demba Ba (Besiktas, £4.7m), Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland, Undisclosed), Ashley Cole (Roma), Sam Hutchinson (Sheffield Wednesday), Frank Lampard (New York City), George Cole, Daniel Pappoe (Both Brighton & Hove Albion), Billy Clifford (Walsall), Tomas Kalas (Cologne, Loan), Wallace (Vitesse Arnhem, Loan), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Loan), Bertrand Traoré (Vitesse Arnhem, Loan), Cristián Cuevas (Club Universidad de Chile, Loan), Mario Pasalic (Elche, Loan), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton, Loan), Gaël Kakuta (Rayo Vallecano, Loan), John Swift (Rotherham United, Loan), Oriol Romeu (Stuttgart, Loan), Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough, Loan), Christian Atsu (Everton, Loan), Marko Marin (Fiorentina, Loan), Josh McEachran (Vitesse Arnhem, Loan), Victor Moses (Stoke, Loan).

Released: Samuel Eto'o, Henrique Hilario, Milan Lalkovic, Adam Nditi, Jhon Pírez.

CRYSTAL PALACE

In: Martin Kelly (Liverpool, £1.5m), Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff City, £900,000), Chris Kettings (Blackpool), Brede Hangeland (Fulham).

Out: Jose Campana (Sampdoria, £1.4m), Neil Alexander, Osman Sow (Both Heart of Midlothian), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Cardiff City), Dean Moxey (Bolton Wanderers), Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City), Jonathan Parr (Ipswich Town), Ross Fitzsimons (Bolton Wanderers), Alex Wynter (Portsmouth, Loan), Kwesi Appiah (Cambridge United, Loan), Jack Hunt (Nottingham Forest, Loan), Stephen Dobbie (Fleetwood Town, Loan).

Released: Danny Gabbidon, Ibra Sekajja, Quade Taylor, Derek Tieku, Tom King, Alistair Gordon.

EVERTON

In: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, £28m), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros, £4m), Gareth Barry (Manchester City, £1m), Brendon Galloway (MK Dons, Undisclosed), Christian Atsu (Chelsea, Loan).

Out: Magaye Gueye (Millwall), John Lundstram (Blackpool, Loan), Matthew Kennedy (Hibernian, Loan).

Released: Mason Springthorpe, Ibou Touray, Apostolos Vellios.

HULL CITY

In: Jake Livermore (Tottenham Hotspur, £8m), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich City, £7m), Andrew Robertson (Dundee United, £2.85m), Tom Ince (Blackpool, Compensation to be agreed), Karim Rossi (Stoke City).

Out: Shane Long (Southampton, £12m), Matty Fryatt (Nottingham Forest), Paul McElroy (Sheffield Wednesday), Conor Henderson (Crawley Town), Cameron Stewart (Ipswich Town), Jack Barlow (Boston United), Robert Koren (Melbourne City), Mark Oxley (Hibernian, Loan), Conor Townsend (Dundee United, Loan), Joe Dudgeon (Barnsley, Loan).

Released: Abdoulaye Faye, Paul Dudgeon.

LEICESTER CITY

In: Leonardo Ulloa (Brighton & Hove Albion, £8m), Matthew Upson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Jack Barmby, Louis Rowley (Both Manchester United), Ben Hamer (Charlton Athletic).

Out: Lloyd Dyer (Watford), George Taft (Burton Albion), Zak Whitbread (Derby County), Neil Danns (Bolton Wanderers), Ben Frempah (Ross County), Paul Gallagher (Preston North End, Loan), Conrad Logan (Rochdale, loan).

Released: Sean St Ledger, Kieran Kennedy, Ryan Watson, Adam Dawson, Jak McCourt, Marcel Barrington, Jacob Blyth, Michael Cain, Harry Panayiotou, James Pearson, Alie Sesay, Adam Smith.

LIVERPOOL

In: Alberto Moreno (Sevilla, £12m), Adam Lallana (Southampton, £25m), Dejan Lovren (Southampton, £20m), Lazar Markovic (Benfica, £19.8m), Divock Origi (Lille, undisclosed), Emre Can (Bayer Leverkusen, £10m), Rickie Lambert (Southampton, undisclosed), Lawrence Vigouroux, Kevin Stewart (Both Tottenham Hotspur), Javier Manquillo (Atlético Madrid, Loan).

Out: Luis Suarez (Barcelona, £70m), Martin Kelly (Crystal Palace, £1.5m), Conor Coady (Huddersfield Town, £375,000), Pepe Reina (Bayern Munich, Undisclosed), Villyan Bijev (Slavia Sofia), Jakub Sokolik (Yeovil Town), Michael Ngoo (Kilmarnock), Luis Alberto (Malaga, Loan), Iago Aspas (Seville, Loan), Andre Wisdom (West Bromwich Albion, Loan), Brad Smith (Swindon Town, Loan), Tiago Ilori (Bordeaux, Loan), Joao Carlos Teixeira (Brighton, Loan).

