Ajax’s victory over Manchester City in the Champions League proved to everybody that the iconic Dutch side still have what it takes to compete at the very top level.
True, the Sky Blues have been out of sorts this season, but for a team put together on only a fraction of the budget used by their English opposition it was a remarkable feat.
Nowadays Ajax find it hard to keep hold of their star names, with the financial rewards in many of Europe’s top leagues tempting players to depart Amsterdam. As a result they have carved out a niche as a stepping stone club.
However, if they could have kept hold of their big-hitters they would be a truly fearsome force, able to compete with the biggest and the best teams on the planet.
This XI incorporates the best ex-Ajax players who are still playing professionally, making for a balanced and exciting team-sheet.
Click on Maarten Stekelenburg to unveil the XI
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
West Brom manager Steve Clarke has insisted that his side will return to form against Southampton, report The Metro.
The Baggies have enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, picking up 14 points from their opening seven games beating the likes of Liverpool and Everton along the way.
However, the Midlanders have slipped to defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle of late, leading some to believe their bubble may have burst.
But, Clarke believes his team will find their form as they host Southamption on Monday:
“It’s going to be something different for us. We are suddenly in a situation we haven’t found ourselves in before, having lost a couple of games,” He said.
“People maybe are looking at us a little bit so there is a question to be answered.
“But the lads have played well, that’s the message we have tried to give the players to take forward into the next game.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“We have told them that if they continue to play as they have against two really good teams, and as long as the performance level stays the same, then the results will follow.”
Clarke took charge of the club last summer, switching from his role as assistant manager at Liverpool.
Ever remember those guys in your school who’d simply support Manchester United on the basis ‘that they won the most cups?’ This new found love for the most successful team in the land had nothing to do with passion, geographical location or even that United played the best football, but pure and simply glory supporting. When asked to name the starting XI, most people could only come up with ‘Ermm Beckham? Giggs? Ermmm..does Steven Gerrard play for them? He wears red?’
However, in terms of annoyingness regarding choice of football clubs, nothing can be more frustrating than seeing a celebrity declare their love for ‘insert name of random English club here.’ Be it for a publicity stunt, or genuinely supporting their chosen side but in the most irritatingly public manner possible, choosing an English team has become a new fad among celebrities. It’s slightly less controversial than adopting African babies, but highly infuriating for the real fans who spent their time wondering why these so-called fans don’t actually put some of their millions into the club they support. Here are 15 celebrities that make the prawn sandwich brigades look like a set of die-hard hooligans.
Click on Will Ferrell below to get the ball rolling
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It seems only a fleeting juncture since the ‘Arsenal Invincibles’ toured around the country, defeating every opponent with consummate ease. Arsene Wenger’s men stunned the footballing world as they went an entire season unbeaten, a feat that couldn’t have been accomplished without the Gunners’ foreign contingent.
5 years earlier and Manchester United were creating similar shockwaves around the world as they won an unprecedented treble, claiming the Champions League in dramatic circumstances at the Nou Camp; a night that will remain the pinnacle of success for all United fans. Once again, a band of foreign stars assisted Sir Alex Ferguson in his record breaking year.
These two examples indicate how influential the rest of the world has been in the road to success for English football. From Danish goalkeeping stalwarts to incredibly skilful Italians, this list highlights some of the greatest foreign stars who have ever plied their trade on our shores. There have been many players from distant lands who made unforgettable impacts on the Premier League that have not made this 15.
This alone indicates that the import of talent from around the globe has been advantageous to the development and popularity of the English game.
Click on King Cantona to see the full list of foreign stars
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Given the tumultuous nature of Tottenham Hotspur’s experiences in the last transfer window, you can’t blame supporters for feeling slightly anxious as we storm through into January. As the Andre Villas-Boas project begins to gather steam, the feeling at White Hart Lane is that the club must back the Portuguese to start crafting this squad into one of his own.
Fans are eager to see not just new faces appear at the club, but more importantly, faces that the manager craves, rather than the bank balance. But regardless of who chairman Daniel Levy may serve up next month, there should be one arrival that won’t cost a penny, yet whom still has the ability to help define Tottenham’s season.
Younes Kaboul has of course resembled something of a forgotten man this season. After providing the bedrock for Spurs’ fourth placed finish last term, Kaboul hasn’t been seen since the season’s opener against Newcastle, following knee surgery that’s left the Frenchman sidelined for nearly four months now.
