Turkish club Besiktas are thought to be interested in Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou and Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner, according to The Daily Mail.
The eastern European club are believed to have sent a delegation to London last week to discuss a potential summer move to Turkey with Kalou’s representatives, with a bumper pay packet on offer.
The Ivory Coast international is out of contract at the end of the season and has also attracted interest from Tottenham and a number of other clubs.
Chelsea are thought to be eager to keep the attacker, but as yet there has been no hint of whether a new contract has been offered.
Meanwhile, Besiktas have also earmarked Nicklas Bendtner as a potential new signing.
The Turks tried to ensnare the Denmark international last summer but the striker rejected a move to the Super Lig club, but after a season on loan at Sunderland, the forward’s future remains unclear.
It is evident that Bendtner does not have a role to play in Arsene Wenger’s plans, and it is rumoured that the Black Cats will not take up their option to sign him on a permanent basis.
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Palmeiras defeated Atletico Paranaense 1-0 on Saturday to take the lead in Brazil’s Serie A, while Fluminense and Figueirense also won.Visitors Atletico held Palmeiras goalless into the second half at Estadio Paulo Machado de Carvalho.
But their task became harder when defender Romulo received his marching orders just before the hour mark.
And the hosts made their advantage count, with defensive midfielder Chico netting the winning goal 15 minutes from time.
Elsewhere on Saturday, a brace from striker Rafael Moura helped Fluminense win 2-1 at home over Cruzeiro.
Moura put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time at Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange.
Cruzeiro levelled through forward Anselmo Ramon on 68 minutes, but parity lasted just three minutes before Moura struck again to complete his double and secure all three points for Flu.
Botafogo earned a point with a 2-2 draw away to Ceara.
The visitors led through a goal from midfielder Elkeson on 28 minutes, before Osvaldo and then Michel struck to make it 2-1 to hosts Ceara.
But an equaliser from defender Antonio Carlos 15 minutes from time saw Botafogo escape with a share of the spoils.
Finally, two goals in five second-half minutes from forward Heber and defender Edson Silva saw Figueirense win 2-0 at home to Atletico Goianiense.
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier heaped praise on substitutes Emile Heskey and Stewart Downing after they came on and scored in the 2-1 Carling Cup victory over Burnley.
Villa needed extra-time to see off their Championship visitors, with Downing's effort in extra-time at Villa Park proving decisive in the end.
Houllier said after the victory:"I don't take credit for the subs. The manager makes the decision to bring them on, but it's down to them.
"They scored the goals, I didn't. I wanted to rest some players but I knew at some stage, with other players tiring, they would make a difference.
"The problem with the subs is they have got to be in the right frame of mind. If they have the right attitude, if the hunger is there, then they bring something.
"Their freshness can bring initiative which was the case. Emile came on and changed the game because he held the ball up."
The Frenchman also paid tribute to the beaten Clarets, adding:"Credit to them, they played well. We made it difficult. We should have scored at least one in the first half.
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"That affected our confidence and we didn't play as well as we should have done in the second half.
"They really wanted it, credit to them. We really wanted it too, which is good."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
As the Premier League celebrates 20 glorious – well certainly lucrative – years, it’s worth remembering the bloke whose brainchild it all was. He was also the fella who gave the world Roland Rat – my former boss at TV-AM , Greg Dyke.
Back in 1990, Greg, who was managing director at London Weekend Television, gathered the main men from England’s five biggest clubs of the time around a dinner table and told them the topflight should break away from the Football League.
Always regarded as a visionary in the television industry, Greg was also canny with cash. I still remember when he called me in and offered me a job at the ailing TV-AM – “Only one catch, Jim,” he said, “we won’t be able to pay you!” It shows just how good his powers of persuasion were that I accepted.
A few months later they did start to pay me and, after Roland Rat came along to save the breakfast-time broadcaster, I went on to I recall to a enjoy 10 years there. Much of that time was spent watching a bloke called Dave Claridge hiding behind a sofa with his hand up Roland Rat’s backside.
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While boss at LWT, Greg was hoping his own company would be beneficiaries of the breakaway Premier League he envisaged. Ian St seeing hatred, massive presence, crumbling stadium game was So he got together with Martin Edwards of Manchester United, Noel White of Liverpool, David Dein of Arsenal, Philip Carter of Everton and Tottenham’s Irving Scholar to sow the seeds of the breakaway. Yet even though he was a man blessed with foresight, not even Greg could have predicted the scale of the revolution he was setting in motion.
