Liverpool have joined the chase for unsettled Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder, and have made a £9.5million bid to sign him in January, the Daily Mail reports.
The Dutch international has been unsettled at the San Siro after disagreements over a suggested annual pay cut of £1.6million.
According to Gazzetta delo Sport’s, Liverpool have been the first to move for the midfielder who is also said to be a target for the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.
The reported bid from the Anfield club is £9.5million while their Premier League rivals are confident that £11million will be enough to secure a deal for the 28-year-old.
Sneijder spoke of his current situation at the club and said, “Clearly it’s best for everyone concerned that in January I am transferred.”
“If that doesn’t happen then I will stay. I have a contract with Inter until 2015.”
Sneijder has been dropped by Inter boss Andrea Stramaccioni over the incident and both parties look to have reached a stage where the only option may be to part ways.
The midfielder is currently earning £200,000 a week with the Italian club, figures which Liverpool may struggle to match, while his agent quashed rumours of a move to Spurs by telling Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad, “there is nothing, absolutely nothing true about that.”
Sir Alex Ferguson is also believed to still be interested in a deal as he continues his search for a replacement for 38-year-old Paul Scholes.
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.
While a move to England looks increasingly likely for Sneijder, exactly where remains to be seen.
The past few days may be some of the most defining in Coventry City’s season. An unbelievable match and result on Thursday night was quickly followed by a disappointing loss on Sunday afternoon resulting in mixed emotions for Coventry fans.
Thursday night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie against Preston is a match that will live long in the memories for everyone involved with Coventry City FC. A 3-2 victory in the dramatic fashion that we achieved it was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. The match as a whole was not great in terms of the quality of football on show but what it did have was a true cup tie feel to it. It was clear that both teams really wanted it and were really fighting for the victory.
The match began with Preston having the better of the opening exchanges but the match quickly levelled out and city got a foothold in the game. A couple of missed opportunities for both sides went by and then four minutes before half time the Skyblues got the first goal of the game. A free kick whipped in by Baker was headed towards goal by Edjenguele and was steered into the back of the net by Jennings who poked home from close range.
The score remained at 1-0 until the 67th minute when Preston equalised from a poorly defended corner. A free header from Foster deflected off Adams into the Skyblues net. Coventry were feeling a little hard done by at this point having been the slightly better side in the second half but then ten minutes from time they were feeling even worse. Another deflected effort left Murphy wrong footed as the ball nestled in the Skyblues goal to the disbelief around the majority of the ground.
The dream of a trophy and a trip to Wembley looked to be over as the board went up for 5 minutes of stoppage time. The City fans roared in a final attempt to get the team to take the game to penalties. Then on 93 minutes a lovely touch from Jordan Clarke played in Baker who from a tight angle powered a shot underneath the despairing Simonsen who was being forced to continue in goal after picking up an injury only minutes before.
We had done it and everyone’s attentions turned to the inevitable penalty shootout that was about to follow. However there was a minute and a half left of stoppage time and the Coventry player went in search of a winner. Thirty seconds past and then the ball fell to Baker who came inside from the right wing and sent a shot towards Prestons goal from just outside the area. Everyone expected it to be saved comfortably but Simonsen seemed to panic and whilst he did save the initial shot he could only parry the ball straight back into the danger area where there just so happened to be three Coventry players who had gambled on him making the error.
Everyone held their breath as Leon Clarke who had missed at least one guilt edge chance earlier on in the game held off his teammates to poke the ball passed Simonsen into the net and the unthinkable had happened and it was utter elation around the stadium.
Coventry had done it, they were in the area final and now only two games away from an historic Wembley appearance. No one could quite believe what they had just witnessed as the Coventry song rang round the Ricoh in a way that it had never done before.
A victory in that manner against any club would have been special but I have to be honest in that it did make it all the more special in that it was Preston who we beat. Now I have nothing against the club itself and its fans but the current management and playing squad are everything that there is to hate about football.
They are a thuggish team who were throwing elbows and leaving their foot in whenever they got the chance. Despite this aggressive behavior on their part they were also going down from the slightest touch from our players. All sport not only football should have sportsmanship at its heart and well it looked to me that Graham Westley has completely eradicated this from his squad of players. They had clearly been told to throw their weight around to see what they could get away with and in turn try to bully their way to victory. For me Thursday’s match was not only a victory for Coventry City it was a victory for what football should be about.