And in those four months, while both manager and supporters alike will be more than content with their current fourth placed position in the league, the side have encountered some real defensive struggles in Kaboul’s absence.
Along with Norwich City, Spurs have shipped in 25 goals already this season and you have to sink down to 13h placed Fulham before you find a side with an inferior defensive record. Yesterday’s 1-0 victory over Michael Laudrup’s Swansea City side represented what was only their third clean sheet of the season.
Of course, injuries to Michael Dawson and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, the forced deployment of Jan Vertonghen at left-back, a loss of form to William Gallas as well as some suspect defensive substitutions courtesy of Villas-Boas, hasn’t particularly helped proceedings. But for all the trials and tribulations of Spurs’ back four, the fact is they’ve lost their outstanding centre-half in Kaboul. And no one should underestimate the effect that’s had upon Tottenham Hotspur’s season.
Given the men who Kaboul’s been up against for a starting berth at the heart of the White Hart Lane defense in recent times, it’s perhaps understandable that the ex-Auxerre man has never quite been perceived as an indispensable asset amongst supporters. Club legend Ledley King has always – and until the back end of last season, quite rightly – provided a roadblock into the first XI when fit and the lion-hearted Michael Dawson continues to retain a special place amongst the heart of the N17 support.
Furthermore, following the topsy-turvy nature of his first stint at the club in 2007, Kaboul’s had to work hard to ease the lingering reservations some at the club held upon the man capped five times at international level. Harry Redknapp once described the Frenchman as a ‘late developer’ and as accurate an observation as that may be, the images of a gallivanting Kaboul too often leaving his fellow defenders in the mire during his initial spell, didn’t dissipate overnight.
His talent on the ball and his potential to be a great defender were always there to see, but some were unsure as to wherever that potential might ever have been fulfilled. Could Kaboul shake the careless errors and reign in the recklessness of his attacking forays to become the quality defender so many had tipped him to be?
The answer has been emphatic. Since arriving back at Spurs in the January of 2010, Kaboul has silently gone about his business solidifying himself as one of the club’s outstanding defenders. In the last 18 months, the 26-year-old has slowly become the one constant in a back line full of variables.
As Ledley King continued to yo-yo in and out of the team and Michael Dawson’s injury woe took on a similar plotline, it’s been Kaboul who the club have turned to in order to plug the widening gaps in their ever-shifting back four. Yet the Frenchman’s offered so, so much more than just a stopgap or a temporary measure.
Last season saw Kaboul galvanize himself within the heart of Harry Redknapp’s defense, offering both outstanding performance and crucially, some desperately needed consistency over his 41 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites. Whether he’s played beside Ledley King, Michael Dawson or William Gallas, Kaboul has continued to grow in both ability and prominence in this Spurs side, displaying a somewhat underrated attribute of adaptability, no matter whom his ever-changing central defensive partner was.
Comfortable in possession and astute with the ball at his feet, Kaboul has matured in almost every way imaginable from the raw talent that first turned up on these shores five years ago. He’s complimented his sheer power and aerial ability with an ever-improving reading of the game. The Kaboul of today has kept the aggression and positivity of the Kaboul of 2007, but he’s such an infinitely superior defender. He’s learnt from those around him and at 26, he’s only going to get better.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
But far from looking to the future, Tottenham need him now. While fingers will of course be pointed at Villas-Boas for the continued concession of late goals, the side have desperately missed the steel and decision making that figures like Scott Parker and Younes Kaboul have brought to the team.
Would Kaboul’s presence have prevented the sort of goals shipped in against Everton, Chelsea and Norwich? Who knows, but the big number four thrives on a defensive battle. He’s a born competitor, a fantastic athlete and arguably the club’s outstanding centre-half. Jan Vertonghen might have something to say about that, but what a partnership supporters have to look forward to.
The touted likes of Joao Moutinho, Willian and Christian Eriksen all have the ability to take Spurs onto the next level should they arrive next month. But it’s the return of Younes Kaboul that might prove to be just as important for the side. What a month fans have in store.
Liverpool have ended Nuri Sahin’s loan spell with the club five months before scheduled after his poor performances.
