Harry Redknapp is still looking for that first win as QPR and his side’s first Premier League victory of the season. You would not blame some supporters for thinking it may never come at this rate.
The R’s are currently in their supposedly easier run of fixtures and it is about to get a whole lot harder for them to pick up results very soon.
Martin Jol’s Fulham travel to Loftus Road looking to secure back to back wins for the first time since September.
Fulham have too been on the decline recently and a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on Monday to take them to 20 points was a welcome relief to halt the slide.
They secured nearly double the point’s return in the first eight games of 13 compared to the next eight games of just 7 points.
Redknapp still has to contend without two of his main strikers in Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora with both out for the long term till the New Year with knee and thigh injuries.
Julio Cesar still hasn’t been able to shake off his groin injury either which is why Robert Green is expected to maintain his place in the starting XI in goal.
Fulham have a few absentees too Bryan Ruiz (hamstring) and Simon Davies (neck) remain out till at least January. Brede Hangeland made a successful return from suspension on Monday and will retain his place in the side. A last minute decision is due on Mahamadou Diarra with the midfielder needing a painkilling injection to play, so the midfielder may not be risked ahead of a busy festive period.
The Cottagers have earned an average of 0.33 points per game without Hangeland in their team. With the Norwegian in the side, they have averaged 1.54.
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The return of the influential defender could prove pivotal to a Fulham revival as it did on Monday.
Kyle Walker has let himself down and created a poor impression following the minor incident off the pitch – he’s in the public eye and a role model by default. But let’s not get too carried away here with this story. It’s only a story because Walker is playing at the highest level of English football and is a full international. If he were any other youngster, he’d have gotten a slap on the wrist at best; it certainly wouldn’t have been in the papers. It’s as groundbreaking as a player cursing all over Twitter. Sure, he’ll draw attention to himself, but everyone does it (swearing on Twitter, not inhaling nitrous oxide, although we all enjoy a ‘quiet drink’ on a Friday night).
The issue here is of Kyle Walker as a footballer and his lack of progression over the past 18 months. He may be young, but he’s not a teenager; if he’s old enough to sit on a contract that pays him thousands of pounds a week, he is old enough to act to the betterment of his playing career. He’s two seasons removed from his Young Player of the Year award, and though there were imperfections to his game back then, it would have been assumed by many that he’d have ironed those out to a large degree at this point.
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There is little doubt that the management at Tottenham will have a word about his off-field antics, but it’s also a given that Andre Villas-Boas will take action to ensure the player develops accordingly. It’s simply down to how much Walker wants it.
It should be a legitimate question as to why Walker is in the England team at present. Ok, Roy Hodgson isn’t spoilt for choice, but how much is the England manager doing to get the best out of a youngster who could hold the right-back position for the best part of the next decade? Walker is young, though it shouldn’t be forgotten that other young players with plenty of promise have gone south for one reason or another.
Walker is rightly labelled as an attacking full-back with the ability to perform as a winger to a high standard, in theory of course, but that isn’t the most important aspect of his game. He appears to have a carefree attitude in the way he handles things on the pitch, as if to say he’s earned his spot in both the Tottenham and England teams and the job is done. He’s a footballer, he can wear whatever he likes – and footballer’s do have a habit of abandoning all sense of style when throwing together an outfit – and he can pick up all the traits of a youngster, with tattoos and odd hairstyles. But unlike, say, Cristiano Ronaldo, he hasn’t earned the right to be cavalier or outrageous; he may have a personal accolade highlighting his achievements two seasons ago, but he hasn’t really done anything else.
For Tottenham, the club are clearly not in the business of standing still. They’ve bought well and have reinforced areas of the pitch where it seemed as though they were already strong. Who’s to say they’ll stop at full-back? In fact, many assumed that further additions would be made due to Walker’s poor form in his own half. Even more so, if Walker is going to force his way into people’s minds as an attacker first and foremost, he needs to produce. It’s all well and good having the pace to cause damage to opposition backlines, but without the intelligence to do something productive it becomes quite useless.