Football was at a terribly low ebb when he chaired that initial meeting back in 1990. I recall going to a match with Ian St John – I think it was at Goodison Park, but it could have been anywhere – and seeing the abuse and hatred between supporters, th i li li the massive police presence, the crumbling stadium and getting the general feeling that the game we loved was dying on its arse. You wouldn’t want to take your kids to a football match back then, so we have certainly come a long way since those dark days.
The Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster would have transformed England’s football grounds, with or without the advent of the Premier League, but it all became part of the same process, as change swept through the game. Foreign players soon became commonplace – the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona and Gianfranco Zola were magnificent arrivals, even if quantity began to outweigh quality when the next wave of overseas players came along. And, of course, the most astonishing changes have come in terms of football’s finances.
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This was where Greg missed the boat, as LWT were blown out of the water by Sky, with Alan Sugar – who was busy flogging satellite dishes at the time – insisting that TV going match with John, the the police the rights for football were going to go through the roof. Yet if Sugar knew as much about business as he tells us, he would never have sold Spurs.
Interestingly, none of the five movers and shakers assembled by Greg Dyke has any real involvement at their clubs any more. Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal are all under American ownership, Spurs are bankrolled from the Bahamas and Everton – still under British ownership – are struggling to keep up.
I’ll never be one of those ex-players who begrudges the fact that average Premier League footballers now earn far more than I ever did. I’d never criticise anyone for making as much money as they can for their families. But I do wish I’d been born 50 years later. Greg Dyke never did pay me footballers’ wages for sitting on that TV-AM sofa.
Doesn’t the saying go….’ a good player doesn’t always make a good manager?’ From what we saw of Alan Shearer’s brief stint in charge of Newcastle, it’s a saying which could well be applied to the Premier League’s all-time leading goal scorer. Although maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself, as that statement is a rather premature. Yes Shearer’s first foray into management was a failure, but he was thrown in at the deep end at a time when Newcastle were in a desperate state, so they turned to their favourite son to try and save them. However 5 points from a possible 24 and relegation doesn’t give Shearer the best looking managerial CV should he want to step back into management in the future.
Management is still something on Shearer’s to do list, but how many teams would be willing to offer a man of Shearer’s managerial experience an opportunity? After Sam Allardyce was sacked by Blackburn, Shearer’s name was mooted as a potential candidate for the position. This could mean that due to his reputation the opportunities could be there for him to walk into a job in the Premiership or Championship in the future. However I should mention that his links with Blackburn were a large contributing factor to his name being linked with the vacant manager’s position. Shearer has set his sights high regarding any potential return to management as this quote on NUFC blog confirms, “I would seriously consider going back into football, but it would have to be right. It’s imperative that you have a chance of success at your first job. That’s what I would be looking for.”
What type of success Shearer is referring to is down to assumption, it could be winning trophies or gaining promotions, but I sense Shearer is expecting to go straight in at the top. Which I suppose should be expected from a man who has spent his entire playing career at the very top of his profession. As I alluded to in my opening gambit, it doesn’t always work like that though, and I think Shearer would benefit from following the example set by his fellow Geordie Lee Clark. Clark has started his management career in League One with Huddersfield Town, learning his trade in a lower league which has seen him blossom into a fine manager.
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I can’t help but think, irrespective of what Shearer has said about the possibility of stepping back into management full time, that it will never happen for him. The tidy pay packet he receives from the BBC for sitting on their sofa, in one of his shocking shirts, is surely a way of life whichwould take a special job offer to draw him away. Then I think, what club hunting for success would offer a pretty much untried manager a shot? Has Shearer potentially missed his chance in management by not keeping Newcastle in the Premier League in 2009? You can rest assured that if he had kept Newcastle up that year he would have been installed as the permanent manager for the following season.
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Under the current ownership Shearer can forget any chance of a return to St James’ Park in a managerial capacity. So is he better off sticking to his punditry? Well let’s be honest, Shearer isn’t the most charismatic of people and his punditry shows very little enthusiasm when compared to, say Jamie Redknapp, but he seems to be doing something right. So why would he want to change the cushy number he currently has sitting on the Match of the Day sofa for a dugout? I can’t see Shearer being offered the desirable job he appears to want and as time goes on I think he will become more and more content in his TV role, so maybe the management game is over for Shearer before it started.
Promising Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with Gerard Houllier’s side.
The 20-year-old, who has been one of the stars of the opening three months of the season and who came through the club’s academy sysytem, will remain at Villa Park until the end of the 2013-14 season.
Houllier told the club’s official website:“The contract with Marc is until 2014. Marc has stepped up very well to the first team. Everything is about attitude – and his attitude is an example to everyone.