Released: Yalany Baio, Yusuf Mersin, Michael Ngoo, Craig Roddan, Stephen Sama.

MANCHESTER CITY

In: Eliaquim Mangala (Porto, £31.8m), Fernando (Porto, £12m), Willy Caballero (Malaga, £6.5m), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Frank Lampard (New York City, Loan).

Out: Javi García (Zenit St Petersburg, £12m), Jack Rodwell (Sunderland, £10m), Gareth Barry (Everton, £1m), Costel Pantilimon (Sunderland), Joleon Lescott (WBA), Alex Henshall (Ipswich Town), Ellis Plummer (St Mirren), Reece Wabara (Doncaster Rovers), Marcos Lopes (Lille, Loan), Emyr Huws (Wigan Athletic, Loan), Greg Leigh (Crewe Alexandra, Loan), Jason Denayer (Celtic, Loan), Devante Cole (Barnsley, Loan).

Released: Thomas Agyiri, Kieran Kennedy, Joleon Lescott, George Swan, Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely.

MANCHESTER UNITED

In: Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon, £16m), Luke Shaw (Southampton, £30m), Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao, £28m), Vanja Milinkovic (FK Vojvodina, Undisclosed).

Out: Alexander Buttner (Dynamo Moscow, £4.4m), Patrice Evra (Juventus, £1.5m), Bebe (Benfica, £2.3m), Jack Barmby (Leicester City), Feredrico Macheda (Cardiff City), Nemanja Vidic (Inter Milan), Louis Rowley (Leicester City), Rio Ferdinand (Queens Park Rangers), Charni Ekangamene (Zulte Waregem), Vanja Milinkovic (FK Vojvodina, Loan), Angelo Henriquez (Dynamo Zagreb, Loan), Nani (Sporting Lisbon, Loan).

Released: Sam Byrne, Ryan Giggs, Jack Rudge.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

In: Remy Cabella (Montpellier, £12m), Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles (Nottingham Forest, £6m combined), Emmanuel Riviere (Monaco, £6.3m), Siem de Jong (Ajax, £6m), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord, Undisclosed), Ayoze Perez (Tenerife, £1.5m), Jack Colback (Sunderland), Facundo Ferreyra (Shakhtar Donetsk, Loan).

Out: Mathieu Debuchy (Arsenal, £12m), James Tavernier (Wigan Athletic, £900,000), Dan Gosling (AFC Bournemouth), Jonathan Mitchell (Derby County), Conor Newton (Rotherham United), Romain Amalfitano (Dijon), Shola Ameobi (Gaziantep), Steven Logan (Annan Athletic), Adam Campbell (Fleetwood Town, Loan), Sylvain Marveaux (Guingcamp, Loan), Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles (Nottingham Forest, Loans).

Released: Brandon Miele, Jonathan Mitchell, Michael Richardson.

QPR

In: Steven Caulker (Cardiff City, £8m), Leroy Fer (Norwich City £7m), Jordan Mutch (Cardiff City, undisclosed), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Mauricio Isla (Juventus, Loan), Eduardo Vargas (Napoli, Loan)

Out: Yossi Benayoun (Maccabi Haifa, Undisclosed), Esteban Granero (Real Sociedad, Undisclosed), Julio Cesar (Benfica), Tom Hitchcock (MK Dons), Aaron Hughes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mo Shariff (Bradford City), Gary O'Neil (Norwich City), Joe Lumley (Accrington Stanley, Loan).

Released: Angelo Balanta, Hogan Ephraim, Andrew Johnson, Stéphane Mbia.

SOUTHAMPTON

In: Shane Long (Hull City, £12m), Dusan Tadic (FC Twente, £10.9m), Fraser Forster (Celtic, £10m), Graziano Pelle (Feyenoord, £9m), Florin Gardos (Steaua Bucharest, £6m), Saphir Taider (Inter, Swap), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, Loan).

Out: Luke Shaw (Manchester United, £30m), Adam Lallana (Liverpool, £25m), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool, £20m), Calum Chambers (Arsenal, £16m), Rickie Lambert (Liverpool, £4m), Billy Sharp (Leeds United, £600,000), Tom Leggett, Isaac Nehemie (Both Aston Villa, Undisclosed), Billy Sharp (Leeds United, £600,000), Danny Fox (Nottingham Forest), Andy Robinson (Bolton), Lee Barnard (Southend United), Matt Young (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Forte (Oldham Athletic), Dani Osvaldo (Inter Milan, Swap), Jordan Turnbull (Swindon Town, Loan).