Walker may not be the brightest, but he certainly needs to accept that life hasn’t been conquered at this stage. With little to no development over the past year, it’s very easy to look as his career with two possible outcomes. It’s down to him to prove that he can grow as both a footballer and an individual.
Is Kyle Walker’s form becoming a major concern for both Tottenham and England?
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As Paul Pogba struck twice from outside the box in Juventus’ 4-0 victory over Udinese, it would be difficult to fully believe any Manchester United fan that told you he wasn’t bothered by the fact that the 19-year-old, one of Europe’s most talented starlets, had not been kept on the books at Old Trafford.
Pogba joined Juventus for free last summer, after the Frenchman, of Guinean descent, was reported to be highly dissatisfied with United’s refusal to meet his wage demands.
A pay rise would have gone against the club’s position on wages, set out by its owners, the Glazer family, which is determined to keep the salary bill no higher than 50 per cent of turnover.
Financial arguments aside, United lost the services of a player, who they themselves knew possessed all the hallmarks of a future star.
Pogba is described by the club as a “powerful, skilful, and creative” player, who “has stamina, vision to pick out key passes, an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular.”
Given the wealth of talent in Juventus’ midfield, many, myself included, expected that Pogba would have to wait at least a season before being able to make his mark for the Italian giants. After all, the reigning champions of Serie A boast the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal in the middle of the park.
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But against Udinese, Pogba was called to the starting line-up in the absence of Pirlo, Marchisio and Simone Pepe. He partnered Vidal, the Chilean powerhouse, to make up a very dynamic central midfield, which took their in-form adversary by storm.
So far, Pogba has lived up to his billing as a powerful box-to-box midfielder in Turin. Juventus’ manager Antonio Conte has a reputation for demanding only the highest work ethic from his team. This means that all of his midfielders are expected to show a determination to get back and protect the back four, while making forward forays and penetrative passes to link up with the frontmen.
In this regard, Pogba can be considered a perfect match for Juventus, and his venomous long-range strikes against Udinese added to his tally of four goals in 13 appearances for the current league leaders.
The Frenchman’s recent displays have been very impressive, but they won’t come as much of a surprise to Manchester United. After all, they recognised his potential long ago when they sealed his controversial transfer from former Ligue 1 side, Le Havre, in the summer of 2009, although the Reds were later cleared by FIFA of any wrongdoing in their capture of the player.
Pogba might have played a greater role for United last season, especially in light of the long-term injuries to Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley, Anderson and Darren Fletcher, but instead he made only seven appearances in all competitions, all as a substitute.
Sir Alex Ferguson presumably considered the teenager too young for a regular run in a side that was competing in a battle with its fierce city rivals for the Premier League title, a battle in which the Scot preferred experienced heads such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes to that of the youngster.
United lost that particular duel with Manchester City, albeit very narrowly on goal difference, and, although they currently lead the way in the league this term, their midfield has hardly set the world alight.
On recent form, Pogba would surely have been a major asset for United, especially in light of the limitations (not to mention injury records) of the current crop of midfielders at Old Trafford.
Fletcher’s long-standing chronic bowel disease persists, while Anderson, possibly the most similar player to Pogba at United as a strong box-to-box midfielder, continues to be afflicted by injury. Jones looks a promising player, when fit, but he appears to have far less appetite for getting forward than defending.
That leaves Cleverley, but he seems less comfortable when having to get back and defend, and simply lacks the physical strength of Pogba in order to perform such a devastating box-to-box role.
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Some have compared Pogba’s departure from Old Trafford to that of Spanish defender Gerard Pique, who was sold to Barcelona in 2008 for £5million and has since established himself as one of the greatest centre-backs in world football for club and country.
In hindsight, one can safely say that Pique’s sale was a mistake, as he would undoubtedly have strengthened a United defence that has never shown the same solidity since Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s long-term absences through injury.
At least that deal was struck at a time when the former England captain and uncompromising Serbian international were at the pinnacle of their respective careers.