The Reds won a fierce battle with Arsenal to sign the highly rated Real Madrid midfielder on loan in the summer, but the Turkish international has failed to live up to his reputation.
Three goals in 12 appearances is not bad for a midfielder, but his overall contribution has been limited to a bit part role and the player was promised something very different in the summer.
Sahin has now re-joined Borussia Dortmund on an 18-month loan deal, a club with whom he won the Bundesliga in 2011 as stated on Liverpool’s official site.
Contracted to Real Madrid, Sahin has never had a look in under Jose Mourinho with the likes of Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso ahead of him in the Madrid pecking order.
Liverpool are now sure to sign a midfielder this month after losing Sahin and Joe Cole in a matter of weeks and the fitness of Lucas and Steven Gerrard is always a worry.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Liverpool striker Fabio Borini is hoping that he can truly start his career with the club, after returning from a foot injury.
The Italian signed for the Merseysiders over the summer in a £10.5m deal from Roma, but has been limited to just a handful of Premier League games so far.
Borini marked the end of his recovery by coming on as a second-half substitute in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, and is hopeful that he can finally prove his worth at Anfield:
“My Liverpool career is actually starting now, I think. I’d only played five league games and six or seven games in the Europa League (before the injury), which is not a lot,” he told the club’s official website.
“It really starts now with great intensity week in, week out to get playing again.”
The 21-year-old revealed that it has been frustrating to spend so long away from first-team action and that he is relieved to be back:
“It’s great to be back at Liverpool.
“When I was stood on the touchline, I felt good. All the memories of the last three months and the things I’ve been through went from my mind.
“I put all my worries and the bad things about the injury behind me, and looked forward to all the positive things on the pitch.”
Borini is currently enjoying his second stint in English football, after starting his professional career with Chelsea.
He then joined Swansea, under now Reds chief Brendan Rodgers, on loan in a bid to gain vital match experience.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
However, he was unable to force his way into the Stamford Bridge club’s set-up and left to join Roma in 2011.
An impressive spell in Italy convinced Liverpool to swoop for his signature over the summer.
Liverpool were one of the more active clubs in the top flight during the January transfer window, with Brendan Rodgers adding two fresh faces to the squad in the form of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, but have the club, somewhat quietly, started to invest heavily in players again?
Ever since Fenway Sports Group (FSG) took over the club, the financial outlay on transfer has been consistent, large but always with the crucial caveat that net expenditure was reasonable, therefore curbing any great excess on their end. Of course, this doesn’t factor in the astronomical and at times downright bizarre large wages handed out to young players with little or no competition for their signature in sight, and while we can all agree the policy put in place during the flawed Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli regime was a flawed one, it was at least definable.
Nevertheless, since Rodgers took over the club in the summer, over the two transfer windows he has presided, the club have now spent approximately £48.8m while recouping just £8m in the same period for a net spend of £40,8m. This figure is more than the previous campaign which came in at £35.35m and the one before that which saw them make a £5.1m profit despite bringing in both Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for a combined figure of £58m, with any dealings that year somewhat distorted by the £50m received from Chelsea for Fernando Torres, a sum that only the Carroll transfer can rival in terms of gross financial mismanagement. Every player has their price, but let’s at least get the right player in the first place to start with, eh?
This season, Rodgers has brought in Oussama Assaidi for £3m, Fabio Borini for around £10m when you include add-ons, Joe Allen for £15m, Sturridge for £12m and Coutinho for £8,5m. It seems that FSG during the latest window have done their best to grant the manager with more money to invest simply because they let him down so badly in the summer.
Rumours persist that the Nuri Sahin loan signing, which came with a £2m loan fee, and was subsequently ended just six months into it so that he could return to former club Borussia Dortmund, was not Rodgers idea in the first place, but former director of communications Jen Chang’s, with the Assaidi move and his subsequent lack of first-team action coming under the same theory.
The former Swansea manager spoke in the summer when Carroll was allowed to leave on loan about ‘operational issues’ at the club, with confusion reigning over whether a director of football was being brought in or whether it would be transfer by committee. This period also saw FSG reject paying anything over £3.5m for Clint Dempsey who then moved from Fulham to Tottenham for the reasonable amount of £5m, with Sturridge slipping through the clubs finger at the eleventh hour. This has seen the club look desperately short of attacking options during the first half of the campaign and Suarez practically have to carry the side all on his own at times, so why the drastic change in tack since then? And is there even a clearly defined policy in place?