After the elation of Thursday night the Skyblues went into Sundays trip to Carlisle brimming with confidence. It did however end in disappointment as Coventry slipped to their first away defeat in the league since defeat to Brentford on the 23rd of October to end a six game winning run away from home. It was City’s second defeat in a row in the league and it was far from a great performance.
This loss combined with the loss too Shrewsbury has really put the brakes on our ascent up the league one table. Sitting now in 13th place our hopes of a playoff place have taken a real hit. It is by no means an impossibility far from it in fact but it has made a hard goal even harder to achieve. Six points is the current gap with the teams above us having a game in hand. Victories for them will leave us 9 points off the pace and I have always considered this to be the tipping point in terms of trying to catch teams. Anything below and there is a real chance of catching but anything above in the double figures and they begin to look out of sight.
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.
Six points from the two home games against Tranmere and Oldham will be a huge step back in the right direction. With Tranmere topping the league one table Wednesday’s match will be far from an easy one but a big performance and victory is needed to reignite our charge up the League One table.
Sunday was a poignant reminder of just how far Leeds have fallen. Matched against the current Premier League champions who had clambered their way to the top from similar depths to us, in a cup tie that was never even a contest.
Leeds were outplayed, outfought and outdone in every single department. Except one.
Once again, the fans were the only good thing to be associated with our club. Non-stop chanting throughout a game that was beyond us as early as the fifth minute meant that the players had no excuses about being intimidated by the home crowd, Leeds fans gave it their all and once again, were let down by the team representing them on the pitch.
This club is nothing without it’s fans. They are the difference between us and every other mid-table Championship team, the heartbeat of the club.
It’s about time they got rewarded with more than just half hearted performances and after match excuses.
I’m not speaking solely about the cup game, we were never expected to win, but how many games this season have we come up against teams that are struggling or out of form and crumbled.
We’re tired of hearing the same old excuses, I’ve lost count of the amount of people in the football world that have claimed that Leeds will be back in the Premier League in no time, only for us to be found wanting time and time again. There is no quick fix, the club needs direction and it needs it now.
If GFH are to stay then they need to act quickly, this season is well and truly over but bringing in a new manager now gives them time to assess the squad and then he needs serious backing in the summer. This is obvious to every single Leeds fan that I’ve ever spoken to, so why does it appear to be falling on deaf ears at the club?
I understand their loyalty to Warnock at the time of the takeover, fair enough, he’d stuck with us while the whole sorry saga dragged on, but that was months ago and for him to claim that he deserves a medal is nothing short of ridiculous.
What do the fans deserve Neil? Did we not stick with the club too?
The difference is that we don’t want medals and we don’t want recognition, because sticking with the club is what we do. That doesn’t mean that we deserve to sit and watch dire performances week after week and then listen to the excuses afterwards about how great a job you’re doing. If this is what you would call a great job, then we should be seriously thankful that you aren’t doing a bad one.
While we’re here, I agree. You aren’t doing a bad job Neil, you’re doing an awful job.
I read somewhere that Warnock had claimed to have turned Leeds around. I can only assume he’s referring to the way that we’re now rapidly going backwards.
No matter what happens over the next few months, GFH have to start listening to the fans. We aren’t chanting ‘Warnock out’ for the laugh. It’s all good and well keeping Ken Bates around to help guide you, but you have all the help you could ever need sat around you watching the club fall apart every Saturday afternoon.
If GFH want to succeed, they need to trust the fans in what we’re saying, we know the club better than anyone ever could, and after 8 years of being ignored we’re more than willing to help. Advice is only good advice when it’s given by the right people, if GFH choose those people wisely there’s every chance they can bring success to Elland Road.
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.
If not, we’ll carry on going backwards until it’s too late to recover. The next few months will see some of the most important decisions made off the field, the only thing you can guarantee is that the fans are going nowhere.
Wolfsburg are lining up a summer move for Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker, according to reports from talkSPORT.
The German international has endured a turbulent spell in the Premier League since his arrival in 2011, with his sometimes languid playing style opening him up to criticism.
Despite seeing his first-team opportunities rationed for much of last season, the 28-year-old has become a key man under Arsene Wenger this term.