Released: Lee Barnard, Joe Curtis, Guily Do Prado, Andreas Sony.

STOKE CITY

In: Bojan Krkic (Barcelona, undisclosed), Dionatan Teixeira (Banska Bystrica, Undisclosed), Mame Biram Diouf (Hannover 96), Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), Steve Sidwell (Fulham), Victor Moses (Chelsea, Loan).

Out: Cameron Jerome (Norwich City, £1.5m), Michael Kightly (Burnley, Undisclosed), Jordan Keane (Alfreton Town), Ed Sanders (Sheffield Wednesday), Karim Rossi (Hull City), Kevin Gomez-Nieto (Helmond), James Alabi (Accrington Stanley, Loan), Jamie Ness (Crewe Alexandra, Loan).

Released: Juan Agudelo, Lucas Dawson, Matthew Etherington, Ben Heneghan, Jordan Richardson.

SUNDERLAND

In: Jack Rodwell (Manchester City, £10m), will Buckley (Brighton & Hove Albion, £2.5m), Patrick van Aanholt (Chelsea, Undisclosed), Jordi Gómez (Wigan Athletic), Billy Jones (West Bromwich Albion), Costel Pantilimon (Manchester City), Santiago Vergini (Estudiantes, Loan).

Out: Ignacio Scocco (Newell's Old Boys, £2.1m), Carlos Cuéllar (Norwich), Phil Bardsley (Stoke City), Jack Colback (Newcastle United), Craig Gardner (West Bromwich Albion), Billy Knott (Bradford City), John Egan (Gillingham), Kieren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Louis Laing (Nottingham Forest), Reece Noble (Durham City), Oscar Ustari (Newell's Old Boys), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Pickford (Bradford City, Loan), Scott Harrison (Hartlepool United).

Released: Carlos Cuéllar, Andrea Dossena, Jordan Laidler, Alejandro Rodriguez Gorrin, Jordan Watson.

SWANSEA

In: Federico Fernandez (Napoli, £7m), Jefferson Montero (Monarchs Morelia, £4m), Marvin Emnes (Middlesbrough, £1.5m), Stephen Kingsley (Falkirk, Undisclosed), Adrian Maric (GAIN, Undisclosed), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal), Bafétimbi Gomis (Lyon).

Out: Michel Vorm (Tottenham Hotspur, £4.5m), Gwion Edwards (Crawley Town, £700,000), Chico Flores (Lekhwiya SC, Undisclosed), Alejandro Pozuelo (Rayo Vallecano, Undisclosed), Thomas Atyeo (Aberystwyth Town), Leroy Lita (Barnsley), Daniel Alfei (Northampton Town, Loan), Michu (Napoli, Loan).

Released: Leroy Lita, Jernade Meade, David Ngog, Darnel Situ.

TOTTENHAM

In: Ben Davies (Swansea City, £8m plus swap), Michel Vorm (Swansea City, £4.5m), Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, £4m), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders, £2m).

Out: Jake Livermore (Hull City, £8m), Iago Falque (Genoa, £4m), Heurelho Gomes (Watford), Lawrence Vigouroux, Kevin Stewart (Both Liverpool), Darren McQueen (Ipswich Town), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City, swap), Grant Hall (Birmingham City, Loan), Alex Pritchard (Brentford, Loan), Kenny McEvoy (Peterborough United, Loan), Shaquile Coulthirst (Southend United, Loan), Jordan Archer (Northampton Town, Loan), DeAndre Yedlin (Seatlle Sounders, Loan).

Released: Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Cameron Lancaster, Roman Michael-Percil, Jonathan Miles.

WEST BROM

In: Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev, £10m), Sebastien Pocognoli (Hannover 96, £1.5m), Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo, Undisclosed), Cristian Gamboa (Rosenborg, Undisclosed), Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Craig Gardner (Sunderland), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Chris Baird (Burnley), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool, Loan).

Out: George Thorne (Derby County, £2m), Billy Jones (Sunderland), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Steven Reid (Burnley), Cameron Gayle (Shrewsbury Town), Donervon Daniels (Blackpool, Loan).

Released: Scott Allan, Zoltan Gera, Diego Lugano.

WEST HAM

In: Enner Valencia (Pachuca, £12m), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich Town, £3.75m), Cheikhou Kouyate (Anderlecht, Undisclosed), Mauro Zarate (Velez Sarsfield, Undisclosed), Diafra Sakho (FC Metz, Undisclosed), Diego Poyet (Charlton Athletic, Compensation), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal, Loan).