“He was devastated after being sent off against Burnley but he went to play for the reserves this Monday after being suspended for Sunday (against Birmingham City).
“Kevin McDonald (reserve team coach) told me his work-rate was fantastic, that his attitude and effort were an example.
“When you have the talent and the attitude, the commitment, looking after yourself, working hard in games, it means a lot. He enjoys playing.”
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Albrighton has made 18 appearances for Villa’s first team since making his debut in the UEFA Cup defeat to Spartak Moscow in February 2009.
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Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has been assured by club owner Roman Abramovich that he will not be sacked, even if the English side are eliminated from the Champions League.
The Stamford Bridge side have had an inconsistent 2011-12, with their season hanging in the balance currently; they take on Napoli in Italy in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday night.
Despite the media speculation regarding the Portuguese manager’s future, Villas Boas has revealed that he has been backed by the club’s Russian owner.
“There is full belief from the owner in what we’re doing,” Villas Boas told Sky Sports.
“From the message received from the club recently there is a clear indication that there’s a change in the way we approach the projects of the future.
“There is a belief in what we are going to do next year, setting out a team to win the biggest amount of trophies we can.
“That doesn’t undermine the responsibilities that we have this year. So bearing in mind those responsibilities this year, and the results we’ve been having, speculation is normal based on the cultural past of this football club.
“But we’ve got to understand sometimes there is a different perspective and I think that time is now.
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“With full confidence from the owner I will continue to do my job and my job is this year and next year,” he concluded.
Just hours after tasting success in the Europa League, Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas has already set his sights on more European glory.Villas-Boas became the youngest manager in history to lift a European trophy after Porto battled to a 1-0 win over Sporting Braga in Dublin on Wednesday night.
Radamel Falcao’s 44th-minute header – his 17th goal of the tournament – proved the decisive moment for the club, with the win taking them a step closer to an historic treble.
Porto wrapped up the Liga Sagres title with five matches to spare and they now just need to defeat Vitoria Guimaraes in the Taca De Portugal final on Sunday to seal a hat-trick of major trophies.
And the 33-year-old Villas-Boas – who will be in high demand as a manager – is committed to taking Porto to even greater success.
“I think we have to not focus on my ambitions, that’s not what is important. The most important thing is that Porto has the UEFA Cup in its trophy cabinet again,” he said.
“This is something very, very important for us. It reflects the quality of the work we do. After 2003-2004 it’s something very, very special to get it again. This is something that means a lot to us people of Porto and we are very close to another moment of joy, so let’s focus on beating this number of titles which is something we can be proud of.”
While the match did not live up to the hype of a final as the normally free-scoring Porto were somewhat subdued, Villas-Boas was thrilled to lift the trophy.
“I do feel just a little sad, because both teams could have been better,” he said.
“Both teams found it hard, but that is nothing new in a final. Braga are always very aggressive and very compact, which makes our work very hard.”
“But there is a great joy in winning the trophy.”
Striker Falcao is also likely to come in for some attention but Villas-Boas said he hoped high release clauses would stave off any potential suitors.
“Speculation is normal with managers and football players all around the world, it’s nothing new. Porto has had an incredible year, and people will speculate a lot with the exits. I can only tell you that Porto has the highest release clauses in the market so it’s not easy for any of this talent to run away from us and we would like to keep as much talent as possible for the year after,” he said.
For his part, Falcao could not hide his delight at sealing the title.
“I am very, very happy – I lived for a moment like this – but this is especially for the team,” Falcao said.
“I thank God and Porto to be in a position like this. Being the top-scorer is just an extra, what matters is the victory.”
Goalkeeper and Porto skipper Helton had extra reason to celebrate as he kept a clean sheet on his 33rd birthday.
“Besides being very heavy, this trophy is a wonderful birthday gift,” Helton said.
“We knew it would not be easy and that is how it proved.”
Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Sunderland marked the 4th successive time that Manchester United have drawn away from home in the Premier League this season. United’s stuttering form has been a real concern for United fans and their performance against the Black Cats can only be described as lacklustre.
With United seemingly stuck in an away-day rut, have they lost their winning mentality?
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to rest arguably his most in-form player in Dimitar Berbatov. Instead of starting his form players, he chose to start Michael Owen and Federico Macheda against Sunderland; a move which backfired spectacularly. Ferguson realised the errors of his ways and replaced Owen with Berbatov just after half time and Macheda with Javier Hernandez on the 64 minute mark.
Ferguson’s decision to leave Berbatov of the starting line-up is puzzling to say the least. There was little need to rest Berbatov as the Premier League is now on a two-week international break. The Bulgarian has retired from international football meaning that he would have had plenty of time to recover before United’s next match against West Brom.