But, Wolfsburg are keen to lure him back to the Bundesliga at the end of the season, as the Gunners step up their pursuit of other defensive targets.
Swansea’s Ashley Williams is said to be on their radar, and if a move is made, it’s likely that one of the north Londoners’ current defensive men will have to make way.
Wolfsburg’s sporting director Klaus Allofs worked with Mertesacker at Werder Bremen, and is keen to set up a reunion with the towering centre-half.
He could be tempted to return to his homeland, with his chances of football at international level likely to increase if he is playing regularly in an environment where he is exposed to the German side.
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.
Mertesacker arrived at the Emirates Stadium at the back end of the 2011 summer transfer window, as Wenger made some late additions to his underperforming squad.
Manchester City have been given a boost after Yaya Toure declared himself fit after he missed the mid-week win against West Brom. Costel Pantilimon is expected to start in goal ahead of Joe Hart, while Robert Mancini could go with Edin Dzeko in attack.
Roberto Martinez has a big decision to make regarding his Wigan side after they lost at home to Swansea on Tuesday. Antolin Alcaraz (hamstring) isn’t fully fit but could be risked ahead of captain Gary Caldwell. Ali Al-Habsi should step in for Joel Robles between the posts after playing in the semi-final.
Roberto Mancini pre-game…“It’s important for the mentality and the attitude that we win tomorrow. It’s important that you win something special every year. It’s better to win the League or Champions League but we need to work more.”
Roberto Martinez pre-game…”Manchester City rested eight players on Tuesday. We couldn’t do that because we are in the most crucial stage of our season and we still will be after the final. If you ask me, this is not the right time. Traditionally the FA Cup final has always been the last game of the season, and that makes sense.”
Match Statistic: Wigan, currently 18th in the Premier League, would be the lowest-ranked side to win the FA Cup since West Ham in 1980.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Wigan Athletic
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.
Manager Chris Hughton admits his side need to forget the defeat to Aston Villa in order to make a final push for survival.
The Canaries suffered a 2-1 defeat at Carrow Road on Saturday as a late Gabriel Agbonlahor strike secured maximum points for Villa.
Norwich are now just three points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining, against West Brom (h) and Manchester City (a).
Hughton admits the defeat to Villa came as a major disappointment and the Norwich boss is desperate for his side to bounce back when the Baggies visit on Sunday.
“It is hurting at the moment and there won’t be much sleep over the next day or so, but we have to bounce back,” said Hughton. “We are all in the same boat as managers. We of course have sleepless nights over results and the team you are going to pick and your form. Unfortunately it is part and parcel of the game.
“I go through all the torments. The next couple of days are not going to be particularly good days for me, and I wouldn’t expect it to be for any of the players.
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 we have to bounce back and the only way to put ourselves in a position to get a result on Sunday is to make sure that we clear this one as quickly as we can.”
I don’t believe a player like Luis Suarez owes any club anything, no matter how big they are. There’s no hidden meaning behind it, it’s just the damning nature of the game today.
It is, more often than not, harder to replace a player like Suarez than it is for the player himself to find an equally good or better club. But for everything that is happening this summer in the Suarez saga, is it really unexpected or shocking?
Liverpool, surely, would like to think that they’re owed something back for all the times they stood by the Uruguayan, often risking their own reputation in order to maintain a working relationship with their biggest asset. But that’s not how football works, and it would be naïve to think otherwise. Beyond these two-and-a-half years Suarez has spent at Anfield, there is nothing linking him to the club. No emotional bond, no reason to extend his stay in spite of a lack of Champions League football or trophies; he is far from a Francesco Totti or even Steven Gerrard.
[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”list”]
And even so, can we really say Suarez hasn’t given anything back to Liverpool? He’s a little (or a lot) like Carlos Tevez: a whole lot of nonsense off the pitch, but nothing but 100 per cent on it. Suarez rarely misses a beat when he takes to the field. There was a strong claim for him to be awarded Player of the Year last season. Some of his goals, the Newcastle effort springs to mind, were absolutely magnificent. He’s far from coasted along since arriving in 2011. Considering what Liverpool paid Ajax for his services, they’ve more than got a healthy return.