Out: Ben Sheaf (Arsenal, Undisclosed), Joe Cole (Aston Villa), Matt Taylor (Burnley), Stephen Henderson (Charlton Athletic), Robert Girdlestone (Chelmsford City), Charlie Wyke (MK Dons), Raphael Spiegel (Crawley Town, Loan), George Moncur (Colchester United, Loan).

Released: Jack Collison, Alou Diarra, Callum Driver, George McCartney, Jordan Spence.

 

[Dzeko]

Liverpool complete Balotelli signing

Liverpool have sealed one of the shock signings of the summer after confirming Mario Balotelli's arrival from AC Milan.

Tuesday 26th August 2014

The 24-year-old has agreed a "long-term deal" according to the club, but will not be registered in time to play against his former side Manchester City.

The Italy striker tweeted the news of his signing minutes ahead of the official club announcement, saying: "YNWA! COME ON LIVERPOOL!"

The club said in a statement: "Liverpool can confirm they have completed the signing of Italy striker Mario Balotelli, subject to registration.

"The 24-year-old sealed his switch to Anfield from AC Milan after passing a medical and agreeing a long-term deal to become the Reds' ninth signing of the summer so far."

In the club statement, Balotelli, who won a league winner's medal with City in 2012, said Liverpool was "a great team with young players".

He said: "I'm very happy. We've been talking about coming here and now I'm happy to be here.

"Liverpool are one of the best teams here in England and the football is very good here.

"It's a great team with young players, and that's why I came here."

Balotelli spent a year-and-a-half at Milan, where he scored 30 goals in 54 appearances.

He has also won the Champions League, three Serie A championships and the FA Cup, plus 33 caps for Italy during which he has scored 13 goals including the strike that accounted for England in the World Cup.

Balotelli has had a colourful career and has often fallen out with his managers.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is believed to have asked for assurances about the player's behaviour on and off the pitch.

Last week, Rodgers said no incoming player would be allowed to threaten the "fantastic environment" at the club.

Balotelli will wear the No 45 shirt and is understood to have signed a three-year deal with the option of a fourth year after moving for a transfer fee of £16million.

Rodgers said that was "outstanding value" for a "world-class talent".

He told the club's official website: "This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here.

"There is no doubting Mario's ability; he is a world-class talent and someone who, for such a young age, has vast experience of playing at the very highest level.

"He has scored goals in the Barclays Premier League, in Italy, in the Champions League and for his country at international level.

"I believe we have the infrastructure, culture and environment to get the best out of him and help him achieve his true potential. We are a strong group here, committed to hard work and he will benefit from being around it.

"I am looking forward to working with him and helping him learn more, improve and progress as a player. I'm sure the supporters will make him feel very welcome."

 

[Dzeko]

Parish struggling to find Palace boss

Steve Parish has admitted struggling to find the perfect man to replace Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace, revealing he has only interviewed two candidates.

Monday 25th August 2014

Palace's co-chairman hopes to have a new manager installed by "the early part of this week", to push at least three new signings through before the September 1 transfer deadline.

Parish has only met Tim Sherwood and Malky Mackay so far in his bid to replace Pulis, who walked out on the eve of the season after rows over transfer policy.

Palace turned away from Mackay when the Scot became caught up in allegations of racism and homophobia brought by former club Cardiff, that also led to the resignation of the Eagles' sporting director Iain Moody.

Former Tottenham boss Sherwood pulled out of the running after initially being deemed second-choice.

Caretaker manager Keith Millen will take control of Tuesday's Capital One Cup trip to Walsall, keen to solve defensive shortcomings that led to Saturday's 3-1 league defeat to West Ham.

"You read all sorts of things about how many people we've seen," Parish told the Croydon Advertiser.

"I have seen very few people, probably two, but spoken to other people about managers and doing background work and due diligence.

"It's not a revolving door of people coming in and having a chat. We have got a profile of a manager we think needs to carry the club forward based on what I've experienced over the last four years.

"Finding the right person isn't easy. A lot of managers are in jobs and they're not going to leave clubs early in the season, so it's a difficult situation."

Rangers boss Ally McCoist distanced himself from the Selhurst Park role at the weekend, while Steve Clarke confirmed his interest but said no one from Palace had made contact.

Former Norwich and Newcastle boss Chris Hughton and ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon remain squarely in the frame.

Temporary boss Millen conceded his biggest challenge now will be to piece together Palace's "fragile" confidence at Walsall.

"We conceded twice from set-pieces and that's something we haven't done in the past, and something you can't afford to do in the Premier League," said Millen.

"You put a brave face on it of course you do, I'm the one in charge at the moment.

