All posts by h79snht.top

Wolves could be set to make big moves in January and bring former favourites Joleon Lescott and Robbie Keane back to Molineux.

Robbie Keane has fallen down the pecking order at Tottenham and now looks certain to leave in January with Aston Villa, Blackburn and Birmingham also interested in the Republic of Ireland star. Keane has over 100 Premier League goals and 45 international goals to his name and at the age of 30 looks to still have a lot of offer in England’s top flight.

Joleon Lescott is another player reportedly on Mick McCarthy’s Christmas wishlist. The defender who cost Manchester City over £20 millon in 2009 has struggled to secure a first team place at Eastlands this season and is seeking a move to put himself back on Fabio Capello’s radar.

Both players graduated from Wolves’ academy and became firm favourites with the Molineux crowd, with many considering Lescott to be the finest player to wear a Wolves shirt in the last 10 years. The possibility of the return of Joleon Lescott would be a massive boost for Wolves who have conceded 30 goals already this season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

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 Keane and Lescott would certainly help Wolves’ survival bid, money could prove to be the stumbling block for both deals. It is likely that Wolves would need to break their wage structure in order to secure both signings and the fee for both players would be around the £17 million mark.

Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Juventus v Man City and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

Sydney FC’s Asian Champions League campaign came to an end in the group stages on Tuesday with a 3-1 defeat away to the Suwon Bluewings.Goals from Ha Tae-Kyun, Mato Neretljak and Yeom Ki-Hun were the reward for a dominant display from the Korean side at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, with Bruno Cazarine’s consolation strike from Sydney coming against the run of play.

The win sees Suwon join Kashima Antlers on nine points at the top of Group H.

Sydney are four points behind in third with just one match of the group stage remaining.

In Group G, Cerezo Osaka moved second following a 4-0 win away to Arema Malang, with Taka Inui claiming a brace for the visitors.

Jeonbuk Motors remain top of the group after they beat Shandong Luneng Taishan 2-1 away from home.

Lee Dong-Gook’s double proved enough for Jeonbuk to claim all three points and they are now three points clear of Cerezo Osaka, while Shandong are down to third.

Persepolis recorded their first victory of the tournament, beating Group C leaders Al-Ittihad 3-2.

Hamidreza Dehaghi scored twice, with Shpejtim Arifi netting the other for the Iranian side.

Al-Ittihad remain top of the group, with Kuruvchi Tashkent second after beating Al-Wahda 3-2.

A double from Milos Trifunovic and Shavkat Salomov’s late goal were the difference for the Uzbeks, who had to come from behind after Ismail Matar’s fourth-minute opener.

Al Sadd secured top spot in Group B courtesy of a 2-2 draw at home to second-placed Esteghlal.

Qataris Al Sadd needed goals from Khalfan Ibrahim and Hasan Al Haydos to come from back from two down after Farzad Majidi struck twice in the first half for the visitors.

Esteghlal are second, level on points with third placed Al-Nasr.

Zob-Ahan moved on to 13 points at the top of Group D after beating Al-Emirates 1-0 away from home.

Al Shabab moved second after winning 1-0 at home to Al Rayyan, with Naser Al-Shamrani claiming the winner on 76 minutes.

Al-Emirates are now third, two points behind Al Shabab, while Al Rayyan are bottom with just one point from five matches.

Liverpool will be eager to get one over on former boss Roy Hodgson as they travel to the Midlands to face West Brom desperate to avenge the 2-1 defeat suffered at the Hawthorns in April.

Hodgson endured a nightmare six months at Anfield after replacing Rafa Benitez in the summer of 2010 before being shoved out by new owner John W. Henry in favour of Reds god Kenny Dalglish. His time at the Hawthorns hasn’t been as eventful as his spell on Merseyside although despite providing the inspiration and experience in helping them pull away from relegation the current campaign has been disappointing. A disappointing start saw fears creep in about another relegation battle but two consecutive wins have raised the levels of optimism in supporters minds. Beating Midlands rivals Aston Villa in their own backyard certainly allayed fans fears of another flirtation with the dreaded drop as they stretched their unbeaten run to four games. If they beat Liverpool on Saturday it will be their longest winning run in the top flight since 2002 when Gary Megson guided them to three victories on the trot. They’ll have to do it without Shane Long who was ruled out for six weeks after suffering an ankle injury last week. With only three goals going in at the Hawthorns this season the onus on Peter Odemwingie and the likes of Chris Brunt and James Morrison to find the back of the net in what will be their 100th Premier League game at home. Their record against Liverpool isn’t the best and Hodgson will need to provide some telling words to inspire his team to victory.

Dalglish’s men have an admirable record at the Hawthorns having remained unbeaten in 12 of the last 13 meetings against the Baggies until April’s defeat. Their mid-week Carling Cup victory over Stoke will have sapped energy levels but don’t expect the Reds to slack off as they continue their hunt for a top four place. Luis Suarez’s goal took him to seven for the season and his tenacious approach up front will surely give the West Brom defenders nightmares prior to the game. His partnership with record signing Andy Carroll is slowly starting to blossom and if the pair strike the right chord on Saturday then the home side could be in for a world of hurt. Dalglish has worked hard to get the Geordie striker up to speed following a slow start to his Anfield career but recent performances seem to indicate he is getting back to his bulldozing best. The return of Steven Gerrard has also provided a boost with the captain looking fitter and more motivated than he has done in the last 18 months. A win this week is imperative for Merseyside’s though after drawing the last two at home to Manchester United and Norwich.