I’m in no way buying into the player’s claim that he wants to escape England because of the media. The thing about players like Suarez is that they have a level of resolve whereby they can brush off such harsh criticism and continue to perform at the highest level. It would be unkind to say that he doesn’t feel the effects of the continued storm of hate, but his reputation, and the media’s ability to target him, isn’t something he’s going to be rid of anytime soon. If he thinks the media in England are a handful, he’s in for a rude awakening in Spain.
For Suarez, it’s motivation to succeed. He understands, like most do, that Liverpool are in a transition, and not the luxury kind where they’re armed with blank cheques and the promise of immediate and unparalleled wealth and trophies. All of Liverpool’s building this year is to see rewards in the form of trophies a few years down the line. It’s the way most sporting clubs do it and there’s nothing wrong with Liverpool’s admirable approach. But the player himself knows that there is an alternate option, and for that the whole notion of loyalty goes out the window. Maybe labelling athletes as mercenaries is too harsh, but football isn’t the only realm where athletes move on quickly for one reason or another. The modern makeup of sports means it’s a foolish for supporters to create strong bonds with players.
We’ve been down this road before in previous years, with Fernando Torres, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, and plenty of others switching allegiances to those who are perceived to be the enemy. Real Madrid and Barcelona, arguably the biggest football rivalry in Europe, are no strangers to it. Far be it from me to say Liverpool supporters can’t conjure up all the hate and scorn they believe Suarez is deserving of, but to suggest that the player owes Liverpool a degree of loyalty is to stubbornly fly in the face of what is the norm in modern football.
For Liverpool, the best thing that can happen for them is to receive a good fee for him – £60 million or thereabouts is unrealistic considering the circumstances – and move on. Leaving the Suarez saga hanging over them for another year and a player who doesn’t really want to be at Anfield is far too damaging and risky with so many young players now looking to help guide the club forward.
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 comes down to how each club measures success. Liverpool could win the Premier League title and it would be an undoubted victory for all concerned at the club. But further climbing the Premier League ladder and making some real noise in the battle for fourth place is the realistic target this season. Even if only Europa League football is secured, it’s still a big step forward from where the club were prior to Brendan Rodgers’ appointment.
So on the Luis Suarez front, Liverpool fans will accept the player back into the fold because it’s in their best interest to do so: no player is bigger than the club, and the major steps that could be taken this season is of far greater importance than any personal hatred towards the forward.
You have to ask whether the player’s actions over the summer were of such unspeakable treachery that it would be a mark against the club to welcome him back into the team, even if it’s only a matter of accepting him for his talents rather than him as a person.
[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”list”]
But the fact is Suarez isn’t the first footballer to speak of the greener grass on the other side of the wall. Yes, it can burn bridges and in some cases make a player’s position ‘untenable.’ But in this instance, Liverpool are gaining (or regaining) one of the best players in the Premier League, and any issue that may have been brought up during the transfer period should be put to bed until next year.
It was always admirable for the club to stand strong in the face of both Suarez and the fleeting interest from Real Madrid. At the time, it made far more sense to move the player on, not only because of his public declarations of unhappiness, but also because he has been a liability in the past and could be once again in the future. For all his talents, is it worth jeopardising the greater project?
But that is the situation the club are faced with now. On some level, Liverpool’s hierarchy should have an idea of what they’re in for with Suarez now. There must have been some assurances that, despite his intentions during the summer, he is willing to offer 100 per cent on the pitch in a Liverpool shirt. Fortunately for the club, that is an aspect of Suarez that can never be questioned.
For all those who may be irate following his actions, it’s difficult to imagine many Liverpool fans staying grounded and firmly silent if and certainly when Suarez scores for the club. What if this past summer is countered or balanced by Suarez scoring the winner against Manchester United and in turn helping to secure fourth place in the league? There can be few that see Suarez and Liverpool remaining side by side beyond next summer, but for now, their individual interests can be perfectly married to have a far more respectful and dignified break up next year.
There are many football fans who have rightly abandoned the hero worship of players; it simply doesn’t apply in the modern game. It is no longer a matter of loyalty, but rather a case of an employer and employee; it just so happens that the reality of it was far better disguised in the past, to such an extent that the bonds between players and fans were harder to break.
For now, however, and in spite of the bitterness that came to the fore in the past, the working relationship between Suarez and Liverpool can still exist. It doesn’t have to be about loving or even liking one another, but there are grounds for this season to be a success, no matter how that success is measured.