"We've conceded two goals in three or four minutes, and that does knock the stuffing out of you, especially when you're a bit fragile."

 

[Dzeko]

Man City humble Liverpool at the Etihad

Mario Balotelli watched on as a brace from Stevan Jovetic and another for Sergio Aguero helped Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 at the Etihad.

Tuesday 26th August 2014

Jovetic ensured former club favourite Balotelli's return to England was relegated to a sideshow as the Barclays Premier League champions ruthlessly brushed aside the team who ran them so close last season.

While all the pre-match talk was of Liverpool's new £16million striker - watching from the directors' box just hours after finalising his move from AC Milan - it was another forward who had previously made the move from Italy who took centre-stage.

The Montenegro international endured a miserable maiden campaign dogged by illness and injury but is now reaping the benefits of a full pre-season with City's first two goals either side of half-time in a 3-1 victory.

In 153 minutes this season he has scored as many times in the league as he did in his first nine matches 12 months ago.

Aguero, his main rival for a starting spot up front, added a third less than 20 seconds after coming off the bench to wrap up victory before Pablo Zabaleta's late own goal offered Liverpool some consolation.

City went top of the fledgling table thanks to a clinical cutting edge which Liverpool need to rediscover - presumably with Balotelli at the forefront - having lost the mercurial talents of Luis Suarez.

While not exactly cagey in the early stages both sides seemed to be lacking the surety which so often defines these encounters between the top sides.

For all their endeavour and ambition the best either could offer in the opening 40 minutes saw Edin Dzeko and Zabaleta shoot off target and Yaya Toure draw the first save out of Simon Mignolet, while for the visitors Daniel Sturridge had a near-post effort batted away by Joe Hart.

The City goalkeeper found himself facing more potential threats with Liverpool having plenty of opportunities to test the England international from corners and free-kicks around the penalty area but they failed to take advantage of those and their slightly greater share of possession.

Raheem Sterling's penetrating runs looked like they could be a profitable avenue to exploit for Brendan Rodgers' side but City's vastly-experienced defence proved too canny for the youngster.

With centre-half Dejan Lovren playing only his second game and left-back Alberto Moreno making his debut there was maybe not the same understanding in Liverpool's back line and that inexperience saw them undone just before half-time.

Moreno, a £12million summer signing, had arrived on the back of a Europa League triumph with Sevilla but for all his natural pace the speed of the Premier League will take some adjusting to.

He was fortunate his lunge at Zabaleta did not concede a penalty but the Spaniard's next missed connection - from Lovren's weak defensive header - allowed Jovetic to steal the ball from under his nose and blast past Mignolet.

After a catalogue of fitness problems the £22million transfer from Fiorentina last summer is starting to deliver, although once Aguero regains full fitness after his World Cup exertions he may find his time is limited unless he can continue to find the goals to persuade manager Manuel Pellegrini otherwise.

He proved his first was no fluke with a second in the 55th minute, converting Samir Nasri's cut-back from David Silva's nifty flick and should have had a hat-trick but bundled a shot wide from possibly his best position of the night.

Another former City striker Daniel Sturridge, who had what he thought was the equaliser ruled out for offside, forced Hart into a reaction save with an angled shot but there was little else from the visitors, who gave second-half debuts to winger Lazar Markovic and Emre Can.

But Aguero's strike, racing onto fellow substitute Jesus Navas' through-ball, and exploiting the space Mignolet left at his near post showed rather pointedly that City have well and truly moved on from Balotelli.

Liverpool's final substitute of the night Rickie Lambert provided a small crumb of comfort by following in his own header which Hart had brilliantly saved only for the final bounce to come off Zabaleta before it crossed the line.

 

[Dzeko]

Official: Everton sign Eto'o
The Cameroonian striker, who spent last season at Chelsea, joins Romelu Lukaku in the attacking options available to Roberto Martinez as he pens a two-year contract

Official: Hull City complete Dawson deal
The 30-year-old defender has moved to the KC Stadium for an undisclosed fee, having spent just under a decade at White Hart Lane

Official: Manchester United sign Di Maria
The Red Devils have smashed their transfer record to lure the Argentine to Old Trafford, bringing their summer spend to in excess of €160 million as Louis van Gaal rebuilds

Agger: My future at Liverpool still uncertain
The centre-back has again admitted he could leave the club before the end of the transfer window after facing increased competition for places at Anfield

Chelsea have learned lessons - Cahill
After beating Burnley and Leicester City in their opening two games, the defender is thrilled with the start to the season after dropping points against similar sides last term

Wenger: Oxlade-Chamberlain can emulate Zidane & Beckham
The Arsenal manager believes the 21-year-old can have a big future on the flank, even though the England international himself would prefer to be playing in central midfield