The same cannot be said of United’s current midfield, where Pogba was surely destined for a starting berth sooner rather than later, especially if he has already managed to make his mark in what must surely be considered a more competitive group of midfield generals at Juventus.
Shinji Kagawa has distanced himself from speculation about a future move as he instead concentrates on being a success at Manchester United.
The Japan international looks set to establish himself as a Old Trafford favourite after building up a burgeoning reputation while playing in Germany with Borussia Dormund.
Despite already playing for one of biggest teams in world football in Manchester United, there has already been speculation that he end up at Barcelona one day. However Kagawa has been quick to dismiss these reports.
“I have never thought about Barcelona or Madrid,” Kagawa is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“Paris are a great team that will continue to grow this season. It is also a very nice city, but I am focused 100 per cent on life in Manchester.
“You never know what the future will hold.”
In the meantime Kagawa is still getting used to playing for such an illustrious club that has dominated the Premier League era in England.
The 23-year-old playmaker, who scored a memorable winner for Japan in their 1-0 friendly victory over France on Friday, added: “I am now a Manchester United player and the fans and my teammates expect more from me.
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“Since arriving in Manchester I have had to watch my behaviour on and off the pitch. In Japan and Dortmund I didn’t have so much pressure.
“Three years ago I couldn’t have imagined evolving so quickly and being at a great club like Manchester United. It is proof that you never know what can happen.”
Day 8 of the FootballFanCast.com Football Advent Calendar sees arguably one of the best prizes yet, especially if you haven’t done all your Christmas shopping yet, as we’re giving away a copy of Football Manager 2013!
Football Manager is the best-selling, most realistic football management series ever made. Football Manager 2013 celebrates 20 years of games from the people at Sports Interactive by introducing an array of new features.
This year’s version allows you to take control of any club in more than 50 nations across the world and includes all of Europe’s biggest leagues as well as database of over 500,000 real-world players and staff.
As well as some landmark new features in the Career Mode, there are now new ways to enjoy your Football Manager experience.
Fancy winning a copy of Football Manager 2013?
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To be in with a chance of winning click below to LIKE FootballFanCast.com on Facebook
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The winner will be announced tomorrow, when we will also be unveiling our football prize for Day 9. Don’t forget to come back to FootballFanCast.com then!
Jordan Henderson is not good enough to replace Steven Gerrard, said former Liverpool star Steve Nicol in an exclusive interview with TalkSport.
Henderson left Sunderland for Liverpool in 2011 for a £20 million fee, and over time, has begun to reveal his potential, including his equalising goal in the win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Nicol, however, is not convinced that the 22-year-old midfielder has what it takes to succeed Steven Gerrard when he retires, claiming that Liverpool will need to sign a midfielder when the time comes. “Stevie G is only going to last for so long,” said Nicol. “I don’t think Jordan Henderson has shown or has had a run of games in the middle of the park to show he can [replace Gerrard].”
The former Reds defender added that physically, Henderson can fill Gerrard’s shoes. “He can get around the field but whether he has the knowledge and the understanding of the game to play in there we have yet to see.”
Nicol went on to say that Rodgers needs to fight to strengthen his team immediately, explaining that Liverpool doesn’t have several years to build a team. “ If you’re Liverpool…you need to get fighting and competing for the top four and to do that you need to be strong right up the pipe.”
The retired Scot pointed out that, as well as Gerrard, both Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher are reaching the end of their career, and the Anfield side will need “a proper centre-back who is dominant, big and strong and can lead.”
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This last week may have been a quiet one on the field for Millwall with this being the international break, but this was a very busy week off the field with FA cup semi final tickets going on sale.
On just the first day of sales, the Lions sold 15,000 tickets, around half of the allocation, this was a interesting figures as this more then double the season ticket holders the club has.
Surprisingly it was also around a 50% increase on an average Saturday afternoon at The Den.
So, where are all these new fans coming from? And why only for wembley? The 10,000 strong crowd usually at The Den will be found at Wembley, but there will also be 20,000 worth of “daytrippers” usually family and friends and lapsed fans who will come just because it’s Wembley.