Berbatov’s omission from the first eleven is hopefully not due to a hubristic underestimation of Sunderland’s ability. In their last 15 meetings, Steve Bruce has failed to win against his United counterpart losing 12 and drawing 3. Saturday’s meeting brought the number of draws to four but Sunderland are an accomplished team and they showed that with a hugely impressive performance on the weekend.
Indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted so much in his post-match comments. He said that they were “a very determined team” who had “the most chances in the game”.
While Ferguson’s post-match comments praised Sunderland, they also shed light on an interesting shift that has occurred in the mindset of the United manager.
Ferguson seems to be satisfied with draws against teams United really should beat. After the match against Sunderland, Ferguson said “the consistency of losing is something we can take [from the game]”. Similarly, against Bolton who are another team that United really should beat, Ferguson hailed the team’s “character” as United managed to rescue a point at the Reebok Stadium.
To shift the attention from United’s impotent attack, Ferguson was quick to praise the defence:
“We had to defend very well and the pleasing thing for me is that the back four were fantastic.”
“I am not pleased but I am satisfied. Sunderland had the most chances in the game and I have to say we were fantastic defensively.”
“That’s the area in which we have been leaking goals and throwing games away this season, so I am pleased with that.”
While United did defend well, it hasn’t been what has characterised an Alex Ferguson team. Under Ferguson, United have always played with a free-flowing attacking vigour and for Ferguson to emphasise the defensive aspect of the game, is to admit there is something seriously wrong with his attacking play.
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No doubt that the media attention placed upon Wayne Rooney has not helped the United in the slightest. The allegations about Rooney’s private life and his indifferent form have proved to be something of a distraction for the club but with the international break upon United, there is a chance for Sir Alex Ferguson to refocus his team and get back on track in the title race.
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It has been a common viewpoint over the past couple of seasons that Tottenham were just a top class striker away from being title contenders. The rest of the ingredients were there, the only thing that was missing was a man able to make the most of the chances that were being created in abundance from, perhaps, the most exciting midfield in the Premier League.
Emmanuel Adebayor has been that man this season, weighing in with 10 goals and assists already. The only issue for Spurs remains can they hold onto the Togolese target man beyond the summer, with his loan deal from rivals Manchester City due to expire at the end of the season.
Adebayor is rumoured to be keen to turn his loan into a permanent transfer at the end of the current campaign, thanks to his relationship with manager Harry Redknapp, who he says has recaptured his desire for the game. The striker told the Evening Standard:
“It’s always special to have a manager like this and I’ve got my confidence back and my life back,
“I came here to help the team get into the top four and I think I’m doing quite well at the moment.
“We all play football to gain money, too, especially as I’m from Africa and I have to give something back to my community. I’ve been doing a lot of charity work, I’m taking my own wages to do it and I will continue to do that until the end of my career.
“I’ll leave it to Harry Redknapp, Daniel Levy and (City chairman) Khaldoon Al Mubarak to find a solution among themselves.
“I have to enjoy myself on the pitch and they have to do the paperwork.”
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The 27-year-old currently picks up wages in the region of £170,000-per-week on his mega-contract at City, with Tottenham paying around half of that amount during his spell in North London. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would be willing to continue with that figure to keep him at the club permanently, but it remains unclear as to whether the striker would be willing to take a 50% pay cut.
Keeping Adebayor is a must for Spurs if they are to signal their intent at a title push next season. He has been a key part of the attacking set-up at White Hart Lane, getting the best out of whoever he partners, and giving the team a physical presence in the final third. The striker has been paired with Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Louis Saha this term, linking with each to great effect, as well as being adept as a lone front man with Rafael van der Vaart in support. Allowing him to leave would be a backward step for the club, who would struggle to find a proven replacement for a similar transfer fee over the summer.
Another issue could be ‘Arry’s long-term commitment to the club, in light of the availability of the England job. If offered the position, it’s likely that Redknapp would find it too tempting an offer to refuse, placing doubt over Adebayor’s willingness to commit to a permanent deal. He has already stated the effect that his new coach has had on his game, and the threat of a another manager and new system could deter Adebayor.
The Togo International will not be short of potential suitors this summer due to the quality of his performances. The Qatari backed duo of Malaga and Paris Saint-Germain are rumoured to be interested in the front-man, and would be able to match his current payload, plus there is supposed interest from some of Italy’s big clubs.
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Spurs face a battle to keep hold of their on-loan striker, but if they are willing to put their money where their mouth is, it would almost certainly be a wise investment, with the Togo man enjoying his football at White Hart Lane.