It would seem so, and when you take a look at the ages of the players concerned that Rodgers has signed, or not as may be the case with Assaidi, a pattern has emerged. Coutinho is just 20, Sturridge is 23, Allen is 22 and Borini is 21, yet what they all also have in common is that they have all represented their country at international level despite their tender age to the collective tune of 18 caps.
The policy of buying British potential has been replaced by a more sensible global approach of purchasing young, hungry and potentially world-class talent before they reach their peak and by choosing to shop outside of the top flight a little more, you simply get more value for money, with Coutinho looking a tad on the cheap side for a player with his burgeoning reputation.
This relatively heavy level of investment is a direct consequence of the good job that Rodgers did in reducing the heavy wage bill in the summer, though, which was one of the biggest tasks he was given when handed the job. Carroll has move out on loan with a potential £17m deal in place at the end of the season at West Ham, Charlie Adam, Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Doni, Alberto Aquilani, Fabio Aurelio and Joe Cole have all been shifted out the exit door since. Wages are the main draining force on big clubs these days, not transfer fees.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The fact that he has been allowed to spend so much this month with very little return into the club can best be seen as a combination of guilt on FSG’s part for the bungling in the summer and gratitude for completing the task in hand way ahead of schedule. Young players demand less and want less, and it’s no coincidence that Rodgers has chosen to rely so heavily on youth during his time on Merseyside.
When you factor in the ever-changing nature of what constitutes the club’s league ambitions this term, Liverpool still retain an outside chance of pinching a top four place if they can maintain their consistency between now and the end of the season, but the longer they spend away from the lucrative riches of the Champions League, the more it will hurt the club’s coffers in the long run. Their spending has slowly but surely crept up to a more ambitious level again and you sense they need to start winning more to make that gamble worthwhile. It’s far from reckless, even by the standards recently set at the club, but it’s a noticeable change in tack as they attempt to bridge the gap on those above them.
Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso’s reluctance to sign a new contract at the club has set reports in motion about a possible return to Liverpool in the summer, but what are the chances of such a transfer coup coming to fruition for a player who enjoyed five successful seasons on Merseyside?
The 31-year-old Spain international currently has a contract at Madrid which runs through until the end of next season, but with manager Jose Mourinho’s future up in the air, he remains reluctant to commit himself until things become clearer about what path the club intend to take in the future. With the side currently 13 points behind rivals Barcelona in the league, in what has represented a pitiful defence of the title they won in such style last season, not only is a potential change in manager on the cards, but a freshening up in the squad in what promises to be a period of great upheaval if they fail to triumph in the Champions League this term.
In what looks certain to be a quote that will be revisited more and more the closer we draw to the end of the season and the summer, Alonso told the BBC in February: “With Brendan, Liverpool are building a project. They need to be patient. We all want to see Liverpool fighting for the Champions League places. I still follow the Premier League and I still feel very attached to Liverpool and I follow them. I consider myself a Liverpool fan.”
The midfielder’s Anfield exit in the summer of 2009 wasn’t brought about by the need to test himself on a bigger stage, after all, Liverpool had just seriously challenged for the Premier League title losing out to Manchester United by just four points and a couple of Federico Macheda shinned last-minute winners. The club were competing in the Champions League each and every year and in Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard, the club had perhaps the best midfield trio in European football outside of Catalonia.
The departure was all but sealed, as everyone knows, by Rafa Benitez’s clumsy pursuit of Aston Villa man Gareth Barry – a move which doesn’t look any more sane with the passing of time. It should be noted, though, that of Alonso’s five years at Anfield, only his first and last touched the heady heights we have come to remember him for; one when trying to impress in a new league and the other when trying to force a move through elsewhere in what has been a convenient re-writing of history to suit the man-love agenda. He has been hugely missed and by just how much has only become easier to quanifty the more time passes, but he’s definitely stepped up a level in terms of consistency while in Spain, certainly more so than he ever managed while at Liverpool.