There’s not a problem with this, but why don’t some fans come to more home games instead of the big ones?
We average around 10,000 at home, one of the lowest in the division, which of course will have an adverse effect on the team as it means a low budget, not many teams will have as a low a budget as Millwall.
We are the closest club to central London which should be a vying point when attracting people in, this seems to work. Just like at the Blackburn game – I had around 20 Norwegians behind me wearing Millwall/Norway scarfs and looking like they spent a fortune in the club shop. It seems a lot harder to attract people alot closer to home.
Lets face it, with the reputation the club has it will always struggle to pick up “Floating fans” if you’ve not been born into, or not a fan of the club, your very unlikely to go.
For families a day out at football is expensive. Where would you rather go? At Millwall where you’ll end up spending around £70 for a family of four, or go down the road to Charlton where it will be around £50 with a friendlier atmosphere?
After all, this is how Charlton get such big crowds, selling cheap tickets in the hope that floating fans and daytrippers will fill the ground. Chairman John Berylson has talked about more fans needing to come to games in order for more money to be spent.
But I feel the club could do more with ticket offers to get people in. Yes the club offer £2-£3 off a ticket if bought in advance but I don’t think this is enough.
Why not use the Wembley euphoria in order to attract new fans?
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Why not for the many Tuesday night home games we now have, thanks to the cup run, offer anyone who shows a receipt or ticket stud from Wembley 50% off all tickets bought. Or spend over over £50 on tickets and receive a free home shirt, as it’ll most likely be on sale for a tenner by the end of the season.
Sunderland and Everton have entered the race to sign Genk’s striker Jelle Vossen, as the search for Belgium’s next sensation continues.
Martin O’Neil is on the lookout to add to his attacking options, and the hitman seems the perfect candidate to form a partnership with in-form Steven Fletcher, who is the only player to score for the Black Cats this term.
Everton are also monitoring the striker who has scored 45 goals since the beginning of the 2010/11 season, and could tempt him to join up with fellow countrymen Marouane Fellaini and Kevin Mirallas at Goodison Park.
There has been an influx of Belgium players taking the Premier League by storm and Vossen has the qualities to add to the growing list, at 23-years- old the striker already has two international goals to his name in just nine appearances.
The striker was an integral cog in Genk’s league success last season scoring 17 goals and contributing a further 7 assists in just 27 games.
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Vossen has started this season in prolific form once again, scoring 7 goals in the first 11 games of the season as his side look to retain the league title.
We’re only two months into the new season and already there is plenty of speculation leading up to the January transfer window. Every club has had a taste of whats to come this season and will be fully aware of players that are surplus to requirements, and may try to engineer a transfer to offload these individuals – or a player may feel they need to consider a move to get more time on the pitch.
I have compiled a list of 15 players I feel could prove a real bargain in the January transfer window, whether that be because they are nearing the end of their current contract or simply wish to move on to get more first-team action. Some of the individuals on this list are truly talented players, and it would be a great shame if they decided to remain on the sidelines rather than make a transfer and get themselves back on the pitch.
Click on Ashley Cole to get the ball rolling
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Have I missed any potential bargain buys? Let me know on Twitter @dudeyoungy
Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan wants to make amends for his biggest disappointment of his career by reaching the Capital One Cup final.
The American played in every minute of the club’s run to the 2010 final before being replaced by Brad Friedel to play Manchester United in the final.
Guzan is now the club’s number one ahead of Shay Given and is hoping to help Villa get one step closer to the final with victory against Swindon Town this evening.
“Being left out for the final was one of biggest disappointments of my career,” he told the Independent.
“It was quite frustrating and a difficult pill to swallow.
“But that’s behind me and I think that has made me a stronger goalkeeper and a stronger person.
“If we can get back there to Wembley again, that would be great.”
For the Swindon clash Villa will be forced into one change following the suspension of Joe Bennett, who got sent off in the 1-1 draw with Norwich.
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