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.
Should fans welcome back Suarez for the good of the club?
Instead of being caught up in the fervent excitement ahead of a trip to Rio next summer we are now being embroiled in the most bizarre of race rows. Roy Hodgson stands accused of making a space race monkey joke during the half time team talk on Tuesday, which according to those offended was interpreted as a racist jibe towards Tottenham winger Andros Townsend.
Although the exact details of what was or wasn’t said are largely unclear, the joke was supposedly part of a gambit to get Chris Smalling to pass more frequently to Andros Townsend and it reportedly involved the NASA punch line; “feed the monkey”. The Sun has since claimed that at least one player was offended by Hodgson’s outburst and this has in part allowed the issue to escalate.
I would like to make it clear that I don’t condone racism in any form, but in the same way I don’t stand for the politically correct idiocy that is gripping our once liberal country.
Racism is still a problem in the 21st century but in my opinion those that try to stoke up offence whenever possible just act to blur the real perpetrators. It has got to the point where you actually have to stop and think about what you say even when you have absolutely no intention of being racially aggravating. I think Steven Fry was spot on when he made the following remarks on this whole concept of offence:
“It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more… than a whine. ‘I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well, so f*ck*ng what.”
If you ask me the player that was quick to associate the monkey joke with Andros Townsend’s ethnicity is arguably acting in more of a racist way than Hodgson himself, and this really underlines how ridiculous the whole issue is.
The player himself has even come out to defend his manager, even going so far as to dismiss the whole episode:
Stan Collymore a staunch campaigner for anti-racism was also quick to defend Hodgson, hitting the nail on the head when he argued that events like this just end up clouding those that really are racially aggravating:
The very fact that Hodgson has even had to apologise is to me a worry in itself, why apologise when to any reasonable observer you can see that he hasn’t done anything wrong? This isn’t so much a footballing issue but a cross-societal one. Year on year we continue to have our personal freedom of expression impinged by those that wish to sterilise our language of all things that could feasibly cause offence.
Much of associated press have been quick to castigate Hodgson and I believe wrongly. I’m not surprised though, you only have to look at the recent cases of both Robbie Fowler and Adrian Chiles to realise how quick our media are to chastise those that stray from the realms of acceptability.
Now in the current climate all three cases involved the individuals using somewhat ill advised language considering the media spotlight, but this doesn’t make them wrong to do so. I doubt Fowler is a chauvinist as much as Chiles is a Pole hater, but this is the way our media and in fact many in society chose to treat those who act in this way.
Piara Powar, the executive director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) organisation, suggested Hodgson was wrong to use the term. He wrote on Twitter:
“Hodgson used very silly term within a diverse team environment. He should know better. Assume it wasn’t a Freudian slip, no evidence to suggest it was. Some players will see it as reflection of the crude language still used by some coaches and attitudes that still prevail.”
Yes again Hodgson was perhaps a little naive, but really who is Powar to tell a manager to stop using this so called ‘crude’ language? Is the expectation now for managers up and down the country to submit their perfect works of prose before kick off for moderation? Honestly where have we ended up when a manager is being told how to address his players?
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.
I fully expect and hope Hodgson used ‘crude’ language after some of the dross England produced during this qualifying campaign. Can you really imagine Sir Alex Ferguson straying away from ‘crude’ language when United were under-performing?
Obviously there is a difference between racism/sexism and crude language, but clearly this distinction is much too complicated for those in positions of authority to distinguish.
Has society gone mad, or am I just as much of a racist and bigot as Hodgson?
England have finally learnt who they will be playing in the World Cup group stages in six months time, with Italy the opponents in their opening match. It will be a tough test for Hodgson, who was knocked out of Euro 2012 by the Italians on penalties, after being outplayed during a goalless 120 minutes.
Two years later and the two countries will once again face off in front of the world’s gazing eyes. Here we look at some of the key matchups, where the match could be won or lost. A match that is set to display some of the best European footballers on the biggest of stages, who will get the better of their opponent?
Buffon v ?