Lampard retires from international football
The 36-year-old bows out of England duty as their highest-scoring midfielder in history after netting 29 times in 106 games since making his debut in 1999

Wenger: Podolski going nowhere
The Arsenal manager has been forced to re-think the German's future ahead of Wednesday's clash with Besiktas after Olivier Giroud was ruled out for 10 weeks with a foot injury

Di Maria arrives at Carrington to complete €81m Manchester United move
The Argentine landed in the north west of England on Monday night and was shown around the club's training ground, and he now has returned to finalise his move from Real Madrid

Welbeck & Remy on Arsenal’s radar
The Gunners are in the hunt for a new striker to bolster their attack and the Manchester United and QPR strikes are on the list. Follow the latest transfer news Goal

Pienaar ruled out of Everton's clash with Chelsea
The former Tottenham winger limped out of the Toffees' 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, while ex-Blues striker Romelu Lukaku is likely to be fit to face his former club

Arsenal fear Giroud out for four months
The France international broke a bone in his foot during the 2-2 draw against Everton on Saturday, which could force Arsene Wenger to buy a new striker

Balotelli arrival gives Liverpool a big lift - Henderson
The striker completed his sensational €20 million move to Anfield from AC Milan on Monday and has been backed to make a major impact in the Premier League this season

AC Milan still keen on Torres loan
The striker looks destined to leave Chelsea this summer and the Serie A side are hopeful of bringing him in to replace Mario Balotelli. Follow the latest transfer news with Goal

New youngsters will adapt, says Rodgers
Lazar Markovic and Alberto Moreno both featured as the Reds were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City but the Anfield manager feels the youngsters will soon take to life in England

 

[Dzeko]

Pienaar out of Chelsea clash

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has been ruled out of Saturday's meeting with Chelsea, but the outlook is better for Romelu Lukaku.

Tuesday 26th August 2014

Both players were injured during the 2-2 draw against Arsenal and manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed Steven Pienaar's groin complaint will see him miss the visit of Jose Mourinho's side.

Former Chelsea striker Lukaku, who completed a £28million move to Goodison this summer following a successful loan spell, also limped off against the Gunners but will be given more time to prove he is fit to face his old employers.

"They have both been assessed," said Martinez.

"Stevie P is going to miss the game at the weekend. He is the one that is going to take a little bit of time. Stevie is going to be out and he is going to join Arouna Kone and Bryan Oviedo who are the only other two players that are not available.

"Romelu, we will keep assessing him. He has reacted well in the 48 hours after the game.

"At the moment it is too early to know if he will be available at the weekend but I am quite positive with Rom."

Midfielder Darron Gibson is available again following a slow recovery from knee problems and could make a first appearance of the season against Chelsea.

Martinez said: "Darron Gibson is fully fit and I consider him part of the squad. He will be ready from now on to join the group and compete for a place."

 

[singveld]

Who the fxxk is MK dons? What is Capital One Cup?
---------------------
MK Dons 4 Man Utd 0
Manchester United humbled by MK Dons after Will Grigg hits double
Unlike the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United tactics’ playbook does not appear to have the phrase ‘Don’t Panic’ written in large, friendly letters on the cover. There are those who would suggest the acquisition of Ángel Di María indicates that it should, and Van Gaal would certainly be forgiven for muttering the words repeatedly to himself when he watches the recording of this match, because Milton Keynes did not so much beat his much-changed side as utterly humiliate them.

There was a certain irony in the fact the Dutchman said he was not shocked by the scoreline, because neither was Karl Robinson, the manager of the League One side. “I thought once we came to terms with the pace of the game we were comfortable, and we’ve showed everybody, journalists, those in the stadium and those who watched on TV, that we are a club going places,” said the 33-year-old.

“We had a game plan, and it helped that Coventry on Saturday also played with a back three.”

Following the acquisition of Di María, a winger, there was almost as much interest in the manner in which Van Gaal would set out his team as there was in the personnel. Which was probably as well, considering only the goalkeeper David De Gea was retained from the XI which started Sunday’s draw at Sunderland.

A flexible 3-4-1-2 meant the Swiss Under-19 international Saidy Janko and Reece James made their first-team debuts on either side of the midfield four, and Marnick Vermijl only a second senior appearance on the left of the back three. Van Gaal’s dismissal of his ability to play a central role notwithstanding, Shinji Kagawa began playing just behind the strikers Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández.

The manager was not helped by having to make a relatively early change, when the unfortunate Kagawa had to be replaced suffering from mild concussion following a clash of heads with Darren Potter, but there was no excuse for the manner in which they fell behind a few minutes later.