Key Players

Chris Brunt – Albion skipper Brunt has finally started to show the form that made him one of the most feared left footed wingers in the Premier League. A loss of form coupled with injury had seen the Northern Ireland international man’s performances drop but he now looks back to his best but will be off penalty duty after his embarrassing miss at Villa last week.

Luis Suarez – Seven goals already this season with more certain to come. The Uruguayan has been a revelation since signing from Ajax with Liverpool’s system designed to get the best out of him. It’s certainly worked as Suarez has terrorised defences all season with his pace and determined approach up front.

Prediction: 1-3

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

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 covered 110.005km in that game, with goal scorer Paul Scharner covering the most ground in that game with 11.104km Jonas Olsson scored his first Barclays Premier League goal of the season against Villa, but the  Swedish defender has been using his power in the air for more defensive duties so far this season, having made more clearances than any other player (25) Luis Suarez saw the post and an inspired performance from Norwich ‘keeper John Ruddy prevent him from getting on the score sheet against Norwich The Uruguayan striker is surely due a change in fortunes, as he has now had 36 attempts returning just 4 goals. Suarez has got 67% of those attempts on target, and is second only to Robin van Persie in both overall attempts and efforts on target.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Tottenham and Chelsea are ready to enter the race to sign Juventus winger Milos Krasic according to The Sun.

The Serbia international attacking midfielder has found first-team opportunities in Turin limited this season under Antonio Conte, and is very likely to leave the Italian giants in the summer.

It is believed that Fenerbahce have started a battle for the eastern European player’s signature by bidding £10 million for him, with the Premier League dup now being sparked into action.

Krasic revealed that Tottenham made an offer to Juventus to take him on loan in January, but that he decided to stay in Italy to try and fight for a place in the team.

However, with little-to-no opportunities to play, Krasic is set to leave, with the London rivals both keen to add him to their squads.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Reports in Tuesday’s Independent have claimed that Zenit St Petersburg would be willing to offer Andrei Arshavin an escape from Arsenal and a return to Russia. It seems most Arsenal fans wouldn’t shed too many tears if the midfielder was to leave this summer, especially to a club that offers no threat domestically or in Europe. Arsene Wenger would probably try and keep the Russian if one of Europe’s elite clubs came in for the player but a return to Zenit could represent a good deal for Arsenal.

The Independent reports that Andrei Arshavin would be welcomed back to the club with open arms and that the Russian could be the first of many to be shown the door at the Emirates following yet another trophy-less season for Arsenal.

Sporting director Igor Korneev told talkSPORT: “Zenit’s doors are always open for Andrei. If his situation at Arsenal does not improve and he’s not comfortable in London, we can study this issue in time for next season.”

To most fans it seems crazy that Arsenal would want to sell a player that offers so much when he is on his game. There have been games where Arshavin has been totally unplayable and although he has been inconsistent this season, in the big games he has shown his true talents. Without a doubt Arsenal need a shake up this summer but surely the Gunners need to get their priorities straight this summer. He was not the reason Arsenal failed this season, although he seems to be a convenient scapegoat for some fans. Can Arsenal really afford to lose what Arshavin brings to the squad?

He has scored six times in thirty three games, but impressively has claimed 12 assists. In any league and in any team that can’t be sniffed at. If you take those assists away from Arsenal this season, would they have challenged at the top for so long? When you consider that Gareth Bale, the PFA Player of the year, has only contributed seven goals with two assists in the Premier League, Andrey’s worth becomes more apparent.

Arshavin is a quality player and if Arsenal spend this summer it seems that they will look to finance deals with his departure. The Russian is too good a player to be warming the Arsenal bench, finding a system that suits Arshavin seems the most logical path to go down. He has been booed a few times this season and that may sway his decision to leave The Emirates. A return to Russia would demonstrate an easy route out for Arshavin, and a talent would be wasted. Arshavin should be playing in one of the top European leagues and competing for top European medals. Arsenal fans may miss him if he does decide to leave.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Read more of Tom’s articles at the excellent This Is Futbol

[divider]

Listen to the third episode of our brand new podcast – The Football FanCast. – Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and singer/songwriter Alistair Griffin, who performs a live version of his cult tribute to Mark Viduka, with Razor on backing vocals!

Lazio boss Edy Reja said a positive attitude is the key if his side is to defeat city rivals Roma in their derby at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.Reja’s side have had the better of their arch nemesis this season, with Lazio currently two spot ahead of Roma on the Serie A table in fourth position.But despite their good form, they have not beaten Roma in their last four attempts, and Reja said they must believe in themselves if they are to win the three points on Sunday.”We need to go on the pitch with the right determination and being convinced we can win the game,” Reja said.”We’ve always had this attitude, with care and intelligence and taking into consideration Roma’s qualities.””They will do their best because they know it will be essential for them to win, if they want to have some hope to do the Champions League next year. Our aim will be not to let them do it.”