Alonso moved to Liverpool because of Benitez, but after offering him around anyone that would have him, only Arsenal’s reluctance to offer anything above £15m (has Arsene Wenger made a bigger mistake in the market in the past five years?) stopped him from moving elsewhere in the top flight. Equally so, Alonso wanted to move because of Benitez, rather than a need for a new challenge and a desire to move back home. His one-time mentor had fallen out with him over his desire to be by his wife’s side at the birth of their first child on the eve of a crucial Champions League game and it never recovered and Alonso’s form fluctuated during the 2007-8 campaign before he was made available for transfer, with injuries taking their toll on his form.
When that is put into context, it makes the idea that Alonso fancies a return to Anfield all the more understandable and a reported £80k-a-week contract has been put on the table, while the fee ranges from £12m to £8.5m depending on where you look. What is clear, though, is that Alonso’s departure signalled the end of Liverpool as a top four force, with his ability to control and dominate possession in the middle of the park being sorely missed ever since.
[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”list”]
The narrowly avoided financial disaster of the final days of the Hicks and Gillett ownership saw the side fail to capitalise on a second-placed league finish in 2009 and they refused to invest for another push that summer which saw them subsequently finish seventh the following campaign, sack Benitez, appoint the patently out-of-his depth Roy Hodgson and being forced into selling Mascherano to Barcelona. It’s a state of affairs the club have still struggled to fully recover from and they hovered between eighth and sixth in the league ever since.
Despite his deal at Madrid being worth £130k-per-week, Alonso has spoken of his surprise when he watches top flight matches and how quick the pace and flow of the game is; with time hardly on his side, he could be equally reluctant to dive straight back into a league that he has been absent from for four seasons, even taking into account the significant wage drop. However, with Joe Allen struggling so much this season, Brendan Rodgers will be in the market for an experienced midfielder in the summer, even if he hadn’t bet on setting the bar so high.
Considering the midfield is such a central area of Rodgers possession-based philosophy, it’s remarkable what a mess he’s made of it this season, from playing out of form players (Allen), to unfathomably dropping those in form at times (Jordan Henderson) to just simply playing them out of position altogether (Nuri Sahin). The way he’s chopped and changed points to a manager struggling to pick his best trio or even knowing what they are, while failing to consistently deliver on his message that the side are capable of controlling a game for prolonged spells and Alonso could certainly help in that regard, even if the tempo of the league could ensure a bumpy first few months back.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As with many sub-plots that have developed over the past few months, plenty rests on the future of Mourinho and whether he chooses to extend his stay in the Spanish capital beyond the end of this season. If he leaves, Alonso may be seriously tempted to look elsewhere too and Liverpool would understandably provide a comfortable and familiar environment to see out the final days of a fantastic career and what better way to try and convince Luis Suarez to stay for another year at the same time, by signing a truly world-class midfield operator in what would represent a real signal of intent and ambition.
Harking back to the initial question and whether the deal is likely, it’s too early to tell at this stage, but he fits the style, the system and already loves the club which ensures they remain right at the front of the queue. If I were a betting man, I’d put it on Alonso staying at Real Madrid until his contract expires, turning down the two-year extension and then perhaps returning to a young and vibrant Real Sociedad side, the place where he started his playing career. His Basque roots will always ensure a stronger emotional pull than his Scouse credentials, but the ball remains firmly in his court and he’s never been a player who has terms dictated to him, rather a principled individual in control of his own career, something which could potentially be a determining factor that could count in Liverpool’s favour ahead of a proposed romantic and sensational comeback to the top flight. It’s a long shot, but I wouldn’t completely rule it out.
Manchester United have invited 15-year-old Lars Troense Langgaards over for a trial with one eye on signing the Danish defender.
The youngster was spotted by United scouts playing for Denmark’s Under-16 side at the Aegean Cup in Turkey this January and has also been watched by academy director Brian McClair.
He is currently on the books of Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus where he plays for their Under-17s and will be accompanied to his trial by the club’s sporting director Brian Steen Nielsen.
“It’s clearly going to be a great learning experience that Lars can use in his further development,” said Nielsen.
“He has been developing rapidly since joining AGF, and is now being rewarded with this chance.”
Nielsen has been impressed by United’s handling of the situation from the time that he was made aware of their interest in the schoolboy, who signed a three-year youth contract with the club last year.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Right from the first contact Manchester United have acted very professionally. They have had several scouts and their academy director over to follow Lars and I had a meeting with them about the test training [period]. They have done a thorough job, and we have therefore said thanks for the invitation.”