He has been one of the best goalkeepers in world football for years, Gianluigi Buffon has been winning individual awards for the last 10 years, and has been right in the centre of all debates over who is the best shot stopper on the globe. Italy’s World Cup winning keeper in 2006, the Juventus star has dominated the number 1 shirt for the Azzuri for over a dozen years, with only injuries keeping him out of the national side.
Who knows who his opposite number will be in Manuas. Joe Hart is the likely answer, despite being dropped recently by Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City. His mistakes over the last 18 months have caused doubts over the keeper’s position in Brazil, with Celtic’s Fraser Forster, West Brom’s Ben Foster and Norwich keeper John Ruddy all looking to steal the number 1 shirt from the former Shrewsbury player. However, despite his recent errors, it seems that Hart will start for England, should he not make any more calamities.
Buffon is Italy’s most capped player in history, after recently making his 137th appearance for his country, 99 appearances more than Joe Hart has made for England. And whilst Hart has won the Premier League golden glove for 3 years in a row, his individual trophy cabinet is nothing compared to the Juve legend. Buffon has won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2003, Best European goalkeeper 2003, 3 appearances in the UEFA Team of the Year, twice in the FIFPro World XI, and was the Ballon d’Or Runner up in 2006. A stunning goalkeeper rightly recognised for his talent, Rooney and co will do well to beat this Italian legend.
Rooney v Chiellini
The Manchester United forward has often played a deeper role in the last 18 months, but that doesn’t mean he has lost his attacking threat. A natural goal scorer, Rooney can be unstoppable when on fine form. His power, strength and precise finishing make him one of the most feared strikers in world football, and wanted by every team. The United star has lifted the Premier League five times, as well as holding the Champions League and Club World Cup trophies.
But he may come up against one of the strongest defenders in Europe, Giorgio Chiellini. The 29-year-old has become a legend at Juventus since moving from Fiorentina, helping the club win back-to-back Serie A titles. In June this year, he was placed 7th in Bloomberg’s top 50 footballers based in Europe, a list built on scientific, mathematical analysis. Chiellini is one of the toughest players to shrug off the ball, and incredibly calm in possession. Relaxed, and a step ahead of the game, he is one of the most difficult defenders to face. But can he really keep Rooney quiet? It’s a well-known fact that Rooney hasn’t scored a goal at a World Cup finals, so he will be eager as ever to break his duck.
Balotelli v Cahill
Its coming up to 12 months since Manchester City sold the Italian striker to AC Milan, but Mario Balotelli has continued to terrorise opposition defenders. One of the strongest and most powerful forward in Europe, Balotelli’s fierce, moody style of football will cause problems for Roy Hodgson’s side, as he’ll physically battle Cahill to try and force his way into a shooting position. His performance against Germany in the semi-final of Euro 2012 was one that will always be remembered by Blues faithful.
Cahill will have to be at his best to manage the fiery Italian, but it can be done. Whilst Super Mario can create a piece of magic from nothing, he can often drop his head and fall out of the game, should his service be low. If Cahill can get to the ball first, and frustrate the striker, then England will be in a great position. The Chelsea defender enjoys a physical challenge, both on the ball and in the air, and won’t back down from taking on Balotelli at his own game.
Gerrard v Pirlo
Possibly the most important area on the pitch, whoever can win the battle of the midfield will surely win the game for their side. And what better matchup to watch then two legends for their respective countries: Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard.
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 Italian, just 1 year older than Gerrard at 34, was ranked as the 5th best player in Europe by Bloomberg’s rankings in June, adding to his long list of personal awards that include being in the 2006 FIFPro World XI and 2012 UEFA Team of the Year. Pirlo is known for his incredible control over a football. The midfielder can spray a pass across the length of the field to incredible accuracy, whilst also score a free-kick from almost anywhere in the opposition’s half. And his penalty against England in Euro 2012 was the perfect demonstration of his precision, technical ability and composure.
In the white corner is Steven Gerrard, one of the best midfielders to lead out his nation. A similar player to Pirlo, his passing accuracy, and eye for an attacking through ball has led to Gerrard one of being the best assisters in the Premier League. Often the Man of the Match for both club and country, Stevie G always shows 100% commitment and passion. But on June 14th, he will have his work cut out to keep Pirlo quiet, a job he and Scott Parker failed to do two years ago. Brace yourself folks, we could be in for a treat with these two.
[divider]
Click on the banner below to join the boys in Brazil!