Jonny Evans was under no real pressure when he attempted a short and simple pass in his own penalty area, but he hit it too close to Ben Reeves, who having stopped the ball, was sufficiently aware to slide the ball back and across for Will Grigg to turn into the empty net.

That United were rattled, mentally as well as at times physically – legitimately so – was beyond question. Nick Powell clipped a crisp drive a foot over the bar, but otherwise Milton Keynes had the best of the remainder of the first half.

Van Gaal made another switch at the break, bringing on Andreas Pereira for Janko and moving Januzaj out on the right, but United were fortunate not to fall further behind almost immediately, when Evans appeared to make little effort to get his arms out of the way in blocking Dean Bowditch’s attempt to cross.

Van Gaal used his third substitute, James Wilson, well before the hour, and Welbeck, allowed to drift across the MK 18-yard line, drove a right-footed shot only just wide, but Robinson’s side was always alert to the possibility of a break. The substitute Daniel Powell and Dean Lewington combined well to send Reeves away down the left, and the midfielder’s cross was cleverly chested past De Gea by Griggs.

Like the first goal, the second had originated in United losing possession, and such was again the case a few minutes later when another MK substitute, Benik Afobe, shot beyond De Gea from inside the right side of the area. Again Reeves was involved.

Van Gaal said United were unlucky “because they scored out of our errors at once” but it was 72 minutes before United’s first shot on target, a Wilson effort which David Martin saved well. The MK goalkeeper also shone to touch a Januzaj drive around the post, but it was that sort of night and there were still six minutes remaining when Afobe, capitalising on Vermijl’s error, made it four.

“I’m a little bit shocked to be walking off and seeing the scoreline,” Robinson said. “It’s ridiculous, it’s something that dreams are made of for these players.

“Now we have to live up to our billing. The most emotional part of the weekend was walking out before kick-off, it took my breath away seeing the place full.

“We get an awful lot of criticism nationally, but I think we’ve well and truly put ourselves on the map. We showed we are a football club which can sell out a stadium, now we really have to get out of this league.

“It’ll be disappointing if we don’t get a big crowd against Crawley on Saturday now, they’ve got to turn out.”

 

[Groove Armada]

Wenger in no hurry to replace stricken Giroud

By Harry Sherlock
Aug 28, 2014 00:34:00

The Arsenal striker injured his ankle in the 2-2 draw with Everton at the weekend and will miss up to four months, though the Gunners boss may not dip into the transfer market

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Olivier Giroud will miss up to four months through injury but has insisted he may not sign a replacement.

The France international striker picked up a seemingly innocuous injury against Everton at the weekend but was subsequently sent to a specialist amid fears that he had broken his ankle.

And Wenger has now revealed that he does indeed face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, though he maintains that he is happy with his current striking options despite reports linking the club with a bid for Nikola Zigic.

He told Sky Sports: "The news is that he had surgery today, that surgery went well, but he will be out for - maybe to be competitive at the top, top level - end of December, beginning of January."

Asked whether he will sign a striker to cover for Giroud's injury, Wenger added: "Look, I don't know yet. We try to look around but we want quality and we have quality.

"We have fortunately [Theo] Walcott coming back soon. I believe [Yaya] Sanogo will have an impact this season. We have [Lukas] Podolski, we have [Joel] Campbell who can play centre-forward.

"To find players who are better than the players we have would be very difficult now."

Wenger did suggest that he will weigh up his options but insists that €42 million signing Alexis Sanchez was bought to play as a striker, whilst also praising the likes of Sanogo and Campbell.

"We will consider [it]," he said. "Just in England you cannot, every time you have a problem, always buy. If you have an injury after the first of September, you have to live with it.

"I bought Sanchez to be a striker, and I think Walcott can be a very good striker. I think Sanogo is a very good striker. Podolski can play there. Campbell, if you ask him what he is, he's a striker.

"They are all players of quality and we'll see."

 

[Groove Armada]

Koeman targetting new signings

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman hopes to bring in two new players this week.

Thursday 28th August 2014

While the Saints' outgoing players have dominated the headlines this summer, Koeman has already added seven new faces including Fraser Forster, Shane Long, Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic.

The Dutchman has been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid's Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld but refused to confirm his interest in the 25-year-old.

However, Koeman is confident of landing two targets ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.

"I don't talk about names of players," he said.

"In two positions we are trying to bring in new players and we hope to bring (them) in this week.

"The club is doing everything for that and I hope we will finish with that this week."

Saints may have lost the likes of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers but Koeman hopes Jack Cork will not join the exodus.

Midfielder Cork, who has only a year left on his current contract, has been linked with moves to Crystal Palace and Swansea.