“The King has returned”- sorry to disappoint, but I’m not referring to Elvis, I’m talking about Kop Hero Kenny Dalglish. The Scot signed a three year deal last week (along with assistant Steve Clark), after months of fans and pundits calling for Kenny’s homecoming to be made permanent, more than 20 years after he vacated the seat. After what can only be described, by Liverpool’s standards, as a disastrous beginning to the Premier League season under Roy Hodgson’s tenure, Dalglish took over in January and turned the Merseyside outfit’s fortunes right around.

It is crucial for a manager to have the admiration and respect of not only the players but the fans too, and that is quite clearly there for all to see. A united dressing room has been the main achievement by the Scot, “The atmosphere surrounding the club has been transformed by his presence,” (Owner John Henry). The lack of team spirit under Hodgson’s tenure was more obvious than the sexual tension between the Sky Sports News presenters, but since King Kenny’s return there is a new sense of optimism and togetherness around Anfield, a key ingredient in any form or success, and one which will no doubt be essential next season if Liverpool are to recapture the glory days.

There are constant rumours circulating that Liverpool will embark on a huge summer spending spree, as the new owners and Dalglish look to make the club their own. With such promising youngsters who, under Kenny’s management, have been given valuable advice and experience, is a spree really needed? In my honest opinion I would argue that a Manchester City style spend is not required but a couple of additions wouldn’t go amiss. is not of a high enough standard to be back up to Martin Skrtel and Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher, and no doubt Dalglish will look to bolster his side with a few squad players; other than that Liverpool definitely have a well balanced and strong squad to be challenging on all domestic fronts next season.

Liverpool’s success next season really depends on them not qualifying for the fifth place booby prize that is the Europa League. Thursday nights in eastern Europe playing obscure teams won’t benefit a team of Liverpool’s standing; a team with such an illustrious European history should be hosting Barcelona, not Slaven Koprivnica. If Liverpool can solely concentrate on the Premier League and regaining their top four status, which, if the current momentum builds is a very likely possibility, then being in the top four will only serve to be a platform for greater things.

Watch this space.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Chelsea skipper John Terry has stated that he hopes to be back in action in a month, after undergoing an operation on his troublesome knee.

The England defender, who was recently stripped of the nation’s captaincy due to the ongoing race scandal, has been missing in action for Andre Villas Boas’ men for  heir last Premier League and Champions League games, due to colliding with a goalpost against Portsmouth in January.

The veteran centre half has revealed that the operation, which took place last week, was a success, and that he should be back in four to six weeks.

“The operation went well and I’m feeling really good,” he told The Sun.

“The surgeon has shaved off a bit of bone in my right knee that was rubbing and causing a lot of swelling.

“We’re all confident the operation has solved the problem and it is looking good for a quick return.

“The medical staff say four to six weeks before I can play again. But, hopefully, it might be sooner.

“I’ll definitely be back before the end of the season to help the team in the Premier League run-in and for the Euros,” he confirmed.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Gent consolidated third place in the Belgian First Division with a 4-1 victory over Standard Liege on Sunday.The hosts at Jules Ottenstadion went ahead in the ninth minute, when Ivorian Yaya Soumahoro found the back of the net.But Liege hit back seven minutes later through Senegalese striker Mbaye Leye.From there, Yassine El Ghanassy and Bernd Thijs scored to put Gent 3-1 up at the break, before a Kanu own-goal handed the home side their fourth late on.Defender Cesar Arzo was dismissed in the 86th minute for Gent, but it did little to alter the result.Anderlecht surrendered top spot on the table after being upset 2-0 by Westerlo.The hosts at Het Kuipje opened the scoring on the hour mark through an Aleksandr Iakovenko spot kick, before Dieter Dekelver netted 17 minutes later to gift Genk top spot on goal difference from Anderlecht.The three points moved Westerlo into 10th spot on the table.

To celebrate the return of 41 year-old Jens Lehmann to the Premier League this week, we take a look back at a list of ten other players to have made an impact at the top level at an age when others may already be sitting at a desk on Soccer Saturday.

Lehmann may appear set for a stint warming the bench at the Emirates for the remainder of the campaign, yet we should remember that there are a catalogue of players who were still churning out high quality performances across Europe’s top divisions deep into their thirties and early forties.

For many , playing on at the highest level well past an anticipated retirement date is a rare luxury. The ten players I present to you now have displayed remarkable longevity, stamina and professionalism to extend their careers in one of the most physically demanding of sports.

All ten of the names on this list are undoubtedly deserving of this recognition, but which other players would you add to this role of honour? Pop any suggestions as a comment below or find me on Twitter.

[divider]

Click on Jamo below to see the Top TEN

[divider]

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

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 you enjoyed this post and would like to read more of the same, feel free to find me on Twitter.

[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’left’]