The 25-year-old scored his first Saints goal on his 114th appearance in Tuesday night's 2-0 Capital One Cup win at Millwall.

And Koeman insists he wants to keep the former Chelsea youngster at St Mary's, although there are no plans to open talks over a new deal yet.

"He's a Southampton player," said Koeman. "There were a lot of rumours but Jack is doing very good and has ambition to stay with Southampton.

"If there is any possibility for him and when he is not happy he knows my office door is open and we can see what is best for everyone in this situation."

But when asked if there were any plans to discuss a new contract for Cork, Koeman added: "Not at this moment."

Cork grabbed the opener with a header after 53 minutes and on a night of firsts, Italian striker Pelle opened his account in stoppage time to give Koeman his first win as Saints boss.

"I was really happy, you know how important it is for strikers to score and it doesn't matter which game it is," Pelle told the club's official website.

"I tell myself if I don't score for two matches in the third I have to. And especially as we didn't win our first two games. Winning is more important than scoring to me."

 

[Groove Armada]

Official: Crystal Palace appoint Warnock

Aug 27, 2014 13:51:00

The 56-year-old - who took charge of the Eagles between 2007 and 2010 - has returned to the club as Tony Pulis's successor, penning a two-year deal at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace have confirmed the appointment of Neil Warnock as the club's new manager.

The veteran boss, who parted company with Leeds United last year, spent almost three seasons at Selhurst Park between 2007 and 2010 before moving to QPR.

As reported by Goal, he beat off competition from Steve Clarke to land the position, with chairman Steve Parish having finally found a successor to Tony Pulis after the former Stoke City manager's abrupt exit.

Both Steve Clarke and Warnock are believed to have been interviewed this week after ex-cardiff City boss Malky Mackay withdrew from the running.

The Scot's bid for the vacancy collapsed following allegations of appropriate text messages between himself and Iain Moody while the pair were at the Welsh outfit - with the latter since resigning from his role as sporting director at Selhurst Park.

 

[Dzeko]

Diego Costa suffers minor muscular injury in Chelsea training

By Liam Twomey
Aug 28, 2014 12:01:00

The Spaniard will be monitored by the Blues' medical staff to determine the extent of the problem, and no decision has yet been made on whether he will feature against Everton
Diego Costa has sustained a minor muscular injury in training and will be monitored by Chelsea's medical staff in the coming days, Goal understands.

Initial reports had suggested the Brazil-born Spaniard could be sidelined for up to six weeks after pulling up with a hamstring injury during a session at the Blues' Cobham training complex on Wednesday.

But Goal understands the exact extent of the problem - which is regarded as minor - has not yet been determined and no decision has been made on whether Costa will feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park.

Costa has made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring two important goals in his first two Premier League matches against Burnley and Leicester City as Jose Mourinho's men collected maximum points.

Any prolonged absence for the 25-year-old would leave the Blues reliant on 36-year-old Didier Drogba and the out-of-favour Fernando Torres, who has recently been linked with a loan move to AC Milan despite Mourinho's public insistence that he will stay at Stamford Bridge.

 

[Dzeko]

Van Gaal: Di Maria not Man Utd's miracle man

By Jay Jaffa
Aug 28, 2014 16:26:00

The Argentina international has completed his British record transfer to Old Trafford but his new manager has warned supporters not to expect too much too soon

Louis van Gaal has hailed new Manchester United signing Angel Di Maria but warned that he does not expect the Argentine to produce miracles immediately.

Di Maria completed his British transfer record €75 millon move to Old Trafford on Tuesday and has been handed the iconic No.7 shirt by the club.

The Argentine could make his debut against Burnley on Saturday but Van Gaal has warned fans not to expect too much too soon.

"I am very pleased that we can have a such a class player in our squad," he told reporters. "We have many class players but it is important he is a team player.

"Di Maria can accelerate the game for us and also play in the interests of the team. I hope he will give us good results.

"We cannot expect him to be the miracle after two of three days of training. We have to be the miracle. You have to work for miracles and he knows that."

The Dutch boss has been on the look-out for players to fit his specific requirements all summer and he believes Di Maria's versatility will be key to what he is trying to do at Old Trafford.

"He fits in our philosophy... he played at Real Madrid not only as a wide player but also in the centre of midfield," he added. "That is why we are convinced he will succeed.

"He will be a player who enjoys defending and that's also a reason we have chosen him. But when you see him, you see that he is a very modest guy, he wants to work, he showed that also last year, he played 52 matches and he provided 22 assists.

"How many players can say that? Twenty-two assists! He is a very [humble] human being and in the football world that is not always the case, as you know."